Cyrea Gordon and Canepari, 2013

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 : 111-112

Cyrea Gordon and Canepari , new genus

Type species. Cleothera (Cyra) quinquenotata Mulsant, 1850 , by present designation.

Description. Form variable, rounded, elongate oval, or long, nearly parallel-sided. Elytron usually dark with pale maculae, or pale with dark maculae, rarely vittate. Head usually yellow in male, partially brown or black in female. Antenna with 11 articles, basal article longer than wide, antennal insertion exposed. Clypeus with apical margin weakly to deeply emarginate. Labrum rectangular. Apical maxillary palpomere securiform with sides slightly diverging. Scutellum large, transverse. Elytral epipleuron narrow or wide, deeply excavated for reception of tibiae. Prosternal process slightly convex, with two cari- nae. Protibia narrow, without distinct flange, usually with oblique angle of varying degrees; lacking primary pores between ventrites 4–5. Tarsal claw with subquadrate basal tooth. Male abdominal ventrites 5–6 rarely modified other than typical male apical emarginations; 5th ventrite of male abdomen nearly always without visible tubercle on each side of apical emargination. Male genitalia with basal lobe usually asymmetrical, occasionally symmetrical.

Remarks. Most species have protibia that are least somewhat angled on the anterior margin. This angle is referred to here as the “oblique angle” rather than “flange” because it is not a true flange. Lack of primary abdominal pores between ventrites 4–5, lack of protibial armature, and male 5th abdominal ventrite smooth on each side of median emargination, nearly always without tubercle, are distinguishing characteristics of Cyrea .

Cyrea and Brachiacantha are very similar and are only distinguished by the protibial tooth possessed by members of the latter genus. One of the characteristics of Brachiacantha is the Psc form of the male parameres. However, the erica group of Cyrea also possesses Psc parameres. In addition, one species, Cyrea alma , has distinct cusps present on the 5th abdominal ventrite, which is a character normally restricted to certain species of Brachiacantha .

The new genus Cyrea is erected for a group of species, some formerly in Cyra Mulsant. Cyra loricata was designated as the type species of Cyra by Duverger (2001), but Cyra loricata is actually a member of the older genus Brachiacantha , which renders Cyra a junior subjective synonym of Brachiacantha . Cyrea is an arbitrarily formed name very similar to Cyra , and we thank Roger Booth for suggesting it. Among species of the former genus Cyra are C. cognata Mulsant , C. triacantha Mulsant , C. castelnaudi Mulsant , and C. oseryi Mulsant.

Cyrea will be the subject of a future revision but is dealt with here because this publication contains a key to all Brachiacanthini genera. Dilatitibialis Duverger and Brachiacantha will also be dealt with in detail in future publications but are not further treated here.