Paromalus complanatus: Lewis, 1892: 33.
Paromalus niponensis Lewis, 1899: 21 [Japan]; Cooman, 1937: 142.
Platylomalus niponensis: Kryzhanovskij and Reichardt, 1976: 274; Mazur, 1984: 225; Hisamatsu, 1985: 225 [photo].
Japanese name: Ô-chibi-hirata-emma-mushi.
Platylomalus niponensis: Ôhara, 1994, 180.Platylomalus niponensis: Ohara, 1994, 180.
"The general outline of the body is less oblong -- that is, it is relatively broader than P. complanatus, the breadth being particularly seen in the width of the thorax and mesosternum; the legs and antennae are less elongate; the head more distinctly punctured, with the lateral border more elevated; the thorax has the marginal stria minutely interrupted in the middle behind the neck, and the anterior angles are more acute; the sculpture of the pygidium in the male is variable, but it is usually deeper, and the anastomosed sculpture is bordered behind usually with a semicircular furrow; the mesosternum has an indistinct biarcuate transverse stria, and its lateral stria terminates at the base rectangularly. Marseul says the head of P. complanatus is smooth, but there are fine and feeble points on the surface; the mesosternum has the lateral striae hamate at the base, and its transverse stria is fine but very clear and consists of a single arc. Long. 3-3.1/4 mill.
Hab. Found throughout Japan, chiefly under the bark of beech."
Description. Male, Female. Body oblong, black and shining; tarsi and antennae rufopiceous. Body length, PPL, male, 2.52 - 3.17 mm (2.98 ± 0.04, n=17), female, 2.65 - 3.01 mm (2.82 ± 0.04, n=9), PEL, male, 2.19 - 2.91 mm (2.68 ± 0.04, n=17), female, 2.45 - 2.68 mm (2.54 ± 0.03, n=8). Width, male, 1.47 - 1.90 mm (1.76 ± 0.02, n=19), female 1.60 - 1.77 mm (1.68 ± 0.02, n=9). Biometric data are given in Table 32.
Head (Fig. 103C) evenly covered with moderate punctures which are separated by twice their diameter. Frontal stria well impressed and complete.
Sides of pronotum (Fig. 102A) arcuate, slightly convergent anteriorly on basal three-fourths, thence strongly arcuate and convergent to apices. Marginal stria nearly complete, but a little broken at middle. Disk of pronotum sparsely clothed with fine punctures which are separated by four to six times their diameter and become coarser on lateral fourth. Antiscutellum area distinctly with a short longitudinal impression.
Marginal epipleural stria feebly impressed on apical half. Marginal elytral stria strongly carinate and complete, its apical end extending along the apical margin of elytron, and attaining to near lateral two-thirds. Epipleura shining and microscopically punctate. Oblique humeral stria present on basal one-fourth. First dorsal stria present on median third, weakly impressed. Another oblique stria deeply impressed on laterobasal half. Disk of elytra sparsely covered with coarse and shallow punctures which are separated by their own diameter to four time the diameter and become finer on mediobasal half and along the suture.
Propygidium sparsely covered with moderate punctures, with fine punctures intermingled. The male and female are confused in the original description; in reality, the pygidium (Fig. 103C) is densely and finely punctate in the male; in female, it has an anastomosed sculpture medially (Fig. 103D).
Anterior margin of prosternal lobe (Fig. 102B) truncate and rather broad; marginal stria of the lobe absent anteriorly, but distinctly present on lateral third; another short marginal stria on each lateral side and strongly carinate at basal angles of the lobe; disk sparsely and finely punctate, the punctures being separated by two to five times their diameter. Prosternal process with complete carinal striae; disk of the process sparsely and finely punctate; descending lateral stria short, strongly carinate.
Anterior margin of mesosternum deeply emarginate at middle, its marginal stria complete and carinate laterally, absent anteriorly; basal angles rectangulate; disk evenly and sparsely clothed with fine punctures, which are separated by about three times their diameter, and indistinctly with a biarcuate transverse line (Fig. 102B). Meso-metasternal suture slightly impressed and broadly sinuous. Intercoxal disk of metasternum with punctures similar to those of metasternum. Lateral metasternal stria strongly carinate, extending obliquely and posteriorly on basal two-thirds, thence running along the metasternal-metepisternal suture, and attaining near the latero-posterior angel.
Intercoxal disk of 1st abdominal sternum sparsely and finely punctate, and completely striate on lateral side, the stria strongly carinate.
Protibia (Fig. 103F) with 6 denticles on outer margin. Mesotibia with 4 spinules on outer margin. Metatibia with 2 spinules near the apex.
Table 32. Biometric data of Platylomalus niponensis (Lewis).
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Male Female
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APW 0.69-0.88 (0.83±0.01) 19 0.75-0.82 (0.79±0.01) 9
PPW 1.34-1.77 (1.66±0.02) 19 1.50-1.64 (1.57±0.01) 9
PL 0.78-1.01 (0.93±0.01) 19 0.78-0.92 (0.86±0.02) 8
EL 1.37-1.73 (1.60±0.02) 19 1.44-1.60 (1.54±0.02) 8
EW 1.47-1.90 (1.76±0.02) 19 1.60-1.77 (1.68±0.02) 9
ProW 0.72-1.01 (0.88±0.01) 19 0.82-1.01 (0.90±0.02) 8
ProL 0.23-0.39 (0.32±0.01) 19 0.29-0.33 (0.31±0.01) 8
PyL 0.33-0.49 (0.40±0.01) 19 0.29-0.43 (0.36±0.02) 8
PTL 0.52-0.72 (0.65±0.01) 19 0.56-0.62 (0.59±0.01) 9
MSTL 0.49-0.69 (0.59±0.01) 19 0.46-0.62 (0.54±0.01) 9
MTTL 0.59-0.78 (0.69±0.01) 19 0.56-0.69 (0.62±0.02) 9
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Male genitalia as shown in Fig. 104.
Specimens examined. [Hokkaidô] 2ÅâÅâ3ÅäÅä, Maruyama, Sapporo, 25/v, vi/1989, S. Shiyake leg.; 4ÅâÅâ2ÅäÅä, Ditto, 10, 11/v/1989, M. Ôhara leg.; 1Åâ, 1 ex., Ditto, 5/v/1973, S. Kudô leg.; 2ÅâÅâ, Mt. Yôtei, Hirafu, Kutchan, 15-16, 22/vii/1991, M. Ôhara leg.
[Honshû] <Fukushima-ken> 1 ex., Naka-moiwa, Azuma-yama, 13/iv/1966, K. Tazoe leg.; 3 exs., Kami-miyori, Kita-Aizu, 16/iv/1950, K. Nagayama leg. (NA); 5 exs., Kuwabara, Kita-Aizu, 15/iv/1950, Y. Kurosawa leg. (NA); 4ÅâÅâ4ÅäÅä, Ditto, (NSMT). <Tôkyô-to> 2 exs., Takao, 14/vi/1930, S. Asahina leg. <Nagano-ken> 1Åâ, Sanosaka, Hakuba Vill., 8/v/1983, M. Kiuchi leg.
Distribution. Japan (Hokkaidô, Honshû); Taiwan.
Remarks. Platylomalus niponicus is a relatively large species; it is similar to P. persimilis and P. mendicus, but can be distinguished by the different shape of the mesosternal transverse stria and the larger size.
Little is known about the habitats of this species. Some specimens were collected under bark.
[Hokkaido] Proper: Okusawa-suigenchi, Otaru (4 exs., 24/v/1995, collected form under bark), M. Ohara.
[Honshu] Aomori-ken: Iizume, Goshogawara-shi (1 ex., 24/iv/1966, APM), K. Shimoyama; Nakasato-machi (1 ex., 18/v/1965, APM), K. Shimoyama; (1 ex., 26/iv/1965, APM), A. Abe.
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