urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:45313AE4-10A1-4478-B4F2-E73C334FE685

Diagnosis. This new species may be distinguished within Praocidia by the following combination of characters: frons with small tubercles, lateral margin of pronotum arcuate, lacking lobe, prosternum forming a straight angle, lacking process, lateral margin of elytra with short setae between superior and inferior margins, trochanters with short, scarce pubescence, and tarsi with scarce setae on ventral surface, leaving the surface visible.

Description. Length 7-11 mm. Body, antennae, legs black to dark brown. Pronotum and elytra with three kinds of pubescence: (1) scarce, fine, brown setae; (2) patches of thick, brown setae; and (3) patches of thick, yellow setae.

Head. Labrum subrectangular, widest at middle, anterior margin U-shaped, with punctures from which arise long setae, separated by one puncture diameter at anterior half and by two puncture diameters or glabrous at posterior half; clypeus with anterior margin concave, with sparse, large punctures from which arise long setae, separated by three puncture diameters or more, lacking small punctures; frons lacking punctures, with small tubercles from which arise long setae, separated by one to three tubercle diameters; eyes oval, protruding outward, not emarginate by epicanthus, upper margin with a narrow groove; mentum subrectangular, with setae; antennae filiform, slightly capitate, reaching the posterior margin of pronotum, all antennomeres longer than wide and with sparse, long setae; antennomere 3 shorter than 4+5 combined, antennomere 9 longer than 10 and same length as 11, antennomere 10 wider than 9 and 11 same width as 9, apical tomentose sensory patches on antennomere 9 in two areas subequal in size, on antennomere 10 in a semicircle dorsally continuous, and on antennomere 11 on distal third.

Thorax. Pronotum dull, smooth, lacking wrinkles, disc with small punctures from which arise setae (Fig. 1a), lateral quarters with small tubercles from which arise short setae, lateral margin arcuate, with setae, not elevated, widest at posterior third (Fig. 1a), posterior angles acute to right, remote from elytra, width of posterior margin exceeding width of anterior margin (Fig. 1a); disc convex, higher than lateral margins; prosternum convex, prosternum subrectangular forming a straight angle, not produced backwards, with tubercles from which arise short setae; hypomeron with scarce tubercles from which arise short setae, lacking grooves; mesoventrite, metaventrite, and mesepisternum with tubercles; metepisternum with setae arising from very small tubercles separated by three to four tubercle diameters; scutellum visible, glabrous or setose.

Elytron dull, convex, surface lacking punctures, with small tubercles from which arise setae; elytron with a single sinuate, thick equidistant carina between suture and lateral margin, a few elevated, marked at the first two thirds, glabrous or setose (Fig. 1a), suture not raised, higher than carina; lateral margin double, thick, conspicuous throughout elytron, superior margin sinuate, inferior margin straight, with wrinkles connecting both margins; pseudopleuron smooth, lacking punctures, with scarce, small tubercles from which arise short setae; epipleuron marked at posterior 5/6, finely ridged, with small tubercles from which arise short setae, texture similar to that of pseudopleuron, anterior margin reaching elytral humeri and posterior angle of pronotum, anterior quarter four times as wide as posterior half.

Legs. Ventral surface of trochanters with scarce setae; all femoral surfaces with scarce setae arising from tubercles; all tibial surfaces with scarce, fine, yellow setae arising from tubercles, more dense on dorsal surface of metatibiae (Fig. 1a), protibiae with distal margin equal to 1/5 protibial length (Fig. 1a), with very short apical process, outer margin indented, with conical pegs, posterior face with abundant conical pegs; tarsi with scarce setae on ventral surface, protarsomeres 2-4 as long as wide.

Abdomen. Entire surface of ventrites 1-4, anterior half and lateral thirds of ventrite 5 lacking punctures, with short setae arising from small tubercles separated by three to four tubercle diameters; central posterior half of ventrite 5 with short setae arising from punctures.

Intraespecific variation. Pronotum can exhibit scarce small punctures from which arise short or long dark brown isolated setae (Fig. 1a), or very abundant punctures from which arise long brown and yellow setae arranged in dense patches covering the entire surface (Fig. 1b), or with scarce patches of long brown setae. Elytron can exhibit scarce dark brown isolated setae over all surface (Fig. 1a), or scarce brown and yellow setae arranged in patches, or abundant brown and yellow setae either isolated or arranged in patches covering the entire surface (Fig. 1b), or totally glabrous.

Holotype 8.2 mm length, 5.0 mm width. Pronotum with scarce small punctures of which arise short dark brown setae. Elytron with abundant dark brown and yellow isolated and arranged in patches not covering totally the surface.

Allotype 10.5 mm length, 6.5 mm width (Fig. 1b). Pronotum with very abundant punctures from which arise long brown and yellow setae arranged in dense patches covering the entire surface. Elytron with abundant brown and yellow setae either isolated or arranged in patches covering the entire surface.

Figure 1

a. Paratype female with short and long dark brown isolated setae (IADIZA). b. Allotype (MUSM) with abundant long brown and yellow setae arranged in dense patches covering the entire surface. Scale bars= 5 mm. c. Labels of Praocidia inca sp. nov. holotype. d. Labels of Praocidia inca sp. nov. allotype

Sexual dimorphism. Male protibiae with distal part slightly curved inward, apex with one spur, apical process equal in length to protarsomere 1. Female protibiae straight, apex with two spurs, apical process longer than protarsomere 1, but shorter than protarsomeres 1+2 combined.

Etymology. The name refers to the Inca civilization, which flourished in the western region of South America during pre-Hispanic times; the specific epithet is a noun in apposition.

Type material. Holotype male (label Fig. 1c): PERU: Cajamarca, Cajamarca, km 10 camino a Cumbemayo, 3000 m, 02-V-2004, V. M. Diéguez (MUSM). Allotype female (label Fig. 1d) (MUSM) and 13 paratypes same data as holotype (2 MUSM male and female, 6 IADIZA 3 males, 3 females, 4 VMDC 2 males, 2 females, 1 JEBC male), km 17 camino a Cumbemayo, 3300 m, 02-V-2004, V. M. Diéguez, (1 female MGGC), km 17 camino a Cumbemayo, 3400 m, under stones, 6-8-VI-2003, V. M. Diéguez, (2 females MNNC), km 26 camino a Chetilla, 3400 m, 02-V-2004, V. M. Diéguez (1 female VMDC), Cajamarca, Baños del Inca, 07°00'20.41"S 78°28'03.97"W, 3737 m, 03-IV-2023, L. Inga, (2 males MUSM), La Encañana, 5,3 km NE to Garita Pongo, 06°56´20.06”S 78°26´0535”W, 4050 m, III-2010, A. Giraldo, (1 female MEKRB), VI-2010, A. Giraldo, (1 female IADIZA), Michiquillay, 3,2 km S to Quiquimayoc, 07°00´58.68”S 78°23´56.13”W, 3640 m, III-2012, A. Giraldo, 3 IADIZA (1 male, 2 female), 3800 m, V-2012, A. Giraldo, (1 female MEKRB), 24 patarypes: La Encañana, 3798 m, 06°59´06”S 78°27´39”W, VI-2015, O. Queirolo, 6 IADIZA (5 males, 1 female), 2 MACN (males), 2 FMNH (1 male, 1 female), 2 NHMB (1 male, 1 female), 6 MEKRB (4 males, 2 females, 6 MUSM (3 males, 3 females, Quebrada Honda, Maqui Maqui, 06°56´50.00”S 78°29´05.00”W, 4066 m, 19-20-XI-2010, F. Chavez (1 female MUSM). La Libertad, Sánchez Carrión, Huamachuco, C.C. Santo Domingo, 07°55´39.43”S 78°08´55.31”W, 3647 m, 30-IV-2015, E. Gamboa, 1 male (MUSM).

Other material examined (in poor condition): PERU: Cajamarca, Cajamarca, km 17 camino a Cumbemayo, 3400 m, dead under stones, 6-8-VI-2003, V. M. Diéguez, 3 (VMDC), Cumbemayo, 3300 m, 30-VI-2002, V. M. Diéguez, 2 males (CMDC).

Biology. Specimens of this new species were found under rocks on gentle, stony slopes with grassland vegetation dominated by Poaceae and Asteraceae. Some specimens were kept in rearing boxes for 14 days and were fed lettuce leaves, which they consumed. This species exhibits crepuscular to nocturnal activity, with movement starting around 19h, with greater activity between 21 h and 02 h. While copulation was observed during this period, no egg-laying was recorded. When disturbed, the beetles react quickly and move away from the site. Praocidia inca sp. nov. shares its habitat with Pilobalia ruficollis Kulzer, 1954 (Nycteliini).

Distribution. Praocidia inca sp. nov. inhabits inter-Andean valleys and high plateaus in northern Peru, in Departments Cajamarca and La Libertad, at altitudes ranging from 3000 to 4000 m in the biogeographic province of Puna (Morrone et al., 2022).