Ponaria caerulea (Gorham) Gordon & 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 : 108-109

1. Ponaria caerulea (Gorham) , new combination

Neaporia caerulea Gorham 1897: 219 .

Prodilis caerulea: Korschefsky 1931: 109 ; Blackwelder 1945: 444.

Description. Female paralectotype. Length 1.7 mm, width 1.5 mm; body oval, elytron with side rounded, not wider than pronotal base, widest at middle of elytra. Dorsal surface entirely shiny. Color bluish black; head black; pronotum black; antenna, mouthparts, legs yellow; epipleuron dark brownish red; basal abdominal ventrite dark brown, succeeding ventrites progressively paler to yellow apical ventrite. Head punctures small, separated by a diameter or less; pronotal punctures slightly larger than on head, separated by a diameter or less; elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by less than twice a diameter; prosternal punctures absent; mesosternal punctures large, separated by a diameter or less; metasternal punctures as large as mesosternal punctures basally and laterally, punctures medially as large but separated by a diameter or more; abdomen with punctures on ventrites 1–3 large, separated by 2 to 3 times a diameter, punctures on remaining ventrites smaller, separated by about a diameter. Head with frons extremely narrow, narrowed medially, about ½ width of eye measured at vertex; eye canthus long, extended nearly across eye; apical maxillary palpomere short, widened from base to apex. Pronotum widest at middle, reflexed lateral margin narrow, equal in width from base to apex. Epipleuron flat, wide in basal ½, as wide as pronotal hypomeron, without feeble depressions for reception of femoral apices. Prosternum longer than wide, longer than mesosternum, base broadly emarginate, lateral carina slen- der, angled toward middle at apex, extended to base of prosternum. Postcoxal line on ventrite 1 long, rounded, extended nearly to apex of ventrite. Apex of ventrite 5 arcuate. Spermathecal capsule of genitalia with enlarged ramus, remainder of capsule slender with recurved apex of cornu; bursal cap not sclerotized, apical strut robust, apex enlarged, forked.

Male. Unknown.

Variation. None observed.

Type locality. PANAMA: Bugaba.

Type depository. BMNH (lectotype here designated).

Geographical distribution. Panama.

Specimens examined. 2. Lectotype and paralectotype.

Remarks. This is a prime example of the ease with which members of Ponaria may be assigned to Cephaloscymnini . This species is distinguished from other known species of Ponaria by the distinctly bluish black elytron and Central American type locality. The lectotype is labeled “Bugaba, Panama. Champion/ Neaporia caerulea Gorh. (handwritten)/TYPE(orange bordered disc)/ LECTOTYPE Neaporia caerulea Gorham, Gordon 1970 .” The paralectotype is labeled “Bugaba, 800–1,500 ft. Champion/ Neaporia caerulea G.(handwritten)/B.C.A., Col., VII/ SYNTYPE (blue bordered disc). These specimens are here labeled lectotype and paralectype respectively.