Priocera fissura OPITZ, 2021

Opitz, Weston, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the West ern Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Priocera KIRBY (Coleoptera, Cleridae, Clerinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 1145-1255 : 1176-1177

Priocera fissura OPITZ nov.sp. (Figs 45, 89, 132)

HOLOTYPE: ♂. Type locality: BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz, 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora & Fauna , 17°29.949'S 63°33.152' 5-15-XI- 2001, 405 m, M. C. Thomas & B. K. Dozier, tropical transition forest ( FSCA) . PARATYPES: 5 specimens. Bolivia: Departamento de Santa Cruz, 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora & Fauna , 17°29.949'S 63°33.152'W, 5-15-XI- 2001, 405 m, M. C. Thomas & B. K. Dozier ( FSCA, 1; WOPC, 1) ; idem, 14-28-X-2000, B. K. Dozier ( FSCA, 1) ; idem, 27-31- X-2002, Morris & Wappes ( RFMC, 1) ; 4 km N Bermejo, Refugio Los Volcanes , 18°06'S 63°36'W, 5-X-2007, blacklight/mercury vapor light, J. E. Wappes ( ACMT, 1) .

D i a g n o s i s: Forebody black, except pronotal collar yellow at sides; antenna, pterothorax, and abdomen testaceous; prothorax bicolorous, venter castaneous, pronotum mostly black, anterior and posterior angles castaneous; elytra bicolorous, basal 3/4 mostly black, apical 1/4 testaceous, each elytral disc with 3 pale markings, one marking at middle of elytral base, one oblong diagonally positioned in front of middle near epipleural margin, one triangular marking slightly behind middle approaching sutural margin, the 2 more posterior markings conjoin with epipleural margin; legs bicolorous, femora and tibiae mostly brown, femora yellow at base, tarsi yellow.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 5.5 mm; width 1.2 mm. Form: As in Fig. 132 . Head: Frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 30/5. Thorax: Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescenses and small central fissure ( PW /PL 50/80); elytral disc slightly depressed at middle, sculptured with striate, asetiferous punctures in basal 1/2, elytral apex rounded ( EL /EW 270/45); metathoracic femur gradually increasing in diameter to femoral apex. Abdomen: Aedeagus as in Fig. 45.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 4.2-5.5 mm; width 1.0- 1.2 mm. The width of the frons is sex dimorphic, with males having narrower frons.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected during October and November, 2 at 405 m.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig. 89 ): This species is known from Bolivia.

E t y m o l o g y: Thetrivialname, fissura, is a Latin noun with a meaning of "cleft". I refer to the small fissure in the central part of the pronotum.

Figures

Figs 89. Approximate distribution of species as noted.

Figs 132-135. Habitus. Priocera fissura nov.sp. (132), P. flavofetosa nov.sp. (133), P. gibberis nov.sp. (134), P. gracilis (135).