Brachiacantha pauline 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 : 17

7. Brachiacantha pauline Gordon and Canepari , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.7 mm, width 1.7 mm; body elongate, almost parallel sided. Dorsal surface with head and pronotum alutaceous, dull, elytron feebly alutaceous, shiny. Color yellow except pronotum with large, black mediobasal macula, macula extended 4/5 distance to anterior pronotal border, anterolateral angle broadly emarginate with yellow; elytron black with 5 small, yellow spots arranged in 2 rows plus apical spot, mediolateral spot projected inward, apical spot transverse, emarginate apically ( Fig. 36 ); ventral surface with head, prosternum, meso- and metaventrites dark brown; abdomen dark brown with lateral 1/4 and ventrites 5–6 yellowish brown. Head punctures small, separated by a diameter or less, each puncture as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures larger than head punctures, separated by a diameter or less, elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by less than to twice a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by less than a diameter. 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 straight, 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 narrower than remainder of protibia, outer margin straight, smooth, basal tooth small, about 1/4 width of tibia at base, sponda not extended beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process narrowly separated at apex, parallel, not joined, ended at basal 1/8 of prosternum. Metaventrite without setal tuft. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal ventrite curved throughout, extended forward at apex, 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; 5th ventrite slightly depressed in median 1/3, apex weakly emarginate; 6th ventrite medially depressed, apex deeply emarginate. Apical tergite finely, densely punctured, apex arcuate. Genitalia with basal lobe longer than paramere, symmetrical, sides parallel in basal 5/6, wide in apical 1/2, apex lunulate; paramere slightly Psc, short, wide basally, narrowed from base to apex, apical 1/2 flattened dorsally with setae rising from flattened area, apex rounded ( Fig. 37, 38 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 1/2, with lateral alae posterior to apex, basal capsule heavily sclerotized, inner arm short, apex abruptly rounded, outer arm wider and longer than inner arm, with accessory piece, basal border broadly, shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 39. 40 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male; Brazil, Cordisburgo , Minas Geraes, 7-8Nov-‘19. Cornell University Expedit., R. G. Harris Collector, Nunenmacher Collection. ( CASC).

Remarks. Brachiacantha pauline is somewhat distinctive because of the small size, parallel sided body, and male pronotum with large black macula extended nearly to anterior pronotal border. Male genitalia do need to be examined for positive identification.

Figures

Figures 36–50. 36–40. Brachiacantha pauline. 36) Habitus. 37) Phallobase ventral. 38) Phallobase lateral. 39) Sipho. 40) Enlarged siphonal apex.41–45. Brachiacantha emma. 41) Habitus. 42) Phallobase ventral. 43) Phallobase lateral. 44) Sipho (basal 2/3). 45) Female spermathecal capsule and bursal cap. 46–50. Brachiacantha jamie. 46) Habitus. 47) Phallobase ventral. 48) Phallobase lateral. 49) Sipho. 50) Enlarged siphonal apex.