Ora wagneri ( Pic, 1928 ) Pic, 1928

Libonatti, María Laura, 2015, A revision of the genus Ora Clark, 1865 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) in Argentina (part II) — redescriptions, updated distributions and a key to species, Zootaxa 3985 (1), pp. 69-97 : 92-96

Ora wagneri ( Pic, 1928) comb. n.

( Figs. 22, 25 , 125–143 )

Scirtes brevenotatus ssp. wagneri Pic, 1928: 9 Type material. Holotype: ♂ (MNHN), “FÉVRIER” [white label, printed], “Républ. Argentine / CHACO DE SANTIAGO / DEL ESTERO. RIO DULCE” [white label, printed], “s. espèce wagneri / Pic” [yellowish label, handwritten by Pic], “ HOLOTYPUS / Scirtes brevenotatus / subsp. wagneri Pic, 1928 ” [red label, printed].

Additional material studied. ARGENTINA: 1 ♀ ( MACN), “PIQUETE S. FE / 27 – I – 31 / BRIDAROLLI S. J.” [white label, printed]; 1 ♀ (BR), “R EP ARGENTINA / Pr. Santiago d. Estero / 190 / C. Bruch”, “Scyrtes Wagneri / var. Pic” [white label, handwritten by Bruch], “s.esp. Wagneri / var. Pic” [yellowish label, handwritten by Pic]; 2♂ and 4 ♀ ( MLLC), Formosa, PN Río Pilcomayo, Estero Poí, 15.i.2011, light trap, M. C. Michat; 16 ♂ and 21 ♀ ( MLLC), same data except 16.i.2011; 20 ♂ and 30 ♀ ( MLLC), Chaco, PN Chaco, 18.i.2011, light trap, M. C. Michat; 2 ♀, same data except 19.i.2011; 2 ♂ ( MLLC), Corrientes, PN Mburucuyá, 28° 3’ 39” S 58° 9’ 32” W, 10.xii.2012, light trap, M. C. Michat & P. L. M. Torres.

Diagnosis. Oblong-oval, body brown, pronotal margins, apex of scutellar shield and suture reddish testaceous ( Fig. 22 ); tegmen strongly asymmetrical, very elongate, with a digitiform apical outgrowth and an additional acuminate apical appendix ( Figs. 127, 132 ); penis strongly asymmetrical, base more or less rectangular, apex with a pair of appendices, forceps-like ( Figs. 127, 133 ); bursal sclerite consisting of a laminar plate connected to a trifurcate plate ( Figs. 137, 141, 142 ); prehensor with two separate sclerotized regions ( Figs. 136, 140 ), a triangular anterior part ( Figs. 138, 143 ) and a posterior part composed of two rows of small spiny sclerites ( Fig. 139 ).

Redescription. Measurements. Males (n = 10): TL 3.60–4.01 [4.01] (mean 3.77) mm, PL 0.62–0.73 [0.73] (mean 0.68) mm, PW 1.51–1.85 [1.68] (mean 1.64) mm, EL 2.97–3.41 [3.40] (mean 3.24) mm, EW 2.29– 2.59 [2.59] (mean 2.43) mm. Females (n = 10): TL 3.65–4.43 (mean 4.00) mm, PL 0.68–0.78 (mean 0.74) mm, PW 1.61–1.80 (mean 1.70) mm, EL 3.17–3.70 (mean 3.49) mm, EW 2.43– 2.87 (mean 2.58) mm.

Habitus. Oblong-oval, maximum width at middle of elytra, closely covered with whitish setae, dorsal surface additionally covered with erect long dark setae, more distinct on elytra ( Figs. 22–25 ).

Coloration. Body brown, pronotal margins, apex of scutellar shield and suture reddish testaceous, basal margin, anterior part of lateral margins and apex of elytra testaceous, antennomeres 1–2 light brown. Ventral surface testaceous to brown.

Head. Wide, approximately 1.7x wider than interocular space; punctation fine, dense, punctures separated by 1.0x diameter. Antennae filiform, with apical margins of antennomeres 4–10 not projected anteriorly, approximate ratio of antennomeres: 1.8: 1.1: 1.0: 2.0: 1.8: 1.8: 1.8: 1.6: 1.6: 1.6: 2.0, approximate L/W ratios of antennomeres: 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 2.3, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.8, 2.0, 2.0, 3.0. Mandibles with acute apex.

Thorax. Pronotum approximately 2.3x wider than long, maximum width near the base, anterolateral angles little projecting anteriorly, lateral margins broadly rounded, posterolateral angles obtuse; punctation of scutellar shield and pronotum fine, similar to that on head, punctures separated by 1.0–2.0x diameter. Elytra very slightly depressed anterolaterally, humerus marked, lateral margins rounded, without costulae; punctation uniform, coarser than that on head, pronotum and scutellar shield, punctures separated by 2.0x diameter. Mesoventral process elongate, apex bifid. Approximate length ratio of metatarsomere 1: dorsal metatibial spur: ventral metatibial spur: 3.6: 2.4: 1.0.

Abdomen. Completely covered with short yellowish setae except for a pair of glabrous regions on ventrites 2– 5, lateral parts of ventrites 3–5 with darker, longer and curved setae. Apex of ventrite 5 shallowly concave.

Male terminalia and genitalia. Tergite 8 with sclerotized apodemes converging and coalescent posteriorly, plate subpentagonal, with setae on apical margin and rows of minute microtrichia on lateral parts ( Fig. 128 ). Sternite 8 trapezoidal, sclerotized along anterior margin ( Fig. 129 ). Tergite 9 with a pair of sclerotized apodemes converging posteriorly at the basal part and then diverging posteriorly at the apical part, plate more or less squareshaped, margin rounded, with tufts of microtrichia ( Fig. 130 ). Sternite 9 triangular, apically bilobed, with a pair of sclerotized regions converging posteriorly, posterior margin with setae and pores, central part with rows of minute microtrichia ( Fig. 131 ). Tegmen asymmetrical, very elongate, twisted, with two apical lobes: a digitiform lefthanded lobe and a very acute, curved right-handed lobe ( Figs. 127, 132 ). Penis asymmetrical, base more or less rectangular, apex forceps-like, with two appendices: a more or less triangular left-handed appendix, curved, ending in two equally-shaped lobes, the ventral surface covered with conical tubercles; and a right-handed appendix, shaped like a letter U lying down, bearing an acute short lobe ( Figs. 127, 133 ).

Female genitalia. Bursal sclerite consisting of two plates: a laminar kidney-shaped anterior one and a trifurcate posterior one, bearing a curved conical central projection in contact with the anterior plate and a pair of flat lateral projections with serrate outer margins ( Figs. 137, 141, 142 ). Prehensor ( Figs. 136, 140 ) divided into two sclerotized regions: a more or less triangular anterior region composed of two relatively large sclerites connected to each other, the left-handed sclerite concave along ventral surface and with a ventral fold on the left margin ( Figs. 138, 143 ), and a posterior region composed of two rows of many small spiny sclerites ( Fig. 139 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Tergite 7 with longer apodemes in females than in males, the posterior margin parabolic in females, broadly rounded in males ( Figs. 126 , 135 ). Ventrite 5 with posterior concavity a little deeper in males than in females ( Figs. 125 , 134 ).

Intraspecific variation. In some males the brown regions on elytra are darker than in the holotype and the testaceous regions are wider, making a more contrasting pattern ( Fig. 23 ). In most females the elytra are almost completely brown ( Fig. 24 ). In some males and females the elytra are completely testaceous ( Fig. 25 ), and in some others the elytra are brown basally and testaceous apically.

Distribution. Argentina: Chaco, Corrientes, Formosa and Santa Fe Provinces.

Remarks. This species was originally described as a subspecies of Scirtes brevenotatus Pic, 1915 . Several differences in shape, size and coloration of body, and in male genitalia between the type specimens of Scirtes brevenotatus wagneri and Scirtes brevenotatus brevenotatus account for the recognition of the former at specific status. Furthermore, in accordance with Champion (1918) who transferred Scirtes brevenotatus brevenotatus Pic, 1915 to Ora , Scirtes brevenotatus wagneri is herein transferred to the same genus. Ora wagneri is remarkably distinct within the genus by its body shape, aedeagus, bursal sclerite and prehensor. Besides, it lacks the pair of abdominal glands (and the pair of foveae on abdominal ventrite 5) and there is no apparent division between the bursella and the accessory gland.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 25. Ora spp. from Argentina, habitus. 13 – 17, Ora mediolineata (Pic, 1928): 13, holotype, male; 14, female from RN del Iberá (Corrientes); 15 & 16, males from PN Mburucuyá; 17, female from PN Chaco; 18 & 19, O. platensis Brèthes, 1925: 18, holotype, male; 19, male from Reserva El Destino (Buenos Aires); 20 & 21, O. semibrunnea Pic, 1922: 20, holotype, male; 21, female from PN Pre-Delta (Entre Ríos); 22 – 25, O. wagneri (Pic, 1928): 22, holotype, male; 23, male from PN Chaco; 24 & 25, females from Estero Poí (Formosa).

FIGURES 125 – 133. Ora wagneri (Pic), male. 125 – 127, holotype: 125, abdomen, ventral aspect; 126, tergite 7; 127, terminalia and genitalia, ventral aspect; 128 – 133, male from Estero Poí (Formosa): 128, tergite 8; 129, sternite 8; 130, tergite 9; 131, sternite 9; 132, tegmen, dorsal aspect; 133, penis, ventral aspect.

FIGURES 134 – 143. Ora wagneri (Pic), female. 134, abdomen, ventral aspect; 135, tergite 7; 136, genital organs (except ovaries), dorsal aspect; 137, bursal sclerite, posterodorsal aspect; 138, anterior portion of prehensor, dorsal aspect; 139, posterior portion of prehensor, dorsal aspect; 140, genital organs (except ovaries), ventral aspect; 141, bursal sclerite, ventral aspect; 142, bursal sclerite, anterior aspect; 143, anterior portion of prehensor, ventral aspect. Abbreviations: bsa: bursa, bscl: bursal sclerite, bsl: bursella, gla: accessory gland, prh: prehensor.