Dilatitibialis ceciliae (Crotch) Canepari, Claudio, Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2013

Canepari, Claudio, Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2013, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XV: systematic revision of Dilatitibialis Duverger (Coccidulinae; Hyperaspidini), Insecta Mundi 2013 (312), pp. 1-91 : 64-65

56. Dilatitibialis ceciliae (Crotch) , new combination

Hyperaspis ceciliae Crotch, 1874: 218 ; Korschefsky 1931: 186; Blackwelder 1945: 446; Gordon 1987: 27.

Description. Male. Length 3.4 mm, width 2.5 mm; body elongate, convex. Dorsal surface with head alutaceous, dull, pronotum weakly alutaceous, weakly shiny, elytron smooth, shiny. Color yellow except head with 5 slightly darker yellow spots, 1 spot on each side of middle on frons posterior to clypeus, 1 spot on each side of middle on anterior portion of frons, and 1 large, transverse spot at top of frons and vertex, pronotum yellow with 7 brown spots, 1 triangular, light brown spot on each side at middle of pronotum, 1 dark brown spot on each side of middle on basal pronotal border, 1 light brown spot at base of pronotum anterior to scutellum, and 1 light brown, angulate spot near lateral margin of pronotum; elytron with 7 dark brown spots, basal 1/2 of elytron with 4 vittae, apical declivity with elongate, irregularly triangular spot near lateral margin, 1 small, irregularly triangular spot at middle, and 1 short, narrow spot on sutural margin ( Fig. 307 ); ventral surface entirely light brown. Head punctures small, separated by a diameter or less, each puncture about 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 1 to 3 times a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by a diameter or less medially, coarser, separated by less than a diameter toward lateral margin. 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 weakly rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line. 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, sponda weakly extended beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process narrowly separated at apex, convergent toward base, joined at basal 1/4 with single carina extended to basal margin of prosternum. Metaventrite without setal tuft. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with primary pores laterally between ventrites 4-5 small, extended under apical 1/4 of 4th ventrite; postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite flattened along posterior ventrite margin, extended forward, ventrite with sparse, short pubescence and large punctures medially; ventrites 2-4 pubescent throughout, punctures large medially, small, dense, becoming denser toward lateral margin; 5th ventrite coarsely, densely punctured in basal 2/3, apical 1/3 depressed, feebly depressed by primary pore laterally, with nonciliate tubercle on each side of middle, apical margin broadly, weakly emarginate; 6th ventrite short, narrow, depressed medially, apical margin broadly emarginate, sparsely pubescent on each side of median depression, lateral angle abruptly rounded, surface feebly punctured. Apical tergite finely, densely punctured, pubescent, apex weakly convex. Genitalia with basal lobe long, slender, longer than paramere, asymmetrical, sides convergent from base nearly to apex, apex abruptly hooked to one side; paramere abruptly widened in apical 1/2, apex rounded, lunulate ( Fig. 308, 309 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 1/2, basal capsule large, inner arm short, wide, apex obliquely truncate, outer arm wider and longer than inner arm, with accessory piece, basal border broadly, weakly emarginate ( Fig. 310, 311 ).

Female. Similar to male except head with upper 1/2 of median portion of frons light brown, pronotum with middle portion entirely, narrowly, light brown from base to apex. Genitalia with spermathecal capsule long, slender, cornu abruptly widened, bulbous; bursal cap with 3 sclerotized arms, apical strut long, slender, straight, widened at apex ( Fig. 312 ).

Variation. Length 3.3 to 3.4 mm, width 2.5 to 2.6 mm. Vittae on apical portion of elytron may be narrowly connected, outer 2 vittae particularly prone to be narrowly connected at anterior ends.

Type locality. Brazil.

Type depository. UMZC (holotype, examined).

Geographical distribution. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay.

Specimens examined. 6. Argentina. Misiones, Dep. Concep. Sta Maria. Brazil. Nova Teutonia. Paraguay. Alto-Parana, Hohenau. ( BMNH) ( JEBC) ( USNM).

Remarks. This species has a distinctive color pattern with mostly vittate elytra. In spite of its large size and distinctive appearance, D. ceciliae seems to be a relatively infrequently collected species.

Figures

Figures 302-317. 302-306). Dilatitibialis ellen. 302) Habitus. 303) Phallobase ventral. 304) Phallobase lateral. 305) Sipho. 306) Enlarged siphonal apex. 307-312) Dilatitibialis ceciliae. 307) Habitus. 308) Phallobase ventral. 309) Phallobase lateral. 310) Enlarged siphonal apex. 311) Sipho. 312) Female genitalia. 313-317) Dilatitibialis elaine. 313) Habitus. 314) Phallobase ventral. 315) Phallobase lateral. 316) Sipho. 317) Enlarged siphonal apex.