Cryptognatha clarki Crotch

F, Guillermo González, Hanley, Guy A. & Gordon, Robert D., 2019, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XIX: Overview of Cryptognathini and systematic revision of South American Cryptognatha Mulsant, Insecta Mundi 714 (714), pp. 1-32 : 13-14

11. Cryptognatha clarki Crotch

Cryptognatha clarki Crotch 1874: 207 ; Korschefsky 1931: 219; Blackwelder 1945: 449.

Description. Male. Length 2.0 mm, width 1.8 mm. Dorsal surface shiny except head densely alutaceous. Color dark blackish brown; head yellow; pronotum black with lateral 1/8 yellow; elytron with lateral 1/4 black, bordering large, obscurely defined blackish brown central macula ( Fig. 62 ); venter brown except mouthparts, legs yellow; abdomen yellow except apex of median 1/3 of ventrite 1 dark brown. Head without punctures; pronotal punctures small, separated by a diameter or less; elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by a less than a diameter to twice a diameter, becoming gradually larger toward lateral margin; prosternal punctures large, indistinct, separated by about a diameter; mesosternal punctures larger than on prosternum, separated by less than a diameter, contiguous, metasternal punctures large, separated by 2 or 3 times a diameter medially, entirely absent in lateral 1/3; basal abdominal ventrite with coarse punctures separated by about a diameter medially, lateral 1/3 of ventrite lacking punctation, ventrites 2–4 finely punctured, punctures separated by about a diameter, ventrite 5 with dense, fine punctation. Head with frons parallel-sided, medially depressed, 2.5 times as wide as eye, clypeal apex arcuate medially, lateral 1/8 slightly retracted, angle acute ( Fig. 63 ); eye canthus long, about 3/4 width of eye. Prosternum with lateral carina on each side extended from apex of intercoxal process 3/4 distance to apex of prosternum, strongly curved laterally. Epipleuron descending externally. Postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite evenly curved, extended 7/8 distance to rear margin of ventrite. Genitalia with penis guide about as long as paramere, basal 2/3 parallel-sided, apical 1/3 abruptly narrowed to small, rounded apex; paramere slender, apex rounded ( Fig. 64, 65 ); penis long, sinuate in apical 1/3, apex shortly attenuate; penis capsule large, wide, inner arm short, apex medially emarginate, outer arm short, large, apex abruptly curved ( Fig. 66 ).

Female. Similar to male except head brown ( Fig. 63 ), weakly depressed medially, pronotum entirely black; spermathecal capsule lost.

Variation. Length 2.0 to 2.4mm, width 1.8 to 2.2 mm.

Type locality. Rio de Janeiro ( Brazil).

Type material. The BMNH holotype is labeled “Type/clarkii/37580/clarkii/Fry RioJan/TYPE.”

Geographical distribution. Brazil.

Specimens examined. 7. Brazil. Entre Rios; Rio de Janeiro. ( BMNH) ( CMNH).

Remarks. The elytral color pattern of this species is obscure and poorly defined. The male genitalia, however, are distinctive enough to confirm identification.

Figures

Figures 55–72. Cryptognatha spp. 55–61) Cryptognatha karla. 55) Habitus. 56) Frons. 57) Protibia. 58) Phallobase ventral. 59) Phallobase lateral. 60) Penis. 61) Spermathecal capsule. 62–66) Cryptognatha clarki. 62) Habitus. 63) Frons. 64) Phallobase ventral. 65) Phallobase lateral. 66) Penis. 67–72) Cryptognatha celia. 67) Habitus. 68) Frons. 69) Spermathecal capsule. 70) Phallobase ventral. 71) Phallobase lateral. 72) Penis.