Prodilis qedi 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 : 343-344

Prodilis qedi González & Větrovec , new species

( Figs. 3 m-3y)

Holotype ♂ “Panam á, Panam á Prov., / Cerro Jefe, 770-1000m, / 09 ° 13.700’N, 79°23.000’W, / 15.v.2015, individual collecting, / L. Sekerka & K. Štajerová lgt.”, “ ♂ 2059” ( NMP).

Diagnosis. Prodilis qedi n. sp. is distinguished by the rounded shape, the bluish black color ( Fig. 3o ) and the bicolor head, blue in the upper half and yellow in the lower half, medially bidentate apex of bluish-black area ( Fig. 3t ), characters that do not occur together in the genus except in Prodilis molly Gordon & Hanley, 2017 , from Colombia, a species that presents a very wide penis guide, three times as long as wide, different from the present species, five times as long as wide. Additionally, the abdominal postcoxal lines are concave on the outer side to a greater degree than any known species of the genus ( Fig. 3w ), while the parameres narrowing sharply at two-thirds of the length are unique in the genus ( Fig. 3 ab).

Description. Color pattern ( Figs. 3 o- 3t). Head bright blue, with yellow macula in apical 1/2, apex of bluish area bidentate, penetrating in the yellow area as much as ¼ the length of the eyes. Antenna yellow, mouthparts yellowish brown. Pronotum bluish black, with very narrow anterior half of lateral border, and anterior angles dark brown. Elytra bluish black, with some purple shine, anterior third with very narrow dark brown lateral borders. Epipleuron black. Ventral side black, except lateral borders of hypomeron brown, abdomen brown with anterior middle area of first ventrite black. Legs yellow. Pubescence white. Morphology. Body rounded, convex, elytra with curved sides, widest anterior to middle of elytra ( Fig. 3o ). Frons about twice the width of an eye. Eyes vertically elongated with inner sides slightly diverging towards the clypeus, twice as long as wide. Very short eye canthus, shorter than one quarter the width of an eye. Clypeus with apical margin truncate ( Fig. 3s ). Antennae with ten antennomeres, the last four forming an oval club ( Fig. 3t ). Apical maxillary palpomere securiform, widened from base to truncate apex ( Fig. 3u ). Pronotum slightly convex, flared, with rounded lateral borders and slightly projected anterior angles. Prosternal process short, wide, apically truncate, without lateral carina ( Fig. 3v ). Metaventrite without setiferous pit. Abdominal postcoxal lines complete, angulate, extended 7/8 of the distance to apical margin of ventrite, postcoxal plate concave in the outer side ( Fig. 3w ). Dorsal punctures deep and regular, slightly larger on pronotum than on head, in elytra almost twice as large as on pronotum, all separated by 1/2 diameter on average. Scarce large punctures on ventral side in the prosternum, mesoventrite and anterior part of metaventrite, almost non-existent on the posterior part and sides of metaventrite; abdominal punctures variable, large punctures separated by one or two diameters in the middle 1/3 of the first ventrite, very small and disperse in the rest of the abdomen. Pubescence regular, dense, decumbent, with hairs in each puncture, hair length shorter than scutellar shield, scarce on ventral side. Male terminalia. Apex of ventrite 5 slightly convex, apex of ventrite 6 truncate ( Figs. 3 w-3x). Tegmen 3.5 times longer than wide, phallobase short, transverse and trapezoidal. Tegminal strut half the length of the rest of the tegmen. Penis guide symmetrical, almost five times longer than wide, maximum width two-thirds of length, with convex sides, slightly indented apically, in lateral view widened in the first quarter of the length, then of constant width until 3/5 of the length, where it thins abruptly to less than half, constant width continuing to the apex ( Figs. 3 y-3z). Parameres exceed the length of the penis guide by 1/6 of the length, curved inward, in lateral view slightly curved to the inner side, of constant width in the basal half and then tapering abruptly in the distal half to almost 1/3 of the width to an apex where they curve inward, with a small sclerosed round tip ( Figs. 3 aa-3ab). Penis semicircular in basal half, then almost straight to apex, tube of constant thickness, slightly thinned at apex; penis capsule with outer arm continuing the tube, widened and terminating in an oblique cut 1.5 times longer than wide, inner arm small and hooked, three times longer than wide, basal margin concave ( Figs. 3 ac). Female. Unknown.

Measurements (mm): TL 2.4; PL 0.45; PW 1.4; EL 1.8; EW 1.95; GD 1.2.

Geographic distribution. Panama, Panama province.

Remarks. See discussion of the genus Prodilis under P. saopaulo n. sp. The new species is assigned to Prodilis by the apical maxillary palpomere very wide, securiform, and by the broad frons with almost parallel margins of the eyes ( Fig. 3u ). The prosternal process, wide and without lateral carinae, as in Neaporia , suggests the need to define the characters and extension of the genera Prodilis and Neaporia better, since the characters used in Gordon & Hanley (2017) for keys and descriptions are inconsistent for some species ( Fig. 3v ).

Etymology. The name of the species is dedicated to one of the best scientists in the field of psychology in the Czech Republic, Radvan “QED” Bahbouh.

Figures

Figures 3a-3ac. a-n: Prodilis pastaza n. sp.; a-d: habitus (dorsal, ventral, lateral, posterior); e: head; f: maxillary palpi; g: antenna; h: prosternum; i: abdomen. j: ventrite 6; k-l: tegmen; m-n: penis and detail. o-ac: Prodilis qedi n. sp.; o-r: habitus (dorsal, ventral, lateral, posterior); s: head; t: antenna; u: maxillary palp; v: prosternum; w: abdomen; x: ventrite 6; y-z: tegmen; aa-ab: penis guide; ac: penis. Scale bars in mm. / a-n: Prodilis pastaza sp. n.; a-d: habitus (dorsal, ventral, lateral, posterior); e: cabeza; f: palpo maxilar; g: antena; h: prosterno; i: abdomen. j: ventrito 6; k-l: tegmen; m-n: penis y detalle. o-ac:Prodilis qedi sp. n.; o-r: habitus (dorsal, ventral, lateral, posterior); s: cabeza; t: antena; u: palpo maxilar; v: prosterno; w: abdomen; x: ventrito 6; y-z: tegmen; aa-ab: guÍa del penis; ac: penis. Escalas en mm.