Prodilis pecki 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 : 105-106

69. Prodilis pecki Gordon and Hanley , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.3 mm, width 1.95 mm; body nearly orbicular ( Fig. 690 ), elytron with side strongly rounded, wider than pronotal base, widest at middle of elytra. Dorsal surface entirely shiny. Color black; head with slightly more than apical ½ yellow, macula composed of 3 united vitta, base of macula slightly emarginate ( Fig. 692 ); antenna yellow; mouthparts yellowish brown; pronotum with bluish tint, lateral margin narrowly reddish yellow; elytra with lateral margin narrowly reddish yellow; epipleuron reddish yellow; proleg and mesoleg brownish yellow. Head punctures small, separated by less than 1.5 times a diameter; pronotal punctures about as large as on head, separated by 1 to 4 times a diameter; elytral punctures slightly larger than on pronotum, separated by 1 to 3 times a diameter; prosternal punctures small, sparse, nearly invisible, widely separated; mesosternal punctures large, separated by less than a diameter; metasternal punctures nearly as large as on mesosternum, evenly spaced by less than a diameter; abdomen with punctures on ventrites 1–3 slightly smaller than on metasternum, separated by a diameter or less, punctures on remaining ventrites smaller, separated by about a diameter. Head with frons not densely pubescent, weakly widened from vertex to clypeus, slightly wider than eye measured at vertex; eye canthus short; apical maxillary palpomere long, narrowed in apical 1/3. Pronotum widest at anterior 1/3, not seen in image, not deeply excavated for reception of head, reflexed lateral margin widened from base to apex with deep, diagonal groove from lateral 1/3 toward apex of eye; prothoracic hypomeron with fossa. Epipleuron flat, wide in basal ½, as wide as pronotal hypomeron, with wide, feeble depressions for reception of femoral apices. Prosternum longer than wide, longer than mesosternum, base arcuate, anterior margin strongly projected to conceal mouthparts, lateral carina slender, extended anterior to procoxa. Postcoxal line on ventrite 1 long, arcuate, extended nearly to apex of ventrite ( Fig. 691 ). Apex of ventrite 5 arcuate. Genitalia with basal lobe slightly longer than paramere, sides parallel in basal 2/3, slightly tapered to emarginate apex in apical 1/ 3; paramere wide in basal ½, abruptly narrowed to rounded apex in apical ½, without marginal serrations ( Fig. 693, 694 ); sipho robust (apical ½ more slender, figured as still in phallobase) ( Fig. 693, 695 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male; VENEZUELA: Guarica, Guatopo NP, Rio Orituco , 24km N Altagracia, 13.VI. 1987, 300m. S. J&. Peck, forest beating, 87–25. ( USNM).

Remarks. Comparatively large size, polished dorsal surface, and male head with anterior yellow macula composed of 3 united vittae, base of macula slightly emarginate, distinguish this species from other black species of Prodilis .

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.