Limnocoris lutzi La Rivers, 1974

Rodrigues, Higor D. D. & Sites, Robert W., 2019, Revision of Limnocoris (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Naucoridae) of North America, Zootaxa 4629 (4), pp. 451-497 : 468-470

Limnocoris lutzi La Rivers

( Figs. 8 , 10 C–D, 20B)

Limnocoris lutzi La Rivers, 1957: 71–74 (original description).

Limnocoris lutzi: La Rivers 1974: 8 (catalog); Sites & Nichols 1993: 83 (new record); Polhemus & Polhemus 1988: 526 (catalog, new record); Sites & Willig 1991: 127–134 (ecological study, new record); Sites & Nichols 2001: 26–32 (voltinism, egg and immature stages description); Nieser & López-Ruf 2001: 319 (catalog).

Diagnosis. Specimens of L. lutzi are small, measuring 6.30–6.75 mm. The antenna does not exceed the lateral margin of the eye; the pedicel is quadrate; the flagellomeres are slender, partially fused, and with long setae. The pubescent area of the propleuron is distinctly extended posteriorly along the lateral margin; the posterior margin of the propleuron is straight at mid-length (as in Fig. 1A ). The mesosternal carina has the region between the anterior projection and fossa concave and without a medial projection; the fossa is shallow, subtriangular, with the anterior margin shallowly convex, and the lateral margins converge posteriorly ( Fig. 8C ). The region between the mesobasisternum and mesoepisternum is without a longitudinal row of elongate golden setae; abdominal sternum II has an irregular patch of elongate golden setae (as in Fig. 1G ); the abdominal sterna lack generally dispersed elongate setae. The lateral margins of the female subgenital plate lack a tuft of elongate golden setae ( Fig 8D ).

Measurements (n = 5 males / 5 females): Body length 6.30–6.70/ 6.60–6.75, body width 4.50–4.72/ 4.68–4.75, synthlipsis 1.10–1.20/ 1.10–1.15, head length 1.05–1.20/ 1.10–1.20, head width 2.12–2.20/ 2.18–2.20, pronotum length on midline 1.20–1.50/ 1.20–1.30, pronotum width 3.86–4.15/ 4.00–4.10, scutellum length 1.00–1.10/ 1.10, scutellum width 1.85–2.20/ 2.10–2.20, hemelytra length 4.70–5.20/ 4.85–5.00.

Supplemental description. Maxillary plate tumescent anteriorly. Distal margin of labrum slightly acuminate. Propleura with inner corner near prosternellum deflexed ventrally (indistinct in some specimens) ( Fig. 8C ). Metasternal carina with fossa ranging from oval to rounded, slightly depressed medially ( Fig. 8C ); posterior margin excavated in lateral view ( Fig. 8E ). Lateral margin of abdomen with minute serration; posterolateral corners of II–V narrowly rounded to right angled, not spinose. Male: mediotergite VI with accessory genitalic process poorly developed; posterior margin of mediotergite VII rounded medially, with a pair of small lobes laterally; laterotergite VII with lateral and mesal margins straight, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 10C ); lateral lobe of tergum VIII straight in anterior half of lateral margin; left medial lobe slightly angled laterally at apex, distal margin ranging from rounded to truncate; right medial lobe ranging from twisted to flat in distal third ( Fig. 10D ). Female: posterior margin of subgenital plate ranging from rounded to slightly acuminate, lateral margins lack a tuft of elongate golden setae ( Fig. 8D ); laterosternite VII with parallel margins, converging in posterior third.

Comparative notes. Limnocoris lutzi is morphologically similar to L. insularis , L. nanus n. sp., and L. zacki n. sp. These four species share the general shape and dimensions of the body, pubescence pattern of the ventral surface of the body, shape of the metasternal carina, and shape of male abdominal terga VI–VIII. Limnocoris lutzi differs from L. nanus by having the fossa of the mesosternal carina extending ventrally further than the anterior projection ( Fig. 8E ), whereas in the latter species the anterior projection is almost at the same level of the fossa. Limnocoris zacki has a median projection between the anterior projection and fossa of the mesosternal carina, which is absent in L. lutzi . Thus, of these four similar species, L. insularis most closely resembles L. lutzi . These two species can be differentiated by the antenna, mesosternal carina and male abdominal tergum VIII. In L. lutzi , the flagellomeres are partially fused (which can be difficult to discern), the mesosternal carina has the region between the anterior projection and fossa concave in lateral view, and the left medial lobe of male abdominal tergum VIII is only slightly angled laterally, whereas in L. insularis the flagellomeres usually are divided, not partially fused, the mesosternal carina between the anterior projection and fossa range from straight to shallowly sinuous, and the left medial lobe of male abdominal tergum VIII is distinctly angled laterally.

Discussion. Sites & Nichols (2001) cited Polhemus (1991) when they reported the geographical distribution of L. lutzi extends from central Texas, passing through eastern Mexico, to the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Limnocoris lutzi and L. insularis are morphologically very similar and easily misidentified; however, these species are allopatric, with L. lutzi occurring from the central region of Texas to the state of Querétaro in central Mexico, and L. insularis occurring from the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico to Costa Rica ( Fig. 20B ). Since these species are not sympatric, and in the absence of material identified by J.T. Polhemus from southern Mexico as L. lutzi , we consider this species not to occur in southeastern Mexico.

Variation. The right medial lobe of male abdominal tergum VIII may be twisted in more than only the distal third, and some specimens may exhibit some degree of fusion of the flagellomeres.

Distribution. This species is distributed from the central region of Texas, in the southwestern United States, near the Balcones Fault Zone, to the central state of Querétero, on the east slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental ( Fig. 20B ).

Published records. United States: Texas ( La Rivers 1957, Sites & Nichols 1993, Polhemus & Polhemus 1988, Sites & Willig 1991).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♀ brachypterous, UNITED STATES, Texas, Seguin , Guadalupe Riv., 08.IX.1950, Thos. Dolan, Type No. 65938 ( USNM) . PARATYPE: 1♂ brachypterous (allotype), same data as holo- type ( CAS) .

Additional material examined. MEXICO, Querétaro, Río Concá, 1 Km NW of Adjuntas, 21°24.5’N, 99°35.3’W, 13.VII.2000, C.B. Barr (1♂ brachypterous, EMEC) . Tamaulipas, 15 Km N of C. Victoria , 18.March.1983, M.S. Davis coll. (1♀ brachypterous, UMC) . UNITED STATES, Texas, Gonzalas Co., Palmetto State Pk. , 19.April.1963, fast stream, A.B. Anderson (1♀ brachypterous, USNM) ; Kimble Co., Junction, S. Llano River, 1 mi. S of TTU Center , veg. in standing water, 02.VIII.1986, R.W. Sites (20♂, 16♀, brachypterous, 1♀ mac- ropterous, UMC) ; Kimble Co., TTU Ctr-Junction, South Llano River , 14.V.1988, R.W. Sites (57♂, 42♀, all bra- chypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 05.VI.1988 (9♂, 7♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 28.VI.1988 (7♂, 9♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 05.VII.1988 (59♂, 33♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 05.VIII.1988 (8♂, 10♀, UMC; 5♂, 5♀, MZUSP—all brachypterous) ; same data, except 15.VIII.1988 (20♂, 12♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; Kimble Co., junction-TTU Cntr, South Llano River , 05.VI.1986, R.W. Sites (1♂ macropterous, 1♀ brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 11.IV.1987 (7♂, 13♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 23.V.1987 (1♂ brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 24.V.1987 (2♂, 2♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 12.IX.1987 (1♂ brachypterous, 1♂ macropterous, 2♀ brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 15.V.1988 (1♂, 4♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 16.V.1988 (1♂, 2♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; same data, except 25.V.1988 (5♂, 6♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; Kimble Co., S. Llano River, Junction , rocks be- low bridge, 10.IV.1988, R.W. Sites (2♂, 9♀, all brachypterous, UMC) ; Kimble Co., Junction-TTU Campus, South Llano River , large rocks, 10.IV.1988, R.W. Sites (1♂ brachypterous, UMC) ; Kimble Co., S. Llano River, Junction , slow water near bridge, 04.IV.1987, S. Boston (2♂, 7♀, all brachypterous, UMC) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Structures of Limnocoris. (A–D) Propleuron, white arrows indicate posterior end of pubescent area, yellow arrows indicate mid-lateral region of posterior margin, (A) L. zacki n. sp., (B) L. inornatus, (C) L. virescens, (D) L. chaetocarinatus n. sp. (E–H) Part of abdominal segments, showing pubescence patterns of sternum II (circled), (E) L. moapensis, (F) L. submontandoni, (G) L. nanus n. sp., and (H) L. stali. pa = pubescent area, pra = pruinose area.

FIGURE 8. Limnocoris lutzi La Rivers. (A) Dorsal habitus and (B) ventral habitus of male paratype [=allotype], hindwing brachypterous (CAS), (C) ventral view of head and thorax, (D) terminal abdominal sterna of female, and (E) lateral view of meso- and metasternal carinae. Size bar = 1.00 mm and applies only to Figs. A–B.

FIGURE 10. Structures of male terminalia. (A, C, E) 6th and 7th abdominal terga, (B, D, F) 8th abdominal tergum. (A–B) Limnocoris insularis, (C–D) L. lutzi, and (E–F) L. major n. sp.

FIGURE 20. (A–B) Distribution records for species of Limnocoris in North America.