Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata Berg 1889
Creators: name: Flores, Gustavo E.
name: Carrara, Rodolfo
name: Cheli, Germán H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Tenebrionidae
Praocis
Praocis sellata

description: Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata Berg, 1889
This species is characterized by its round shape, width of elytra equal to length, and lateral margin of pronotum and elytron with long, black setae (Kulzer 1958). The most recent key for the subgenus Hemipraocis is that by Kulzer (1958) to separate three subspecies of Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata Berg and other five species. Later, Kaszab (1964) described Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata topali which is synonymized in this paper with P. (H.) sellata bruchi. Flores (2007, 2009) established three synonymies within the subgenus. A new key to identify the current five subspecies of Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata is herein provided. Type material examined in the present study for Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata sellata Berg and P. (Hemipraocis) sellata bergi Kulzer 1958 is listed in Appendix 2 and for P. (Hemipraocis) sellata bruchi in the previous section.
Key to subspecies of Praocis (Hemipraocis) sellata Berg
1. Elytron with one main raised carina and three weakly demarcated secondary carinae between main carina and lateral margin; spaces between secondary carinae with protuberances arranged longitudinally..................................... 2
Elytron with one main raised carina, lacking secondary carinae; space between main carina and lateral margin smooth or with protuberances not arranged.............................................................................. 3
2. Pronotum with punctures the same size or larger than elytral protuberances; elytron with three dull secondary carinae in space between main carina and lateral margin; area between main carina and suture with not arranged protuberances, lacking secondary carinae; main carina weakly raised, same height as suture, area between main carinae and suture flat............................................................................ (Hemipraocis) sellata peninsularis ssp. nov. (Fig. 3)
- Pronotum with punctures smaller than elytral protuberances; elytron with three shiny secondary carinae in space between main carina and lateral margin; area between main carina and suture with one secondary carina and two spaces with longitudinally arranged protuberances; main carina very raised, higher than suture, area between main carinae and suture concave........................................................................ P. (Hemipraocis) sellata bergi Kulzer (Fig. 4)
3. Pronotum shiny, disc smooth, lateral quarters with small, sparse punctures; elytral surface smooth or with sparse protuberances, more abundant over lateral margin; lateral margin separated of elytron, carina–shaped......................................................................................... P. (Hemipraocis) sellata bruchi Kulzer (Fig. 1)
- Pronotum dull, disc and lateral quarters with large, abundant punctures; elytral surface with abundant protuberances not arranged; lateral margin adjacent to elytron................................................................. 4
4. Pronotum with punctures same size or larger than elytral protuberances, dorsal surface of lateral margin with punctures; elytra with main carinae parallel to each other....................................... P. (Hemipraocis) sellata sellata Berg
- Pronotum with punctures smaller than elytral protuberances, dorsal surface of lateral margin with protuberances; elytra with main carinae converging at apex............................ P. (Hemipraocis) sellata granulipennis ssp. nov. (Fig. 5)
description: Published as part of Flores, Gustavo E., Carrara, Rodolfo & Cheli, Germán H., 2011, Three new Praociini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Peninsula Valdés (Argentina), with zoogeographical and ecological remarks, pp. 39-50 in Zootaxa 2965 on page 42, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2965.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/205983