Ponaria 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 : 107-108

Ponaria Gordon and Hanley , new genus

Type species. Neaporia caerulea Gorham , by present designation.

Description. Coccidulini with body form oval. Antenna with 9 articles. Frons narrow, equal in width from vertex to clypeus, inner margins of eyes parallel, narrower than eye, frons short, apex of frons extended beyond antennal insertion by less than width of basal antennal article; frontal extension onto eye long, extended nearly completely across eye; male clypeus and frons immaculate, densely pubescent (Fig. 715); female head without dense pubescence. Pronotum long, with anterior margin moderately excavated for reception of head, weakly projected forward laterally to about apical 4/5 of eye, pronotal surface without surface groove. Epipleuron wide, flat. Male pro–, meso– and metasterna flat, not medially depressed; prosternum weakly expanded to conceal mouthparts, prosternal process with apex truncate, process narrow, short, with coarse, sparse punctures, lateral carina present on each side adjacent to procoxa; male prosternal process without modified setae. Male metasternum without pit medially adjacent to metepisternum. Tarsal claw with slight basal angulation. Apex of male 5th venter barely perceptibly truncate. Female genitalia with long, wide infundulum; spermathecal capsule with large, round ramus, narrowed from ramus to nearly acute apex of cornu.

Remarks. Ponaria bears a strong, superficial resemblance to members of Cephaloscymnini with whom it is most likely to be confused. Similarities include the large, elongate eye; narrow frons densely pubescent in male; and antenna with 9 articles. Characters that remove it from Cephaloscymnini are lateral extension of frons nearly completely dividing eye; gena not expanded anterior to eye to form shelf for reception of antenna; and female genitalia with ramus of spermathecal capsule large, round, remainder of capsule slender, tapered to almost acute apex of cornu. Mimicry is possible here given the strong similarity of this genus to Cephaloscymnini genera.

We place this genus in Coccidulini , where it would belong in the formerly recognized Scymini. It is distinguished from other known Coccidulini by a combination of large, elongate eye; and narrow frons with lateral extension almost completely dividing eye.

Etymology. The genus name is an arbitrary rearrangement of several letters in Neaporia Gorham ; gender feminine.