Brachiacantha amber 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 : 43-44

34. Brachiacantha amber Gordon and Canepari , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 3.3 mm, width 2.4 mm; body elongate, oval, convex. Dorsal surface with head weakly alutaceous, slightly shiny, pronotum and elytron smooth, shiny. Color yellow except pronotum with narrow, short basomedian macula extended about 1/3 distance to anterior pronotal margin, apex of macula widely, shallowly indented with yellow medially; elytron reddish yellow with entire black border except humeral angle triangularly yellow ( Fig. 192 ); ventral surface with head, prosternum, meso- and metaventrites dark brown; abdomen with median portion of ventrites 1–3 dark brown, remainder of abdomen yellowish brown. Head punctures small, separated by a diameter or less, each puncture about as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures slightly larger than head punctures, separated by less than to 2 times a diameter, elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by 1 to 3 times a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by a diameter or less. Clypeus weakly emarginate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus about 6 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, slightly descending externally, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia widely flanged, flange wider than remainder of protibia, outer margin arcuate, smooth, basal tooth large, length about 1/2 width of tibia at base, sponda not extended beyond protibial flange ( Fig. 193 ). Carinae on prosternal process narrowly separated at apex, convergent toward base, joined just before base of prosternum. Metaventrite without setal tuft. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with narrow, median depression on ventrites 3–5, lateral margin of groove with cusp on each side; apex of ventrites 1–2 with small, triangular depression. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite slightly 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; 5th ventrite with apex broadly, weakly emarginate; 6th ventrite depressed medially, apex weakly emarginate. Apical tergite densely punctured, apex slightly emarginate. Genitalia with basal lobe longer than paramere, penis shaped, slender, symmetrical, sides slightly convergent in basal 1/2, apical 1/2 wider than basal 1/2, sides slightly curved to truncate apex; paramere short, slightly Psc, slender, same width throughout, apex rounded ( Fig. 194, 195 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 1/2, with large lateral alae at apical 1/8, basal capsule heavily sclerotized, inner arm long, narrowed from base to rounded apex, outer arm straight, slightly narrower and same length as inner arm, with small accessory piece, basal border broadly, shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 196–198 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Length 3.0 to 3.3, width 2.2 to 2.4 mm.

Type material. Holotype male; Colombia, Chocó, Istmina , LMMurillo No. 5341, 1.VIII.’40. ( USNM) . Paratypes; 5, same data as holotype ( USNM) .

Remarks. This large species has a unique dorsal color pattern by which it may be recognized. It is placed in the debbie group because of the similar genitalic male basal lobe of male genitalia. However, it does not resemble the other species of the group at all in other respects, so this placement must be considered one of convenience only.

Figures

Figures 192–210. 192–198. Brachiacantha amber. 192) Habitus. 193) Protibia. 194) Phallobase ventral. 195) Phallobase lateral. 196) Sipho. 197) Enlarged siphonal apex lateral. 198) Enlarged siphonal apex dorsal. 199–204. Brachiacantha leslie. 199) Habitus. 200) Phallobase ventral. 201) Phallobase lateral. 202) Sipho. 203) Enlarged siphonal apex. 204) Female genitalia. 205–210. Brachiacantha trimaculata. 205) Habitus. 206) Phallobase ventral. 207) Phallobase lateral. 208) Sipho. 209) Enlarged siphonal apex. 210) Enlarged siphonal apex.