Praocis (Praocis) subsulcata Gay & Solier, 1840

Flores, Gustavo E. & Pizarro-Araya, Jaime, 2012, Systematic revision of the South American genus Praocis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Part 1: Introduction and subgenus Praocis s. str., Zootaxa 3336, pp. 1-35 : 18-19

Praocis (Praocis) subsulcata Gay & Solier, 1840

( Figs. 19 , 27 )

Praocis subsulcata Gay & Solier in Solier, 1840: 224 (rev.); Solier, 1851: 189 (rev.); Lacordaire, 1859: 213; Gemminger & Harold, 1870: 1906 (cat.); Philippi, 1887: 733 (cat.); Gebien, 1910: 262 (cat.); Gebien, 1938: 398 (cat.); Blackwelder, 1945: 523 (cat.); Kulzer, 1958: 20 (rev.); Peña, 1966: 430 (cat.); Vidal & Guerrero, 2007: 73, 216; Flores, 2007: 417 (lectot.).

Redescription. Length 9.0–13.0 mm. Body black, antennae dark brown, legs black to dark brown. Head. Clypeus and frons with round punctures each with a central seta; antennae reaching midpoint of lateral margin of pronotum; antennomere 9 longer than wide, with apical tomentose sensory patches arranged in two areas separated dorsally; antennomere 10 as wide as antennomere 11. Thorax. Pronotum widest behind midpoint; disc glabrous, lateral quarters with fine golden setae; punctures of disc same size as punctures of elytron; width of anterior margin not exceeding half the width of posterior margin; lateral quarters convex, dorsal surface of lateral margin bearing a row of short golden setae; posterior angles acute, apex pointed ( Fig. 19 ); prosternum horizontal, with edge on anterior margin broadened below gula; prosternal process produced backwards, not reaching the midpoint of the space between pro– and mesocoxae (as in Fig. 13 ); prosternum and mesosternum with punctures. Elytron lacking carinae, with three grooves weakly demarcated ( Fig. 19 ), bearing two kinds of golden setae: some short, broad, scaly and others long, finer, sparse; intervals flat, wider than grooves; all grooves run from apex of elytron towards anterior, the inner groove runs parallel with the inner groove of the other elytron reaching the posterior third, not surpassing the midpoint of elytron, the medial and outer grooves reach the base ( Fig. 19 ); dorsal surface with long golden setae; pseudopleuron with long setae arising on punctures; epipleuron with short setae arising on protuberances, bearing a row of setae on the edge of anterior quarter. Legs. Ventral surface of meso– and metafemora with a row of setae on posterior edge. Inner surface of meso– and metatibiae with long, fine setae. Metatibiae straight. Female genitalia. Paraprocts moderate (1.2 ≤ P/C ≤ 2.0); baculi of coxite inclined 45°; proctigeral baculus extending proximad much beyond paraproct baculus; apicodorsal lobe of proctiger extending about ½ length of coxite. Male: unknown.

Type material. Lectotype: [subsul / cata] [ Praocis / subsulcata / Coquimbo / Sol.] [ P. subsulcata / Gay-Sol./ Coquimbo] [Type] [ Praocis / subsulcata Sol. / Type de Solier/ Col. Marseul/ C. Girard det. 1975] [Lectotypus/ Praocis subsulcata / Gay et Solier, 1840 / Des. G. Flores 2005] ( MNHN). Two paralectotypes same data as lectotype, one plus a label: [ subsulcata Sol. 224, 6 Coquimbo ] below the label [Type] and the other plus a label: [ Coquimbo / Gay ] between first and second label ( MNHN).

Note: Flores (2007: 417) designated lectotype and paralectotypes.

Other material examined. CHILE. Coquimbo Region: Elqui Province : Llano de la Higuera , 14.x.1957, L.E. Peña, 2 ( FMNH), Quebrada Honda , 30.x.1965, L.E. Peña, 2 ( FMNH), El Temblador , 1.v.2004, L.S. Espinoza, 1 ( LEULS), Caleta de Hornos , 8.x.1996, J. Pizarro-Araya, 1 ( LEULS), Cuesta Buenos Aires , 29.x.1967, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), 30.x.1965, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), Quebrada Porotitos , 16.ix.2005, J. Pizarro-Araya, 1 ( LEULS), Juan Soldado , 5.vi.2004, L.S. Espinoza, 2 ( LEULS), Caleta de Hornos, 35 km N de La Serena , 3.x.1996, J. PizarroAraya , 1 ( LEULS), El Durazno, Vicuña , 24.x.1971, L. Alvarez, 1 ( FMNH), El Molle, La Serena , x.1958, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), Diaguitas, Valle Elqui , 13.viii.2004, D. Valdivia, 2 ( LEULS), 1 ( IADIZA), P. Agusto, 1 ( LEULS), 1 ( IADIZA), 13.viii.1994, L.S. Espinoza, 2 ( LEULS), 11.i.2006, P. Agusto, 1 ( LEULS), 19.xi.2007, JPizarro-Araya, 8 ( LEULS), Quebrada Santa Gracia , 1.ix.2004, L.S. Espinoza, 1 ( LEULS), 1.iv.1994, J. PizarroAraya, 1 ( LEULS), Colina El Pino, La Serena , 23.i.1996, J. Pizarro-Araya, 1 ( LEULS). Limarí Province: Andacollo , 17.viii.2007, P. Agusto, 1 ( LEULS), P.N. Fray Jorge, xii.1991, H. Vasquez, 1 ( LEULS). Choapa Province: W Canela Baja , 30.ix.1967, L.E. Peña, 1 ( FMNH), Hacienda Illapel, El Calabozo , 29.x.1967, L.E. Peña, 2 ( FMNH).

Geographic distribution. Chile (Coquimbo Region: Elqui Province to Choapa Province), in the Coquimbo biogeographic province.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Geographical distribution of four species of Praocis (Praocis): P. (P.) costata, P. (P.) quadrisulcata, P. (P.) sanquinolenta, and P. (P.) subsulcata.

FIGURES 15 − 20. Habitus in dorsal view. 15. Praocis (Praocis) costata; 16. P. (P.) sanquinolenta; 17. P. (P.) bicentenario sp. nov., holotype; 18. P. (P.) hirtella; 19. P. (P.) subsulcata; 20. P. (P.) marginata.

FIGURES 5 − 14. Male and female genitalia and body details of Praocis (Praocis) species. 5. Fore tibia and tarsus in anterior view of Praocis (P.) sanquinolenta. 6 − 9: Male: 6, 7. P. (P.) rufipes, dorsal and ventral views; 8, 9. P. (P.) elliptica, dorsal and ventral views. Abbreviations: bl, basal lamina of tegmen, ls, lateral styles of tegmen, ml, median lobe. 10. Ovipositor (ventral view), spiculum and internal female reproductive tract of P. (P.) hirtella. Abbreviations: c, coxite, o, oviduct, p, paraproct, s, spermatheca, sag, spermathecal accessory gland, sp, spiculum, v, vagina. 11 – 14. Prosternum and mesosternun, lateral aspect. 11. P. (P.) costata; 12. P. (P.) quadrisulcata; 13. P. (P.) elliptica; 14. P. (P.) marginata. Abbreviations: p, prosternum, m, mesosternum. Scale bars: 1 mm.