Pericales, Opitz, 2008

Opitz, Weston, 2008, Classification, natural history, and evolution of Epiphloeinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Part VII. The genera Hapsidopteris Opitz, Iontoclerus Opitz, Katamyurus Opitz, Megatrachys Opitz, Opitzia Nemésio, Pennasolis Opitz, new genus, Pericales Opitz, new genus, Pteroferus Opitz, new genus, and Turbophloeus Opitz, new genus, Zootaxa 1754, pp. 1-40 : 32-33

Pericales , new genus

Type species: Pericales albogilvus , new species. By present designation.

Diagnosis: Within Epiphloeinae , only the members of this genus possess pronotum sculpturing comprised of whorls of shallow ridges.

Description: Size: Length 6.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: Oblong rectangulate; elytra a little less than three times longer than wide, posterolateral margin gradually curved towards elytral apex. Vestiture: Cranium vested profusely with short stout yellow setae; pronotum profusely vested with short porrect yellow setae; elytral disc vested with primary (1º) setae and secondary (2º) setae, 1º setae short, erect, and dark, 2º setae short, decumbent, dark and profusely distributed. Head (fig. 95): Cranium coarsely punctate; eyes moderately bulgy, finely faceted, ocular notch angle acute at innermost point; antenna inserted at lower angle of eye incision, antenna (fig. 100) comprised of 10 antennomeres, loosely clubbed, scape short as long as combined length of pedicel and antennomeres 3, scape curvate, funicular antennomeres serrate 8 th and 9 th antennomeres triangular, 10 th antennomere oval; labrum (fig. 106) deeply incised; tormal processes horizontal and not welded; mandible (fig. 101) robust, dentes well developed, mandibular pinicillus well developed; maxillary (fig. 990 and labial (fig. 102) terminal palpomeres digitiform, laterolacinia present; frons very wide; gular sutures strongly converging, then parallel; gular pads very small. Thorax: Pronotum (figs. 96, 97) transverse, disc very concave paralaterally, lateral tubercle obscure, disc finely sculptured by shallow whorls of ridges, pronotal arch obscure, anterior margin convex, posterior margin transverse, anterior transverse depression absent, discal trichobothria prominent; pronotal projection (fig 96) slightly extended to middle; lateral carina not extended to anterior margin of pronotum and posteriorly confluent with pronotal bead; procoxal cavities open (fig. 96); interprocoxal process linear, not laterally expanded distally; metendosternite (fig. 105) without furcal lamina; elytra oblong rectangulate, epipleural margins subparallel then gradually becoming more rounded, then gradually converging towards sutural margin, epipleuron extended to elytral apex, punctations small, oval, and profusely distributed on elytral disc; metathoracic wing as in figure 98; mesoscutellum triangular (fig. 107); tibial spur formula 0-1-1, tarsal pulvilli formula 3-3-2, anterior margin of tibia spinous; tarsal claws with large basal denticle. Abdomen: Narrows to posterior, six visible sterna; pygidium transverse, sixth visible sternum incised distally in males, not incised in females. Male Genitalia: Aedeagus (fig. 104) tubular; phallobasic rod present, linear, phallic plates not very narrow; spicular fork as in figure 103.

Distribution: The known distribution of this genus is Haiti and the Dominican Republic, of Hispaniola.

Etymology: The genus name is a Greek compound name that stems from peri (= very) and kallos (= beauty). I refer to the attractiveness of the epiphloeines of this insular genus.

Evolutionary relationships: Pericales , n. gen. is most closely related to Iontoclerus Opitz as discussed under the last mentioned genus.