Platycesta

Platycesta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Chrysomelidae
Tribe: Galerucini
Genus: Platycesta
Viswajyothi & Clark, 2021
Species:
P. depressa
Binomial name
Platycesta depressa
(Clark, 1865)
Synonyms
  • Monocesta depressa Clark, 1865
  • Monocesta nicaraguensis Jacoby, 1877
  • Coelomera atrocaerulea Jacoby, 1878

Platycesta is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. It is monotypic, the only species being Platycesta depressa.

Distribution and ecology

Platycesta depressa occurs in Central and northwestern South America from Honduras to Peru. A record from the United States is considered erraneous. They feed on leaves of Cecropia.

Description

Adults measure 8.7–13.2 mm (0.34–0.52 in) in length. The head, prothorax, and scutellar shield are yellow-brown to orange-brown. The antennae, tibiae, tarsi, and abdomen are black. However, the elytra are variable, ranging from entirely orange-brown to entirely black; the intermediate forms are basally pale and distally dark.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Viswajyothi, Keezhpattillam; Clark, Shawn M. (2021). "A new genus to accommodate Central and South American beetles with broadly explanate elytra, formerly assigned to Monocesta Clark and Coelomera Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Galerucini)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 75 (2): 473–484. doi:10.1649/0010-065X-75.2.473.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Viswajyothi, Keezhpattillam; Clark, Shwan M. (2022). "New World genera of Galerucinae Latreille, 1802 (tribes Galerucini Latreille, 1802, Metacyclini Chapuis, 1875, and Luperini Gistel, 1848): an annotated list and identification key (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)". European Journal of Taxonomy. 842: 1–102. doi:10.5852/ejt.2022.842.1945.
  3. ↑ "Platycesta Viswajyothi & Clark, 2021". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 21 January 2026.