Planiculus

Taxonomy

Planiculus Hulcr and Cognato, 2010a: 21.

Diagnosis

Minute to small (1.70−2.40 mm long), elongate (2.57−3.6 times as long as wide) and distinctly bicolored species. Planiculus can be distinguished by the elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
declivitydeclivity:
downward slope of either the pronotum or elytra
flat, slightly broadened laterally; declivital interstriaeinterstria:
longitudinal spaces along the elytra between the striae, which is not as<br /> impressed and bear smaller punctures.
1 laterally broadened; laterallateral:
pertaining to the side
profile of declivitydeclivity:
downward slope of either the pronotum or elytra
gradually descending; pronotum from dorsaldorsal:
of or relating to the upper surface; opposite of ventral
view long, rounded anteriad (type 9), from laterallateral:
pertaining to the side
view elongated with low summitsummit:
highest point, used for pronotum and elytra, denotes the peak between pronotal frontal slope and disc, and between elytral disc and declivity
and elongate discdisc:
the flat central upper surface of any body part (e.g. pronotum and elytra)
(type 8); antennal clubclub:
the broadened, flattened end of antenna, in Xyleborini comprised of three segments
approximately circular, obliquely truncateobliquely truncate:
nearly truncate but rounded not flat in lateral view
(type 2), segment 1 corneouscorneous:
horn-like; applied to antennal club
, large, occupying at least basalbase:
point or edge closest to the body; opposite of apex
half of clubclub:
the broadened, flattened end of antenna, in Xyleborini comprised of three segments
, segment 2 visible on posteriorposterior:
toward the rear end; opposite of anterior
face, and protibiaprotibia:
tibia of the first pair of legs
distinctly triangular. In addition, the procoxae are contiguous; scutellum visible, flat, flush with elytra; and mycangial tufts absent.

Species are most easily confusedconfused:
of markings, having indefinite outlines or running together as lines or spots without definite pattern; usually referring to punctures
with small Euwallacea and Xyleborus species but can be distinguished by the elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
declivitydeclivity:
downward slope of either the pronotum or elytra
flat, slightly broadened laterally, with very few tuberclestubercle:
a small knob-like or rounded protuberance of the exoskeleton
and smaller more elongate body, rounded frontalfrontal:
pertaining to the frons
margin of pronotumpronotum:
the dorsal surface of the thorax
(type 7) that is never subquadratesubquadrate:
almost quadrate, with oblique corners
as in Euwallacea.

May be confused with

Euwallacea and Xyleborus

Distribution

throughout the Paleotropics and Australasia

Gallery system

The gallery system has a few branches more or less in one transverse plane with several small brood chambers extending longitudinally. Surface galleries between the phloem and sapwood may occur in thick-barked stems (Browne 1961bBrowne 1961b:
Browne FG. 1961b. The biology of Malayan Scolytidae and Platypodidae. Malayan Forest Records 22: 1-255.).