Brachiacantha appropinquata (Mulsant) Gordon, Robert D., Canepari, Claudio & Hanley, Guy A., 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 : 52-53

44. Brachiacantha appropinquata (Mulsant) , new status, new combination

Hyperaspis flavoguttata appropinquata Mulsant, 1850: 653 .

Hyperaspis flavoguttata ab. appropinquata: Korschefsky 1931: 189 ; Blackwelder 1945: 447.

Description. Female holotype. Length 3.3 mm, width 2.4 mm; body elongate, oval. Dorsal surface with head and pronotum alutaceous, dull, elytron smooth, shiny. Color black except anterior pronotal margin yellow; elytron with lateral margin bordered with yellow from base to posterior 2/3, apex of border enlarged, 3 yellow spots present, basal spot round, discal spot oblong, spot on apical declivity oval ( Fig. 252 ); ventral surface with epipleuron brown, meso-, metaventrite, abdomen brown; legs with dark brown femora, tibiae brown with outer side yellow. Head punctures small, separated by 3 to 4 times a diameter, each puncture as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures smaller than on head, sparse, separated by 8 to 10 times a diameter; elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by about 3 times a diameter. Clypeus truncate apically, lateral angle weakly rounded, lateral margin obliquely angled to eye canthus, surface nearly glabrous, with few sparse, long setae at apical margin. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, side curved, basal and anterior angles abruptly rounded, basal margin without bordering line. Protibia with short, triangular tooth, narrowly flanged ( Fig. 253 ). Carinae on prosternal process sinuately convergent, joined at basal 2/5 of prosternum. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite angled to apical margin of ventrite, abruptly rounded in median 1/5, then angled forward at apex. Genitalia with spermathecal capsule long, slender, bulbous at base, apex of cornu acute; bursal cap triangular, with 3 sclerotized arms, apical strut missing ( Fig. 254 ).

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type locality. Brazil.

Type depository. MNHP (holotype).

Geographical distribution. Brazil.

Specimens examined. l. Brazil. The holotype. ( MNHP).

Remarks. Brachiacantha appropinquata was described as a species of Hyperaspis by Mulsant (1850), and he considered it probably a variation of Hyperaspis (Cyra) flavoguttata Mulsant. Examination of the type specimen indicated that it is a species of Brachiacantha .

The MNHP holotype is labeled “Museum Paris (printed)/des Mines (handwritten)/ des Mines (handwritten, round)/ Hyperaspis flavoguttata MULS. var. appropinquata MULS / Auct. Det./ Hyperaspis appropinquata Gordon, 1971 .”

Figures

Figures 247–258. 247–251. Brachiacantha gail. 247) Habitus. 248) Protibia. 249) Phallobase ventral. 250) Apical 2/3 of sipho. 251) Enlarged siphonal apex. 252–254. Brachiacantha appropinquata. 252) Habitus. 253) Protibia. 254) Female genitalia. 255–258. Brachiacantha argentinica. 255) Habitus. 256) Protibia. 257) Female genitalia. 258) Enlarged spermathecal capsule.