Brachiacantha lauren 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 : 32-33

23. Brachiacantha lauren Gordon and Canepari , new species

Description. Female holotype. Length 2.6 mm, width 2.1 mm; body rounded, convex. Dorsal surface with head weakly alutaceous, slightly shiny, pronotum and elytron mostly smooth, shiny. Color dark brown except pronotum with lateral 1/4 yellow; elytron yellow, completely bordered with dark brown except lateral margin on apical declivity yellow, sutural border wide, straight, humeral angle faintly reddish brown, lateral border wide, ended at apical declivity, wide dark brown band extended from lateral border to sutural border at apical declivity ( Fig. 134 ); ventral surface with antenna, mouthparts yellow, legs yellow except basal 3/4 of femora brown; abdomen brownish yellow. Head punctures small, dense, separated by a diameter or less, each puncture about as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures larger than head punctures, separated by less than to about a diameter, elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by 1 to 2 times diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by a diameter or less. Clypeus slightly emarginate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus about 5 eye facets long, slightly angled forward, apically rounded, brown. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin slightly rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line medially. Epipleuron narrow, grooved, slightly descending externally, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia narrowly flanged, flange less than width of remainder of protibia, outer margin straight, smooth, basal tooth short, length about 1/5 width of tibia at base, sponda extended beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process narrowly separated at apex, convergent toward base, joined at basal 1/3 of prosternum, single carina extended to base of prosternum. 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. Genitalia with spermathecal capsule short, basal 1/4 widened, slender medially, cornu slightly bulbous; bursal cap without sclerotized arms, apical strut not found ( Fig. 135 ).

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female; Paraguay, Hohenau, Alto-Parana, H. Jacob., 5.9.34, 31 46, B.M. 1954-814. ( BMNH) . Paratype; 1, same data as holotype with additional label Hyperaspis sp. , 4-signata Muls., det. R. D. Pope 1955 ( BMNH) .

Remarks. This is another species recognized by a characteristic dorsal color pattern. A unique female, the color pattern is slightly similar to B. argentinica , but B. lauren is much smaller and the elytron is basically yellow instead of reddish yellow. This species seems to belong in the juanita group because it has female genitalia of the type found in that group.

Figures

Figures 128–138. 128–133. Brachiacantha veronica. 128) Habitus. 129) Phallobase ventral. 130) Phallobase lateral. 131) Sipho. 132) Siphonal apex dorsal. 133) Enlarged siphonal apex lateral. 134–135. Brachiacantha lauren. 134) Habitus. 135) Female spermathecal capsule. 136–138. Brachiacantha cathy. 136) Habitus. 137) Protibia. 138) Female genitalia.