Priocera cocha 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 : 1171

Priocera cocha OPITZ nov.sp. ( Figs 36 , 89 , 122 )

HOLOTYPE: ♀. Type locality: Ecuador: 28 km NE Campo Cocha , 15-30-III-2001, F. Hovore ( WFBM) . PARATYPE: one specimen. Ecuador: Provincia de Sucumbios, Shushufindi, 11- VIII- 1997, 215 m, Fred G. Andrews ( CSCA).

D i a g n o s i s: Mostly testaceous; elytra tricolorous, each elytron with small dark brown spots, one at humerus, one premedial, proximal to epipleural margin, 2 near middle, flanking yellow transverse spot, a faintly visible brown fascia at posterior 3/4 th, each elytron with 3 yellow spots, one at base near mesoscutellum, one premedial near epipleural margin, one postmedial near sutural margin.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 5.0 mm; width 1.2 mm. Form: As in Fig. 122 . Head: Cranium finely punctate; frons wider than length of antennal pedicel, EW/FW 22/22. Thorax: Pronotun with 2 tumescenses, disc finely punctate ( PW /PL 65/95); elytral disc with very conspicuous basal carina, 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 215/40); metathoracic femur gradually increasing in diameter to apex. Abdomen: Aedeagus as in Fig. 36.

V a r i a t i o n: The available specimens are quite homogeneous.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected during March and August, one at 215 m.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig. 89 ). This species is known from Ecuador.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet " cocha " is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Figures

Figs 89. 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 120-123. Habitus. Priocera cinctiventris (120), P. clavipes (121), P. cocha nov.sp. (122), P. colima nov.sp. (123).