Rhagovelia udabe, Polhemus, 2024

Polhemus, Dan A., 2024, Thirty-four new species of Rhagovelia (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the East Papua Composite Terrane, far eastern New Guinea, Zootaxa 5400 (1), pp. 1-214 : 47-49

Rhagovelia udabe new species

( Figs. 70–76 , 84 )

Type Material examined.— Holotype, wingless male: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Central Prov. , New Guinea, Owen Stanley Range, small hill streamlet, 1.3 km. SSE of Woitape, 1600 m., 8°33'00"S, 147°15'34"E, water temp. 17.5 °C., 2 October 2003, 08:30–09:15 hrs., CL 7248, D. A. Polhemus ( BPBM) . Paratypes: PAPUA NEW GUINEA ,

Central Prov., New Guinea: 10 wingless males, 20 wingless females, 16 immatures, same data as holotype ( USNM, BPBM) ; 1 winged female, 10 wingless males, 8 wingless females, Owen Stanley Range , Om Creek, trib. to upper Udabe River, 1.85 km. SSE of Woitape, 1585 m., 8°33'28"S, 147°15'22"E, water temp. 19 °C., 2 October 2003, 12:00–12:30 hrs., CL 7251, D. A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 12 wingless males, 23 wingless females, 5 immatures, Owen Stanley Range , hill streamlet in original forest, 1.5 km. SSE of Woitape, 1645 m., 8°33'09"S, 147°15'35"E, water temp. 18 °C., 2 October 2003, 14:00–14:30 hrs., CL 7252, D. A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) .

Description.

Wingless male: Size: Length = 4.10–4.55 mm (x = 4.33, n = 5); width = 1.40–1.60 mm (x = 1.50, n = 5). Wingless female, length = 4.30–4.80 mm (x = 4.50, n = 5); width = 1.55–1.70mm, (x = 1.63, n = 5). Winged female, length = 5.20 mm (n = 1); width = 2.00 mm (n = 1).

Coloration: Dorsal ground color dark brown, marked with dark yellow to orange-brown on basal antennae, anterior pronotum, central section of mesonotum, connexiva and legs ( Fig. 70 ). Head black; lower frons, juga and rostrum dark yellow, rostrum fuscous ventromedially, piceous distally; eyes dark reddish black. Pronotum dark yellow on anterior half, this yellowish coloration continuing laterally as a continuous band onto the propleurae, posterior half black. Mesonotum broadly dark brown posterolaterally, narrowly dark orange-brown anteromedially, this orange coloration in the form of a broad triangle with the apex directed posteriorly. Metanotum and abdominal tergites I–V uniformly dark blackish-brown; all abdominal tergites uniformly dull and lacking shining areas; connexiva dark black on inner halves, dark yellow on outer halves, ventral faces also dark yellow.Antennal segment I with basal one-third dark yellow, distal two-thirds plus all of segments II–IV black. Legs generally black dorsally, dark brown ventrally, with coxae, trochanters, basal half of fore femur, ventral face of hind femur dark yellow. Venter dark brown, with all acetabula, prosternum, posterior half of mesosternum, metasternum, and central portions of abdominal ventrites III–VIII, dark yellow to yellowish brown.

Structural characters: Head moderately short, declivant anteriorly, with weakly impressed median line; length 0.45, width 0.85; length of eye along inner margin 0.40, anterior/posterior interocular space, 0.25/0.50. Pronotum short, length along midline 0.35, less than dorsal length of head, leaving mesonotum broadly exposed, width 1.25; mesonotum smooth, lacking deep foveae, humeri depressed, length 0.75. Metanotum barely exposed, length 0.10. Lengths of abdominal tergites I–VIII, respectively: 0.25: 0.25: 0.40: 0.45: 0.25: 0.30: 0.45: 0.40. Connexiva with margins of even width throughout, very slightly sinuate, convergent posteriorly, posterolateral angles not modified, separated by entire width of tergite VIII, bearing sparse tufts of long dark setae.

Entire dorsum and laterotergites thickly covered with fine, appressed pale pubescence, intermixed with a few longer, semi-recumbent black setae; legs and antennae thickly clothed with short appressed pale setae, with scattered long, erect, bristly black setae on anterodorsal faces of antennal segments I and II, and anterior margins of all femora, plus long pilose brown setae along posterior margins of all femora; fore and middle trochanters lacking pegs or teeth; fore and middle femora and middle tibia with margins straight, not flattened or otherwise modified; fore tibia slightly flattened ventrally on distal one-fourth, longitudinally channeled adjacent to grasping comb; hind trochanter bearing 12–14 small dark pegs ventrally; hind femur highly incrassate, bearing two parallel rows of teeth, ventral row lying in area covered by infolded hind tibia and consisting of approximately 15 tiny, closely appressed black pegs running from base of femur to midpoint, followed by a gap at central portion of femur, followed by 8 small black spinules running to apex, dorsal row commencing near middle of femur at distal end of basal peg row with a large, acute tooth, followed by 5 teeth of progressively declining size, then another large, acute tooth, followed by 5 teeth of progressively declining size, all these teeth orange-brown basally with black apices; hind tibia broadly and gently sinuate, inner surface bearing a row of about 14 small dark teeth, plus one large, acute, tooth approximately two-thirds distance from base ( Figs. 72, 73 ).

Venter of head and thorax lacking small black denticles; meso- and metasterna slightly depressed centrally, margins of this depression bearing long, fine gold setae; abdominal venter set with short appressed gold setae intermixed with scattered long, fine, erect, dark brown setae centrally; basal abdominal ventrites highly sculptured, ventrite I lying in vertical orientation, remaining ventrites horizontal and all in similar plane, ventrite II with an acute longitudinal carina of V-shaped cross section medially, this carina continuing in less pronounced form onto ventrite III; ventrites IV and V unmodified, ventrite VI and VII broadly and shallowly flattened centrally, ventrite VIII constricted basally.

Male paramere thick, moderately elongate, bearing stout setae on basal half, apex blunt, broadly curving ( Fig. 74 ). Male proctiger with basolateral lobes well developed, rounded; distolateral lobes not developed; distal cone with lateral margins slightly tapering and convergent posteriorly, apex broadly rounded, blunt ( Fig. 75 ).

Lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.90: 0.55: 0.80: 0.35.

Lengths of leg segments as follows: femur, tibia, tarsal 1, tarsal 2 of fore leg, 1.15: 1:25: 0.05: 0.03: 0.30; of middle leg, 3.90: 1.50: 0.10: 0.70: 0.80; of hind leg, 1.75: 1.70: 0.05: 0.15: 0.35.

Wingless female: Similar to wingless male in general structure and coloration, with following exceptions: abdominal tergites I–VIII black around margins with broad orange-brown patches centrally; connexival margins moderately convergent adjacent to abdominal tergites I–IV, then subparallel and only weakly convergent adjacent to abdominal tergites V–VIII, margins slightly thickened adjacent to abdominal tergites III and IV, folded slightly inward over lateral portions of abdominal tergites IV–VIII ( Fig. 71 ), posterolateral angles forming right angles when viewed laterally, bearing long, thick, angular tufts of posteriorly-directed stiff black setae; abdominal tergite VIII horizontal, proctiger angled downward in a nearly vertical orientation; hind femora only weakly incrassate, bearing only 3 very small dark teeth on posterior third, these teeth of progressively decreasing size distally; hind tibiae straight, inner surface lacking teeth; ventral coloration predominantly orange-brown, with metasternum and abdominal ventrite I dark brown to black; all abdominal ventrites lying in similar horizontal plane, sternite II with incipient longitudinal medial carina basally, central sections of abdominal sternites III–VI flattened centrally.

Winged female: Similar to wingless female in general structure and coloration, with following exceptions: pronotum greatly enlarged, width 2.00, length 1.80, completely covering meso- and metanotum; anterior lobe with transverse ovate orange-brown patch along anterior margin in area behind head, this patch weakly suffused with silvery pruinosity, narrowly confluent laterally behind eyes with paler coloration on propleurae; humeri enlarged, slightly protrusive laterally; posterior pronotal lobe dark blackish-brown, broadly domed, posterior half with small, obscure foveae, posterior margin broadly angular, bearing scattered long, gently curving, semi-erect black setae; forewings uniformly dark blackish-brown, wing apices extending past apex of abdomen when intact, bearing 4 closed cells consisting of two elongate cells in basal half of wing followed by two smaller cells of subequal size distally near center of wing.

Winged male: Unknown.

Etymology. The name “udabe ” is a noun in apposition, and refers to the Udabe River system (a headwater tributary to the Vanapa River) from which the type series of this species was collected.

Distribution. Southeastern New Guinea; endemic to the Owen Stanley Range ( Fig. 84 ). The species range as presently known occupies the Owen Stanley Range area of freshwater endemism (Area 31) as delineated by D. Polhemus & Allen (2007).

Discussion. This is a large, orange-brown species occurring on higher elevation streamlets in the Owen Stanley Range. The males are similar to those of R. goilala from the Fane area further to the west, but have far less orange coloration on the central metanotum, and no orange-brown patches centrally on the abdominal tergites. The male genitalia also differ, with the male paramere of R. udabe having an apically truncate apex, versus the upturned and slightly pointed apex seen in R. goilala (compare Figs. 74 , 81 ), and the apex of the proctiger slightly angular and pointed, versus blunt and rounded in R. goilala (compare Figs. 75 , 82 ). Females have the proctiger angled downward into a vertical orientation when viewed laterally, versus angled at 45° as in R. goilala , and possess thick, angular tufts of posteriorly-directed stiff black setae at the posterolateral connexival angles, which are lacking in R. goilala (compare Figs. 71 , 78 ).

Ecological notes. Rhagovelia udabe appears to prefer first order streamlets at elevations above 1550 m elevation. At the Udabe River headwaters (CL 7247) this species was taken only from tiny pools on a steeply descending tributary streamlet, and was not seen along the main river channel, where R. auga was common instead. Similarly, at a locality 1.3 km. SSE of Woitape (CL 7248) this species was taken from a small, shallow streamlet dropping down through a heavily shaded gully via small cascades and pools ( Fig. 76 ). At Om Creek (CL 7251) this species was taken from a moderately swift, clear stream in a bed of dark, rounded rocks and boulders, bordered mostly by steep grassy banks and shaded by remnant trees. The water was 0.3–1.0 m deep, and the channel was 1.5–3.0 m wide. In this situation R. udabe occurred syntopically with R. auga .

At a hill streamlet in original forest, 1.5 km. SSE of Woitape (CL 7252) R. udabe was taken on a small, shallow, heavily shaded streamlet descending steeply via small cascades, tiny plunge pools, and shallow flowing runs through a steep-sided gully overtopped with mossy native primary montane rainforest. The stream substrate was composed of orange earth and gravel intermixed with dark metamorphic boulders, and the Rhagovelia here skated on the tiny pools and shallow flows, with their orange coloration matching the underlying benthic substrate.

Figures

FIGS. 70–75. Rhagovelia udabe n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Woitape, CL 7252. 70. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 71. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 72. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 73. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 74. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 75. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIG. 76. A small, heavily shaded first order hill streamlet at 1600 m elevation near Woitape, Central Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7248, type-locality for R. udabe n. sp.

FIG. 84. Distributions of species in the R. goilala subgroup in eastern New Guinea.

FIGS. 77–82. Rhagovelia goilala n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Fane, CL 7256. 77. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 78. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 79. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 80. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 81. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 82. Male proctiger, dorsal view.