Platycesta

Platycesta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Chrysomelidae
Tribe:	Galerucini
Genus:	Platycesta Viswajyothi & Clark, 2021 [1]
Species:	P. depressa
Binomial name
Platycesta depressa (Clark, 1865)
Synonyms
Monocesta depressaClark, 1865 Monocesta nicaraguensisJacoby, 1877 Coelomera atrocaeruleaJacoby, 1878

Platycesta is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. ^{[1] [2] [3]} It is monotypic, the only species being Platycesta depressa. ^{[1] [2]}

Distribution and ecology

Platycesta depressa occurs in Central and northwestern South America ^{[1] [2]} from Honduras to Peru. ^[1] A record from the United States is considered erraneous. ^{[1] [2]} They feed on leaves of Cecropia . ^[1]

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. ^[1]

References

1. 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. 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.