Prodilis brandi Gordon and Hanley, 2017

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 : 84

38. Prodilis brandi Gordon and Hanley , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.4 mm, width 1.7 mm; body oval, elytron with side rounded, wider than pronotal base, widest at middle of elytra. Dorsal surface shiny except elytron with fine microsculpture. Color black ( Fig. 539 ), head ( Fig. 531 ), dorsal surface completely black except apical elytral border reddish brown; antenna, mouthparts brownish yellow; epipleuron brown; legs yellow except femur brown; abdomen entirely dark brown. Head punctures small, separated by a diameter or less; pronotal punctures smaller than on head, separated by less than 3 times a diameter; elytral punctures slightly larger than on pronotum, separated by less than twice a diameter; prosternal, mesosternal punctures large, separated by less than twice a diameter; metasternal punctures as large as on mesosternum, separated by less than a diameter on basal and lateral borders, small, nearly absent medially; abdomen with punctures on ventrites 1–3 large, separated by less than twice a diameter, punctures on remaining ventrites smaller, separated by about a diameter. Head with frons weakly widened from vertex to clypeus, 1.4 times width of eye measured at vertex; eye canthus short; apical maxillary palpomere short, widened from base to apex. Pronotum widest at middle, reflexed lateral margin wide, equal in width from base to apex. Epipleuron flat, wide in basal ½, as wide as pronotal hypomeron, without depressions for reception of femoral apices. Prosternum longer than wide, slightly longer than mesosternum, base weakly emarginate medially, lateral carina robust, long, extended to base of prosternum. Postcoxal line on ventrite 1 long, rounded, extended more than 3/4 distance to ventrite apex ( Fig. 530 ). Apex of ventrite 5 arcuate. Genitalia with basal lobe slightly longer than paramere, wide, widest at central 1/3, lateral margin weakly curved from base to abruptly rounded apex, apex not emarginate; paramere weakly curved, slender, equal in width to rounded apex, without marginal serrations ( Fig. 532, 533 ); sipho long, slender, bent at apical 1/6, apical portion broken in image ( Fig. 534 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male; VENEZUELA: Tach. (Tachira), 3000m. 50 km. NE San Cristobal, V. 17– 18.1974, H. &A. Howden. ( BMNH).

Remarks. This species is recognized by the all- black dorsum, large size, short prosternum, and small dorsal punctures that are quite reduced in size in comparison with other species. Prodilis brandi is not a typical member of this group of species in spite of having a similar genitalia type. It differs by having a comparatively short prosternum and lacking epipleural depressions for femoral reception.

Figures

Figures 525–540. Prodilis spp. 525–528) Prodilis sandy 525) Habitus. 526) Basal abdominal ventrites. 527) Frons. 528) Phallobase ventral. 529–534) Prodilis brandi 529) Habitus. 530) Basal abdominal ventrites. 531) Frons. 532) Phallobase ventral. 533) Phallobase lateral. 534) Basal portion of sipho. 535–540) Prodilis blanche 535) Habitus. 536) Basal abdominal ventrites. 537) Frons. 538) Phallobase ventral. 539) Phallobase lateral. 540) Sipho.