Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata peninsularis

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 : 42-43

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

( Figs. 3 , 7 )

Diagnosis. Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata peninsularis ssp. nov. may be identified by the pronotum with punctures the same size or larger than elytral protuberances, elytron with three dull secondary carinae, surface between main carina and suture with protuberances not arranged, and main carinae weakly raised, same height as suture ( Fig. 3 ). It differs from P. (Hemipraocis) sellata bergi Kulzer which has pronotum with punctures smaller than elytral protuberances, elytron with three shiny secondary carinae, surface between main carina and suture with one secondary carina and two spaces with protuberances arranged longitudinally, and main carinae very raised, higher than suture ( Fig. 4 ).

Description. Length 8-10 mm. Rounded habitus, body colour dull black, antennae and legs black to dark brown. Head. Clypeus densely punctured, with abundant setae, without depressions in anterior angles; frons higher than clypeus, with sparse punctures; antennae reaching midpoint of lateral margin of pronotum; antennomeres 9, 10 and 11 wider than long; tomentose sensory patches on apical surface of antennomere 11. Pronotum with large punctures, more abundant on lateral quarters, punctures same size or larger than elytral protuberances; dorsal surface of lateral margin with punctures, each bearing one long black seta, forming a row; anterior angles rounded, posterior angles acute ( Fig. 3 ); prosternal process subrectangular forming a right angle, not produced backwards. Elytron ( Fig. 3 ) with one main raised carina and three dull, weakly demarcated, secondary carinae, between main carina and lateral margin; spaces between secondary carinae with longitudinally arranged protuberances, some of them bearing one seta; secondary carinae wider than spaces; main carina the same height as suture; area between main carinae and suture flat, with 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. Legs. Protibiae with apical process equal to length of protarsomeres 1–4; meso and metatibiae with a row of long, black setae on inner margin.

Type material. Holotype, male ( Fig. 3 ): [ Argentina, Chubut, Península/ de Valdés, Pto. Pirámides/ 16-I-2008, G. y L. Flores / G. Cheli, F. Flores] [42º 34’ 24.4”S / 64º 16’ 59.8”W / 0 m] [ Praocis (Hemipraocis) / sellata peninsularis ssp. nov. / HOLOTYPUS male/ Det. G. Flores and/ R. Carrara 2011] (IADIZA). Allotype, female: [Pa. Valdés, Chubut/ II-1971, Arg.] [Leg.: J.H. Molinari] (IADIZA). All paratypes with data: Argentina, Chubut, Península Valdés: 2 paratypes with the same data as holotype (1 MACN, 1 IADIZA); Puerto Pirámides, 20-IX-2010, 42º 34’ 30.36”S / 64º 16’ 11.28”W / 37 m, G. Cheli, 1 (ENTCNP), 9-III-1940, R. Maldonado, 1 ( MLPA), D. Rojas, 28-III- 1997, 1 (IADIZA), S. Roig, 1-5-XI-1983, (3 IADIZA, 1 HNHM, 1 NHMB); 4 km N Playa Pardelas/ 42º 37’ 05.5”S, 64º 16’ 11.3”W, 38 m / 10-I-2010, G. Flores, G. Cheli, R. Carrara, 1 (IADIZA); 16-II-1997, D. Rojas Lanús, 1 (IADIZA); Ea. Los Médanos/ 29-XI-2007, G. Cheli/ 42º 42’ 12.6”S / 64º 06’ 03.8”W / 76 m, 1 (ENTCNP), same data except: 3-XI-2006, G. Cheli, 1 (ENTCNP).

Etymology. We named this new subspecies peninsularis because it is endemic to Peninsula Valdés.

Distribution and habitat. Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata peninsularis inhabits the southern half of Peninsula Valdés ( Fig. 7 ) and can be found in sandy places. It shares the habitat with other tenebrionid species such as Emmallodera crenatocostata crenatocostata Blanchard , E. hirtipes Kulzer , Epipedonota cristallisata (Lacordaire) , Nyctelia circumundata Lesne , N. dorsata Fairmaire, Patagonogenius collaris (Kulzer) , Platesthes kuscheli (Kulzer) , Psectrascelis sulcicollis (Waterhouse) , Salax lacordairei Guérin-Méneville , and Leptynoderes strangulata Fairmaire.

Ecological notes. This species inhabits the southern part of Península Valdés, where eolian dunes are developed on deep, salt-free, loose sandy soils ( Rostagno 1981). These dunes are fixed by dense herbaceous steppe vegetation with Sporobolus rigens , Nassella tenuis , and Hyalis argentea ( Bertiller et al. 1981) . We observed adults of this subspecies walking on coastal dunes of Puerto Piramides at twilight during the summer and in the afternoon in early spring.

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.