Pocadius torresi Jelínek, 1977

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 105-106

Pocadius torresi Jelínek, 1977

(Figs. 40, 81, 124, 167, 246)

Specimens examined. 5 PARATYPES ( NMPC) 3 ♀, 2 ♂: two females and one male with label: Argent. prov. ; Buenos Aires; J. Basq coll.; one female and one male with label: Argentina; LA PLATA; ex. coll. Mus. La Plata. All specimens with labels : Paratypus; Pocadius ; torresi; sp. n.; Jelínek det. 1976. / Mus. Nat. Prague; Inv. #’s 65614 – 65618 respectively. Additionally, one specimen ( ARCC): ARG: Salta Prov.; El Rey Nat. Park , 900m; 7-XII-1987, S&J Peck; Hasteria, Chaco Forest; leaf and wood litter .

Diagnosis. Differs from other Pocadius by: absence of setae in apico-medial regions of inner row and median lobe fossa on tegmen; almost symmetrical antennal club with short terminal antennomere; and lack of well-developed protibial apical-lateral notch.

Redescription. Length 4.2mm, Width 2.8mm, 1.8Depth mm. Body uniformly brown-orange, head and pronotum somewhat darker and less shining than elytra, pubescence golden to pale yellow. Pronotal and elytral margins with dense elongate fimbria. Pygidium and hypopygidium densely setate, with posterior margins moderately fimbriate.

Head surface moderately punctate, large and small punctures interspersed throughout vertex, becoming denser near orbits and posterior margin. Large punctures 5X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 0.33 diameter of large punctures, interspaces alutaceous, 1–2 diameters apart. Overall head very densely pubescent. Pronotal surface with large and small punctures interspersed throughout, punctures similar in size to large and small punctures on vertex; interspaces 2–3 diameters apart becoming more dense laterally, granular to alutaceous. Scutellar surface with faint large punctures similar to large punctures on vertex, aggregated along anterior margin; other punctures aggregated in anterior 0.75, similar to small punctures on vertex; interspaces granular. Eytral surface with serial rows of alternating large and small shallow punctures. Large punctures irregularly rounded, 1.5X size of large pronotal punctures, each giving rise to erect elongate curved setae. Small punctures 0.25 diameter large punctures, each giving rise to smaller semi-erect to decumbent setae, setal length 0.75 length of setae derived from large punctures. Large and small punctures in single rows; interspaces alutaceous, within a row large punctures separated by 0.5 diameter, small punctures separated by 1–2 diameters. Large and small puncture rows separated by 1–1.5 large puncture diameter. Pygidium densely irregularly punctate, equal to large punctures on pronotum, interspaces alutaceous with transverse microreticulation, separated by 0.25 diameter. Some punctures giving rise to moderately long setae equal to small punctures on elytra, longer laterally.

Venter with shorter pubescence than dorsum. Mentum with faint large punctures, 0.75 size of large vertex punctures; interspaces granular with some microreticulation. Submentum and gula with faint scattered small punctures 0.5 mental punctures; interspaces granular. Prosternum and epimeron with faintly impressed punctures 1.25 mental punctures; interspaces alutaceous; prosternal punctures separated by 0.5 diameter, those on epimeron similarly separated. Mesoventrite with faint large punctures along posterior margin, interspaces alutaceous. Metaventrite irregularly punctate, punctures on disc similar to small mental punctures; interspaces smooth to alutaceous on disc, more granular laterally, separated by 3 diameters, becoming denser laterally, lateral punctures giving rise to long setae. Metepisternum with dense elongate setae, setae longer than anywhere else on venter. Abdominal sternite 1 with faint punctures larger than those on metaventrite, interspaces 2 diameters apart, alutaceous. Hypopygidium densely deeply punctate, punctures 0.75 size of those on sternites 2–4; interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.25:1). Antennal club compact, oval, densely setose, symmetrical, last antennomere subequal to previous two combined. Antennomeres 6–8 disc-like. Antennal scape asymmetrical, hemispherical, 1.75X as long as pedicel, numerous elongate setae arising from anterior margin of scape. Pedicel subcylindrical, tapering proximally, widest near middle. Antennal segment 3 subcylindrical, 0.75 length of pedicel, tapering proximally as in pedicel. Segments 4–5 similar in shape to segment 3, each 0.5 length of segment 3. Antennal club large, 0.6 length of segments 1–8 combined. Mentum with apex evenly narrowly rounded anteriorly with short medial angle, lateral angles faint but present, overall pentagonal, somewhat convex in lateral view.

Pronotum broadly convex, widest near middle (W:L = 1.9:1), anterior margin broadly deeply concave to trapezoidal. Prosternal process in lateral view evenly convex, greatest height at midline of procoxae; posterior wall well-developed and oblique. Scutellum large, elongate triangular with rounded apex. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, posterior border truncate. Metaventrite transverse (W:L = 2.1:1). Metepisternum broad, angulate medially, anterior 0.33 produced anteriomedially, anterior 0.13 forming axillary space. First abdominal sternite with acute process between metacoxae, first sternite 2 X’s longer than second. Sternites 2–4 subequal. Hypopygidium equal to first sternite.

Protibia with apical tooth prominent, subequal to tarsomeres 1 and 2 combined. Outer apical notch indistinct, notch depth equal to 0.25 tarsomere 1. Inner apical spine subequal to first tarsomere and 0.5 of second. Protibia with well-developed armature including several rows of short stiff spines. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with rows of slender spines along lateral edge and medial and ventral surfaces. Outer apical process robust, larger than protibial process, projecting more posteriorly than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomere 1 and 2 combined. Metatibia heavily armed with rows of slender elongate spines. Spines of varying lengths, but most longer than those on mesotibia. Outer apical process robust. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomeres 1, 2 and 0.5 of third combined.

Male genitalia moderately sclerotized. Anal sclerite with very broad tegminal fossa, densely fimbriate apically (Fig. 40). Spiculum gastrale with ~20 setae extending from apical margin, lateral flange widely rounded and not well-developed, lateral flange on same plane as rest of sclerite, strut attached posterio-medially (Fig. 81). Tegmen not elongate (W:L = 1:2.1), median lobe fossa longer than 0.5 length of tegmen, apex truncate, lateral edge of tegmen with long setae, inner row of setae incomplete apico-medially (Fig. 124). Median lobe large, 0.5 length of tegmen, with bilobed apical opening (Fig. 167). Internal sac sclerites not observed.

Female genitalia moderately to well sclerotized. Gonocoxites elongate, well-developed, intragonocoxal invagination wide, greater than width of gonocoxite process, invagination with acute excavate base, gonocoxite apices with faintly developed recurrent “tooth” present, three elongate setae extending from apical pit of gonocoxal apices, basal gonocoxal ridge well-sclerotized, oblique sclerotized baculi short, basal sclerotized ridge with one basal prominence (Fig. 246).

Variation. No variation observed.

Seasonality/Habitat. Known from early December.

Distribution. Known from the Buenos Aries and La Salta provinces of Argentina.

Notes. No host information available.