Priocera clavipes GORHAM 1882

Opitz, Weston, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the West ern Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Priocera KIRBY (Coleoptera, Cleridae, Clerinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 1145-1255 : 1169-1171

Priocera clavipes GORHAM 1882 ( Figs 87 , 89 , 90 , 121 )

Priocera clavipes GORHAM 1882: 140 .

HOLOTYPE: Gender not known. Type locality: V. de Chiriqui, 2-3000 ft., Champion ( BMNH).

PARATYPES: 6 specimens reported, only 2 are members of this species. Panamá: Provincia de Chiriquí, Volcán de Chiriquí, collection date not noted, 2,500 to 4,000 feet, Champion ( BMNH, 1). Guatemala: Departamento de Alta Verapaz, San Juan, collection date not noted, Champion ( BMNH, 1). Three paratypes represent members of Priocera costaricana WOLCOTT , one female cannot be credibly identified to species. 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 ( Figs 89 , 90 ): In addition to the types, I examined 114 specimens from: México: Estado de Veracruz, Fortin de las Flores, 28-VI-1975, collector not noted; 5 miles W Orizaba , 7-VII-1962, J. M. Campbell ; 2 miles S Santiago Tuxtla , 8- 9-V-1962, J. M. Campbell ; vicinity Bastinoi , 5-IV-1994, J. E. Wappes ; 2 miles S Coyame , 27-VI- 1995, Dan Heffern ; S slope Volcán San Martin Tuxtla, 5-VII-1994, 3,000 feet, E. Giesbert ; Coyame, Lake Catemaco , 1-15-VII-1963, under bark, D. R. Whitehead ; Estado de Tabasco , 16 miles W Cardenas,?- VIII- 1974, C. W. O’Brien & G. B. Marshall ; Estación Biología Las Tuxtlas , 20-30-IV- 1991, F. Hovore ; Estado de Oaxaca, Metates, vicinity Esperanza , 14-VII-2018, J. Rifkind, E. A. Martinez ; 12 km W Palomares , 11- VIII- 1980, E. Giesbert ; Estado de Chiapas, Municipio Berriozabal, 6 miles N Berriozabal, 6- VIII- 1989, 1,000 m, collector not noted. Honduras: Departamento de Olancho , Parque Nacional La Muralla , 25-V-1995, R. Turnbow ; idem, 1-VI- 1995, R. Turnbow. Nicaragua: Departamento de Nueva Segovia, Cerro Jesus, 17-13-VI-2015, 1,300 m, Morris & Wappes ; Departamento de Matagalpa, Selva Negra , 20-V-2006, 1,280 m, beating forest edge, Weston Opitz ; idem,?- XII-2002, beating tree branches, bushes, cloud forest edge, 1,280 m, Weston Opitz ; idem, 12-17-VI-2018, beating tree branches of firebush in cloud forest, Weston & Galena Opitz. Costa Rica: Provincia de Heredia, 10 km SE La Virgen, Estación El Ceibo , 8-IV-2003, 450- 550 m, S. M. Clark ; Provincia de San José, San José, Universidad de Costa Rica, 28-VI-1996, J. Rifkind ; 30-V-1933, F. Nevermann; Provincia de Guanacaste , 3 km SE Rio Naranjo,?- V-1992, F. D. Parker ; Hacienda La Pacifica , 8-VI-1973, 75 m, Ginter Ekis ; Volcán Cacao,?-?-1988-1989, collector not noted ; Provincia de Puntarenas, Rio Negro , 25 km NE of La Union, 19-II-1965, J. B. Karren ; Monteverde , 1-3-VI-1978, E. Giesbert ; idem, 26-V-3- VI-1985, E. G. Riley, D. Rider, D. LeDoux ; Estación Biologica Las Cruces , 6 km S San Vito, 17- 20-IV-2003, E. G. Riley ; San Luis Valley, Ecological Res. , 4-5-VII-1998, F. Hovore ; Provincia de Cartago, 6 km S Paraiso, Finca Linda Vista ,?- VI-1993, F. Hanson ; La Suiza de Turrialba ,?-?- 1923, Pablo Schild ; La Suiza de Turrialba ,?-?-1923, Pablo Schild ; Turrialba , CATIE, 23-VI-1996, F. Hovore ; Turrialba, Hayne , no other information available ; idem,?- X- 1925, 900 m, A. Hayne ; 15 km NE Turrialba , 18-21-V-1981, E. Giesbert ; near Tuis , 16-22-VII-1993, W. J. Hanson ; Panamá: Provincia de Panamá, Cerro Campana, 2-VI-1993, F. Andrews & A. Gilbert ; Provincia de Chiriquí, Palo Alto , 10- VIII- 1995, 1,400 -1,600 m, F, Ødegaard ; 15 km E Rio Sereno , 15 km E, 23- 25-V-1982, E. Giesbert ; N Santa Clara , 31-V-1977, H. Stockwell ; 2 km N Cerro Punta , 1-7-VI- 1977, 172 m, H. & A. Howden ; Las Lagunas , 4 km W Hato del Volcán, 1-VI-1977, 1,360 m, H. & A. Howden ; 2 km N Santa Clara , 24-25-V-1977, 1,300 m, H. & A. Howden ; 30 km NW Volcán , 23-VII-1976, W. E. Clark ; Las Lagunas, Volcán , 25-V-1975, G. Ekis ; Volcán Baru, Bambito , 16- 17-VII-1981, 5,200 -5,800 feet, H. V. Weems, G. B. Edwards ; Cerro Punta , 7-VI-1989, J. E. White ; Canal Zone, Paraiso , 6-III-1911, E. A. Schwartz ; Barro Colorado Island , 3-VI-1977, H. A. Hespenheide ; Provincia de Colón, 2 km W Cuango , 2-V-1992, J. E. Wappes ; 2 km S Sabanitas , 4- 15-VII- 1999, 120 m, Malaise, A. Gillogly & J. Wooley ; Provincia de Varaguas, 8 km W Santa Fe, Cerro Tute , 24-26-VII-1999, 3,000 feet, Malaise, J. B. Wooley ; Provincia de Darién, Fillo de Talla Lodge, Metetí, 16-20-V- 2014, 145 m, J. B. Heppner. Colombia: Departamento de Cauca , PNN Isla Gorgona, El Saman, 7-25-V-2001, 5 m, H. Torres. Montserrat:?- VIII-?, Busck. Ecuador: Provincia de Pichincha , E Santo Domingo, 8-14-V-1988, Bohart & Hanson. Specimens are deposited in: ACMT, AMNH, CMNC, CMNH, CSCA, CUIC, EMEC, EMUS, FSCA, JNRC, RHTC, TAMU, UCDC, USNM, WFBM, and WOPC .

D i a g n o s i s: Forebody, pterothorax, and legs castaneous; antenna testaceous; elytra tricolorous, mostly castaneous, with 3 yellow markings, one at elytral base near mesoscutellum, one in front of middle near epipleural margin, one behind middle, near sutural margin, apical 1/3 rd testaceous.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 8.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 121 . Head: Frons broad, wider than length of antennal pedicel ( EW /FW 33/30). Thorax: Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescenses ( PW /PL 95/115); elytral disc with basal tumescenses, middle of disc depressed, disc sculptured with striate, asetiferous punctures that extend beyond basal 1/2, but do not reach elytral apex, latter narrowly rounded ( EL /EW 320/70); metathoracic femur capitate. Abdomen: Male abdominal ventrite V deeply widely emarginate distally; phallobasic loop greatly reduced, aedeagus as in Fig. 87.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 5.0-8.0 mm; width 1.5-2.0 mm. The dark brown markings on the elytral disc vary in size and the yellow spots may be pale.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected from April through August, from 75 to 1,768 m. Several specimens were collected by beating branches of firebush.

Figures

Figs 89. Approximate distribution of species as noted.

Figs 85-87. Aedeagus. Priocera castanea (85), P. chilotaxis (86), P. clavipes (87).

Fig. 90. Approximate distribution of P. clavipes.

Figs 120-123. Habitus. Priocera cinctiventris (120), P. clavipes (121), P. cocha nov.sp. (122), P. colima nov.sp. (123).