Praocis (Praocis) hirtella Kulzer, 1958

Flores, Gustavo E. & Pizarro-Araya, Jaime, 2012, Systematic revision of the South American genus Praocis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Part 1: Introduction and subgenus Praocis s. str., Zootaxa 3336, pp. 1-35 : 17-18

Praocis (Praocis) hirtella Kulzer, 1958

( Figs. 10 , 18 , 30 )

Praocis hirtella Kulzer, 1958: 18 (rev.); Peña, 1966: 429 (cat.); Vidal & Guerrero, 2007: 73, 213.

Redescription. Length 8.0–14.0 mm. Body, antennae and legs black to dark brown or pronotum and elytra black and head, antennae, legs, venter, and pseudopleuron dark brown. Head. Clypeus and frons with round punctures each with a central seta; antennae reaching midpoint of lateral margin of pronotum; antennomere 9 longer than wide, with apical tomentose sensory patches arranged in two areas separated dorsally; antennomere 10 as wide as antennomere 11. Thorax. Pronotum widest behind midpoint; disc glabrous or with setae, lateral quarters with fine golden setae; punctures of disc same size as punctures of elytron; width of anterior margin not exceeding half the width of posterior margin; lateral quarters convex, dorsal surface of lateral margin bearing a row of short, golden setae; posterior angles acute, apex pointed ( Fig. 18 ); prosternum horizontal, with edge on anterior margin broadened below gula; prosternal process produced backwards, not reaching the midpoint of the space between pro– and mesocoxae (as in Fig. 13 ); prosternum and mesosternum with punctures. Elytron rugose with two carinae and three grooves equidistant between suture and lateral margin or lacking carinae; intervals flat, grooves wider than intervals ( Fig. 18 ); dorsal surface and grooves bearing two kinds of golden setae: some short, broad, scaly, dense, and others long, finer, sparse or forming tuft; all grooves run from apex of elytron surpassing the midpoint of elytron towards anterior, the inner groove runs parallel with the inner groove of the other elytron reaching the anterior third, the medial and outer grooves reach the base ( Fig. 18 ); pseudopleuron with long setae arising on punctures; epipleuron with short setae arising on protuberances, bearing a row of setae on the edge of anterior quarter. Legs. Ventral surface of meso– and metafemora with a row of setae on posterior edge. Inner surface of meso– and metatibiae with long, fine setae. Metatibiae straight. Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Paraprocts moderate (1.2 ≤ P/C ≤ 2.0); baculi of coxite inclined 45°; proctigeral baculus extending proximad much beyond paraproct baculus; apicodorsal lobe of proctiger extending about ½ length of coxite. Male: unknown.

Type material. Holotype: [ Pta. Lengua / de Vaca (E)/ Coquimbo / 25 Junio 1955 / coll: L.E. Peña] [Holotypus / Praocis / hirtella nov./ det. H. Kulzer 1957] [sex: female / Det. G. Flores &/ J. Pizarro-A. 2009] ( NHMB); allotype: [ Fray Jorge / Coquimbo / 13–15-Sept-1947 / coll: L.E. Peña] [Allotypus / Praocis / hirtella nov./ det. H. Kulzer 1957] [sex: female / Det. G. Flores &/ J. Pizarro-A. 2009] ( FMNH); five paratypes: [ Talinay / Coquimbo / 20-22-Sept-1947 / coll: L.E. Peña] [Paratypus / Praocis / hirtella nov./ H. Kulzer 1957] [sex: female / Det. G. Flores &/ J. PizarroA. 2009] (4 NHMB; 1 FMNH); one paratype: [ Chile / Ovalle / XI-1941] [Paratypus/ Praocis / hirtella nov./ H. Kulzer 1957] [sex: female / Det. G. Flores &/ J. Pizarro-A. 2009] ( NHMB); one paratype female same data as allotype ( NHMB) .

Other material examined. CHILE. Coquimbo Region: Elqui Province: El Tofo , x.1982, 1 ( FMNH), La Herradura a Lagunillas, 1–3.ix.1947, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH). Limarí Province: El Peñón , 1.xi.1957, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), Andacollo, 17.vii.2007, P. Agusto 1 ( LEULS), Lengua de Vaca, 29.x.1965, L.E. Peña, 2 ( FMNH), Fray Jorge, 13–18.ix.1947, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), 16.ix.1964, T.C.K., 1 ( UCCC), 6–9.ix.1980, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), 400 m, 8.xi.1991, H. Vásquez, 2 ( LEULS), 1 ( IADIZA), 7–8.xi.2001, J. Pizarro-Araya, 3 ( IADIZA), Talinay , 13.x.1976, C. Vivar, 1 ( MNNC), xi.1978, J. Escobar, 4 ( FMNH), Mineral de Talca , 28.ix.2003, J. Pizarro-Araya 2 ( LEULS), 2 ( IADIZA), Los Loros, desembocadura Río Limarí , 18.ix.1969, L.E. Peña, 4 ( FMNH), Caleta El Limarí , 22.ix.2004, L.S. Espinoza, 2 ( LEULS), Alcones , 12.xi.1974, M. Pino, 1 ( UCCC); without more precise data, 2 ( MNNC).

Geographic distribution. Chile (Coquimbo Region, El Tofo to Alcones), in the Coquimbo biogeographic province.

Figures

FIGURE 30. Geographical distribution of five species of Praocis (Praocis): P. (P.) parva, P. (P.) aenea, P. (P.) curta, P. (P.) hirtella, and P. (P.) tibialis.

FIGURES 5 − 14. Male and female genitalia and body details of Praocis (Praocis) species. 5. Fore tibia and tarsus in anterior view of Praocis (P.) sanquinolenta. 6 − 9: Male: 6, 7. P. (P.) rufipes, dorsal and ventral views; 8, 9. P. (P.) elliptica, dorsal and ventral views. Abbreviations: bl, basal lamina of tegmen, ls, lateral styles of tegmen, ml, median lobe. 10. Ovipositor (ventral view), spiculum and internal female reproductive tract of P. (P.) hirtella. Abbreviations: c, coxite, o, oviduct, p, paraproct, s, spermatheca, sag, spermathecal accessory gland, sp, spiculum, v, vagina. 11 – 14. Prosternum and mesosternun, lateral aspect. 11. P. (P.) costata; 12. P. (P.) quadrisulcata; 13. P. (P.) elliptica; 14. P. (P.) marginata. Abbreviations: p, prosternum, m, mesosternum. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 15 − 20. Habitus in dorsal view. 15. Praocis (Praocis) costata; 16. P. (P.) sanquinolenta; 17. P. (P.) bicentenario sp. nov., holotype; 18. P. (P.) hirtella; 19. P. (P.) subsulcata; 20. P. (P.) marginata.