Dilatitibialis mulsanti (Kirsch) 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 : 19-20

11. Dilatitibialis mulsanti (Kirsch) , new combination

Cleothera mulsanti Kirsch, 1876: 119 .

Hyperaspis mulsanti: Korschefsky 1931: 192 ; Blackwelder 1945: 447.

Description. Male. Length 3.3 mm, width 2.7 mm; body rounded, slightly elongate, convex. Dorsal surface shiny, lacking alutaceous sculpture. Color yellow except pronotum with single, small, round, brown spot on each side of middle slightly anterior to posterior margin; elytron with sutural and lateral margins narrowly bordered with brown, 5 small, irregular brown spots present, 1 elongate, narrow, humeral spot angled from callus toward lateral margin, 1 irregularly triangular spot anterior to discal area near suture, 1 elongate, slender, median vitta extended from center of disc onto apical declivity, 1 irregularly rounded spot on apical declivity near suture, 1 irregularly rounded spot on apical declivity near lateral margin ( Fig. 50 ); ventral surface with prosternum, meso- and metaventrites dark brown; abdomen brownish yellow. Head punctures small, separated by about a diameter, slightly larger than an eye facet; pronotal punctures slightly larger than head punctures, separated by 1-2 times a diameter; elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by 1-3 times a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on abdomen, widely separated medially, larger and separated by less than a diameter toward lateral margin. Clypeus faintly emarginate apically, nearly truncate, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus small, about 4 eye facets long, angled forward, apically rounded, yellow. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line. Epipleuron narrow, grooved, slightly descending externally, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia strongly flanged, flange slightly wider than remainder of protibia, outer margin rounded, smooth, sponda extended slightly beyond protibial flange. Carinae on prosternal process narrowly 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 1/2 of 4th ventrite; postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite rounded throughout, ventrite with sparse, long pubescence and small, dense punctures; ventrites 2-4 pubescent throughout, punctures small, dense, becoming denser toward lateral margin; 5th ventrite slightly depressed medially in apical 1/2, without tubercle on each side of middle, depressed by primary pore laterally, apical margin broadly emarginate, surface weakly punctate; 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 coarsely, densely punctured, pubescent, apex weakly rounded. Genitalia with basal lobe slightly shorter than paramere, asymmetrical, slightly narrowed from base to obliquely truncate apex; paramere weakly Psc, nearly straight, apex slightly rounded, small, angulate median projection present on dorsal surface, small apical projection of lower margin present (setae absent at apex of one paramere in illustration) ( Fig. 51, 52 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 1/2, basal capsule large, inner arm short, apex obliquely truncate, outer arm wider and slightly longer than inner arm, with accessory piece, basal border strongly emarginate ( Fig. 53, 54 ).

Female. Similar to male except pronotum with 4 dark brown, slightly triangular median spots, 1 spot near base on each side of middle, 1 median spot on each side of middle. Genitalia with spermathecal capsule short, wide, narrowed from base to apex, cornu with apical rounded “beak”; bursal cap oval, with 3 arms, inner arm short, faint, apical strut long, laterally sinuate ( Fig. 55 ).

Variation. Length 3.2 to 3.7 mm, width 2.5 to 2.8 mm. Elytral color pattern varies from that described above to having the anterior discal spots enlarged and connected at suture, forming a single large spot, or with all spots subject to enlargement or reduction to very small traces, a single specimen from Brazil in the CAS collection exhibits extreme variation by having the elytral spots enlarged into a nearly continuous pattern forming a color pattern best described as “dark background with 5 yellow spots arranged in 2 rows of 2 spots each plus an apical spot.” Some elytral spots are subject to being narrowly connected, rather than completely discrete, but are still counted as being discrete.

Type locality. Peru.

Type depository. SNSD (lectotype here designated).

Geographical distribution. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Specimens examined. 58. Brazil. Amazonas, Tabatinga , 50m. Colombia. Leticia , Amazonas, 700 '. Ecuador. Napo, vic. Misahualli ; Orellana, Payamino Research Stations , 300m. Peru. Huanuco, Tingo Maria ; Loreto, San Jose , Allpahuayo, 150m ; San Martin, Alto Mayo , Aguas Verdes, 1100m ; Satipo. ( BMNH) ( CAS) ( CSCA) ( DZUP) ( GGC) ( MKRB) ( SNSD) ( USNM) ( UNMSM) ( ZMHB) .

Remarks. This is another species of Dilatitibialis with a distinctive dorsal color pattern, although it bears some similarity to D. paula . The female spermathecal capsule with an apical “beak” is highly distinctive because it is rarely seen elsewhere in the genus. Although highly variable throughout its range in spot size and shape, all specimens examined retained the same basic dorsal spot pattern. It has been frequently collected, especially in Andean countries from Peru to Colombia.

SNSD type specimens were examined, and a female labeled “Poznzn Coll Kirsch (green paper)/ mulsanti Kirsch (handwritten)/ Hyperaspis mulsanti Kirsch (blue paper, handwritten)/Typus (red paper)/ Hinda mulsanti Kirsch (handwritten) det. R. Korschefsky 1944/ Staatl. Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden” is designated the lectotype. Two paralectotypes are also designated bearing the same labels as the lectotype except the handwritten Korschefsky det. label.

Figures

Figures 50-66. 50-55) Dilatitibialis mulsanti. 50) Habitus. 51) Phallobase ventral (apical setae missing from one paramere). 52) Phallobase lateral. 53) Enlarged siphonal apex. 54) Sipho. 55) Female genitalia. 56-61) Dilatitibialis poortmanni. 56) Habitus. 57) Phallobase ventral. 58) Phallobase lateral. 59 Enlarged siphonal apex. 60) Sipho. 61) Female genitalia. 62-66) Dilatitibialis diana. 62) Habitus. 63) Phallobase ventral. 64) Phallobase lateral. 65) Sipho. 66) Enlarged siphonal apex.