Toxotoma aguascalientes González & Větrovec, 2021

González, Guillermo & Větrovec, Jaroslav, 2021, New species and records of Neotropical ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Revista Chilena de Entomología (Rev. Chil. Entomol.) 47 (2), pp. 331-374 : 364-365

Toxotoma aguascalientes González & Větrovec , new species

( Figs. 8 a-8o)

Holotype ♂ “Perú-Cusco / Agnas [Aguas] Calientes / 18.1.2009 / lgt. M. Krejčíř ” “ ♂ 1954” ( NMP) . Paratypes (total 5 specimens.): 2 ♀ same data as holotype except “ 18.1.2009 ” ( NMP) ; 3 specimens. same data as holotype except “ 12.1.2009 ” (s/g) ( JVC) .

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished by the male genitalia which presents a long penis guide exceeding the paramere and with a tuft of hairs in the middle of the lateral border, with a small hook at the apex ( Figs. 8 g-8h), the genital plate of the female with transverse coxites and the stylus not visible ( Fig. 8o ), the feebly bilobed labrum, the mandibles with the teeth grouped in the distal half, and a minor projection below the third mandible tooth, all characters which correspond to the Epilachna vittigera species group as defined by Gordon (1975). In this species group, the habitus with two elytral yellow and well separated spots, allows recognizing the new species, since other species in the group have two spots which cover most of the elytron, except for E. conjuncta Gordon, 1975 , from Bolivia, whose genitalia has a penis guide with an acute apex, while T. aguascalientes n. sp. has a penis guide with a rounded tip.

Description. Color pattern ( Figs. 8 a-8c). Head black. Antennae and maxillary palpi yellow, four last antennomeres and last palpomere brown. Mouthparts reddish brown with black areas. Pronotum black, with a narrow yellow border at anterior angles. Scutellar shield black. Elytra black, each with two yellow oval spots (1:1) on disc, the first very close to the scutellar shield, occupying one-quarter of the length of the elytra and slightly shorter than half the width, the second about the same size but somewhat more transverse, close to lateral border, on the elytral declivity. Epipleuron black. Ventral side black, except anterior angles of hypomeron yellow. Legs black. Pubescence white. Morphology. Body oval with shield-shaped elytra, widest at 1/3 the length of the elytra, narrowing to the apex ( Fig. 8a ). Frons more than three times width of an eye. Eyes oval, 1/3 longer than wide, inner border of the eye somewhat concave around the antennal insertion, without eye canthus. Clypeus apex concave with rounded corners ( Fig. 8c ). Antennae with eleven antennomeres, the last three forming a club. Labrum feebly bilobed. Apical maxillary palpomere weakly securiform. Mandibles with three major teeth grouped in apical one-third, first tooth bidentate, surfaces without tubercles. Prosternum Y-shaped, short and wide, without carinae. Metaventrite postcoxal lines transverse, slightly curved, not descending to lateral border. Abdominal postcoxal lines complete, evenly rounded, extended 2/3 of the distance to apical margin of ventrite ( Fig. 8e ). Head punctures notorious, disordered, space between the punctures about 1.5 times the diameter; pronotum punctures greater than those on head and thick, separated by a diameter on average; elytra punctures of two types, the smaller similar to those of the pronotum, the largest twice as large, separated by half a diameter on average; ventral side punctures tiny, more abundant on the prosternum, separated by four times their diameter on the metaventrite; abdominal punctures notorious, smaller towards the borders and posterior ventrites. Pubescence at each puncture abundant, decumbent; pronotum hairs long, 3/4 the length of the scutellar shield, elytra pubescence short, 1/3 the size of the scutellar shield, abdominal hairs short and quite dense on the lateral borders. Male terminalia. Ventrite 5 with a regularly convex apex. Ventrite 6 with semicircular apex, with a strong semicircular notch medially ( Figs. 8 e-8f). Tegmen three times as long as wide, phallobase as long as wide. Tegminal strut 2/3 as long as the rest of the tegmen. Penis guide symmetrical, four times as long as wide, sides slightly divergent in the basal two fifths, then slightly convergent until ending in a rounded wide apex, a tuft of erect, long hairs on each side at half of the length, in lateral view regularly curved towards the parameres and slightly thinning from the base to 3/4 of the length, then abruptly in the apical 1/10 where it presents a very small hook towards the outer side. Parameres 9/10 the length of the penis guide, slightly curved towards it, widened at the base and at the tip where they are paddle-shaped, with erect hairs on the borders of the distal half, which exceeds the length of the paramere by one quarter at the apex ( Figs. 8 g-8h). Penis curved in a semicircle in the basal 2/3, then slightly wavy up to the apex where it has a very small hook towards the outer side, where it also has a small membranous area; penis capsule double-walled, the outer arm oval, in the direction of the penis tube, short inner arm, somewhat trapezoidal with rounded tip, basal margin fairly emarginate, accessory piece present ( Figs. 8 i-j). Female terminalia. Tergite 6 apex barely notched in the central 1/3 ( Fig. 8k ), ventrite 6 deeply notched in a triangle in the center ( Fig. 8l ), tergite 10 trapezoidal, posterior border slightly convex ( Fig. 8m ), genital plate with slightly transverse oval coxites, somewhat concave posterior border, slightly rounded anterior border, very hairy, little apparent stylus, very reduced spermatheca ( Figs. 8 n-8o).

Measurements (mm): TL 6.5-7.0; PL 1.0-1.1; PW 2.7-3.0; EL 5.4-5.7; EW 4.8-5.2; GD 2.8-3.0.

Geographic distribution. Peru, Department of Cusco.

Remarks. For an analysis of the taxonomic status of the genera Toxotoma and Epilachna , see discussion under Toxotoma venezuelae sp. n. The new species presents the characters indicated by Tomaszewska & Szawaryn (2016) for the genus, although the abdominal postcoxal lines are clearly visible and well formed, as in many Toxotoma species. It should be noted that Toxotoma monovittata ( Gordon, 1975) and T. univittata ( Crotch, 1874) , assigned by Gordon (1975) in the same species-group as Epilachna vittigera ( Crotch, 1874) , had already been transferred to Toxotoma by Tomaszewska & Szawaryn (2016).

Etymology. The name is named after the collection locality, Aguas Calientes, in the Department of Cusco, Peru.

Figures

Figures 8a-8ac. a-o: Toxotoma aguascalientes n. sp.; a-d: habitus male (dorsal, lateral, frontal, posterior); e: abdomen; f:ventrite 6; g-h: tegmen (ventral, lateral); i-j:penis and detail; k-o: female terminalia:k: tergite 6; l: ventrite 6; m: ventrite 10; n: genital plate; o: coxite. p-ac: Nexophallus panamensis n. sp.; p-s: habitus (dorsal, lateral, frontal, posterior); t: maxillary palp; u: abdomen; v: ventrite 6; w-x: tegmen; y: penis guide; z-aa: penis and detail; ab-ac: female terminalia; ab: coxitos; ac: spermatheca. Scale bars in mm. / a-o: Toxotoma aguascalientes sp. n.; a-d: habitus del macho (dorsal, lateral, frontal, posterior); e: abdomen; f: ventrito 6; g-h: tegmen (ventral, lateral); i-j: penis y detalle; k-o: terminalia de la hembra: k: tergito 6; l: ventrito 6; m: ventrito 10; n: placa genital; o: coxito. p-ac: Nexophallus panamensis sp. n.; p-s: habitus (dorsal, lateral, frontal, posterior); t: palpo maxilar; u: abdomen; v: ventrito 6; w-x: tegmen; y: guÍa del penis; z-aa: penis y detalle; ab-ac: terminalia de la hembra; ab: coxitos; ac: espermateca. Escalas en mm.