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International audience; Platycoelia pomacea Erichson, 1847 is reported for the first time from French Guiana, based on two specimens collected during the 2015 Our Planet Reviewed expedition, on the southern border of French Guiana. This discovery extends the distribution of the species more than 1300km northwards and is the first record of the genus Platycoelia Dejean, 1833 in the Guiana shield area.; Platycoelia pomacea Erichson, 1847 est cité pour la première fois de Guyane, à partir de deux exemplaires récoltés lors de l'expédition La Planète Revisitée 2015, à la frontière sud de la Guyane. Cette découverte étend la distribution de l'espèce à plus de 1 300 km vers le nord et constitue le premier signalement du genre Platycoelia Dejean, 1833 dans la zone du plateau des Guyanes.

Nanotermitodius Howden, 2003 Nanotermitodius Howden, 2003: 393. Type species: Nanotermitodius peckorum Howden, 2003: 396, by original designation. Diagnosis. Nanotermitodius is unique among the rhyparines by having the male sexual dimorphism of a Rhyparus - type mesotibia and Termitodiellus - type metatibia (Skelley 2007). The females have simple, unmodified tibial apices. Other useful characters to diagnose Nanotermitodius include elytral carinae sinuate in dorsal and lateral views, caudal apex of discomedian costa on elytra with an erect tuft of setae, mesoventrite with shallow longitudinal median groove, metaventrite with distinct discolateral fovea on either side of midline, and male protibia distinctly tridentate at apex, female protibia weakly tridentate. The genus also has fused elytra with flight wings reduced to vestigial buds, reduced eyes, and is presently known only from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Comments. Howden (2003) provided a generic description, which also acted as the species description for N. peckorum. Thus, a brief diagnosis of the genus listing important delimiting characters was needed. Other traditional characters like body shape, costal development, etc. vary between these two Nanotermitodius enough to overlap with other genera, making these characters less useful for generic delimitation. Skelley (2007) noted that male N. peckorum have Rhyparus - type mesotibia but Termitodiellus - type metatibia. The new species shows this character combination more prominently than N. peckorum. This tibial combination in the males will readily distinguish Nanotermitodius., Published as part of Skelley, Paul E., Smith, Andrew B. T. & Mora-Aguilar, Eder F., 2022, A review of the flightless genus Nanotermitodius Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), pp. 355-364 in Zootaxa 5200 (4) on page 356, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5200.4.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7270716, {"references":["Howden, H. F. (2003) Two new genera of New World Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Sociobiology, 42, 391 - 402.","Skelley, P. E. (2007) Generic limits of the Rhyparini with respect to the genus Termitodius Wasmann, 1894 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Insecta Mundi, 9, 1 - 9."]}

Nanotermitodius peckorum Howden, 2003 Figures 4–6, 16 Nanotermitodius peckorum Howden, 2003: 396. Type material examined (2). Holotype male and allotype female (CMNC): “ MEXICO: Oaxaca, 1220m, 26 km E. Valle Nacional, 25.VI.1983, S. & J. Peck, Mont. trop. for. litter Ber. Km 71, 83-50”. Additional material examined (14): MEXICO: Oaxaca: Hwy. 175, 22mi. S. Valle Nacional, 5800’, 3-VI-1983, CW. & L. O’Brien & GB. Marshall, Berlese sifted cloud forest litter (1♂, 1♀ FSCA); 18.7 mi S Valle Nacional, 5200’, 17-VIII-1973, A. Newton, Berlese litter cloud forest (2♂♂, 2♀♀ FSCA; 1♂, 1♀ IEXA; 1♂, 5♀♀ MCZC); 18.7 mi S Valle Nacional, 5200’, 11-18-VIII-1973, A. Newton, leaf litter forest floor (1♀ MCZC). Diagnosis. Nanotermitodius peckorum (Figs. 4–6) differs from N. andersoni in smaller body size (length 2.5–2.6 mm), pronotal lateral margin deeply sinuate, short elytra (1.5 times length of pronotum), which converge posteriorly having more sinuate costae, flight wings vestigial, and other characters including those in key. Distribution. Known only in wet slope of Sierra de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico, commonly known as “La Chinantla”, an elevation of 1220–1750 m (Fig. 16). Comments. There appears to be an error in the label data of the type series. The marker “km 71” along the highway 157 Tuxtepec-Oaxaca is 26 km south southwest of Valle Nacional, not east. This area matches the elevation (1220 m) and vegetation (montane tropical forest) as stated on the label. To the east of Valle Nacional the territory is below 800 m and has different lower elevation plant communities. The locality Puerto Antonio is located at km 71–72, we suspect this may be the actual type locality. This error in labeling is supported by data associated with additional specimens that have been recently studied. Discussion. Sierra de Juárez is considered one of the most diverse regions of the state and present one of the two highest number of endemic species of arthropods (González-Pérez et al. 2004). In “La Chinantla”, cloud forest exhibit three variations, in lower elevations is represented by species of Lauraceae, Ilex L. (Aquifoliacee), Podocarpus, Alchornea Sw. (Euphorbiaceae) and with Oreomunnea mexicana (Standley) Leroy (Juglandaceae) (1400–1600 m), O. mexicana is the dominant element between 1600–1800 m of elevation, and cloud forests in higher elevations (1800–2050 m), where O. mexicana and several species of the genus Quercus (Fagaceae) are present as dominant trees (Rzedowski & Palacios-Chávez 1977). Particularly, cloud forests with O. mexicana as the dominant element are considered relict and paleoendemic vegetation established in areas that presumably served as Pleistocene refugia of flora and fauna in Mexico (Rzedowski 1991)., Published as part of Skelley, Paul E., Smith, Andrew B. T. & Mora-Aguilar, Eder F., 2022, A review of the flightless genus Nanotermitodius Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), pp. 355-364 in Zootaxa 5200 (4) on pages 361-362, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5200.4.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7270716, {"references":["Howden, H. F. (2003) Two new genera of New World Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Sociobiology, 42, 391 - 402.","Gonzalez-Perez, G., Briones-Salas, M. & Alfaro, A. M. (2004) Integracion del conocimiento faunistico del Estado. In: GarciaMendoza, A. J, Ordonez Diaz, M. J. & Briones-Salas, M. (Eds.), Biodiversidad de Oaxaca. Fondo Oaxaqueno para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza, World Wildlife Fund, Mexico, pp. 449 - 465.","Rzedowski, J. & Palacios-Chavez, R. (1977) El bosque de Engelhardtia (Oreomunnea) mexicana en la region de La Chinantla (Oaxaca, Mexico) - una reliquia del Cenozoico. Boletin de la Sociedad Botanica de Mexico, 36, 93 - 127. https: // doi. org / 10.17129 / botsci. 1161","Rzedowski, J. (1991) El endemismo de la flora fanerogamica mexicana: una apreciacion analitica preliminar. Acta Botanica Mexicana, 15, 47 - 64. https: // doi. org / 10.21829 / abm 15.1991.620"]}