The rare genus Myoplatypus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae): three new species, new reports, and first records for South America Author Kirkendall, Lawrence R. 0000-0002-7335-6441 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, N- 5020 Bergen, Norway lawrence. kirkendall @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 7335 - 6441 lawrence.kirkendall@gmail.com Author Atkinson, Thomas H. 0000-0002-9675-8507 University of Texas Insect Collection, 3001 Lake Austin Blvd., Suite 1.314, Austin, Texas 78702, U. S. A. thatkinson. austin @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9675 - 8507 thatkinson.austin@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2023 2023-09-27 5351 3 301 321 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5351.3.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5351.3.1 1175-5326 8391656 9CDE9F38-A41E-4295-9F26-56E3FD90F0D3 Myoplatypus nicaraguensis Kirkendall , new species ( Figs 1 , 4 ) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FDDB38F8-C67F-46B4-8DFB-09FE2086B1F3 Type material. Holotype male: “ NICARAGUA : Estelí : Almaciguera , 13.0245 , -86.37494 ; 1253 m ; 14-III-2010 , ex. Quercus sp. ; THA 930; coll. T.H. Atkinson. ” One male paratype , same data. Second male paratype : El Salvador , El Boquerón, I. G. 22.899, 10.VI.1959 , Leg. J. Bechyné , one male ( RBINS ). The holotype and the Nicaragua paratype are in my collection ( LRKC ) but will be donated to NMNH . The El Salvador paratype belongs to RBINS . Differential diagnosis . Identifiable as a male Myoplatypus by the transverse pair of large spines on ventrite 3 of males and elongate body with a short vertical declivity. Small species ( 2.6 mm ): M . biprorus is slightly larger, M . petrovi about the same size, but for both the declivity is completely different from that of M . nicaraguensis ( Fig. 1 ). Myoplatypus prenexus (Wood) is larger, and the posterolateral projections are more pronounced and are angled downwards (compare Figs 4B and 10B ). Similar species. Most similar in overall appearance to M . prenexus but is smaller and has a slightly different declivity. Description of male: Length of body from vertex (front of the top of head) to elytra apex at suture 3.0– 3.4 mm , net body length 2.6–2.8 mm , 3.2–3.3 × as long as wide. Pronotum length 1.0 mm, 1.2 × as long as wide. Elytra length 1.6–1.9 mm , 2.0–2.3 × as long as wide. Pronotum without mycangial pores. Anterior margin of the metanepisternal-metaventrite impression with 3 spines above, the upper two tiny, quite close to each other and close to the upper margin, the lowest spine larger and on the lower border of the metanepisternum; 1 larger spine below on the metaventrite, equal in size and shape to the lowest spine of the metanepisternum. Spines on ventrite 3 large, mostly black, separated by about 4 × the basal width of a spine. Declivity short, flattened, nearly vertical, finely reticulate (dull), with about 2 or 3 tiny nodules on what are probably interstriae 1 and interstriae 5. Interstriae 3 extending slightly down the declivity, the extension a sharp, low black carina. Posterolateral margin anterior to angle with three teeth, margin ending in a flat, nearly triangular, black-tipped posterolateral process not extending beyond the sutural apex (viewed from above). Distribution . Collected from mid-elevation cloud forest in northwest Nicaragua and from a national park atop a volcano in western El Salvador . Biology . Collected from Quercus sp. ( Fagaceae ). Etymology . The species epithet refers to the country where the holotype was collected. Adjective.