Priocera KIRBY, 1818: 389

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 : 1155-1156

Description of Priocera KIRBY, 1818: 389

PAPP 1960: 80. WINKLER 1961: 44. ARNETT JR. 1960: 601. BARR 1962: 125; 1975: 5. EKIS (now OPITZ) & GUPTA 1971: 56; EKIS (now OPITZ) 1975: 20. GOSLING 1980: 67. PECK & THOMAS 1998: 86. OPITZ 2002: 277; 2010: 66; 2014: 16. See CORPORAAL (1950: 98) for more historical citations.

T y p e s p e c i e s: Priocera variegata KIRBY 1918: 392 . By original designation.

D i a g n o s i s: Among the Western Hemisphere genera of Clerinae , Priocera specimens show serrate antennae ( Fig. 1 ) and clavate prothoracic femur, two characteristics they share with Axina KIRBY. However , Priocera specimens show a digitiform terminal maxillary palpomere ( Fig. 6 ), whereas in Axina specimens the maxillary terminal palpomere is securiform.

Synapotypic characteristics: Aedeagus with phallobasic loop ( Fig. 2 ), and lateral male accessory gland vesicular (Fig. 12),

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 4.2-23.0 mm; width 1.0- 6.5 mm. Form: Oblong rectangular, body deep, about 3.5 times longer than broad. Vestiture: Dorsum profusely vested with short pubescence; antenna ( Fig. 1 ) sparsely setose, anterodistal angle of antennomeres 4-11 profusely vested with microsensilla; elytra abundantly vested with short setae, all setae emerge from minute punctures. Head ( Fig. 175 ): Cranium subquadrate, frons much narrower than width of eye, profusely indented with small or large setiferous punctures; gula ( Fig. 3 ) large, triangular, sutures converge, gula with two well-developed setose post-gular processes ( Fig. 3 ); labrum very shallow, broadly incised distally, tormal processes directed posteriorly, not confluent distally, epipharyngeal area very small; mandible, body stout, anterior dens subtruncate, medial and posterior dens moderately developed, penicillus well developed; maxilla ( Fig. 6 ), laterolacinia present, terminal palpomere digitiform; labium, ligula deeply incised, ligular lobes spatulate, terminal palpomere securiform ( Fig. 7 ); eyes very large, coarsely facetted, ocular notch deep; antenna ( Fig. 1 ) comprised of 11 antennomeres, serrate. Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 8 ) oblong, campaniform, disc convex and finely punctate, usually with prominent tubercles, latter variable in development, anterior transverse depression well developed, collar well developed, prointercoxal process expanded distally; pronotal projections short; elytral asetiferous punctures usually large and concentrated in elytral basal half, striate near elytral base and near sutural margin, elytral disc usually depressed at middle, epipleural fold prominent, gradually narrowed to elytral apex, elytral anterior margin not carinate; metathoracic wing as in Fig. 11a , wedge cell closed; metendosternite ( Fig. 9 ) with furcal lamina, furcal anterior plate large; legs coarsely sculptured, with well-developed tibial carina on protibiae and mesotibiae, carina short in metatibiae, prothoracic femora capitate, mesothoracic and metathoracic femora capitate or gradually increasing in diameter to femoral apex, tibial spur absent, tarsal pulvillar formula 4-4-4, unguis without basal denticle. Abdomen: Pygidium transverse/scutiform; male ventrite VI slightly concave at distal margin, distal margin of sternite V often deep widely emarginate in males; aedeagus ( Fig. 24 ) well sclerotized, phallobase bilobed, phallobasic struts form phallobasic loop, struts not fused to phallobasic apodeme, phallobasic rod absent; phallic plates very narrow; spicular plates very narrow, spicular apodemes fused completely, intraspicular plate narrow/transverse; ovipositor as long as abdomen, laminae unilobed, laminal rod present. Alimentary Canal ( Fig. 19 ): Stomodaeum short, proventriculus ( Fig. 19 ) with 4 primary and 4 secondary lobes, ventral primary and ventrolateral secondary folds reduced; ventricular papillae well defined; 6 cryptonephridial Malpighian tubules; proctodaeum long in females, short in males. Mesodermal Male Internal Reproductive Organs (Fig. 12): Three pairs of accessory glands, medial and lateral glands often broad and recurved, posterior gland vesicular; testis multifollicular. Mesodermal Female Internal Reproductive Organs (Fig. 13): Spermathecal capsule slightly sclerotized; spermathecal gland attached to apex of spermathecal capsule; bursa copulatrix saccular or not.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: The United States of America to Paraguay.

Figures

Figs 1-2. Priocera clavipes. (1) antenna), (2) head.

Figs 5-6. Priocera clavipes. (5) laterolacinia), (6) maxilla.

Figs 172-175. Habitus. Priocera unifasciata (172), P. unimacula nov.sp. (173), P. variegata (174), P. clavipes (175).

Figs 3-4. Priocera clavipes. (3) gular area), (4) mandible.

Figs 7-8. Priocera clavipes. (7) labium), (8) prothorax.

Fig. 11. Priocera clavipes ungues.

Figs 9-10. Priocera clavipes. (9)metendosternite), (10) metathoracic leg.

Fig. 24. Generalized aedeagus.

Figs 19-23. Various organs. Priocera clavipes (19) alimentary canal. P. miersiana (20) metafemur. P. clavipes (21) metafemur. P. miersiana (22) elytra. P. clavipes, (23) stomodeal valve.