Baptista Distant, 1903

Ye, Zhen, Polhemus, Dan A. & Bu, Wenjun, 2014, First record of the genus Baptista Distant, 1903 (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3811 (3), pp. 301-315 : 302

Genus Baptista Distant, 1903 . New record for China

Baptista Distant, 1903: 173 . Type species: B. gestroi Distant, 1903: 173 , by original designation.

Baptista: Andersen 1989: 365 ; Kovac & Yang 2000: 163; Zettel 2004: 444.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized veliids (2.4–4.1 mm), form apterous or macropterous, body elongate, covered by dense pubescence. Head produced posteriorly, extending well behind hind margin of eyes. Antennae long and slender, antennal segment I slightly curved, segment III twice as long as segment II, segments III and IV very slender, almost filiform. Clypeus protruding, rostrum slender with its apex reaching middle of mesosternum. Pronotum of macropterous form pentagonal and pronotum of apterous form with broadly rounded posterior margin. Macropterous hemelytra with four closed cells. Hind leg longer than middle leg, male fore leg specially modified (in B. gestroi and B. femoralis species groups, femur or tibia curved, with tumescence, pilosities, etc.; in B. collaris species group, tibia with conspicuous row of short, stout, blackish spines or protuberances ventrally). Fore tibia of male with short grasping comb. In B. femoralis species group, abdominal segments VI and VII usually strongly modified with finger-like extensions. Male genital segments distinctly protruding. Parameres large, symmetrical (in B. femoralis species group, parameres falciform; in B. collaris species group, parameres distally more or less dilated). Female genital segments plainly visible behind sternite VII.

Baptista is similar to the genera Lathriovelia , Polhemovelia , and Geovelia . Baptista is distinguished from Lathriovelia by the eyes lying adjacent to the anterolateral angles of the pronotum (in Lathriovelia , the eyes are distinctly separated from the anterolateral angles). Baptista differs from Polhemovelia and Geovelia by having the male fore leg highly modified, with the femur or tibia curved, and their ventral surfaces bearing various tumescences, pilosities, protuberances, or a conspicuous row of short, stout, blackish spines ( Figs. 14 –20).

Distribution. Burma, Laos, India, Thailand, West Malaysia, China (Yunnan) ( Fig 46 ).

Figures

FIGURE 46. Geographical distribution of Baptista of the world.

FIGURES 14–17. Fore legs of Baptista spp. (males). 14. B. digitata; 15. B. hoedli; 16. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 17. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.2 mm. FIGURES 18–20. Details of fore tibial venter of Baptista spp. (males). 18. B. hoedli; 19. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 20. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.5 mm.