Header  

 

 

Platydracus comes (LeConte 1863)
 

Figure 7.5.1 Platydracus comes (LeConte), showing scutellum and elytral spots. 7.5.2 P. comes, showing complete impunctate line of pronotum. 11.9.1 P. comes, dorsal habitus.

 
 

Platydracus comes may be distinguished from other species of the genus in ECAS by the combination of elongate, dark spots on the elytra (Fig. 7.5.1), the median line of golden setae on the scutellum (Fig. 7.5.1), and the complete impunctate median line of the pronotum (Fig. 7.5.2). This species is easily confused with the similarly coloured P. maculosus (Gravenhorst) (Fig. 11.9.1) but it is much smaller (13-19 mm) and has a complete impunctate median line of the pronotum.

 
 

This species is eastern in distribution, with most specimens collected in the southeastern United States. It reaches the northern limit of its distribution in ECAS (Map 13), with most of the northeastern records pre-1940. Platydracus comes is newly recorded from Ohio based on these records.

UNITED STATES: OH: Athens Co., Waterloo Twp., 39.3166 -82.2166, 24-VII-1935, 1 (CNC). Hamilton Co., Cincinnati, 39.1 -84.5, 22-VII-1900, C. Drury, 2 (CNMH); 31-VII-1900, T. Drury, 1 (MCZ); 7-VIII-1900, C. Drury, 1 (CNMH).

The tentative record of Platydracus comes from the province of Québec listed in Campbell and Davies (1991) as '?' represents a misidentification of P. viridanus.  Platydracus comes probably does not occur regularly in Canada, but occasional migrant individuals might be found in southernmost Ontario.

Adjacent U.S.: IN, OH, PA, NY

 
   
 

This species lives in pine or mixed-pine forests, usually occurring with dung and carrion communities and infrequently collected at compost-baited traps or UV lights.

 
 
  BSC