Neaporia Gorham, 1897

Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2017, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XVII: systematic revision of Western Hemisphere Cephaloscymnini (Coccinellinae) with description of a cryptic new genus and species of Coccidulini (Coccinellinae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (601), pp. 1-158 : 9-10

Neaporia Gorham

Neaporia Gorham 1897: 217 ; Casey 1908: 407; Weise 1904: 362 (as synonym of Prodilis Mulsant 1850 ); Korschefsky 1931: 109 (as synonym of Prodilis Mulsant ); Blackwelder 1945: 444 (as synonym of Prodilis Mulsant ).

Type species. Prodilis metallica Gorham 1897 , by subsequent designation of Casey (1908).

Description. Cephaloscymnini with body form variable from wide to slender. Frons narrow, nearly always narrowest at frons/vertex margin, then somewhat widened at apex posterior to clypeus, apex of frons extended beyond antennal insertion by about width of basal antennal article (except N. longifrons ), frons of male head usually maculate with yellowish white on dark background or densely pubescent ( Fig. 47, 55 ); female head without maculation or dense pubescence. Apical maxillary palpomere usually medially wide then narrowed from apical 1/4 or 1/3 to apex ( Fig. 48 , 305 ), sometimes long, slender, narrowed from base to apex or occasionally with straight sides. Pronotum short, wide, with anterior margin deeply excavated for reception of head, strongly projected forward laterally to about apical 4/5 of eye, pronotum usually with shallow surface groove extended from posterior to eye anteriorly to apical margin adjacent to eye. Prothoracic hypomeron without fossa. Epipleuron usually narrow, about as wide as prothoracic hypomeron at base, flat or rarely slightly descending externally, without depressions for reception of femoral apices. Male pro–, meso– and metasterna shallowly to deeply depressed medially, female structures flat or slightly convex. Prosternal process usually short, often wider than long, without lateral carina, base sometimes slightly expanded to partially conceal mouthparts, process usually coarsely, densely punctate or rugose; male prosternal process usually with large or small projection at anterolateral angle next to procoxa, often with patch of setae on projection ( Fig. 49 ); female without anterolateral projection. Male metasternum without lateral pit. Tarsal claw simple, without tooth or basal angulation. Apex of male 5th ventrite truncate or medially emarginate.

Remarks. Neaporia is easily distinguished from other Cephaloscymnini genera because of the slender, apically narrowed terminal maxillary palpomere; prosternal process often wider than long, lacking lateral carinae; male often with medially depressed venter, and maculate or densely setiferous frons. It is primarily a Central American genus with some South American representatives.

Species in text are arranged according to male genital structure but are not given any grouping titles. Genitalia vary from phallobase long, slender, with slender basal lobe often as long as or longer than paramere, paramere often curved, or short, wide, with basal lobe often shorter than paramere. Variations of these types occur throughout and species are arranged accordingly. Four species atypical of Neaporia are grouped together because they possess large, usually strongly rounded bodies, terminal maxillary palpomere usually parallel sided, and male prosternum much wider than long with large, distinctive anterolateral projections. Species in this group are N. irma , N. mabel , N. billie , and N. jennie .

Examination of the holotype of Neaporia amabilis Gorham found that it is not a Cephaloscymnini and may not belong to Coccinellidae .

Figures

Figures 45–64. Neaporia spp. 45–53) Neaporia irma. 45) Habitus. 46) Abdomen. 47) Frons. 48) Maxillary palpus. 49) Pro and mesosternum. 50) Phallobase ventral. 51) Phallobase lateral. 52) Sipho. 53) Female spermathecal capsule. 54–57) Neaporia kristine. 54) Habitus. 55) Frons. 56) Phallobase ventral. 57) Phallobase lateral. 58–64) Neaporia mabel. 58) Habitus. 59) Basal abdominal ventrite. 60) Frons. 61) Pro and mesosternum. 62) Phallobase ventral. 63) Phallobase lateral. 64) Sipho.

Figures 303–314. Neaporia and Prodilis spp. 303, 304) Neaporia maculata 303) Habitus. 304) Frons. 305–307) Neaporia sp. 305) Apical maxillary article. Prodilis sp. 306) Apical maxillary article. Prodilis sp. 307) Apical maxillary article. 308–314) Succinctonotum frosti 308) Habitus. 309) Basal abdominal ventrites. 310) Frons. 311) Phallobase ventral. 312) Phallobase lateral. 314) Spermathecal capsule. 314) Female.