Beetles (Coleoptera) of the Shell Picture Card series ... - Calodema

Calodema Supplementary Paper No. 32 (2007)
Beetles (Coleoptera) of the Shell Picture Card series: Cucujidae
by Dr Trevor J. Hawkeswood*
*PO Box 842, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, 2753 (www.calodema.com)
Hawkeswood, T.J. (2007). Beetles (Coleoptera) of the Shell Picture Card series: Cucujidae. Calodema Supplementary
Paper No. 32 : 1-2.
Abstract: One card depicting a Cucujidae species (Coleoptera) from Australia in the Shell Picture Card series entitled
Australian Beetles (1965) is reviewed in this paper. The original card is supplied as an illustration with the original
accompanying data. Comments on these data are provided.
Introduction
During the early 1960’s the Shell Petroleum Company issued a number of Picture Card series dealing with the
fauna and flora of Australia. The cards were handed out free at Shell service stations across the country (when
petrol stations did give proper service!) and were housed in an album which was purchased separately. This
paper reviews the Cucujidae (Coleoptera) of the Australian Beetles series (card numbers 301-360)(1965). The
other beetle groups will be dealt with in other papers. The reason for these papers is to provide the illustrations
and data for future workers since the Shell Picture Card series are rare and have seldom been referred to as a
result.
Species
Card no. 340 - Flat Brown Cucujid Beetle, Platisus coloniarius (Olliff)
[as Cucujis coloniarius Oll.]
Card data: “This beetle is slightly smaller than the large Black Cucujid, and even flatter. It has a
blackish head and thorax, and brown wing cases. It is found mainly in Victoria and southern New
South Wales, where its larvae make tunnels under the bark of trees. Adult beetles are not
frequently seen unless you remove some bark to discover them. Usually, they appear during the
warm months.”
Page 1

Calodema Supplementary Paper No. 32 (2007)
Comments: Nothing appears to have been published on this species since the information
provided in the Shell Picture Card series. Hawkeswood (1987) illustrated the larva of a related
Platisus sp. and noted general biological data about the family. The large Black Cucujid referred
to in the card data refers to Hectarthrum heros, now placed in the family Passandridae. McKeown
(1947) noted that this species was found in Queensland.
References
Hawkeswood, T.J. (1987). Beetles of Australia. Angus & Robertson Publishers, Sydney.
McKeown, K.C. (1947). Australian Insects. XXXI. Coleoptera 8 - the Cucujidae. Australian Museum
Magazine, 9:201-203.
Page 2