Brachiacantha buckleyi Crotch, 1874

Gordon, Robert D., Canepari, Claudio & Hanley, Guy A., 2014, South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part XVI: systematic revision of Brachiacantha Dejean (Coccinellinae: Hyperaspidini), Insecta Mundi 2014 (390), pp. 1-76 : 11-12

2. Brachiacantha buckleyi Crotch

Brachiacantha buckleyi Crotch, 1874: 210 ; Leng 1911: 289; Blackwelder 1945: 449; Gordon 1987: 26.

Description. Male. Length 3.4 mm, width 2.8 mm; body rounded, slightly elongate, convex. Dorsal surface smooth, shiny except head faintly alutaceous, shiny. Color yellow except pronotum with apex of median black elytral spot slightly extended onto pronotum anterior to scutellum; elytra with large, round, black median spot, spot apically emarginate on sutural border ( Fig. 7 ); ventral surface with median 1/4 of prosternum, meso- and metaventrites black; abdomen with ventrites 1–3 dark brown medially, lateral 1/4 to 1/3 yellow, ventrites 5–6 yellow. Head punctures small, dense, separated by less than a diameter, each puncture slightly smaller than an eye facet; pronotal punctures larger than head punctures, separated by a diameter or less, elytral punctures larger than on pronotum, separated by 1 to 2 times a diameter; metaventral punctures larger than on elytron, separated by a diameter. Clypeus weakly emarginate apically, lateral angle rounded, surface with sparse, long pubescence. Eye canthus about 5 eye facets long, curved forward, apically rounded, yellow. Pronotum narrowed from base to apex, basal and anterior angles abrupt, lateral margin weakly rounded, basal margin without trace of bordering line medially. Epipleuron wide, slightly grooved, deeply emarginate for reception of femoral apices. Protibia narrowly flanged, flange narrower than remainder of protibia, outer margin nearly straight, smooth, basal tooth large, slightly less than 1/2 width of tibia at base, sponda extended beyond protibial flange, apically rounded. Carinae on prosternal process widely separated at apex, convergent toward base, joined at basal 1/3 of prosternum. Metaventrite without setal tuft. Basal abdominal ventrite without setal tuft. Abdomen with postcoxal line on basal abdominal ventrite slightly flattened along posterior ventrite margin, extended forward at apex, ventrite with sparse, long pubescence and small, dense punctures; ventrites 2–6 pubescent throughout, punctures fine, dense; ventrite 3 without cusp on each side of middle; 5th ventrite with truncate apical margin; 6th ventrite medially depressed, apex barely perceptibly emarginate. Apical tergite finely, densely punctured, apex arcuate. Genitalia with basal lobe long, slender, 3/4 as long as paramere, symmetrical, sides parallel in basal 2/3, narrowed in apical 1/3, apex truncate; paramere narrowed from wide base to narrow apex, weakly curved, slightly Psc ( Fig. 8, 9 ); sipho robust, strongly curved in basal 1/2, with faint lateral alae at apical 7/8, basal capsule slender, weakly sclerotized, inner arm long slender, sinuate, apex rounded, outer arm slightly wider, shorter than inner arm, without apparent accessory piece, basal border broadly, shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 10, 11 ).

Female. Similar to male externally, except genitalia with spermathecal capsule long, wide, abruptly narrowed in basal 1/6; bursal cap oval, with 2 arms, without apparent apical strut ( Fig. 12 ).

Variation. Length 3.0 to 3.4 mm, width 2.2 to 2.8 mm.

Type locality. Ecuador.

Type depository. UMZC (holotype).

Geographical distribution. Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru.

Specimens examined. 9. French Guiana. “Cayenne.” Ecuador. Carchi Prov, Rio Chota ; Leticia, Amazonas, 700 ft.; Napo, Misahualli ; Peru. Ayacucho, La Mar, Santa Rosa. ( CSCA) ( USNM) ( UMZC) ( ZMHB) .

Remarks. Brachiacantha buckleyi has a dorsal color pattern that consists of a large, round, black median elytral macula or spot that is unique within the genus, but reminiscent of several species of Zenoria Mulsant.

Figures

Figures 1–17. 1–6. Brachiacantha bistripustulata. 1) Habitus. 2) Phallobase ventral. 3) Phallobase lateral. 4) Sipho. 5) Enlarged siphonal apex. 6) Female genitalia. 7–12. Brachiacantha buckleyi. 7) Habitus. 8) Phallobase ventral. 9) Phallobase lateral. 10) Sipho. 11) Enlarged siphonal apex. 12) Female spermathecal capsule. 13–17. Brachiacantha charlotte. 13) Habitus. 14) Phallobase ventral. 15) Phallobase lateral. 16) Sipho. 17) Enlarged siphonal apex.