Pandeleteius baccharis Kuschel

(Figs. 13–19, 20)

Pandeleteius baccharis Kuschel 1949: l6, Fig. 2 b, c; pl. 1, fig. 6.

Diagnosis. Epistoma with sides not carinate. Rostrum as wide as long, distinctly narrower than frons. Prothorax almost parallel-sided, cylindrical, with slight transverse depressions. Scutellum squamose. Elytra with declivity in male in profile varying from oblique to slightly concave (Fig. 14), in female concave, apex extending conspicuously (Fig.13); sutural interval at summit of declivity with elongate, decumbent or arcuate setae. Ventrite 5 in male with only two to nine scales; in female scales usually absent. Aedeagus with internal sac consisting in part of slender sclerotized tube almost as long as aedeagus, often visible through aedeagus. Vagina with two pairs of proximal blades, at least the ventral pair of blades attached to very small sclerite. Spermathecal duct longer than beetle.

Redescription. Length: male 3.6–4.3 mm, female 4.0–5.0 mm; width: male 1.4–1.7 mm, female 1.6–2.0 mm. Eye moderately prominent. Fore femur on inner edge unmodified or with minute nodules; in male 1.5– 2.0 times wider than hind femur, in female 1.3–1.8 times wider. Ventrite 5 with apex in male broadly truncate or slightly emarginate, in female rounded with explanate evanescent margin. Genitalia of male (dissected, n = 1; partly extruded, n = 4) (Fig. 15): aedeagus with body 1.4 mm long, apodemes 0.9 mm long; dorsally with basal half smooth, apical half with narrow median strip forming a flexible closure over opening, integument transparent either side of strip; internal sac (as seen through aedeagus) a sclerotized, slender tube as long as aedeagus; tegmen (Fig. 16) 0.9 mm long; sternite 9 (Fig. 17) 1.1 mm long. Genitalia of female (n = 4) (Fig. 18): ventral baculus 0.9–1.0 mm long; vagina with two pairs of proximal blades 0.5–0.7 mm long, the ventral pair attached to very small sclerite (Fig. 18 a, enlargement); spermathecal duct extremely long, more than 5.0 mm in the only specimen disentangled from its surrounding tissue; sternite 8 (Fig. 19) 1.6 mm long.

Material. Holotype, female (not examined): “CHILE-Tarapacá/ Arica (ciudad)/ 13.2.48 /Kuschel leg.” (hand written). “ HOLOTYPE (printed)/ Pandeleteius baccharis Kuschel ” (hand written) (Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santiago de Chile). Paratypes: 3 males, 5 females. Other specimens (20): CHILE. Tarapacá, Arica, Camarones, 29.11.46, Coll. Kuschel (HAHC, NZAC); 2 males, 1 female, Cuya, 19.2.48 (NZAC, USNM); 5 males, 3 females, Cuya, 13.2.48, Coll. Kuschel (HAHC, NZAC); 2 males, 1 female, Ciudad Cuya, 10.2.48, Coll. Kuschel (HAHC, NZAC); 1 male, Huancarane, 30.11.48, Kuschel leg. (NZAC); 1 male, 2 females, Lluta, Rosario, 10.2.48, Coll. Kuschel (NZAC); Pisagua: 1 male, 1 female, Tana, 900 m, 11.3.48, Coll. Kuschel (NZAC).

Distribution. Known only from the type series from extreme NW Chile.

Biology. The author and collector of the type series of Pandeleteius baccharis, G. Kuschel, reports (in litt.) that “..the area is the driest on earth, receiving less than one millimeter annually of precipitation. It starts largely as a 1000 m high plateau right from the sea, dissected by narrow valleys or deep gullies. The plateau is too dry even for lichens, but the valleys and gullies have groundwater which is replenished with seepages and rivulets running down from the altiplano or puna originating from summer storms and downpours from December to March. The xerophytic vegetation consists mainly of Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae, and the Pandeleteius species seems to be rather closely associated with Baccharis species, although a few specimens were obtained by sweeping Tessaria absinthioides, a nasty sticky riverbed plant of the same family, Asteraceae, as Baccharis .”.

Remarks. Compared with the Pandeleteius specimens I have seen, P. baccharis is easily recognized by its vestiture and habitus. However, in l954 Voss described Pandeleteius distinctus and Pandeleteius peruvianus from adjacaent SW Peru, which may be conspecific with P. baccharis . The type material of these two Voss species was destroyed in WW II, and I have seen no specimens of Pandeleteius from this part of Peru (see following discussion of P. d i s t i n c t u s and P. peruvianus).