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MONOGRAPHIC REVISION OF PLATYCOELIA 147
DIAGNOSIS. This species is distinguished
from all other species in the genus Platycoelia
by the following combination of characters:
color cream or tan; frontoclypeal suture complete;
apex of the labrum with a reduced, triangular
tooth not overlapping the mentum;
mentum with a medial notch; antenna 10-segmented;
elytron without distinct longitudinal
lines; elytral apices not capable of completely
covering the pygidium; apex of the elytral suture
without an acute spine; mesothoracic
process nub to weakly projecting apically; apical
abdominal spiracle strongly protuberant;
mesotarsomere 5 and metatarsomere 5 without
an internal tooth; parameres with the
apex rounded, not expanded.
DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 58). Andes Mountains
from southern Colombia to southern Perú.
Recorded from 1,800-4,000 m. Occurs in
paramo and other grassland habitats.
BIOLOGY. Smith and Paucar-Cabrera (2000)
discussed the biology of P. lutescens. The
adults emerge from the paramo when the winter
rains begin (usually late October to early
November). It has been observed that adult
emergence coincides with rainy days and the
sound of thunder (Whymper 1892, Onore
1997). They emerge ‘en masse’ and have been
seen by the thousands for a short period of
time. Whymper (1892) gives an excellent account
of this in Travels Amongst the Great
Andes of the Equator. On 14 February 1880
while travelling to Volcán Cotopaxi (he was
primarily on a mountain climbing expedition)
Whymper writes “It was our intention to
travel direct to Cotopaxi, but a violent storm
drove us for refuge into Pedregal . . . at the
northern foot of Rumiñahui.” The next day
after the violent storm, Whymper continued
toward Cotopaxi through the plain of
Limpiopungo, noting “I found here, in great
numbers, a rather large beetle belonging to
the same tribe as our cockchafer” (Whymper
collected some specimens that were part of
the type series for Leucopelaea albescens [= P.
lutescens]). Whymper also noted that the
beetles were probably “emerging hindquarters
first from the sandy soil.” The destruction
of paramo habitat around Quito (for urban development)
caused P. lutescens populations to
decline in that area (Smith and Paucar-
Cabrera 2000).
LOCALITY DATA. 288 specimens examined
from BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CMNH, DEIC,
DJCC, FGIC, HAHC, HNHM, LACM, LEMQ,
MCZC, MGFT, MLJC, MNHN, QCAZ, SMFD,
SMTD, USNM, ZMHB, ZSMC.
COLOMBIA (7). NARIÑO (7): Cumbal, Pasto.
ECUADOR (272). BOLÍVAR (4): Cashca
Totoras. CAÑAR (18): El Tambo. COTOPAXI
(25): El Boliche, Latacunga, Limpiopungo,
Parque Nacional Cotopaxi. ESMERALDAS
(2): Mayronga. IMBABURA (16): Juncal,
Otavalo. PICHINCHA (162): Alóag, Cayambe
(9.9 km NW), Chillogallo, Conocoto,
Cumbayá, Ilaló, Machachi, Nono, Palmeras,
Píntag, Quito, Santa Catalina, Tambillo, No
data. TUNGURAHUA (4): Baños, Píllaro. NO
DATA (37).
PERÚ (5). CUSCO (1): Cusco. LIMA (1):
Callanga. PUNO (1): No data. NO DATA (2).
NO DATA (4).
Doubtful locality labels include four specimens
labeled “Guayquil, Ecuador,” two specimens
labeled “Zarayaku Ecuador or.” and one
specimen labeled Archidona. I considered
these “Ecuador, no data” because these localities
are too low in elevation to support populations
of this species. One specimen labeled
“Chili” is also doubtful (this locality is far out
of the known range for the species) and I consider
as a “No Data” specimen.
TEMPORAL DATA. January (10), February
(9), March (2), April (1), May (4), June (4),
August (1), September (2), October (34) November
(16), December (28).