Priocera gracilis SCHENKLING , 1906

Opitz, Weston, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the Western Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Priocera KIRBY (Coleoptera, Cleridae, Clerinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 1145-1255 : 1178-1179

Priocera gracilis SCHENKLING, 1906 (Figs 48, 92, 135)

Priocera gracilis SCHENKLING, 1906: 257 .

Priocera variesignata PIC, 1950: 9. syn.nov.

HOLOTYPE: Gender not known. Jatahy, GOYAS ( Brazil, Jatai, Goias) ( SDEI). CORPORAAL 1950 : 99.

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d ( Fig. 92 ): In addition to the holotype, I examined 12 specimens from: Bolivia ; Departamento de Santa Cruz, 4-6 km SSE Buena Vista, Flora & Fauna Hotel , 23-31-X-2002, Wappes & Morris ; idem, 5-8-V-2004, Wappes & Cline ; 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista , Hotel Flora & Fauna, 5-15-XI-2001, blacklight trap, M. C. Thomas. Peru: Provincia San Martin, Tarapoto,?-?-1885, M. de Mathan. Brazil: Estado do Mato Grosso, Corumba, no other information available ; Mato Grosso, no other information available; Estado do Bahia, Chapada , no other information available ; Estado do Amazonas, Fonte Boa, no other information available. Specimens are deposited in ACMT, FMNH, FSCA, MNHN, SDEI, USNM, and WOPC .

D i a g n o s i s: Cranium black; antennae flavotestaceous; prothorax bicolored, venter testaceous, pronotal arch and pronotum proper black, pronotal collar testaceous; pterothoracic venter and abdomen testaceous; legs, femora mostly testaceous, infuscated, tibiae black, tarsi testaceous; elytral tricolored, mostly testaceous, each elytron with 3 yellow spots, one at elytral base near mesoscutellum, one in front of middle near epipleural margin, one behind middle near sutural margin, middle spots outlined in light brown, diagonal light brown line near elytral apex.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 5.0 mm; width 1.5 mm. Form: As in Fig. 135 . Head: Frons about as long as antennal pedicel; EW/FW 28/7. Thorax: Pronotum finely punctate, disc with 2 tumescenses ( PW /PL 55/85); elytral disc sculptured with striate, asetiferous punctures that extend just behind elytral basal 1/2, elytral apex narrowly rounded ( EL /EW 220/40); metathoracic femur gradually increasing in diameter to femoral apex. Abdomen: Phallobasic lobes triangular; aedeagus as in Fig. 48.

V a r i a t i o n: The width of the frons is sex dimorphic with males having a narrower frons.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected during May, October, and November, 2 at 430 m.

Figures

Figs 92. 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).