Ponaria daviesi 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 : 110

3. Ponaria daviesi Gordon and Hanley , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 1.1 mm, width 0.7 mm; body oval, elytron with side rounded, wider than pronotal base, widest at middle of elytra. Dorsal surface entirely shiny. Color black (Fig. 713); head black; pronotum and elytra with lateral margin narrowly reddish brown; antenna, legs dark brown, mouthparts yellowish brown; epipleuron yellow; ventral surface dark brown. Head punctures large, separated by less than a diameter; pronotal punctures smaller than on head, separated by a diameter or less; elytral punctures slightly larger than on pronotum, separated by a diameter or less; prosternal punctures absent; mesosternal punctures sparse, nearly absent; metasternal punctures absent or nearly so; abdomen with punctures small, sparse. Head with frons not densely pubescent, narrow, narrowed medially, about ½ width of eye measured at vertex (Fig. 715); apical maxillary palpomere elongate, feebly 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 truncate, lateral carina slender, angled toward middle at apex, extended to apex of procoxa. Postcoxal line on ventrite 1 long, angulate, extended nearly to apex of ventrite (Fig. 714). Apex of ventrite truncate medially. Genitalia with basal lobe longer than paramere, slender, narrowed from base to apex, apex bluntly acute; paramere slender, sides parallel to rounded apex (Fig. 716, 717); sipho lost.

Female. Similar to male. Genitalia lost.

Variation. Dorsal color sometimes greenish black.

Type material. Holotype male; N.E. BOLIVIA: Oquiriqua forest , Tierra Prometida, J. G. Davies, 63, BMNH(E) 1998–69, 31.vii.97, Tree A – Tray 3 Xylopia sericea Fogging. (BMNH) . Paratypes 3, same data as holotype except 64, Tree 7A – Tray 4 ; 55, Tree 6A – Tray 5; 37, Tree 4B – Tray 2. ( BMNH).

Remarks. Ponaria daviesi is recognized by the large, dense dorsal punctation, a mostly dark brown ventral surface, and Bolivian type locality.

Etymology. The species is named for the collector of the type series.