Paromalus mendicus Lewis, 1892: 33 [Japan]; Lewis, 1899: 21 [Java]; Cooman, 1937: 138 [Shanghai, Indochina].

Platylomalus mendicus: Cooman, 1948: 138; Mazur, 1984: 135; Hisamatsu, 1985: 225 [photo]; Ôhara, 1994, 177.

Japanese name: Hime-chibi-hirata-emma-mushi.

"P. biarculus simillimis at paulo minor; elytris propygidioque distincte punctulatis; mesosterno stria transversali nulla. L.2-2.1/2 mill.

Oblong-oval, rather flat, black; antennae and legs reddish; the head distinctly but not densely punctured, stria complete, well-marked, and angulate over the eyes; the thorax visibly punctured behind the anterior angles, less so laterally, and nearly smooth on the disk, scutellar spot very small and placed a little away form the edge, stria interrupted behind the neck; the elytra much more distinctly punctured except on the area behind the scutellum and a very narrow margin along the suture, one short basal stria, somewhat straight but ill-defined; the propygidium clearly and rather closely punctured; the pygidium nearly smooth, in the male there are obscure and ill-defined marks but no vermicular sculpture; the prosternum is a little broader than in P. biarculus, Mars., bistriate, striae strong, feebly sinuous at the sides, and widening outwards a little in front and joining posteriorly; the mesosternum feebly and sparsely punctulate, without a transverse stria, lateral furrow deep and common to it and the metasternum; the suture is clearly seen between the meso- and metasterna; anterior tibiae 4-dentate.

This species differs from P. biarculus in having the elytra distinctly punctured, by the absence of the mesosternal transverse stria, and by the want in the male of vermicular sculpture on the pygidium.

Hab. Japan. I found this insect at Kashiwagi and in several places in Higo."

Redescription (Ohara, 1994)

Description. Male and female. Body length, PPL, 1.87 - 2.23 mm (2.05 ± 0.02, n=20), PEL, 1.73 - 2.03 mm (1.90 ± 0.02, n=20). Width, 1.14 - 1.34 mm (1.26 ± 0.01, n=20). Biometric data are given in Table 31. Body oblong, dark brown or black and shining; femora, tibiae, mouthparts and antennae rufopiceous.

Frontal stria (Fig. 100C) of head well impressed and complete. Disk sparsely covered with moderate punctures which are separated by two to four times their diameter and become a little denser apically; area between the punctures shining.

Pronotal sides (Fig. 99A, 100A) feebly arcuate and convergent on basal two-thirds, then strongly convergent apically. Emarginated portion of anterior margin of pronotum feebly bisinuate. Marginal stria complete laterally, but broadly interrupted anteriorly behind neck. Disk sparsely and evenly clothed with fine punctures, with microscopic punctures intermingled and becoming denser on median third of pronotum, A small puncture present on antescutellar area somewhat distant from margin.

Epipleural marginal stria weakly impressed on apical half. Elytral marginal stria deeply impressed and complete, its apical end extended to lateral two-thirds of posterior margin of elytron. Epipleura even and sparsely clothed with microscopic punctures. Disk of elytra (Fig. 99A) sparsely and coarsely punctate except on a narrow band along suture, which is sparsely clothed with microscopic punctures and feebly elevated; on extreme apical band, the punctures becoming finer mediobasally, and coarser near oblique depression. Dorsal stria absent, but oblique depression present on lateral half on basal third.

Propygidium sparsely covered with coarse, shallow and round punctures, which are separated by their own diameter to four time the diameter. Pygidium (Fig. 99C, D) sparsely and finely punctate, the punctures becoming coarser near basal margin. In female, circular and liner sculptures present on apical half, which are shown in Fig. 99D. These female sculptures are found in the specimens from Okinawa, Ryûkyû Isles., but not in the specimens from Fukushima-ken, Honshû.

Anterior margin of prosternal lobe (Fig. 99B) truncated; anterior angles of the lobe round; marginal stria present at lateral third on basal half, extending obliquely and inwardly; lateral margin of lobe strongly carinate and its inside deeply depressed near the basal angles; disk irregularly scattered with fine and deep punctures, which are separated by their own diameter to four time the diameter. Prosternal process completely with carinal striae, which are divergent anteriorly and posteriorly, narrowest at basal two-thirds, and not meeting at either end. Lateral descending stria short, complete and strongly carinate.

Anterior margin of mesosternum (Fig. 99B) feebly emarginate at middle; its marginal stria absent anteriorly, complete laterally; basal end of the marginal stria bent inwards and apical end continued to lateral metasternal stria; punctation of mesosternal disk similar to that of prosternal process; transverse stria weakly impressed, usually interrupted at middle (in the original description, the stria is absent). Meso-metasternal suture finely depressed. Intercoxal disk of metasternum sparsely clothed with fine punctures which are separated by three to eight times their diameter. Lateral disk sparsely covered with large, round and shallow punctures, which become finer apically. Lateral metasternal stria well impressed and extended obliquely and posteriorly, its apical end attaining to near metacoxal cavity. Post-mesocoxal stria extended along mesocoxal cavity and its outer end strongly bent posteriorly.

Intercoxal disk of 1st abdominal sternum feebly depressed on lateral sides, and with punctation similar to metasternal ones. First abdominal stria complete and well impressed.

Protibia with 4 denticles on outer margin. Metatibia with 4 spinules on outer margin. Metatibia with two spinules near the apex.

Male genitalia as shown in Fig. 101.

Specimens examined. [Honshû] <Fukushima-ken> 13 exs., Kita-Aizu, Kuwabara, 15/iv/1950, T. Nakane leg. (NA); 1Åâ, 12 exs., Kami-miyori, Kita-Aizu, 16/iv/1950, K. Nagayama leg. (NA); 3 exs., Kawatani, Higashi-yama, Kita-Aizu, 24/x/1948, Y. Kurosawa leg. (NA).

[Nansei Isles.] <Okinawa-Hontô Is. > 11 exs., Sueyoshi-Kôen, Naha, 31/v/1988, T. Ueno leg. <Ishigaki Is.> 1 ex., Kabira, 25/v/1988, H. Daidô leg.

Distribution. Japan (Honshû, Shikoku, Kyûshû, Oki Is., Nansei Isles.); Russia (Primorskiy Kray); China; Viet-Nam; India; Taiwan; Indonesia.

Table 31. Biometric data of Platylomalus mendicus (Lewis).

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APW 0.53-0.63 (0.60± 0.01) 20

PPW 1.04-1.26 (1.16± 0.01) 20

PL 0.59-0.71 (0.66± 0.01) 20

EL 1.02-1.30 (1.13± 0.01) 20

EW 1.14-1.34 (1.26± 0.01) 20

ProW 0.57-0.69 (0.63±.0.01) 20

ProL 0.20-0.28 (0.23±0.004) 20

PyL 0.20-0.30 (0.24± 0.01) 20

PTL 0.41-0.47 (0.44±0.004) 20

MSTL 0.30-0.39 (0.36± 0.01) 20

MTTL 0.37-0.49 (0.42± 0.01) 20

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Remarks. Platylomalus mendicus resemlbes P. persimilis; however, the different shape of the mesosternal transverse stria and the sculptures of the female pygidium will distinguished it from P. pesimilis.

[Nansei Isles] Ishigaki-jima (1 ex., 11/vi/1995, collected by truck trap), K. Takahashi.

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