Pentilia chelsea Gordon and González, 2019

Gordon, Robert D., F, Guillermo González & Hanley, Guy A., 2019, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XXI: systematic revision of South American Pentilia Mulsant (Cryptognathini), Insecta Mundi 729 (729), pp. 1-27 : 10

9. Pentilia chelsea Gordon and González , new species

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.5 mm, width 2.4 mm; dorsal surface shiny except head slightly alutaceous. Color black; head yellow; pronotum with lateral 1/3 yellow; elytron with large, yellow, median macula joining macula on opposite elytron ( Fig. 45 ); venter including abdomen yellow. Head punctures large, separated by less than a diameter; pronotal punctures small, separated by a diameter or less; elytral punctures as large as on pronotum, separated by 1–3 times a diameter, becoming larger, denser toward lateral margin; prosternum with small punctures separated by less than a diameter; mesosternum impunctate medially, small lateral punctures separated by less than diameter; metasternum nearly impunctate, with few, widely scattered punctures; abdominal ventrites 1, 2 with coarse punctures separated by less than to twice a diameter; ventrites 3–4 finely, densely punctured medially; ventrite 5 finely, densely punctured. Head with frons parallel sided, 1.5 times as wide as eye, clypeal apex widely emarginate, lateral angle abruptly curved ( Fig. 46 ); eye canthus long, about 3/4 width of eye. Prosternum with lateral carina on each side short, straight, extended from apex of intercoxal process less than 1/2 distance to apex of prosternum. Epipleuron strongly descending externally. Postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite curved, extended slightly less than 1/2 distance to rear margin of ventrite. Genitalia with basal lobe as long as paramere, sides nearly parallel in median 7/8, narrowed to broadly rounded apex in apical 1/8; paramere slender, weakly curved, apex rounded ( Fig. 47, 48 ); penis long, slender, apex attenuate, margins separated anterior to apex, lower margin curved; basal capsule slender, inner arm long, curved, apically rounded, outer arm as long as inner, apex rounded.

Female. Similar to male except genitalia with ramus of spermathecal capsule bulbous, cornu slender, slightly curved, apex acute ( Fig. 49 ).

Variation. Length 2.3 to 2.8 mm, width 2.3 to 2.7 mm. Pale macula on elytron highly variable in size. It varies from that described above to a reduced spot completely surrounded by black surface of elytron with all intergrades present between extremes.

Type material. Holotype male; ECUADOR, Sto Domingo, d I Colorados, Feb. 10, 1961, GmerinoM. ( USNM) . Paratypes 40, 25, same data as for holotype ; 3, Ecuador, Montalvo , VII-1956, on citrus, M. Cevallos ; 1, Ch. -H.- ECUADOR, 15-VII-06, Leg.: J. Miró ; 11, Tumbes, Peru, 01-VII-06, Leg. : J. Miró. ( MEUT) ( MUSM) MZUG) ( USNM) .

Other specimens. 15. British Guiana; Penal Settlement, Bartica District; Georgetown. Colombia; Guayabetal, Cund. ( CMNH) ( USNM).

Remarks. In spite of the color variation in the elytral maculae, this species may be identified by dorsal color pattern. Male genitalia also aid in identification.

Figures

Figures 35–49. Pentilia spp. 35-39) Pentilia jasmine. 35) Habitus. 36) Frons. 37) Penis guide ventral. 38) Penis guide lateral. 39) Penis. 40-44) Pentilia rachael. 40) Habitus. 41) Frons. 42) Penis guide ventral. 43) Penis guide lateral. 44) Spermathecal capsule. 45-49) Pentilia chelsea. 45) Habitus. 46) Frons. 47) Penis guide ventral. 48) Penis guide lateral. 49) Spermathecal capsule.