Epicauta clericalis Berg 1881

Epicauta clericalis (Berg, 1881)

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.).

Type material examined. Holotype, [Misio-/nes] [Lytta / clericalis / Berg] [com. tipo/ comparat] [MLP 561/ 1]. MLP.

Type material remarks. This species was transferred to Epicauta by Borchmann (1917). The author indicated that the type material 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 clericalis Berg ”, 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 clericalis is similar to E. luteolineata in the color pattern of the cuticle of the head and pronotum, but differs in the color pattern of the elytra: E clericalis has two pale vittae whereas E. luteolineata has three pale vittae.

Redescription. Body length 11–14 mm.

Cuticle and pubescence. Cuticle brown; 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. Head 0.86 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). Pronotum 1.25 times as long as wide (L/A: 25–20); impressed on apical third in lateral view. Elytron wider from apical third to apex; apex one third wider than base. Legs with 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. Falobase with superior margin with deep concavity. Spiculum gastrale with base bidentate, strongly bulged, extending the marginal prominence (as in Fig. 30). Median lobe short dorsal-hook; uncus moderately 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 Argentina are 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 specimens from Argentina belong 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).