Brachiacantha cachensis Gorham

Nestor-Arriola, Jorge Ismael, Toledo-Hernandez, Victor Hugo, Solis, Angel, Gonzalez, Guillermo & Vetrovec, Jaroslav, 2021, The Brachiacantha Dejean, 1837 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) of Central America, ZooKeys 1024, pp. 157-196 : 157

Brachiacantha cachensis Gorham Figures 8 , 65-68

Brachyacantha cachensis Gorham, 1894: 190. Leng 1911: 322.

Material examined.

71 specimens from Costa Rica and Panamá ( FSCA, USNMNH, MNCR, MUCR, MZCR) . Costa Rica: Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste and Puntarenas. Panamá • 1♀; Chiriqui Prv., cont’l Divide trail; 04 Jul 1997; Wappes and Morris leg.; Brachiacantha sp. R. Gordon 1998 ( USNMNH) . 1♀, 1♂; Chiriqui Prv., cont’l Divide trail; 04 Jul 1997; Wappes and Morris leg. ( USNMNH) . 1♀, 1♂; Chiriqui Prv., cont’l Divide trail; 08 Jul 1997; J. Huether leg. ( USNMNH) . 1♀; Chiriqui Prv. , "Finca La Suiza "; 07 Jul 1997; J. Huether leg. ( USNMNH) .

Diagnosis.

Dorsal color pale yellow to gray with brown or black spots. Ventrites I-VI depressed and emarginated, ventrites I-III with abundant and longer pubescence in the depressed part. Genitalia with penis guide slightly longer than parameres, symmetrical, basal ⅓ with almost straight sides, abruptly wide at apical 2/3 (Fig. 65 ); parameres wide basally, narrowed to apex, apex rounded (Fig. 66 ); penis curved in basal ½, widened at the apical ⅓, narrowed before apex, alae rounded, basal capsule with small crest, inner arm of basal capsule long and slender with parallel sides (Figs 67 , 68 ).

Variation.

The basal macula over pronotum can be disrupted, forming a macula over the posterior margin with a pair of small spots at the center of the pronotum. In some specimens the sub-humeral spot is half-moon shaped.

Distribution.

Costa Rica and Panamá. New record to Panamá.

Discussion.

This species is similar to B. dentata , but the males can be differentiated by the lack of a ventral tooth and having the central part of the ventrites depressed with abundant pubescence. Within the groups defined by Gordon et al. (2014) for the South American species based on the genitalia of the male, this species does not correspond to any of them, due to the emarginated apex of the penis guide. The material was identified following the descriptions of Gorham (1894) and the keys and illustrations of Leng (1911).

Figures

Figures 5 - 8. Brachiacantha sp. 5 Brachiacantha bipartita, female 6 Brachiacantha aperta, female 7 Brachiacantha isthmena sp. nov. 8 Brachiacantha cachensis.

Figures 65 - 68. Brachiacantha cachensis, male genitalia 65 Tegmen 66 Tegmen lateral view 67 Penis 68 Penis apex.