Brachiacantha dentata Nestor-Arriola, Toledo-Hernandez & Solis, 2021

Nestor-Arriola, Jorge Ismael, Toledo-Hernandez, Victor Hugo, Solis, Angel, Gonzalez, Guillermo & Vetrovec, Jaroslav, 2021, The Brachiacantha Dejean, 1837 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) of Central America, ZooKeys 1024, pp. 157-196 : 157

Brachiacantha dentata Nestor-Arriola, Toledo-Hernandez & Solis sp. nov. Figures 41-45

Holotype.

Male , pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original labels: "San Lorenzo, R. F. Cord., Guanacaste, COSTA RICA, 1050 m, abril 1991, col. C. Alvarado, L-N 287800_427600" ( MNCR).

Paratypes.

Costa Rica • 1♂; Alajuela, P. N. V. Tenorio, V. Rio Roble, Palmital , "arriba la caliza"; 1000-1100 m; 21 June-16 Sep. 2006; J. A. Azofeifa leg.; malaise trap; L_N_296500_426300, #87178 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Alajuela, Palmarena, Rio San Lorencito , 5 km N of R. F. Sn Ramón; 900 m; Mar. 1990; Curso Carabidae exped.; 244500-470700 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Cartago, A. C. Amistad, P. N. Tapantí, Rio Dos Amigos ; 1480 m; Mar. 1994; G. Mora, A. Solís and E. Ulate leg; L N 187600_560250, #2782 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Cartago, Capellades ; 2-5 Apr. 1942; Biering leg., on Carica papaya L.; det. J. B. Chapin 1991 ( MUCR) . 1♂; Cartago, P. N. Tapantí; 1450 m; 13-15 May. 2005; Barries, Cate and Nagy leg.; L_N_190920_560811, #86647 ( MNCR) . 2♂; Cartago, P. N. Tapantí, Quebrada Segunda ; 1250 m; Nov. 1992; G. Mora leg.; L-N 194000_560000 ( MNCR) . 1♂, same data; Dec. 1992 ( MNCR) . 3♂; same data; ago.1992 ( MNCR) . 1♂; same data, sep.1992; ( MNCR) . 2♂; same data; July 1992 ( MNCR) . 1♂; same data, Oct. 1992 ( MNCR) . 1♂; same data; July 1992; det. Elena Ulate INBio June 2003 as B. cachensis ( MNCR) . 1♂; Cartago, P. N. Tapantí, Quebrada Segunda ; 1300 m; Oct. 1993; G. Mora leg.; L-N 194000_559800, #2286 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Cartago, Ref. Nac. Fauna Silv. Tapanti ; 1250 m; Aug. 1991; F. A. Quesada leg.; L_N_194000_559800 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Cartago, Turrialba, M. N. Guayabo ; 1100 m; 21 June 1994; F. J. Corrales leg.; L N 570000_217400, #3028" ( MNCR) . 1♂. Cartago, Turrialba, Tayutic, Grano de Oro ; 1120 m; Oct. 1993; P. Campos leg.; L_N_200250_595900, #2438 ( MNCR) . 2♂; Guanacaste, R. F. Cord. Guanacaste, R. San Lorenzo, Tierras Morenas ; 1050 m; Dec. 1991; C. Alvarado leg. L-N-287800_427600 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo, Tierras Morenas ; 1050 m; 8 Mar.- 26 Apr. 1995; G. Rodríguez leg.; malaise trap; L.N. 287800_427600, #4488 ( MNCR) . 1♂; same data; dic.1992; #1764 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Puntarenas, A. C. Arenal, Buen Amigo, San Luis Monteverde ; 1000-1350 m; May 1994; Z. Fuentes leg.; L N 250850_449250, #2926 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Puntarenas, R. B. Monteverde; 1520 m; Nov. 1993; N. Obando leg.; L N 253250_449700, #2478 ( MNCR) . 1♂; Puntarenas, R. B. Monteverde, est. La Casona ; 1520 m; Mar. 1994; N. Obando leg.; det. Elena Ulate INBio June 2003 as B. cachensis ; LN 253250 _449700, #2819 ( MNCR) . 2♂; Puntarenas, R. B. Monteverde, est. Leonel Hernandez ; 1600 m; June 1991; E. Bello leg.; L-N-249750_450075 ( MNCR) . 1♂. Puntarenas, R.B. Monteverde, San Luis ; 1040 m; 24 Aug.-15 Sep. 1992; Z. Fuentes leg.; L-N-250850_449250 ( MNCR) . 1♂; same data; Sep. 1992 ( MNCR) . 1♂; San José, P. N. Braulio Carrillo; 1600 m; 26 Aug. 1998, C. W. and L. B. O´Brien leg. ( FSCA) .

Diagnosis.

Dorsal color pale yellow with brown or black spots, ventrally brown. Males with a sharpened tubercle or tooth on second ventrite and a sharpened tubercle on each side of the center of the third ventrite. Male genitalia with penis guide wide, convergent at apex; parameres wide at base, rounded at apex; penis with a subtriangular projection near the alae.

Description.

Male holotype. Length 3.1 mm, width 2.5 mm; body oval, convex. Dorsal color pale yellow except pronotum with a basal, short and wide brown macula, and a small spot on each side of the center of the disc; scutellar shield brown; elytron with three pale brown marks: sub-humeral and sub-apical spots closely oval, sutural vitta over the elytral suture from near the scutellar shield to the elytron apex (Fig. 41 ). Ventral surface with prosternum, metaventrite and abdomen brown; legs, mouthparts, and antennae yellow. Head punctures small, separated by their diameter, each puncture slightly larger than an eye facet; pronotal punctures as large as head punctures, separated by their diameter or less; elytral punctures larger than pronotal punctures, separated by their diameter or more; metaventral punctures as large as elytral punctures, separated by more than three diameters. Clypeus straight. Carinae on prosternal process straight, convergent but almost parallel, not joined, larger than half the prosternum. Protibia only slightly flanged with the border almost parallel to tibia, basal tooth small. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite slightly flattened along posterior ventrite margin, ventrite with sparse, long pubescence and small, dense punctures. Ventrite II with a spur in the center at the posterior margin; ventrite III with a spur on each side of the middle line at the posterior margin. Ventrites IV-VI depressed and medially emarginated (Fig. 42 ). Ventrites II-VI pubescent throughout, punctures fine, dense. Genitalia with penis guide as long as parameres, symmetrical, parallel sided, convergent at apex (Fig. 44 ); parameres wide basally, narrowed to apex, apex rounded and wide, setae rising from the convex side border and apex (Fig. 43 ); penis curved in basal ½, apex with small alae and a pair of flattened subtriangular appendages before the alae, basal capsule without crest, inner arm of basal capsule long and slender (Fig. 45 ).

Female. Unknown. There were several females with the same data as males identified as B. dentata , but it was not possible to differentiate them from females of B. cachensis , a very similar species of the same region. Males of B. cachensis and B. dentata have different sexual characters.

Variation.

Length 2.6-3.2 mm, width 2-2.5 mm. The pronotal spots can be fused. On some specimens there are two spurs on the third ventrite, but others have only one.

Etymology.

From the Latin dentatus (= toothed). The name refers to the ventral spurs or teeth.

Type locality.

COSTA RICA, Guanacaste: Reserva Forestal Cordillera de Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo , 10°36'39.999"N, 84°59'44.9988"W .

Distribution.

Costa Rica.

Discussion.

This species is externally similar to B. cachensis but can be differentiated from it by the dentate ventrites of the male and the male genitalia with the penis guide pointed at apex. It was not possible to distinguish between the females of these species.

Figures

Figures 41 - 45. Brachiacantha dentata sp. nov., male 41 Dorsal view 42 Abdomen 43 Tegmen, lateral view 44 Tegmen 45 Penis.