Neaporia lena Gordon and Hanley, 2017

Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2017, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XVII: systematic revision of Western Hemisphere Cephaloscymnini (Coccinellinae) with description of a cryptic new genus and species of Coccidulini (Coccinellinae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (601), pp. 1-158 : 21-22

10. Neaporia lena Gordon and Hanley , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 1.5 mm, width 1.0 mm; body slightly elongate, elytra with sides slightly rounded, wider than pronotal base, widest at middle of elytra. Dorsal surface entirely shiny, lacking microsculpture. Color greenish black (Fig. 96); mouthparts yellow except apical 1/3, basal 1/4 of apical maxillary palpomere dark brown; antenna, legs yellow; ventral surface black except apical 2 ventrites dark brown. Head punctures large, separated by less than a diameter; pronotal punctures smaller than on head, separated by less than a diameter; elytral punctures slightly larger than on head, separated by 1 to 2 times a diameter; prosternal, mesosternal punctures large, separated by less than a diameter; metasternum with large punctures along anterior and lateral borders, punctures on remaining surface small, sparse; punctures on abdominal ventrites 1–3 large, separated by less than 3 times a diameter, punctures on remaining ventrites small, separated by about a diameter. Head densely pubescent with frons slightly narrower than an eye measured at vertex; eye canthus short; apical maxillary palpomere long, narrowed to apex in apical 1/3 (Fig. 98). Pronotum widest at apical angle, reflexed lateral margin narrow, widened from base to apex. Epipleuron flat, wide in basal ½, as wide as pronotal hypomeron. Prosternum about as wide as long, shorter than mesosternum, with apical margin truncate, male anterolateral projection small. barely visible, slightly setose (Fig. 99). Postcoxal line on ventrite 1 long, narrow, evenly rounded, extended more than ½ distance to apical margin of ventrite (Fig. 97). Apex of ventrite 5 mostly truncate, slightly emarginate medially. Genitalia with basal lobe as long as paramere, slender, parallel sided, slightly narrowed to emarginate apex in apical 1/5; paramere widest medially, apical 1/3 weakly curved, weakly narrowed to abruptly rounded apex, dorsal margin without serrations medially (Fig. 101, 102); sipho nearly equal in width throughout, apex bluntly rounded (Fig. 103).

Female. Description as for male except head not densely pubescent. Spermathecal capsule slightly widened basally, cornu rounded, lacking beak (Fig. 100).

Variation. None observed.

Type material. Holotype male; COSTA RICA: Heredia, Pr : La Selva Biol. Sta., 3 km S. Pto. Viejo, 10 o 26'N 84 o 01' W, 31.VII.1966, H. A. Hespenheide, River Ficus trunk. ( USNM) . Paratypes; 3, same data as holotype except dates 25, 26. VII. 1966, 9.VIII.1996, host Cecropia trunk. ( USNM) .

Remarks. Neaporia myrtle , N. lena , and N. christy share the same dorsal color and are extremely similar in appearance. Each species has distinctive genitalia as well as the following differences. Neaporia christy is immediately recognized by a prosternum with anterior margin strongly expanded to at least partially conceal mouthparts. Both remaining species have prosterna with a truncate anterior margin not concealing mouthparts. Neaporia lena is separated from N. myrtle by elytron with slightly rounded side, elytral punctures separated by 1 to 2 times a diameter, and postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite extended at least to midpoint of ventrite.