The Brachiacantha Dejean, 1837 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) of Central America Author Nestor-Arriola, Jorge Ismael https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2394-1586 Centro de Investigacion en Biodiversidad y Conservacion (CIByC), Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos. Av. Universidad # 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C. P. 62209, Mexico jorge.nestorarr@uaem.edu.mx Author Toledo-Hernandez, Victor Hugo Centro de Investigacion en Biodiversidad y Conservacion (CIByC), Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos. Av. Universidad # 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C. P. 62209, Mexico Author Solis, Angel Departamento de Historia Natural, Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica Author Gonzalez, Guillermo La Reina, Santiago, Chile Author Vetrovec, Jaroslav Buzulucka, Hradec Kralove, Ceska Republika text ZooKeys 2021 2021-03-16 1024 157 196 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1024.56927 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1024.56927 1313-2970-1024-157 FDD37EA991214385B67D51AD313CB49E 086BAB631B8D5B888571137F0CEFF686 Brachiacantha cachensis Gorham Figures 8 , 65-68 Brachyacantha cachensis Gorham, 1894: 190. Leng 1911 : 322. Material examined. 71 specimens from Costa Rica and Panama ( FSCA , USNMNH , MNCR , MUCR , MZCR ) . Costa Rica : Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste and Puntarenas . Panama • 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 1/2 , 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 Panama . New record to Panama . 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) .