Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata granulipennis

Flores, Gustavo E., Carrara, Rodolfo & Cheli, Germán H., 2011, Three new Praociini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Peninsula Valdés (Argentina), with zoogeographical and ecological remarks, Zootaxa 2965, pp. 39-50 : 43-45

Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata granulipennis Flores and Carrara ssp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 7 )

Diagnosis. Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata granulipennis ssp. nov. may be identified by the pronotum with punctures smaller than elytral protuberances, dorsal surface of lateral margin with protuberances, and elytra with main carinae converging at apex ( Fig. 5 ). It differs from P. (Hemipraocis) sellata sellata Berg which has pronotum with punctures the same size or larger than elytral protuberances, dorsal surface of lateral margin with punctures, and elytra with main carinae parallel to each other.

Description. Length 9-13 mm. Rounded habitus, body colour glossy black, antennae and legs black to dark brown. Head. Clypeus sparsely punctured, with sparse setae, with two depressions in anterior angles; frons higher than clypeus, with sparse punctures; antennae reaching 3/4 of lateral margin of pronotum; antennomeres 9, 10 and 11 wider than long; tomentose sensory patches on distal third of antennomere 11. Pronotum with small punctures, more abundant on lateral quarters, punctures smaller than elytral protuberances; dorsal surface of lateral margin with protuberances each bearing one long black seta, forming a row; anterior angles rounded, posterior angles acute ( Fig. 5 ); prosternal process produced backwards. Elytron ( Fig. 5 ) with one main raised carina the same height as suture; area between main carinae and suture flat, with large protuberances not arranged; main carinae converging at apex of elytra; lateral margin broad, rounded, adjacent to elytron, with a row of black setae arising from protuberances; pseudopleuron with abundant setae arising from protuberances. In some specimens from outside Peninsula Valdés there is sometimes a smooth longitudinal area not elevated in space between main carina and lateral margin of elytron ( Fig. 5 ). Legs. Protibiae with apical process equal to length of protarsomeres 1–2 or 1–3; meso and metatibiae with a row of long, black setae on inner margin.

Type material. Holotype, male: [ Argentina, Chubut/ Península de Valdés Estancia/ El Salitral 42º 24’ 18”S / 63º 57’ 24”W 16-XII-2007 / M. Nabte, G. Cheli] [ Praocis (Hemipraocis) / sellata granulipennis ssp. nov. / HOLOT- YPUS male/ Det. G. Flores and/ R. Carrara 2011] (IADIZA). Allotype, female: [ Argentina, Chubut/ Península de Valdés/ Estancia La Irma 42º 16’ 26”S / 63º 41’ 21”W 18-XII-2006 / M. Nabte - G. Cheli] (IADIZA). Paratypes with data: Argentina, Chubut, Península Valdés: 25-I-1971, A. Kovaks, 1 ( HNHM); 1 km W Playa Pardelas/ 42º 37’ 05.5”S, 64º 16’ 11.3”W, 24 m / 13-I-2010, G. Flores, G. Cheli, R. Carrara, (1 MACN, 1 ENTCNP); 14 km E Punta Buenos Aires/ 42º 13’ 32”S, 64º 13’ 45.2”W, 7 m / 8-I-2010, G. Flores, G. Cheli, R. Carrara, 1 ( MLPA). Paratypes with data: Argentina, Chubut: Dto. Rawson, Trelew, circuito/ Mar y Valle, 43º 17’ 50.26"S, 65º 15’ 45.06"W, 13- XI-1997 / D. Rojas Lanús, 1 (IADIZA); Dto. Gaiman Dique Ameghino/ 27-IX-1997 / D. Rojas Lanús, 1 (IADIZA; Fig. 5 ); Trelew, 4-X-1997 / D. Rojas Lanús, 1 (IADIZA); Puerto Madryn, 28-XI-1998 / D. Rojas Lanús, 1 ( NHMB); Cerro Avanzado, 17 km SE/ Puerto Madryn, 15-I-2008 / G., L. y F. Flores / 42º 49’ 47”S, 64º 53’ 0.5”W, 102 m /, 1 (IADIZA); Las Plumas/ (47 km W)/ 10-XI-1985 / L.E. Peña 1 ( FMNH). One paratype: Argentina, Rio Negro, Dto. Valcheta/ Meseta Somuncurá, Pto. San Nicolás/ 15-XI-2009, G. Cheli/ 41º 43’ 50.19”S / 66º 26’ 15.86”W / 898 m, 1 (ENTCNP).

Other material examined (without head): six specimens from Argentina, Chubut, Peninsula Valdés: Estancia Los dos Hermanos, 42º 48’ 57”S, 64º 02’ 03”W, 55 m, 9-I-2010, G. Flores, G. Cheli, R. Carrara, 1 (IADIZA); ruta provincial Nº 47, inicio Caleta Valdés, 42º 16’ 23.4”S, 63º 41’ 13”W, 8 m, 13-I-2010, G. Flores, G. Cheli, R. Carrara, (3 IADIZA, 1 ENTCNP); 14 km E Punta Buenos Aires/ 42º 13’ 32”S, 64º 13’ 45.2”W, 7 m / 8-I-2010, G. Flores, G. Cheli, R. Carrara, 1 (IADIZA).

Etymology. We named this new subspecies granulipennis to emphasize the protuberances covering the dorsal surface of elytra, which are larger than pronotal punctures ( Fig. 5 ).

Distribution and habitat. Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata granulipennis is widespread in Peninsula Valdés ( Fig. 7 ) and shares the habitat with other tenebrionid species such as Ecnomoderes bruchi Gebien , Emmallodera crenatocostata crenatocostata Blanchard , E. hirtipes Kulzer , Epipedonota cristallisata (Lacordaire) , Mitragenius araneiformis Curtis , Nyctelia dorsata Fairmaire , N. nodosa (Germar) , Patagonogenius collaris (Kulzer) , Psectrascelis sulcicollis (Waterhouse) , Leptynoderes tuberculata Curtis , L. strangulata Fairmaire , Hylithus tentyroides (Lacordaire) , and Blapstinus punctulatus Solier. This subspecies is also distributed outside the peninsula in the biogeographic province of Monte ( Fig. 7 ).

Ecological notes. This subspecies lives in: 1) herbaceous-shrub steppes of the southern part of Peninsula Valdés, where Chuquiraga avellanedae , Ch. erinacea ssp. hystrix , Piptochaetium napostaense , Nassella tenuis , and Plantago patagonica are dominant; 2) clayey, poorly-permeable and salty soils in central PV (closed basins) with scarce grass cover, where small Ch. avellanedae shrubs dominate the landscape; 3) the northern part of PV (Sediplains of “Rodados Patagónicos”) with dense grass cover and large bushes, the latter represented by Ch. avellanedae , Condalia microphylla , and Schinus johnstonii among others ( Bertiller et al. 1981, Rostagno 1981).

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 6. 1. Praocis sellata bruchi, holotype HNHM; 2. P. sellata topali, paratype HNHM; 3. Praocis sellata peninsularis ssp. nov., holotype; 4. Praocis sellata bergi, paratype HNHM; 5. P. sellata granulipennis ssp. nov., paratype; 6. Calymmophorus peninsularis sp. nov., paratype.

FIGURES 7 − 9. 7. Geographical distribution of two subspecies of Praocis sellata in and outside Peninsula Valdés: P. sellata peninsularis (circles), P. sellata granulipennis (triangles). 8. Geographical distribution of two species of Calymmophorus in and outside Peninsula Valdés: C. peninsularis (triangles), C. patagonicus (circles). 9. Location map of Peninsula Valdés, Argentina.