Cycloneda patagonica Gonzalez & Vandenberg 2006, new species
Creators: name: González, Guillermo
name: Vandenberg, Natalia J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2006
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Coccinellidae
Cycloneda
Cycloneda patagonica

description: Cycloneda patagonica González & Vandenberg, new species
(Figs. 1C; 3C; 5A–D; 6B; 8C; 9D; 10)
Diagnosis: Distinguished from other Cycloneda species by the elliptical, somewhat depressed body form (Figs. 1C, 3C), narrow parallel­sided elytron with close deep punctation (separated by 1.0–2.5 diameters) (Figs 5A–D), epipleuron easily visible in lateral view (Fig 3C), and short antenna, composed of 10 antennomeres with an abrupt club (Fig. 9D). This species appears to be most closely related to C. germainii, and is most likely to be confused with the “ duplaris ” form (Fig. 4K), which has very similar elytral maculation. It differs from the latter in the characters given above, and in the male genitalia, particularly the shape of the basal lobe which is shorter and apically less attenuate and more obtusely rounded.
Description (Holotype male): Length 2.9 mm, width 1.7 mm. Form elliptical, parallel­sided, somewhat depressed (Fig. 3C), apically rounded; elytral, pronotal margins very narrowly reflexed. Punctation on dorsal surfaces deep, close, with each puncture separated by 1.0–2.5 X its diameter; surface between punctures shiny, strongly reticulate on head, pronotum, moderately reticulate on elytron.
Dorsal color pattern as follows: Head black with two cream­colored spots, one at inner margin of each eye extending from eye canthus to just beyond level of upper 1/2 of eye; eye dark with hint of silvery reflections; labrum dark brown. Pronotum predominantly black; anterior, lateral margins with narrow variable cream­colored border, about 1/20 width of pronotum, narrower in anterior margin; anterior border medially infuscate; lateral border infuscate to interrupted on each side near basal 1/3, coincident with region of maximum pronotal width. Elytron predominantly black, with ocher­colored circumferential band, four maculae as shown (Fig. 1C), all but basal macula slightly lighter than band; band narrow, even, entire, about 1/10 elytral width, apex fuscus. Elytral maculae arising from, broadly confluent with band, disposed as follows: irregular semicircular basal macula occupying median 2/5 of base, penetrating to basal 1/10; oblique irregular quadrangular macula near outer margin at middle of length; subapical irregular semicircular macula positioned in posterolateral 1/4; smaller parasutural circular macula just behind mid elytral length; union of dark, light areas somewhat irregular, suffused, reddish to ferrugineous. Each puncture of dorsal surfaces with pinpoint of brown at center, visible only in areas with light to medium background coloration; single to double staggered row of punctures at inner margin of sutural band, single to double staggered row along lateral margin beginning just outside of humeral bulge with more pronounced pigmentation. Anterior, lateral margins of pronotum narrowly yellowish amber, gradually darkening to onyx in posterior half of lateral margin; all margins of elytron narrowly amber, darker near apex of lateral margin, sutural margin more reddish amber.
Ground color of ventral surfaces black; elytral epipleuron, triangular anterolateral half of pronotal hypomeron ocher; mesepimeron cream­colored; mouthparts amber brown; antenna with basal 2 antennomeres brown, remainder missing from specimen (see variation section below); leg black, with coxa dark reddish brown, tarsus brown. Ventral surfaces including appendages clothed in decumbent greyish white pubescence; hairs fine, long.
Eyes finely facetted, separated by slightly more than 2X eye diameter; inner orbits diverging toward top of head. Antenna broken (see variation below). Pronotum evenly convex except for very narrowly transparent lateral margin; margin distinctly reflexed in anterior half, not or weakly so in posterior half. Pronotum in outline with basal margin strongly arcuate in median half, flatter externally; lateral margin arcuate; anterior margin weakly emarginate, medially arcuately produced nearly as far as anterior angles; anterior angles subtriangulate, in dorsal view obscured by curvature of pronotum. Elytron narrow (Figs. 5A–D), in dorsal view with humeral angle abruptly rounded, nearly linear from beyond humeral angle to apical two­fifths, arcuately tapered distally, rounded at extreme apex; epipleuron flat, ascending externally, visible in lateral view (Fig. 3C). Prosternum T­shaped, with lateral arms strongly folded back from stem, in cross section abruptly raised at middle, not forming a simple arc; intercoxal process strongly convex with fine superficial median sulcus along most of length. Mesosternum elongate trapezoidal; anterior border approximately linear, with raised margin. Metasternum broad, with postmesocoxal line reaching lateral margin; surface transversely rugulose, discrimen shallow, somewhat obscured by rugulae. Abdomen elongate semi­oval, broadest in apical half of first ventrite; posterior margin of ventrites 1–4 linear, of 5 weakly arcuate; exposed portion of 6 spindle­shaped; postmetacoxal line of first abdominal ventrite curved posterolaterad, closely paralleling posterior margin for much of length, not attaining lateral margin. Tarsal claw with shallow subquadrate basal tooth.
Male genitalia as shown (Fig. 6B): basal lobe elongate, lateral margin weakly sinuate, roughly parallel­sided in basal two thirds, subapically slightly swollen with greatest width at apical one third; apex tapered, slightly attenuate; parameres slender, reaching three quarters distance to apex of basal lobe.
Female: Similar to male except larger on average. Abdomen with posterior margin of ventrite 5 nearly linear, apex of ventrite 6 rounded. Female genitalia as in figure 8C.
Variation: Length 2.8 mm to 4.0 mm. Antenna very short (Fig. 9D), length equal to distance between eyes, composed of 10 antennomeres; with third antennomere short, subequal to fourth; strongly clubbed. Some specimens with pale anterior, lateral margins of pronotum narrow but entire, forming an even band, or with portions of either or both infuscate, broken or obsolete. Elytral spots larger or smaller than in holotype (Figs. 5A–D); in some specimens one or more of 3 posterior spots entirely surrounded by black; anterior spot same color as suture, paler cream as in remaining elytral spots, or of an intermediate color; ocher­colored circumferential band may be reddish at apex or absent. Legs may be entirely blackish; pronotal hypomeron with more or less extensive pale area; elytral epipleuron unicolorous or with apical 1/5 blackened.
Type material: Holotype (male) “ Chile, I. Navarino, Pto. Williams, 1.2.57 / Coll. Kuschel ” (MNHN); Allotype (female) “ Magellanes, Canal Beagle, Isla Navarino / Pto. Williams, Feb.1.1957, T.Cekalovik /ChpnSlide 58­369 [female genitalia and abdomen on separate slide mount]”(USNM); Paratypes (total=10), 1 same data as Holotype but missing collector label, and with additional label “ Coccinella germaini Crotch,” and 1 “ Pto Williams, 1 feb 1962, Cekalovic Coll/Coleccion T. Cekalovic 1972”(MNHN), 1 “ Tierra del Fuego. Nose Peak, 14–19.1.05, R.Crawshay. 1906–230” (BMNH), 3 “ S.America: Tierra del Fuego. Estancia Viamonte. P.W.Reynolds. B.M.1931–273. XII.1929 ” (BMNH), 1 “ Magellanes, Canal Beagle, Isla Navarino / Pto. Williams, Feb.1.1957, T.Cekalovik ” (USNM), 1 same as preceding except with additional label “ Coccinellina sicardi (Brèthes), det Chpn 1958” (USNM), 1 “ CHILE, prov. Magalle[a]nes, 20 km E. Pto Percy arenales, 10 dic 1998, leg. J.E. Barriga /Coleccion J.E. BARRIGA CHILE 111686” (USNM), 1 “ Tierra del Fuego. Useless Bay, Dec. 1904, R.Crawshay, 1906–230/573 [black underline] FCC­683" (BMNH)
Etymology: From the collection locality of the specimens examined (Patagon + ica, adj., meaning "of Patagonia"). The name “Patagonia” was bestowed to the region by Magellan, and refers to that portion of South America which, to the east of the Andes, lies south of the Neuquén and Río Colorado rivers, and, to the west of the Andes, south of 42°S.
Remarks: This new species bears the distinction of being the most austral of any coccinelline reported. It is also, thus far, the most slender and darkly pigmented species in the genus Cycloneda. As with C. lacrimosa, the color pattern on the head is not genderspecific, and resembles the female color pattern found in the related C. germainii.
Data from specimens examined (Map, Fig. 10): see “ Type material,” above.
description: Published as part of González, Guillermo & Vandenberg, Natalia J., 2006, Review of lady beetles in the Cycloneda germainii species complex (Coleoptera; Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae: Coccinellini) with descriptions of new and unusual species from Chile and surrounding countries, pp. 13-50 in Zootaxa 1311 on pages 25-30, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173868