Priocera conspicta OPITZ, 2021

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 : 1172-1173

Priocera conspicta OPITZ nov.sp. ( Figs 38 , 96 , 124 )

HOLOTYPE: ♀. Type locality: Nicaragua: Matagalpa, Selva Negra, 16-22-IV-2002, beating tree branches, bushes, cloud forest edge, 1,280 m, Weston Opitz. A second label reads: FSCA ( FSCA) . PARATYPES: 59 specimens. Mèxico: Estado de Veracruz, Lake Catemaco , 8-16- VIII- 1960, H. F. Howden ( CNCI, 1) ; Estación Biología Las Tuxtlas , 28-IV-1991, H. A. Hespenheide ( WFBM, I) ; UNAM, 19-V- 1983, 250 feet, C. & L. O’Brien & G. Marshall ( JNRC, 2) ; idem, 29-IV-1991, H. A. Hespenheide ( WFBM, 2) ; idem, 14°35'N 95°05'W, 2-1991, H.A. Hespenheide ( WFBM,1) ; S Slope Volcán San Martin Tuxtla, 5-VII-1994, 5,000 feet, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1). Estado de Chiapas, Palenque , 7-9-V-1969, Bright & Campbell ( CNCI, 1) ; Lagos de Montebello, 22-VI-2016, 1,484, cloud forest, J. Rifkind, E. Martinez ( JNRC, 1). Honduras: Departamento de Olancho , Parque Nacional La Muralla , 26-V-1995, R. Turnbow ( RHTC, 1) ; idem, 24-27-V-1995, J. E. Wappes ( ACMT, 1) ; idem, 15˚.09721-86˚.73840, 2-5-V2010, Malaise, 1,480 m, forest edge, L. Lama ( SEMC, 1) ; idem, 15˚.48965-88˚.23383, 2-5-V- 2010, beating vegetation in mesophyll forest, 130 m, L. Lama ( SEMC, 1) ; idem, 14˚.87138- 87˚.89993, 22-V-2010, beating cloud forest ridgetop vegetation, 1,100 m, L. Lama ( SEMC, 1) ; La Muralla , 24-V-1995, R. Morris ( RFMC, 2) ; Departamento de Francisco Morazán, 11 miles N Tegucigalpa, 15-VII-1974, 5,000 feet, L. & C. W. O’Brien ( WOPC, 1). Nicaragua: Departamento de Matagalpa , Selva Negra , 20-VI-2007, Ficus tree fall, S. W. Lingafelter, N. E Woodley ( JMLC, 1) ; Departamento de Nueva Segovia, Cerro Jesus , 7-13-VI-2015, Morris & Wappes ( RFMC, 1) ; Departamento de Jinotega, RN Datanli El Diablo, 13˚.09359-85˚.85947, 20-V-2011, 1,290 m, beating vegetation in montane wet forest, L. Lama ( SEMC, 1). Costa Rica : Provincia de Puntarenas , Monteverde , Hotel Belmar , 28-V-1-VI- 1994, 4,300 feet, J. Rifkind, P Gum ( JNRC, 2) ; 6 km S Santa Elena , 5-7-VI-1980, E. Giesbert ( FSCA,1) ; Monteverde , 20-VII- 1987, 1,400 m, H.& A. Howden ( WOPC, 1) ; idem, 23-24-V-1979, 5,000 feet, J. M. & B. A. Campbell ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 1-4-VI-1979, 1,500 feet, J. M. & B. A. Campbell ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 21-26-V-1979, 4,500 feet, J. M. & B. A. Campbell ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 12-14- VIII- 1987, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 23-V-1979, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 17- VIII- 1987, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, 25-V- 1979, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 26-V-1979, 1,400 m,H.& A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 21- VIII- 1987, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1; WFBM, 1) ; idem, 14- VIII- 1987, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 28-V-1979, 1,400 m, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 29- 31-XII-1979, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1) ; idem, 4-6-VI-1980, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1) ; idem, 24-XII- 1985, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1) ; idem, 9-12-VI-1986, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, 18-19- V- 1985, 1,450 m, J. Doyen ( EMEC, 1) ; idem, Pension Quetzal , 17-18-V-1991, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, 14-I-1984, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, 9-12-VI-1986, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, 22-25-VII-1992, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 2) ; idem, 18-22-VII-1990, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, San Luis Valley , 1-VII-1989, F. T. Hovore ( WFBM, 1) ; idem, San Luis Valley Ecological Reserve , 4-5-VII-1998, F. T. Hovore ( JNRC, 1) ; Provincia de Guanacaste, SE side of Volcán Cacao ,?- VI-1990, collector not noted ( WOPC, 2) ; Cacao Biological Station , 10˚.5638N 85˚2770W, 11-VII-2000, beating vegetation, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Falin ( SEMC, 1) ; Provincia de San José, Ecolodge San Luis, 25-26-VI-1997, 1,100 m, J. Rifkind, H. Lazama ( JNRC, 1). Panamá: Provincia de Panamá, Cerro Campana , 30-VII-1970, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; idem, 11-15- V-1980, E. Riley & D. LeDoux ( TAMU, 1) ; idem, 24-VII- 1982, H. Stockwell ( WFBM, 1) ; Bayano District , 3 km W. Ipeti, 30-IV-3-V-1992, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1) ; Provincia de Chiriquí, 2 km N Santa Clara, Hartmann’s Finca , 24-25-V-1977, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; Las Lagunas , 22-IV- 1973, beating, G. Ekis ( FSCA, 1) .

D i a g n o s i s: Cranium castaneous; antennae testaceous; pronotum bicolorous, anterior 1/3 rd testaceous, posterior 2/3 rd dark brown; pterothorax brown; elytra bicolorous, mostly testaceous, each disc with 2 brown spots proximal to epipleural margin, medial spot small and somewhat angular, not confluent with epipleural margin, postmedial spot broader subrectangulate and confluent with epipleural margin, faint infuscation just behind anterior margin; legs bicolorous, mostly testaceous, prothoracic femoral capitulum infuscated, mesothoracic femur infuscated at base of femoral capitulum, metathoracic femoral capitulum completely brown; abdomen bicolorous, visible sternite I yellow, ventrites become progressively less brown from visible ventrite II to visible ventrite VI.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 7.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 124 . Head: Frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 37/12. Thorax: Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescenses ( PW /PL 80/110); elytral disc sculptured with striate, asetiferous oval punctures that extend beyond elytral basal 1/2, elytral apex rounded ( EL /EW 320/65); metathoracic femur gradually increasing in diameter to femoral apex. Abdomen: Aedeagus as in Fig. 38

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 5.5-7.0 mm; width 1.8-2.0 mm. The dark brown spots on the posterolateral region of the elytral disc vary slightly in size. The two spots may be thinly connected and the area between them yellow.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected from April through August, at altitudes that range from 130 to 1,484 m.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig. 96 ): This species is known from México, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panamá.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet, conspicta, is derived from the Latin word conspectus (= prominent). I refer to the prominent brown spots on the posterolateral region of the elytral disc.

Figures

Figs 96. 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).