Pujoliclerus Pic, 1950

Opitz, Weston, 2014, Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Checkered Beetle GenusPujoliclerusPic (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Peloniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (4), pp. 727-756 : 727-756

Pujoliclerus Pic, 1950

Pujoliclerus Pic, 1950: 16 . Type species: Pujoliclerus modestus Pic, 1950: 16 . By monotypy (MNHN).

Diagnosis. Members of this genus are conveniently differentiated from superficially similar specimens of Cregya by the broadened condition of the funicular antennomeres. Another, more difficult to discern, apotypy is the loss of the laterolacinia.

Description. Size: Length 3.0–8.0 mm; width 1.2–2.2 mm. Form ( Fig. 121): Oblong short (about 2X longer than broad) or oblong long (about 4X longer than broad), body not deep. Vestiture: Dorsum profusely vested with white pubescence, antenna moderately setose, elytra with 1° and 2° setae. Head ( Figs. 3–5 , 13 ): Cranium subquadrate, frons wider or narrower than width of eye, profusely indented with small, setiferous punctures; gula ( Figs. 4 , 15 ) large, subquadrate, sutures divergent, gula with 2 welldeveloped, setose post-gular processes ( Fig. 4 ); labrum ( Fig. 9 ) shallow, incised distally, tormal processes not contiguous, epipharyngeal plate small; mandibles ( Fig. 7 ) stout, anterior dens acuminate, medial and posterior dens well-developed, penicillus well-developed; maxilla ( Figs. 6 , 14 ) with laterolacinia absent, terminal palpomere subsecuriform to nearly digitiform; labium ( Figs. 8 , 14 ) with ligula deeply incised, ligular lobes narrowed, terminal palpomere subsecuriform to nearly digitiform; eyes large, coarsely facetted, ocular notch moderately sized; antenna ( Figs. 1 , 17 ) comprised of 10 antennomeres, capitate ( Fig. 1 ); funicular antennomeres slightly expanded ( Fig. 16 ) or substantially expanded ( Fig. 35 ); capitulum long ( Fig. 23 ) or short ( Fig. 22 ). Thorax: Pronotum ( Figs. 10, 11 ) slightly transverse or quadrate, disc slightly convex, side margins with conspicuous lateral tubercle, dorsolateral carina incomplete, anteriorly extends beyond tubercle and confluent with pronotal hem posteriorly, prointercoxal process narrow ( Fig. 10 ), not expanded distally; pronotal projections short, acuminate, not approximating prointercoxal process; elytron profusely sculptured with asetiferous punctures ( Fig. 20 ), epipleural fold wide and tapered to elytral apex and gradually more oblique from anterior to posterior, elytral anterior margin not carinate; metathoracic wing as in Fig. 2 , wedge cell open; metendosternite ( Fig. 12 ) with furcal lamina, furcal anterior plate large, triangular; profemora not swollen and without spines, tibial spur formula 1-2-2, tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3 ( Fig. 18 ), ungues with basal denticle ( Fig. 19 ). Abdomen: Aedeagus shorter than length of abdomen, distal region of phallobase lobed, lateral lobes not fimbriate, tegmen reduced ventrally, submembranous, phallobasic struts confluent with phallobasic apodeme, phallobasic rod present, phallic plates wide and sometimes incised distally; spicular fork well-developed, spicular apodemes fused, interspicular plate long and linear. Ovipositor shorter than abdomen, laminae tripartite, laminal rod present.

Distribution. This genus is known from Honduras to Argentina.

Natural History. On the basis of mouthpart morphology, I conclude that Pujoliclerus species are carnivorous, probably on small lignicolous insects as is the case with most other Cleridae .

Moreover, their integumental color and cursorial leg structure suggest that they frequent the surface of bark. Similar integumental color/ niche associations were found in other checkered beetles with bark-like body coloration ( Opitz 2004). One specimen was collected on branch bark of Pithecellobium barbourianum Standl. (Fabaceae) . Label data indicate that Di Iorio reared specimens from the cactus Cereus corine Salm-Dyck (Cactaceae) . Specimens were also collected by beating hardwoods in a tropical transitional forest, by use of a blacklight, reared from boles of felled hardwoods, within a Malaise trap set atop fallen lumber, and by fogging. Temporally, specimens from Middle America have been collected from April through July, whereas those captured nearer the equator were taken most commonly between October and February. Altitudinally, these checkered beetles were captured from sea level to 1,000 m.

KEY TO THE SPECIES- GROUPS AND SPECIES OF PUJOLICLERUS

Troublesome Couplet. Couplet 5: There is some interspecific variation in the length of the eighth antennomere, and indeed, it may be sexually dimorphic in some species with the male having this antennomere longer. Therefore, it would benefit the user of this key to know the gender of the specimen being keyed.

1. Body about 4X longer than broad ( Fig. 92 ) ( maracayensis species-group)...........................................................2

1′. Body about 3X longer than broad......5

2(1). Elytra black..........................................3

2′. Elytra mostly or entirely yellow-brown.............................................................4

3(2). Pronotum mostly yellow..... Pujoliclerus helvinus Opitz , new species

3′, Pronotum mostly black ..... Pujoliclerus prolatus Opitz , new species

4(2′). Apex of elytra black.......... Pujoliclerus maracayensis Opitz , new species

4′. Apex of elytra yellow-brown ................ .................... Pujoliclerus modestus Pic

5(1′). Eighth antennomere as long as combined length of funicular antennomeres ( Fig. 47 ) ( flavolimbatus species-group).............................................................6

5′. Eighth antennomere not as long as combined length of funicular antennomeres ( Fig. 1 ) ...............................................11

6(5). Apical 5 th of elytra devoid of punctures...........................................................7

6′. Apical 5 th of elytra punctate...............9

7(6). Elytra suboval; 10 th antennomere partially yellow ........... Pujoliclerus ovatus Opitz , new species

7′. Elytra rectangular; 10 th antennomere brown....................................................... 8

8(7′). Elytral apex yellow ........... Pujoliclerus flavolimbatus (Spinola)

8′. Elytral apex brown ............ Pujoliclerus corumba Opitz , new species

9(6′). Elytral interstitial spaces arenose .......... ..... Pujoliclerus calceatus (Chevrolat)

9′. Elytral interstitial spaces not arenose ............................................................. 10

10(9′). Elytral punctures large, seriate.............. ................. Pujoliclerus wappesi Opitz , new species

10′. Elytral punctures small, subseriate........ .............. Pujoliclerus bilineatus Opitz , new species

11(5′). Funicular antennomeres very robust ( Fig. 35 ) (oxina species-group).........12

11′. Funicular antennomeres not very robust ( Fig. 21 ) .............................................17

12(11). Sixth antennomere subquadrate ( Fig. 29 ) ........... Pujoliclerus flavoapicalus Opitz , new species

12′. Sixth antennomeres more triangular ( Fig. 33 ).............................................13

13(12′). Elytral punctures abruptly end at elytral middle ................................................14

13′. Elytral punctures extend to elytral apex .........................................................15

14(13). Antennomere 10 completely yellow ..... ................ Pujoliclerus orellana Opitz , new species

14′. Antennomere 10 usually completely brown, rarely yellow at apex.................. ................... Pujoliclerus amplus Opitz , new species

15(13′). Elytra yellow ...... Pujoliclerus hermani Opitz , new species

15′. Elytra brown, with light yellow marking near elytral apex ................................ 16

16(15′). Pronotum mostly dark brown ............... ................... Pujoliclerus oxinus Opitz , new species

16′. Pronotum mostly yellow ...... Pujoliclerus gilvus Opitz , new species

17(11′). Portion of pronotal disc reddish ( alajuela species-group)......................................18

17′. Portion of pronotum not reddish.......19

18(17). Elytral punctures wider than interstitial spaces.............. Pujoliclerus megacavus Opitz , new species

18′. Elytral punctures narrower than interstitial spaces....... Pujoliclerus alajuela Opitz , new species

19(17′). Epipleural fold yellow, remainder of elytral disc mostly dark brown (vista species-group)....................................20

19′. Epipleural fold brown, if yellow, remain- der of elytra stramineus ( flora group) ......................................................... 25

20(19). Tenth antennomere yellow .................... ................ Pujoliclerus megalus Opitz , new species

20′. Tenth antennomere brown.................21

21(20′). Pronotum with central yellow line........... .............. Pujoliclerus alboordinus Opitz , new species

21′. Pronotum without central yellow line ........................................................ 22

22(21′). Elytral punctures narrower than interstitial spaces.... Pujoliclerus macilentus Opitz , new species

22′. Elytral punctures wider than interstitial spaces.................................................23

23(22′). Clypeus black .................... Pujoliclerus apolegmus Opitz , new species

23′. Clypeus yellow ..................................24

24(23′). Interstitial spaces arenose ..... Pujoliclerus catarina Opitz , new species

24′. Interstitial spaces not arenose ............... ........... Pujoliclerus casselorum Opitz , new species

25(19′). Cranium, pronotum, and elytra stramineus ..................... Pujoliclerus pallidus Opitz , new species

25′. Cranium, pronotum, and elytra mostly brown.................................................26

26(25′). Pronotum mostly stramineus.............27

26′. Pronotum mostly black .....................28

27(26). Pronotum unicolorous, stramineus........... ................ Pujoliclerus aspigalbus Opitz , new species

27′. Pronotum bicolorous, yellow and black ................. Pujoliclerus ostrinus Opitz , new species

28(26′). Elytral apex yellow; pronotum minutely and sparsely punctate ............................ ......... Pujoliclerus posticalis (Chapin)

28′. Elytral apex black; pronotal punctures prominent, not sparse........................29

29(28′). Pronotal sides entirely yellow ............... ....... Pujoliclerus flora Opitz , new species

29′. Pronotal sides mostly black .................. .................... Pujoliclerus argus Opitz , new species

Figures

Figs. 1–12. Pujoliclerus casselorum. 1) Antenna; 2) Metathoracic wing; 3) Head, frontal view; 4) Head, ventral view; 5) Head, dorsal view. 6) Maxilla; 7) Mandible; 8) Labium; 9) Labrum; 10) Pronotum, ventral view; 11) Pronotum, dorsal view; 12) Metendosternite.

Figs. 13–16. Pujoliclerus casselorum. 13) Head, frontal view; 14) Head and mouthparts, ventral view; 15) Gular region; 16) Funicular antennomeres.

Figs. 17–20. Pujoliclerus casselorum. 17) Antenna; 18) Protarsus; 19) Protarsal ungues; 20) Elytron.

Figs. 21–38. Pujoliclerus species, antennae. 21) P. helvinus; 22) P. maracayensis; 23) P. bilineatus; 24) P. calceatus; 25) P. corumba; 26) P. ovatus; 27) P. wappesi; 28) P. amplus; 29) P. flavoapicalus; 30) P. gilvus; 31) P. hermani; 32) P. alajuela; 33) P. orellana; 34) P. megacavus; 35) P. oxinus; 36) P. alboordinus; 37) P. apolegmus; 38) P. catarina.

Figs. 92–97. Pujoliclerus species, habitus. 92) P. helvinus; 93) P. maracayensis; 94) P. modestus; 95) P. bilineatus;

Figs. 39–47. Pujoliclerus species, antennae. 39) P. macilentus; 40) P. megalus; 41) P. argus; 42) P. aspigalbus;