Phthia Stål, 1862

Brailovsky, Harry, 2009, Revision of the Phthia generic complex with a description of four new genera (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Leptoscelini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (1), pp. 59-74 : 63-67

Phthia Stål, 1862

( Figs. 5, 9 , 11–12, 16 , 18 )

Phthia Stål, 1862: 294 .

Phthia: LETHIERRY & SEVERIN (1894) : 51 –52; BERGROTH (1913): 143.

Type species. Cimex lunatus Fabricius, 1787: 289 .

Redescription. Head usually longer than wide; tylus in lateral view slightly higher than juga; posttylar depression forming single sulcus; antennal segment I slightly thicker than following segments, cylindrical, weakly curved outward, distally thickened above upper half, longer than head; segments II and III slender, cylindrical, segment IV fusiform; antennal segment IV longest, segment I usually shortest, segment II longer than III; rostrum reaching middle third of abdominal sternite III or anterior margin of sternite V; rostral segment I extending past base of head; rostral segment III shortest, segment IV longest, segments I and II subequal.

Thorax. Pronotum wider than long; anterolateral borders obliquely straight, smooth; humeral angles thick at base, tapering into short or large acute to subacute spine, slightly raised and pointing outward; posterolateral borders barely sinuate, outer third dentate, inner third smooth; posterior border straight to weakly convex, smooth; calli rounded, slightly raised, posteriorly with two pits, each lateral to midline; posterior lobe of pronotal disk with low longitudinal medial carinae (sometimes difficult to see); posterior margin with low transverse ridge ( Fig. 5 ); mesosternum with deep sulcus; metathoracic peritreme bilobate ( Fig. 16 ), with two well separated lobes, anterior lobe larger, semicircular, posterior lobe shorter, subacute; opening obliquely directed. Scutellum variable in length, wider than long or longer than wide.

Legs. Fore and middle femora ventrally armed with two subapical spines and one row of obtuse denticles, dorsally smooth; hind femur gradually incrassate (less so in females), ventrally armed with two subapical spines and two rows of large and stout spines, dorsally smooth; fore and middle tibiae slender, unarmed, sulcate; male hind tibiae slender, sulcate and ventrally armed with two irregular rows of stout spines; female hind tibiae slender, sulcate and unarmed.

Abdomen. Abdominal sterna with medial furrow.

Male genitalia. Posteroventral edge of genital capsule gently concave, bearing two broad spines on either side of midline, lateral angles quadrate ( Fig. 9 ). Paramere as in Figs. 11–12 .

Female genitalia. Abdominal sternite VII with fissura short, covering one third of length of sternite; plica quadrate, apically straight; gonocoxae I subtriangular, inner margin close, upper and outer margins rounded and continuous.

Integument. Body surface rather dull, sometimes with metallic iridescence restricted to ventral surface of head, calli, thorax, coxae, abdominal segments III–VI and lateral margins of abdominal sterna III–VII; anterior lobe of pronotal disk with narrow, arcuate, yellow transverse fascia; corium behind claval commissure with yellow transverse fascia; dorsally and ventrally clothed with short, erect, golden to silvery pubescence; pronotal disk, clavus, corium, scutellum, acetabulae, great portion of propleura and posterior margin of mesopleura and metapleura densely and finely punctate; head, calli, anterior and middle margin of mesopleura and metapleura, pro-, meso- and metasternum, abdominal sterna, male genital capsule and female genital plates impunctate; antennal segments I–III densely covered with short, erect setae, segment IV with dense adpressed setae; legs clothed with large, erect, bristle-like setae.

Differential diagnosis. Phthia can be distinguished from other genera included in the tribe Leptoscelini by having the hind tibiae simple, mesopleura and metapleura without a black median macula (present in Malvana Stål, 1865 ), the metathoracic peritreme bilobate, antennal segment I longer than head (shorter in Amblyomia Stål, 1870 ), anterior lobe of pronotal disk with narrow, arcuate, yellowish to orange-red, transverse fascia, corium behind the claval commissure with yellowish to orange-red transverse fascia, thoracic pleura with at least three strongly contrasting yellowish to orange-red maculae, abdominal sterna III–VI lateral to midline with yellowish to orange-red rectangular to quadrate maculae, and the metallic iridescence restricted to ventral surface of head, calli, thorax, coxae, dorsal abdominal segments III–VI and abdominal sterna III–VII.

Phthia has been heterogeneous since its original description, and at least 15 species have been included in it. From that number only six now remain in Phthia since Ph. affinis Distant, 1901 , Ph. cyanea ( Signoret, 1862) , Ph. decorata Stål, 1865 , Ph. femorata (Breddin, 1901) , Ph. ornata Stål, 1865 , Ph. picta ( Drury, 1770) , Ph. smaragdina (Walker, 1871) , Ph. splendida Valdés, 1910 , and Ph. sponsa (Breddin, 1901) are transferred to the four new genera described below.

Distribution. Widespread through Mexico, Central America ( Guatemala, Costa Rica), Great Antilles ( Cuba, Puerto Rico), Colombia, French Guyana, Surinam, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Included species. Phthia cantharidina Bergroth, 1893 , Ph. concinna Walker, 1871 , Ph. lunata ( Fabricius, 1787) , Ph. pulchella (Dallas, 1852) , Ph. rubropicta (Westwood, 1842) , and Ph. ventralis (Guérin, 1857) .

Phthiacnemia gen. nov.

( Figs. 3, 7 , 13 , 19)

Type species. Cimex picta Drury, 1770: 107 .

Description. Head usually longer than wide; tylus in lateral view higher than juga; posttylar depression absent; antennal segment I thicker than following segments, cylindrical, weakly curved outward, thickened gradually from base to apex, longer than head; antennal segments II and III slender, cylindrical, segment IV fusiform; segment IV usually longest, segment I shortest, segment II longer than III; rostrum reaching posterior margin of abdominal sternite III or middle third of sternite IV; rostral segment I at most slightly extending beyond base of head; rostral segment III shortest, segment IV longest, segments I and II subequal.

Abdomen. Abdominal sterna with medial furrow.

Male genitalia. Posteroventral edge of genital capsule with deep median notch, entire posterior edge gradually produced over curvature of capsule, with lateral angles acutely projected ( Fig. 7 ). Paramere as in Fig. 13 .

Female genitalia. Abdominal sternite VII with fissura short, covering one third of length of sternite; plica quadrate, apically straight; gonocoxae I subtriangular, inner margin open, upper and outer margins rounded and continuous, in lateral view slightly convex.

Integument. Body surface rather dull, without metallic iridescence; dorsally and ventrally clothed with short, erect, golden to silvery pubescence; pronotal disk, clavus, corium, scutellum, acetabulae, great portion of propleura, and posterior margin of mesopleura and metapleura dense and finely punctate; head, calli, anterior and middle margin of mesopleura and metapleura, pro-, meso- and metasternum, abdominal sterna, male genital capsule and female genital plates impunctate; antennal segments I–III densely covered with short, erect setae, segment IV with dense adpressed setae; legs clothed with large, erect, bristle-like setae.

Differential diagnosis. Phthiacnemia gen. nov., like Phthia , has the metathoracic peritreme bilobate, tylus laterally higher than juga, shortest antennal segment I, posterior lobe of pronotal disk with low longitudinal medial carinae, anterior margin of mesosternum in front of the area between fore legs truncate, and abdominal sterna with a medial furrow.

The new genus can be distinguished by having the body surface without metallic iridescence, posttylar depression absent, antennal segment I thickening gradually from base to apex, anterior lobe of pronotal disk without a narrow, arcuate, yellow transverse fascia, humeral angles obtuse, truncate or gently subacute, anterolateral borders of pronotum dentate and posterolateral borders entirely smooth, calli anteriorly with two small spines, each lateral to midline, and posteriorly with two deep pits, each lateral to midline, corium behind claval commissure without yellow transverse fascia, male hind tibiae robust and armed, and posteroventral edge of male genital capsule with deep median notch and lateral angles acutely projected ( Fig. 7 ).

In Phthia the body surface is rather dull with metallic iridescence restricted to the ventral surface of head, calli, thorax, coxae, abdominal segments III–VI and lateral margins of abdominal sterna III–VII, posttylar depression forming single sulcus, antennal segment I distally thickened above the upper half, anterior lobe of pronotal disk with narrow, arcuate, yellow transverse fascia, humeral angles acute to subacute, slightly raised and extending laterally, anterolateral borders of pronotum smooth and posterolateral borders with outer third dentate and inner third smooth, calli anteriorly without two small spines each lateral to midline, corium behind claval commissure with yellow transverse fascia, male hind tibiae slender and armed, and male genital capsule with posteroventral edge of gently concave, bearing two broad spines on either side of midline, and lateral angles quadrate ( Fig. 9 ).

Etymology. Named for its similarity to Phthia ; gender feminine.

Distribution. Widespread through the south of the United States of America, Mexico, Central America ( Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica), Great Antilles ( Cuba), Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

Included species. Only one species is known in the genus: Phthiacnemia picta ( Drury, 1770) comb. nov.

Figures

Figs. 1–10. 1–5 – pronotum: 1 – Phthiarella decorata (Stål, 1865); 2 – Phthiadema cyanea (Signoret, 1862); 3 – Phthiacnemia picta (Drury, 1770); 4 – Rhytidophthia splendida (Valdéz, 1910); 5 – Phthia lunata (Fabricius, 1787). 6–10 – male genital capsule in caudal view: 6 – Phthiadema cyanea; 7 – Phthiacnemia picta; 8 – Rhytidophthia splendida; 9 – Phthia lunata; 10 – Phthiarella decorata.

Figs. 11–17. 11–15 – paramere: 11–12 – Phthia lunata (Fabricius, 1787), 13 – Phthiacnemia picta (Drury, 1770), 14–15 – Phthiadema cyanea (Signoret, 1862), 16–17 – metathoracic scent gland peritreme: 16 – Phthia lunata, 17 – Phthiadema cyanea.

Fig. 18. Dorsal view of Phthia lunata (Fabricius, 1787).