Limnocoris fittkaui De Carlo, 1967

Rodrigues, Higor D. D. & Sites, Robert W., 2023, Revision of Limnocoris Stål (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Naucoridae) of the Guiana Shield and Amazon regions, Zootaxa 5284 (1), pp. 44-76 : 54-55

Limnocoris fittkaui De Carlo, 1967

( Figs. 4 , 6E–F , 13A )

Limnocoris fittkaui De Carlo, 1967: 195–196 (original description).

Limnocoris fittkaui: La Rivers 1971: 75 (catalog).

Limnocoris fittkaui fittkaui: Roback & Nieser 1974: 37 (new records); Nieser 1975: 68 (redescription); Nieser & López-Ruf 2001: 318 (catalog); Moreira et al. 2016: 22–23 (new records).

Diagnosis. Body length 6.44–7.00, body width 4.75–5.25. This species is recognized by the coarsely tuberculate and mottled color pattern of the dorsum ( Figs. 4A, B ), the markedly serrate lateral margins of the abdomen (tergum V has 17–19 teeth), the group of rounded dark-brown spots near the lateral margins of abdominal sterna III–V ( Fig. 4E ), and the posterior margin of male abdominal tergum VII distinctly projected medially ( Fig. 6E ). Also, the shagreened area of the propleuron extends posteriorly halfway along the length of the lateral margin ( Fig. 4C ). The mesosternal carina has a short anterior projection and the rounded to oval elliptical fossa contains short golden hairs inside the rim; the median ridge is straight, and the posterior margin after the fossa is excavated in lateral view ( Figs. 4D, H ). The posterolateral corners of abdominal terga III–V are yellowish ( Fig. 4E ). The female subgenital plate has the lateral margins sinuous, with the posterior margin narrowed (sometimes just slightly) medially ( Fig. 4G ).

Supplemental description. Antenna not exceeding lateral margin of eye; flagellomeres slender, not partially fused, with long setae. Maxillary plate broad basally, anterior edge triangular. Labrum with distal margin tapered to apex. Posteroventral margin of head swollen at midline, but without postgenal tubercle. Propleuron with shagreened area extending posteriorly halfway along length of lateral margin; posterior margin convex at mid-length; posteromesal corner near prosternellum deflexed ventrally as a papilla. Region between mesobasisternum and mesoepisternum with longitudinal row of elongate golden setae. Mesosternal carina with anterior projection short; median ridge straight; fossa rounded to elliptical and containing short, golden hairs inside rim, posterior margin after fossa excavated in lateral view. Metasternal carina oval to teardrop-shaped, depressed medially, and slightly tapered posteriorly; posterior margin shallowly excavated in lateral view ( Figs. 4D, H ). Sternum II with sinuous row of elongate golden setae; sterna with elongate golden setae generally dispersed, concentrated near midline. Male: mediotergite VI with accessory genitalic process broad, rounded, grooved; posterior margin with small notch on left side; posterior margin of mediotergite VII distinctly projected medially, truncate ( Fig. 6E ); lateral lobe of tergum VIII with lateral margin straight in anterior half; left medial lobe converging towards slightly twisted apex, posteromesal corner indistinct; right medial lobe distinctly twisted in apical third ( Fig. 6F ). Female: lateral margins of female subgenital plate with a tuft of elongate golden setae, sinuous, and posterior margin narrowed (sometimes just slightly) medially ( Fig. 4G ).

Comparative notes. This species has the shape of the mesosternal carina and the serrated lateral margin of the abdomen similar to those of L. burmeisteri , L. inflatus , L. menkei , L. minutus , L. moreirai , and L. surinamensis . In L. burmeisteri and L. inflatus the rounded dark-brown spots of abdominal sterna III–V are absent, whereas in the other five species this feature is present. Also, the number of teeth of the serrated abdominal lateral margin varies interspecifically ( Table 2 ). In L. burmeisteri , L. inflatus , and L. moreirai , abdominal terga V of the males and females have 19 teeth or more, whereas in the other species the number of teeth reaches at most 19, usually with less than 18.

Limnocoris fittkaui can be distinguished from L. menkei , L. minutus , and L. surinamensis by the abdominal segment V with posterolateral corner yellowish and lateral margin with 17–19 teeth, and posterior margin of male abdominal mediotergite VII distinctly projected medially ( Fig. 6E ), whereas in the other three species the posterolateral corner of abdominal segment V is dark-brown, the lateral margin has 11–16 teeth, and the posterior margin of male mediotergite VII is not distinctly projected medially (this structure remains undescribed for L. surinamensis ).

Discussion. This species was described based on specimens collected near the municipality of Manaus, northern Brazil ( De Carlo 1967). Later, Nieser (1975) proposed the subspecies L. fittkaui surinamensis for specimens from northern Suriname. Here, we elevate L. f. surinamensis to full species status (see below under L. surinamensis ).

Distribution. This species is distributed from the Colombian Llanos to the lower regions of the Amazon, including the Guiana Shield ( Fig. 13A ).

Published records. Brazil: Amazonas ( De Carlo 1967). Colombia: Meta ( Roback & Nieser 1974). Venezuela: Bolívar ( Moreira et al. 2016).

Type material examined. All specimens brachypterous. HOLOTYPE, ♁ ( ZSMC), BRAZIL, Amazonas , Amazonasgebiet , Rio Cuieiras , Ig. da Cachoeira , 16.12.60, leg. E.J. Fittkau, coll. Amazonas 1960/3, A66-4, Holotypus, Limnocoris fittkaui De Carlo, Sammlg. H. Weber. PARATYPES: same data as holotype, except 26.11.62, A423-1, Donated to AMNH by J.T. Polhemus, J.T. Polhemus Collection 2014, C.J. Drake Accession (1♀ USNM) ; same data as holotype, except 26.11.62, A425-1 (2♁, 1♀ INPA Hemip 011, 013–014; 2♁ ZSMC) ; same data as holotype, except A428-3, 27.11.62 (1♀ INPA Hemip 012) ; same data as holotype, except A63-2, [no date], Donated to AMNH by J.T. Polhemus, J.T. Polhemus Collection 2014, C.J. Drake Accession (1♁ USNM) ; Umg. Manaus , Rio Cuieiras, 15.12.60, leg. E.J. Fittkau, coll. Amazonas 1960/3, A62-1 (1♀ ‘allotype’ ZSMC) .

Additional material examined. BRAZIL, Amazonas: BR-174, Km 60, Reserva Campinas , 06.XI.1996, B. Mascarenhas (1♁ brachypterous MPEG) ; Manaus, Sta Etelvina , 09.IV.1988, M. Amorim col. (1♀ brachypterous INPA) ; Manaus, PDBFF, ZF3, Km 21, Faz. Esteio , Igarapé , R.P. da Eva, mata contínua, barranco, raízes, 02˚26’05”S, 59˚54’27”W, P14, 12.II.2001, J.L. Nessimian col. (1♁ brachypterous MZUSP) ; Careiro da Várzea, Ramal do Purupuru , 21.VI.2011, H. Rodrigues col. (1♀ brachypterous MZUSP) . VENEZUELA, Amazonas: Dpto. Atures, Caño Horero , 66 km N Puerto Ayacucho, 25.I.1989, C.B. Barr (2♁, 2♀ macropterous EMEC) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Limnocoris fittkaui De Carlo. (A) Dorsal habitus of male paratype hindwing brachypterous (INPA), (B) dorsal habitus and (C) ventral habitus of female hindwing macropterous (from Amazonas, Venezuela), (D) ventral view of part of head and thorax, (E) ventral view of abdominal segments IV–VI of female, (F) ventral view of abdominal segments V–VI of male, black arrow indicates posterolateral corner of segment V, (G) terminal abdominal sterna of female, and (H) lateral view of meso- and metasternal carinae. Size bar = 1.00 mm and applies only to Figs. A–C.

FIGURE 6. Structures of male terminalia. (A, C, E, G) 6th and 7th abdominal terga, (B, D, F, H) 8th abdominal tergum. (A–B) Limnocoris amazonensis n. sp., (C–D) L. burmeisteri, (E–F) L. fittkaui, and (G–H) L. flavescens n. sp. agp = accessory genitalic process, lml = left medial lobe, rml = right medial lobe.

FIGURE 13. Distribution records for nine species of Limnocoris in South America.