Brachiacantha jamie 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 : 18-19

9. Brachiacantha jamie Gordon and Canepari , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.3 mm, width 1.6 mm; body elongate oval, convex. Dorsal surface faintly alutaceous, shiny. Color yellow except pronotum with large, black, basomedian macula extended 4/5 distance to anterior pronotal border, macula deeply emarginate with yellow medially, anterolateral angle of macula shortly, widely emarginate with yellow; elytron black with 3 large, yellow areas, lateral margin with yellow macula extended from humeral angle to apical spot, discal spot narrowly elongate, faintly connected to apical spot ( Fig. 46 ); ventral surface with head, prosternum, meso- and metaventrites black; abdomen yellowish brown. Head punctures small, separated by a diameter or less, each puncture as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures as large as on head, separated by 1 to 2 times a diameter, elytral punctures as large as on pronotum, separated by 1 to 6 times a diameter; metaventral punctures slightly larger than on elytron, widely separated. Clypeus emarginate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus short, about 4 eye facets long, abruptly curved outward, apically rounded, yellow. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin 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 slightly narrower than remainder of protibia, outer margin curved, smooth, basal tooth small, triangular, about 1/6 width of tibia at base, sponda slightly extended beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process widely separated at apex, convergent toward base, not joined, ended 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 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 depressed in median 1/3, apex shallowly emarginate; 6th ventrite medially depressed, apex deeply emarginate. Apical tergite finely, densely punctured, apex deeply emarginate. Genitalia with basal lobe longer than paramere, slender, symmetrical, sides slightly convergent in basal 3/4, wide in apical 1/4, apex lunulate with sides curved toward apex of basal lobe; paramere slightly Psc, slender, bent outward anterior to base, upper margin slightly sinuate, flattened in median 3/4, apex rounded ( Fig. 47, 48 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 2/3, without visible lateral alae, basal capsule heavily sclerotized, inner arm short, narrow, apex slightly enlarged, medially cleft, outer arm wider and longer than inner arm, with accessory piece, basal border deeply emarginate ( Fig. 49, 50 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male; Peru, Cusco, Limatambo , 7-Feb-1978, Univ. Maryland-SEL, SMF Expedition. ( USNM).

Remarks. Somewhat similar in external appearance to several Brachiacantha species , B. jamie is distinguished by the complete yellow, lateral vitta, elongate, slender discal spot, pronotal and elytral punctures extremely small, and short outwardly projected eye canthus. Placed in the sellata group because of the apically lunulate basal lobe of the male genitalia, this species differs from other species of this group by having a slender, basally bent paramere.

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.