Brachiacanthini Duverger

Gordon, Robert D., Canepari, Claudio & Hanley, Guy A., 2013, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XII: New name for Cyra Mulsant, review of Brachiacanthini genera, and systematic revision of Cleothera Mulsant, Hinda Mulsant and Serratitibia Gordon and Canepari, new genus, Insecta Mundi 2013 (278), pp. 1-150 : 7-8

Brachiacanthini Duverger

Brachyacanthidini Duverger, 1989: 145.

Brachiacanthini : Duverger 2001: 222 (emendation); Duverger 2003: 67; Gordon and Canepari 2008: 247 .

Description. Form ranging from elongate oval to rounded, convex. Dorsal surface glabrous except head with clypeus setose, head partially setose. Antenna short, with 11 articles; club elongate, fusiform, apical article small; antennal insertion exposed. Eye large, emarginated by frontal eye canthus ( Fig. 1–5 ), finely faceted, without pubescence. Maxillary palpus with apical segment securiform. Scutellum large. Epipleuron narrow, excavated for reception of femoral apices. Legs short; femur grooved or flattened for reception of tibia; protibia slender and unmodified, or narrowly or widely flanged, outer margin of flange serrate or not; apex of protibia with sponda for reception of basal tarsal segments variably modified; tarsus cryptotetramerous; claws with basal tooth or angulation. Abdomen with 6 visible ventrites, males apparently with 7 visible ventrites, the 7th “ventrite” is actually a modified tergite ( Fig. 20–24 ); basal ventrite with postcoxal line incomplete, of Scymnus (Scymnus) type ( Fig. 25–26 ); small pores present on each side of middle between ventrites 2–3 and 3–4; some species with small to large primary pores laterally between ventrites 4–5 ( Fig. 20–26 ). Male abdominal ventrites 5–6 apically emarginate, always with additional modifications; female abdominal ventrites 5–6 unmodified, apically truncate, arcuate or 5th ventrite weakly emarginate apically. Primary pores present between abdominal ventrites 4–5 in some genera and species. Female genitalia typical of most Coccinellidae with single spermathecal capsule composed of ramus, nodulus, and cornu; with distinct infundibulum and or modified bursal apex, spermatheca sausage-like, connected to infundibulum or bursal cap by a short or long duct ( Fig. 36 ), with accessory gland; genital plate basically transverse, somewhat variable ( Fig. 96 ).

Remarks. Seven South American genera are recognized as belonging to Brachiacanthini : Brachiacantha Mulsant , Cleothera Mulsant , Cyrea , n. gen, Dilatitibialis Duverger , Hinda Mulsant , Serratitibia , n. gen, and Tiphysa Mulsant.

Cleothera , Hinda , and Serratitibia are revised herein, all remaining Brachiacanthini genera will be treated in future publications.

Mulsant’s original (1850) classification of generic taxa now in Brachiacanthini was slightly altered by subsequent authors ( Crotch 1874, Chapuis 1876). Cyra Mulsant was described as a subgenus of Cleothera , but subsequently was treated as a synonym of that genus or also as a valid genus. Weise (1895) placed Cleothera as a synonym of Hinda Mulsant based on the widely flanged, serrate protibiae. We consider all of Mulsant’s original genera valid except for Cyra , and they, together with Dilatitibialis Duverger , Cyrea , n. gen., and Serratitibia , n. gen., currently comprise Brachiacanthini .

Hyperaspidini ( Gordon and Canepari 2008) and Brachiacanthini are extremely similar in general appearance, but are distinguished by both external and genital characters. Hyperaspidini are distinguished by the lack of a lateral frontal extension onto inner margin of eye, which is smoothly rounded; presence of a fine, basal pronotal line, and basomedial projection of pronotum truncate; abdomen lacking openings between ventrites; male genitalia have parameres rooted inside basal piece; female spermatheca is compound, lacking infundibulum and visible ramus, with a basal unit separated from apical portion by a duct.

Brachiacanthini are distinguished by having a lateral frontal canthus of varying size and shape extending onto inner margin of eye; usually without basal pronotal line, basomedial projection of pronotum not truncate; male genitalia with parameres attached to outer portion of basal piece (as typical for most Coccinellidae ); female genitalia of typical Coccinellidae type with single spermathecal capsule composed of ramus, nodulus, and cornu; with distinct infundibulum and/or modified bursal base, spermatheca sausage-like, connected to infundibulum or bursal base by a short or long duct ( Fig. 36 , 54 ); genital plate basically transverse, somewhat variable ( Fig. 72 ); stylus reduced or absent ( Fig. 72 ).

The key to genera below is provisional, pending final revision of all included genera, and is intended only to enable generic recognition of Brachiacanthini taxa as currently delineated. For example, Brachiacantha is perhaps polyphyletic as now constituted, and may be split into at least two genera in the future.

Figures

Figures 1–15. Brachiacanthini stuctures. 1) Hinda sp. head. 2) Serratitibia sp. head. 3) Serratitibia sp. head. 4) Cyrea sp. head. 5) Cyrea sp. head. 6) Cyrea sp. prosternum. 7) Cyrea sp. prosternum. 8) Brachiacantha sp. prosternum. 9) Hinda sp. protibia. 10) Serratitibia sp. protibia. 11) Cyrea sp. protibia. 12) Cyrea sp. protibia 13) Dilatitibialis sp. protibia. 14) Dilatitibialis sp. protibia. 15) Brachiacantha sp. protibia.

Figures 16–29. Brachiacanthini structures. 16) Brachiacantha sp. protibia. 17) Hinda sp. abdomen. 18) Serratitibia sp. abdomen. 19) Serratitibia sp. abdomen. 20) Serratitibia sp. abdomen. 21) Serratitibia sp. abdomen. 22) Dilatitibialis sp. abdomen. 23) Dilatitibialis sp abdomen. 24) Dilatitibialis sp. abdomen. 25) Dilatitibialis sp. abdomen. 26) Cyrea sp. abdomen. 27) Cyrea sp. abdomen. 28) Cyrea sp. abdomen. 29) Brachiacantha sp. abdomen.

Figures 30–48. 30–36) Cleothera buqueti. 30) Habitus. 31) Protibia. 32) Phallobase ventral. 33) Phallobase lateral. 34) Enlarged siphonal apex. 35) Sipho. 36) Female genitalia. 37–42) Hinda decas. 37) Habitus. 38) Protibia. 39) Phallobase ventral. 40) Enlarged siphonal apex. 41) Sipho. 42) Female genitalia. 43–48) Hinda decemverrucata. 43) Habitus. 44) Proleg. 45) Phallobase ventral. 46) Phallobase lateral. 47) Enlarged siphonal apex. 48) Sipho.

Figures 91–107. 91–96) Serratitibia sarah. 91) Habitus. 92) Phallobase ventral. 93) Phallobase lateral. 94) Enlarged siphonal apex. 95) Sipho. 96) Female genitalia. 97–101) Serratitibia melissa. 97) habitus. 98) Phallobase ventral). 99) Phallobase lateral. 100) Enlarged siphonal apex. 101) Sipho. 102–107) Serratitibia kimberly. 102) Habitus. 103) Phallobase ventral. 104) Phallobase lateral. 105) Enlarged Siphonal apex. 106) Sipho. 107) Female genitalia.

Figures 49–59. 49–55) Hinda designata. 49) Habitus. 50) Protibia. 51) Phallobase, ventral. 52) Enlarged siphonal apex. 53) Sipho. 54) Female genitalia. 55) Abdomen. 56–59) Hinda ecuadorica. 56) Habitus. 57) Phallobase ventral. 58) Enlarged siphonal apex. 59) Sipho.

Figures 60–77. 60–65) Serratitibia regularis. 60) Habitus. 61) Protibia. 62) Phallobase, ventral. 63) Phallobase, lateral. 64) Sipho. 65) Female genitalia, tube connecting spermathecal capsule to bursa missing. 66–72) Serratitibia donna. 66) Habitus. 67) Phallobase ventral. 68) Phallobase, lateral. 69) Enlarged siphonal apex. 70) Sipho. 71) Male abdomen. 72) Female genitalia. 73–77) Serratitibia lividipes. 73) Habitus. 74) Phallobase, ventral. 75) Phallobase lateral. 76) Enlarged siphal apex. 77) Sipho.