Berg, 1881 : 308
Borchmann, 1917 : 73
Bruch, 1914 : 404
Denier, 1935 : 154
Blackwelder, 1945 : 483
Epicauta luteolineata
Pic, 1933 : 26
Epicauta luteolineata
Pic, 1933 : 26
Denier, 1935 : 154
Blackwelder, 1945 : 483
Redefinition of the vittata species group of Epicauta Dejean (1834) (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and taxonomic revision of the species from southern South America
Campos-Soldini, María Paula
Roig-Juñent, Sergio Alberto
Zootaxa
2011
2824
21
43
Berg, 1881
Berg
1881
[151,536,655,681]
Insecta
Meloidae
Epicauta
Animalia
Coleoptera
4
25
Arthropoda
species
clericalis
Cantharis clericalis Berg, 1881: 308. Epicauta clericalis: Borchmann, 1917: 73(cat.); Bruch, 1914: 404(cat.); Denier, 1935: 154(cat.); Blackwelder, 1945: 483(cat.). Epicauta luteolineata var. brevebasalis Pic, 1933: 26. Epicauta luteolineata var. discolineata Pic, 1933: 26; Denier, 1935: 154(cat.); Blackwelder, 1945: 483(cat.).
Typematerial examined. Holotype, [Misio-/nes] [ Lytta/ clericalis/ Berg] [com. tipo/ comparat] [ MLP561/ 1]. MLP. Typematerial remarks.This species was transferred to Epicautaby Borchmann (1917). The author indicated that the typematerial is from Misiones Province, Argentina, and it was deposited in his collection. According to Adams and Selander (1979: 257), the specimen from Misiones in the Berg collection of the MLP, labelled as “ Lytta clericalisBerg”, is perhaps the holotype. Based on this statement we consider this specimen as the holotype.
Diagnosis. Cuticle brown. Elytra with two pale vittae, marginal vitta extended from the base to near the apex, and one vitta reduced on the humeral callus. Comparative remarks. Epicauta clericalisis similar to E. luteolineatain the color pattern of the cuticle of the head and pronotum, but differs in the color pattern of the elytra: E clericalishas two pale vittae whereas E. luteolineatahas three pale vittae.
Redescription. Body length 11–14 mm. Cuticle and pubescence.Cuticlebrown; head with a pale patch on frons ( Fig. 14); elytra with two pale vittae, marginal vitta extended from the base to near the apex, and one vitta reduced on the humeral callus (Fig. 19). Pubescence: sparse (13–19 setae by lineal mm); pale on head, pronotum, and elytra; color pattern on head and pronotum with a yellow midline. Abdominal pubescence uniformly light brown. Habitus.Head0.86 as long as wide (L/A: 20–23); mandible relatively straight in basal half and gradually curved towards apex (as shown by arrow in Fig. 11); antennae flattened dorso-ventrally from VII to XI segment; antennal segments of female with following proportions: 4 (I); 2 (II); 5 (III); 4 (IV); 3.5 (V); 3.5 (VI); 3.5 (VII); 3 (VIII); 3 (IX); 3 (X); 3.5 (XI); antennal segments of male: 4 (I); 1.5 (II); 5.5 (III); 4 (IV); 4 (V); 3.5 (VI); 3 (VII); 3 (VIII); 3 (IX); 3 (X); 3.5 (XI). Pronotum1.25 times as long as wide (L/A: 25–20); impressed on apical third in lateral view. Elytronwider from apical third to apex; apex one third wider than base. Legswith tarsal segments with two longitudinal rows of adhesive setae. Dorsal blade of claws slightly curved at apex, ventral blade wider and scarcely longer than dorsal blade. Male genitalia. Falobasewith superior margin with deep concavity. Spiculum gastralewith base bidentate, strongly bulged, extending the marginal prominence (as in Fig. 30). Median lobeshort dorsal-hook; uncusmoderately robust and short ( Fig. 38).
Remarks. Berg (1881)provided a short diagnosis but the species has never been described in detail. Intra-specific variation.Variation occurs in color of the cuticle and pubescence. In the same specimens the color of cuticle and pubescence vary from the light-brown to dark-brown: specimens from north of Argentinaare lighter than specimens from central-south of Argentina.
Distribution.Map ( Fig. 45). Known from Argentina, where is recorded from: Chaco; Misiones; San Juan. New records:Córdoba; Entre Ríos; Formosa; Mendoza; Santa Fe; Santiago del Estero and Tucumán. Host plants.There is no available information about host plants for this species.
Material examined. 34 specimensfrom Argentinabelong to the following collections: CICyTTP, MACN, MCNFA, IMLA. Córdoba: La Falda ( 31º 05’ 30’’ S, 64º 29’ 26’’ W). Entre Ríos: Diamante ( 32º 04’ 03’’ S, 60º 38’ 97’’ W). Formosa; Mendoza: Guaymallén ( 32º 53’ 65’’ S, 68º 49’ 75’’ W); San Martín ( 33º 48’ 85’’ S, 68º 28’ 06’’ W). Tucumán: Burruyacú ( 26º 29’ 95’’ S, 64º 44’ 95’’ W); Lamaillá ( 27º 03’ 88’’ S, 65º 24’ 43’’ W). Santiago del Estero: Lago Muyo ( 28º 42’ 03’’ S, 62º 49’ 86’’ W).