Brachiacantha valerie Gordon and Canepari, 2014

Gordon, Robert D., Canepari, Claudio & Hanley, Guy A., 2014, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XVI: systematic revision of Brachiacantha Dejean (Coccinellinae: Hyperaspidini), Insecta Mundi 2014 (390), pp. 1-76 : 48-49

39. Brachiacantha valerie Gordon and Canepari , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.4 mm, width 1.7 mm; body elongate oval, convex. Dorsal surface with head alutaceous, dull, pronotum weakly alutaceous, shiny, elytron smooth, shiny. Color black except head yellow, pronotum yellow with large, wide mediobasal macula extended 4/5 distance to anterior pronotal margin, macula slightly indented with yellow on apex, anterolateral angle of macula broadly emarginate with yellow; elytron black with 5 small, yellow spots, most spots rounded, humeral spot triangular, apical spot transversely oval with anterior border emarginate ( Fig. 225 ); ventral surface with antenna, mouthparts, legs yellow; abdomen brown. Head punctures small, separated by about a diameter, each puncture slightly larger than an eye facet; pronotal punctures slightly larger than head punctures, separated by 1 to 2 times a diameter, elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by 2 to 3 times a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by a diameter or less. Clypeus truncate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus about 4 eye facets long, angled forward, apically rounded, yellow. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin weakly rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line medially. Epipleuron narrow, grooved, not descending externally, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia narrowly flanged, flange less than width of remainder of protibia, outer margin arcuate, smooth, basal tooth long, length about 1/2 width of tibia at base, sponda slightly extended beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process widely separated at apex, slightly convergent toward base, joined at basal 1/3 of prosternum. Metaventrite without setal tuft. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite flattened along posterior ventrite margin, extended forward apically, ventrite with sparse, long pubescence and small, dense punctures; ventrites 2–6 pubescent throughout, punctures fine, dense; ventrite 3 without cusp on each side of middle; ventrites 3–5 depressed medially with tuft of setae on each side of emargination, 5th ventrite depressed medially, apex broadly, weakly emarginate; 6th ventrite depressed medially, apex broadly emarginate. Apical tergite densely punctured, apex emarginate. Genitalia with basal lobe much longer than paramere, symmetrical, sides parallel in basal 1/2, widened in apical 1/2, sides rounded to acutely rounded apex; paramere Psc, slender, curved, apex obliquely truncate, slightly emarginate medially ( Fig. 226, 227 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 2/3, with lateral alae just behind apex, basal capsule lightly sclerotized, inner arm short, slender, apex broadly bifid, outer arm wider and longer than inner arm, with small accessory piece, basal border broadly, shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 228, 229 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male; Brasilien, Nova Teutonia , 27 o 11’ B. 52 o 23’ L, Jan 1939, Fritz Plaumann, Brit.Mus. 1946-191. ( BMNH) . Paratype; 1, Brazil, Nova Teutonia.lat.27 o- 11 S lon.52 o- 23, IX-4-1948, F. Plaumann ( USNM) .

Remarks. This species is similar in color pattern to several other Brachiacantha species , but distinct from them and others in the tucumanensis group by the male genitalia with basal lobe wide, longer than paramere.

Figures

Figures 211–229. 211–217. Brachiacantha eleanor. 211) Habitus. 212) Protibia. 213) Phallobase ventral. 214) Phallobase lateral. 215) Sipho. 216) Enlarged siphonal apex. 217) Female genitalia. 218–224. Brachiacantha tucumanensis. 218) Habitus. 219) Protibia. 220) Phallobase ventral. 221) Phallobase lateral. 222) Sipho. 223) Enlarged siphonal apex. 224) Female spermathecal capsule and bursal cap. 225–229. Brachiacantha valerie. 225) Habitus. 226) Phallobase ventral. 227) Phallobase lateral. 228) Sipho. 229) Enlarged siphonal apex.