Prodilis dubitalis 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 : 105

68. Prodilis dubitalis Gordon and Hanley , new species

Description. Holotype female. Length 1.7 mm, width 1.3 mm; body elongate, somewhat oval, elytron with side slightly rounded, wider than pronotal base, widest before middle of elytra. Dorsal surface shiny, without trace of microsculpture. Color black; elytron with small, nearly round macula medially in lateral ½ ( Fig. 688 ); head black ( Fig. 689 ); antenna, mouthparts dark reddish brown; epipleuron, legs, ventral surface pale reddish brown. Head punctures large, separated by a diameter or less; pronotal punctures smaller than on head, separated by 1 to 2 times a diameter; elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by less than twice a diameter; prosternal punctures small, nearly absent; mesosternal punctures large, widely separated; metasternal punctures nearly absent except lateral 1/4 with punctures as large as on mesosternum, separated by less than a diameter; abdomen with punctures on ventrites 1–3 as large as on metasternum, separated by a diameter or less, punctures on remaining ventrites smaller, separated by about a diameter. Head with frons wide, parallel sided, more than twice as wide as eye measured at vertex; eye canthus short; apical maxillary palpomere short, widened from base to apex. Pronotum rectangular, parallel sided, reflexed lateral margin narrow, equal in width from base to apex. Epipleuron flat, narrow in basal ½, as wide as pronotal hypomeron, without feeble depressions for reception of femoral apices. Prosternum strongly protuberant, longer than wide, longer than mesosternum, base arcuate, lateral carina slender, extended nearly to base of prosternum. Postcoxal line on ventrite 1 short, arcuate, extended nearly to middle of ventrite. Genitalia not dissected.

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male; PERU: Dpt. Cuzco, Prov. Quispicanchis, Quiincemil , 6–II–1976, Robert Gordon. ( USNM).

Remarks. Only a female was available for examination, leaving male characters unknown. Distinctive characters are the large, prominent prosternal process, strongly explanate and anteriorly extended anterolateral pronotal angle, and widely separated eyes. This species is quite distinctive, bearing little resemblance to other species of Cephaloscymnini . The prominent prosternal process is particularly unique, providing an excellent recognition character.

Etymology. Specific name is from the Latin dubitatio, meaning generic placement doubtful.

Figures

Figures 686–695. Prodilis spp. 686–687) Prodilis guatemalana 686) Habitus. 687) Frons. 688–689) Prodilis dubitalis 688) Habitus. 689) Frons. 690–695) Prodilis pecki 690) Habitus. 691) Basal abdominal ventrites. 692) Frons. 693) Phallobase ventral. 694) Phallobase lateral. 695) Basal portion of sipho.