Taxonomic Review of <I>Platycoelia lutescens</I> (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anoplognathini) and a Description of its Use as Food by the People of the Ecuadorian Highlands

Abstract

Platycoelia lutescens Blanchard (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anoplognathini), a species that occurs in the Andes Mountains of South America, is redescribed. Platycoelia albescens (Bates) and P. baronis (Ohaus) are considered new synonyms of P. lutescens. A lectotype is designated for P. albescens. The use of this species as a food source by the people of the Ecuadorian highlands is discussed. RESUMEN Se redescribe a Platycoelia lutescens Blanchard (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anoplo- gnathini), especie presente en la cordillera de los Andes en Sudamerica. Platycoelia albescens (Bates) y P. baronis (Ohaus) son consideradas nuevos sinonimos de P. lutescens. Se designa lectotipo para P. albescens. Se discute el uso de esta especie como recurso alimenticio en ciertos poblados de los Andes ecuatorianos. Platycoelia lutescens BLANCHARD is a species of scarab beetle that occurs in the highlands of Colombia, Ec- uador, and Peru ´. This species is easily recognized relative to other Andean scarabs by the cream color and large size ('2 cm). Platycoelia lutescens is sea- sonally abundant, and label data indicated that it was sold in the Ecuadorian markets as food. In this article, we redescribe the adult of P. lutescens and place P. albescens (Bates) and P. baronis (Ohaus) as synonyms. We also extend the known range of this species into southern Colombia. The genus Platycoelia was erected by Dejean (1833) for one species (P. flavostriata (Latreille 1813)) oc- curring in the Andes Mountains of South America. Blanchard (1851) described P. lutescens using a spec- imen (or specimens) from Cuzco, Peru ´. One year before his death, Bates (1891) described the genus Leucopelaea and the species L. albescens using 13 spec- imens from Cotopaxi and Machachi, Ecuador. Evi- dently, Bates was not acquainted with Blanchard's P. lutescens. In his description, Bates (1891) made no reference to P. lutescens (proposed 41 yr previously), or, if he believed that the species differed, he might have transferred the species to Leucopelaea. Arrow (1899) first questioned the validity of the genus Leu- copelaea and hypothesized that Bates may not have been familiar with a similar genus, Callichloris Bur- meister (now a junior synonym of Platycoelia). In his revision of the New World Anoplognathini, Ohaus (1905) transferred P. lutescens to the genus Leucopel- aea and added the new species L. baronis. Ohaus (1905) described L. baronis using specimens from Ec- uador. He stated that L. albescens and L. baronis oc- curred in Ecuador and that L. lutescens occurred in Ecuador and Peru ´. Ohaus (1908) later mentioned that L. lutescens was found near Quito, Ecuador. In the Genera Insectorum for Rutelinae, Machatschke (1965) synonymized the genus Leucopelaea with Platycoelia, thus transferring L. lutescens, L. albescens, and L. baronis to the latter genus. Additionally, Ma- chatschke (1965, 1972) incorrectly designated Platy- coelia lutescens as the type species for the genus Leu- copelaea. Leucopelaea albescens is the type species for Leucopelaea by monotypy. Because of the confusion over the correct identity of P. lutescens, we are rede- scribing it below.