Brachiacantha cathy Gordon and Canepari, 2014

Gordon, Robert D., Canepari, Claudio & Hanley, Guy A., 2014, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XVI: systematic revision of Brachiacantha Dejean (Coccinellinae: Hyperaspidini), Insecta Mundi 2014 (390), pp. 1-76 : 33-34

24. Brachiacantha cathy Gordon and Canepari , new species

Description. Female holotype. Length 2.6 mm, width 2.0 mm; body rounded, convex. Dorsal surface with head alutaceous, dull, pronotum and elytron mostly smooth, shiny. Color dark brown except pronotum with lateral 1/4 yellow; elytron yellow, completely bordered with black, basal margin with narrow black border joined to humeral spot and sutural border, lateral margin narrowly black, sutural border wide, enlarged anterior to middle of elytron, apical margin narrowly black, humeral spot large, extended posteriorly beyond humeral callus, apical spot a sinuate black band extended from lateral margin to sutural border ( Fig. 136 ); ventral surface with antenna, mouthparts yellow, legs yellow except basal 3/4 of femora brown; abdomen dark brown medially, lateral 1/4 brownish yellow. Head punctures small, dense, separated by a diameter or less, each puncture about as large as an eye facet; pronotal punctures larger than on head, separated by less than a diameter, elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by less than to 2 times diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by 1 to 3 times a diameter medially, larger and separated by less than a diameter laterally. Clypeus slightly emarginate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus about 6 eye facets long, slightly angled forward, apically rounded, brown. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line medially. Epipleuron narrow, grooved, not descending externally, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia narrowly flanged, flange less than width of remainder of protibia, outer margin slightly curved, smooth, basal tooth very short, length about 1/12 width of tibia at base, sponda extended beyond protibial flange ( Fig. 137 ). Carinae on prosternal process narrowly separated at apex, convergent toward base, joined at basal 1/4 of prosternum, single carina extended to base of prosternum. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite flattened along posterior ventrite margin, extended forward apically, ventrite with sparse, long pubescence and small, dense punctures; ventrites 2–6 pubescent throughout, punctures fine, dense. Genitalia with spermathecal capsule long, basal 1/4 widened, slender medially, cornu bulbous; bursal cap rectangular, with 3 sclerotized arms, apical strut long, widened from base to apex ( Fig. 138 ).

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female; ( Venezuela) Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 4480, Brachiacantha spec. , Nueva Valencia, Moritz, Zool. Mus. Berlin. ( ZMNHB). Paratype; 1, same data as holotype except additional label “4480,” and another label “Nova Valencia Moritz (blue paper, handwritten) ( ZMHB).

Remarks. The distinctive dorsal color pattern will identify this species. The type locality is given as “Nueva Valencia” which probably refers to the modern city of Carabobo that was originally known as Nueva Valencia.

Figures

Figures 128–138. 128–133. Brachiacantha veronica. 128) Habitus. 129) Phallobase ventral. 130) Phallobase lateral. 131) Sipho. 132) Siphonal apex dorsal. 133) Enlarged siphonal apex lateral. 134–135. Brachiacantha lauren. 134) Habitus. 135) Female spermathecal capsule. 136–138. Brachiacantha cathy. 136) Habitus. 137) Protibia. 138) Female genitalia.