Nexophallus panamensis 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 : 367-369

Nexophallus panamensis González & Větrovec , new species

( Figs. 8 p-8ac)

Holotype ♂ “¨ Panamá, Panamá Prov., / Cerro Jefe , 770-1100m, / 09°13.700’N, 79°23.000’W, / 15.v.2015, individual collecting, / L. Sekerka & K. Štajerová lgt”, “ ♂ 2045” ( NMP) . Allotype ♀ same data as holotype ( NMP) .

Diagnosis. This species can be identified by the black shiny dorsal color ( Fig. 8p ), and the male genitalia with a long and symmetrical penis guide, about six times longer than wide ( Fig. 8z ). N. semiglobus Gordon, 1969 from Ecuador has a similar dorsal color, but the penis guide is asymmetric and only three times longer than wide, while N. rufoglobus Gordon, 1969 from Bolivia present a rust-red dorsal color.

Description. Color pattern ( Figs. 8 p-8s). Head black, antennae and other mouthparts yellow or reddish-brown to piceous. Pronotum, scutellar shield and elytra shiny black, epipleuron black. Ventral side black except abdomen dark brown. Legs black, except reddish brown tarsal claws. Pubescence white. Morphology. Body almost circular, very convex, elytra with regularly curved sides, widest at middle of elytra ( Figs. 8 p-8q). Frons flat, about three times width of an eye. Eyes small, oval. Eye canthus triangular, more than one third the width of an eye. Clypeus apex concave with rounded corners ( Fig. 8r ). Antenna with ten antennomeres, the last three forming a club. Maxillary palpi nearly as long as antenna, apical maxillary palpomere elongated, strongly narrowing apically ( Fig. 8t ). Pronotum laterally finely margined. Prosternum flat, apex slightly expanded, concealing mouthparts in repose, without prosternal carina. Abdominal postcoxal lines complete, evenly rounded, extended 2/3 the distance to apical margin of ventrite ( Fig. 8u ). Head punctures notorious, disordered, space between punctures smooth, about one and a half times the diameter; pronotum punctures slightly larger than those of the head, disordered, separated by two diameters on average, elytra punctures very disordered, shallow large punctures, some grouped in apparently longitudinal rows in the middle disc area, in other areas almost non-existent; very few punctures on the ventral side, more abundant on the prosternum, separated by four times their diameter on the metaventrite; abdominal punctures very irregular, separated by four or five times their diameter. Head pubescence very short and fine, hardly noticeable, pronotum and elytra pubescence absent, abdomen pubescence short, isolated, associated with punctures, more abundant on the lateral borders of the last ventrites. Male terminalia. Ventrite 5 long, apex regularly convex, apex of ventrite 5 rounded, slightly truncate in the central third ( Figs. 8 u-8v). Tegmen four times longer than wide, phallobase wider than long. Tegminal strut 3/4 the length of the rest of the tegmen. Penis guide symmetrical, six times longer than wide, sides barely convergent in the basal 2/3, then parallel until ending in a rounded apex, without pubescence, in lateral view sides slightly convergent and curved to the inner side until ending in a rounded tip. Parameres 7/8 of the length of the penis guide, very narrow and of constant width, with scant pubescence in the distal half and long at the apex, exceeding the length of the paramere by 1/3 ( Figs. 8 w-8y). Penis curved in ¾ of a circle, then a straight section to the apex, where it presents a long straight filament, half the length of the penis tube, penis capsule single-walled, with short outer arm sloping outward, subtriangular, inner arm twice as long and perpendicular to the tube, basal margin emarginate ( Figs. 8 y-8aa). Female terminalia. Ventrites 5 and 6 with rounded apex. Coxites very elongated, four times longer than wide, with hairy stylus ( Fig. 8 ab), spermatheca curved in “C”, cornu globose ( Fig. 8 ac). Variation. Female with ventral side brown except head, metaventrite and outer borders of epipleuron black.

Measurements (mm): TL 1.4-1.6; PL 0.3; PW 0.8-0.9; EL 1.1-1.2; EW 1.1-1.2; GD 0.8-0.9.

Geographic distribution. Panama, Panama province.

Remarks. The genus Nexophallus Gordon, 1969 , was established to include two species from Ecuador and Bolivia and placed in the tribe Sticholotidini (as Sticholotini) by Gordon (1969). The genus is distinguished by the wide head with a short clypeus, antenna consisting of ten antennomeres with last three forming a club, maxillary palpi nearly as long as antenna, terminal palpomere strongly narrowed apically, prosternum slightly lobed at front, abdominal postcoxal lines complete, not touching the posterior border of the ventrite, tarsi cryptotetramerous with tarsal claw weakly toothed basally, and female coxites very elongated. Apart from presenting all the characters of the genus mentioned above, Nexophallobase panamensis n. sp. has male and female genitalia very similar to the species N. rufoglobus .

Etymology. The species is named after Panama, the country where the specimens were collected.

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.