Dilatitibialis scenica (Mulsant) Canepari, Claudio, Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2013

Canepari, Claudio, Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2013, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XV: systematic revision of Dilatitibialis Duverger (Coccidulinae; Hyperaspidini), Insecta Mundi 2013 (312), pp. 1-91 : 36-37

27. Dilatitibialis scenica (Mulsant) , new combination

Cleothera scenica Mulsant, 1850: 580 .

Hyperaspis scenica: Crotch 1874: 220 ; Korschefsky 1931: 195; Blackwelder 1945: 448.

Cleothera retigera Mulsant, 1850: 583 . (NEW SYNONYM).

Hyperaspis retigera: Crotch 1874: 214 ; Korschefsky 1931: 195; Blackwelder 1945: 448.

Description. Male. Length 3.0 mm, width 2.6 mm; body rounded, slightly elongate, convex. Dorsal surface smooth, shiny. Color brown except pronotum yellow with mediobasal spot extended to anterior 2/ 3 of pronotum, spot deeply emarginate medially with “anchor” shaped yellow area; elytron with 8 small, yellow spots, humeral spot oval, scutellar spot oval with posterolateral angle emarginate, mediolateral spot projected inward, apical spot irregularly triangular with anterolateral angle connected to small sutural spot ( Fig. 146 ); ventral surface with antenna, mouthparts, prothoracic hypomeron, legs yellow; abdomen brown medially, lateral 1/4 and ventrites 5-6 brownish yellow. Head punctures small, separated by about a diameter, each puncture about as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures larger than head punctures, separated by a diameter or less; elytral punctures larger than those on pronotum, separated by 1 to 3 times a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than those on elytron, separated by a diameter or less medially, coarser, separated by less than a diameter toward lateral margin. Clypeus weakly emarginate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus about 6 eye facets long, angled forward, apically rounded, yellow. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin weakly rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line. Epipleuron narrow, grooved, not descending externally, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia widely flanged, flange slightly wider than remainder of protibia, outer margin curved, smooth, sponda weakly extended beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process widely separated at apex, convergent toward base, joined at basal 1/4 with single carina extended to basal margin of prosternum. Metaventrite without setal tuft. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with primary pores laterally between ventrites 4-5 large, extended under apical 1/3 of 4th ventrite; postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite flattened along posterior ventrite margin, extended forward, ventrite with sparse, short pubescence and large, dense punctures medially; ventrites 2-4 pubescent throughout, punctures large medially, small, dense, becoming denser toward lateral margin; 5th ventrite coarsely, densely punctured in basal 2/3, apical 1/3 depressed, feebly depressed by primary pore laterally, without tubercle on each side of middle, apical margin broadly, weakly emarginate; 6th ventrite short, narrow, depressed medially, apical margin broadly emarginate, sparsely pubescent on each side of median depression, lateral angle abruptly rounded, surface feebly punctured. Apical tergite finely, densely punctured, pubescent, apex weakly convex. Genitalia with basal lobe short, wide, 3/4 as long as paramere, asymmetrical, sides parallel in basal 1/2, obliquely truncate laterally in apical 1/2, apex rounded; paramere wide, curved, Psc, apex with small ventral projection ( Fig. 147, 148 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 1/2, basal capsule large, inner arm long, wide, apex obliquely truncate, outer arm wider and slightly longer than inner arm, with accessory piece, basal border broadly emarginate ( Fig. 149, 150 ).

Female. Similar to male except pronotal color pattern as in male or median area with 2 longitudinal brown vittae, or entirely dark, elytron with humeral spot present. Genitalia with spermathecal capsule elongate, cornu slightly widened; bursal cap without sclerotized arms, apical strut long, slender, widened in apical 1/2 ( Fig. 151 ).

Variation. Length 2.4 to 3.0 mm, width 2.3 to 2.6 mm. Dorsal color pattern highly variable, background color varies from light brown to black, specimens have 5 to 8 spots on each elytron, small, elongate spot sometimes present in lateral 1/2 between mediolateral spot and apical spot, apical spot sometimes separated from its anterolateral extension forming 2 spots, inner portion of mediolateral spot sometimes discrete, mediolateral and apical spots often narrowly connected along lateral margin.

Type locality. Colombia.

Type depository. Of scenica, MNHL (lectotype here designated) of retigera, BMNH (lectotype here designated).

Geographical distribution. Colombia.

Specimens examined. 30. Colombia. A frequently collected Colombian species. ( BMNH) ( MNHL) ( USNM) ( ZMHB)

Remarks. This species usually has a distinctive dorsal color pattern, but some specimens are darker than typical and have spots on each elytron reduced to 5. However, the unique pronotal pattern and shape of the sutural spot on each elytron will usually enable identification. The median “anchor” shaped yellow pronotal spot is distinctive as is the posterior emargination of the basal scutellar spot. Examination of types of both species names indicates that they are synonymous.

A specimen in the Dejean collection (MNHL) labeled “ Colombia, Lebas” is designated as the lectotype of D. scenica . A male in the BMNH labeled “Type (orange bordered disc)/57 71 (blue disc)/Retigera Muls. Bresil (handwritten) (green paper/Named by Mulsant.” is designated the lectotype of D. retigera .

Figures

Figures 135-151. 135-139) Dilatitibialis rita. 135) Habitus. 136) Phallobase ventral. 137) Phallobase lateral. 138) Sipho. 139) Enlarged siphonal apex. 140-145) Dilatitibialis dawn. 140) Habitus. 141) Phallobase ventral. 142) Phallobase lateral. 143) Sipho. 144) Enlarged siphonal apex. 145) spermathecal capsule of Female genitalia. 146-151) Dilatitibialis scenica. 146) Habitus. 147) Phallobase ventral. 148) Phallobase lateral. 149) Enlarged siphonal apex. 150) Sipho. 151) Female genitalia.