Priocera costaricana W OLCOTT, 1927

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 : 1173-1174

Priocera costaricana W OLCOTT, 1927 , stat.nov. ( Figs 39 , 94 , 125 )

Priocera stictica GORHAM variety costaricana WOLCOTT 1927: 26 .

HOLOTYPE: ♂. Type locality: Turrialba , Costa Rica, Heyne, Berlin-Wilm. A second label reads: 900 m, IV. A third label reads: coll. 1925, Hayne. A fourth label reads: 1777 ( FMNH) . ALLOTYPE: ♀. Costa Rica: Provincia de Cartago, Turrialba ,?-?- 1925, 900 m, A. Heyne ( FMNH) . PARATYPE: One. ♂. Costa Rica: Provincia de Cartago, Turrialba,?-?-1925, A. Heyne, Berlin-Wilm ( FMNH). Corporaal 1950: 100.

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.94 ): Inadditiontothetypes, I examined 53 specimens from: México: Estado de Morelos, Xochitepec, 23-VI-1973, Ginter Ekis. Guatemala: Departamento de Guatemala, Santa Catarina Pinula , Puerta Parada , Casa de Jack Schuster , 9-26- VII-2008, Jack Schuster ; Departamento de Suchitepéques, Zapotitlan, Finca Las Nubes , 16-VI- 1973, 1,525 m, Ginter Ekis ; Departamento de Alta Verapaz, Senahú , collection date not noted, Champion ; Chacoj, collection date not noted, Champion. Honduras: Departamento de Copán , 36 km NE Copán, 3- VIII- 1977, L. & C. W. O’Brien & G. B. Marshall ; Departamento de Olancho, Parque Nacional La Muralla , 27-V-1995, R. Turnbow ; idem, 24-27-V-1995, J. E. Wappes ; Departamento de Cortés, Parque Nacional Cusuco , 1-VI-2010, 1,000 -1,300 m, Llama ; Departamento de Yoro, Parque Nacional Pico Pijol , 4-VI-2003, R. Turnbow ; Sinai , 4-VI-2003, 1,450 m, R. Turnbow ; Departamento de Copán, 6 km NW San Agustin, 19-V-2002, R. Turnbow. Costa Rica: Provincia de Cartago, 6 km S Paraiso , Finca Linda Vista ,?- VI-1993, 1,400 m, P. Hanson ; Interstate I-95, on La Cangreja,?-IX-?- XII-1992, Malaise, P, Hanson ; Turrialba ,?- IX- 1928, F. Nevermann ; Provincia de Guanacaste , 3 km SE Rio Naranjo, 23-27-VII-1993, F. D. Parker ; Volcán Cacao ,?- VII-1993, G. Mora, G. Fonseca, J. Saborio, G. Varela ; Volcán Sendero , 28-XI- 1993, 800 m, Malaise, E. Araya. Panamá: Provincia de Panamá, Cerro Campana, 26-VI- 1971, 850 m, H. A. Hespenheide ; idem, 25-V- 1974, 454 m, H. Stockwell. Specimens are deposited in: ACMT, BMNH, BYUC, JNRC, EMUS, FSCA, RHTC, SEMC, USNM, WFBM, and WOPC ,

D i a g n o s i s: Specimens of this species are similar to those of Priocera stictica GORHAM , from which they can only be distinguished by examination of the aedeagus. In P. costaricana , the phallic apex is uncinate, which is not the case in specimens of P. stictica .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 8.5 mm; width 2.1 mm. Form: As in Fig. 125 . Head: Frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 50/10. Thorax: Pronotum coarsely punctate, with 2 tumescenses ( PW /PL 90/140); elytral disc roughly sculptured with striate, oval punctures in basal 4/5 th, punctures absent in distal 1/5 th, elytral apex rounded ( EL /EW 360/75); metathoracic femur gradually increasing in diameter to apex. Abdomen: Aedeagus as in Fig. 39.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 5.5-10.0 mm; width 1.3-2.6 mm. In specimens from Panamá, the elytral disc is devoid of brown coloration and is generally lighter in color. In some of the specimens from Honduras, the yellow marking on the elytral disc are consolidated into two narrowly connected pale marks. The 3 rd posterior pronotal tumescenses noted by WOLCOTT (1927: 26) is not prominent in some specimens.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected during May, June, July, September, and December, at altitudes that range from 200 to 1,500 m.

Figures

Figs 94. Approximate distribution of species as noted.

Figs 34-42. Aedeagus.Priocera chiricahuae (34), P. cinctiventris (35), P. cocha (36), P. colima (37), P. conspicta (38), P. costaricana (39), P. crista (40), P. denticarea (41), P. diverselutea (42).

Figs 124-127. Habitus. Priocera conspicta nov.sp. (124), P. costaricana (125), P. crista nov.sp. (126), P. denticarea nov.sp. (127).