Cryphocricos sandyae, Sites, 2021

Sites, Robert W., 2021, A review of Cryphocricos Signoret, 1850 (Naucoridae: Cryphocricinae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4958 (1), pp. 72-94 : 85-88

Cryphocricos sandyae new species

( Figs 26–34 )

Holotype. Brachypterous ♀ ( UMC): COLOMBIA: Dpt. Risaralda, ca. 8 km W of Santa Cecilia, Minas Calamar (trib. of Rio San Juan ); 10 Feb. 2019, R. W. Sites; L-2067 / 291 m, 5.3510°N, 76.2009°W, marg. vegtn. and alga covered gravel/rocks.

Paratypes: same data as holotype (3♂ brachypterous, 2♀ brachypterous, 1♂ macropterous UMC; 1♂ brachypterous, 1♀ brachypterous USNM); Dept. Valle del Cauca, Rio La Riquesa Baja , 5 February 2019, R. W. Sites, L-2058 / 514 m, 3.6076°N, 76.8886°W, marginal leaf debris (1♂ macropterous UMC); Dept. Valle del Cauca, Qda. El Cauchal at El Cauchal , 7 February 2019, R. W. Sites, L-2064 / 289 m, 3.6024°N, 76.8592°W, gravel, rocks & marginal vegetation (1♂ macropterous UMC) .

Etymology: This species is named in honor of my spouse (Sandra “Sandy” Sites), who has graciously tolerated my penchant to travel the world to collect saucer bugs in pursuit of understanding the world fauna and preparation of a family-wide molecular phylogeny, which is nearly ready for publication.

Description. Brachypterous female. HOLOTYPE, length 6.40; maximum width 3.28. Paratypes (n = 3), length 6.24–6.56 (mean = 6.40); maximum width 3.12–3.28 (mean = 3.22). General shape elongate, suboval, attenuated anteriorly, dorsoventrally flattened, widest at embolia and abdominal segment III, slightly over half as wide as long ( Fig. 26 ). Overall dorsal coloration dark reddish-brown; hemelytra dark-brown. Dorsal surface tuberculate. Ventral coloration lighter reddish-brown, propleura slightly darker with lateral margin dark-brown to black ( Fig. 27 ).

Head. Head length 1.00, maximum width 1.28, inserted over twice as far into pronotum behind eyes as length in front of eyes to base of labrum, 19:: 8. Dark reddish-brown, coarsely tuberculate. Eyes convergent anteriorly, synthlipsis 0.60; thin band of cuticle along posterolateral margin of eye ending at anterolateral corner of pronotum; vertex raised above level of eyes. Anterior margin above labrum straight, posterior margin between eyes deeply convex. Labrum width 1.4× length, evenly rounded, with transverse sulcus at base. Labium with three visible darkbrown segments, basal segment barely visible beyond head capsule, extending 0.34 not including extruded stylets. Antennal proportions 2:2:1:4, length 0.36, extending to slightly beyond lateral margin of eye, antennomeres 1 and 2 bulbous.

Thorax. Pronotum tuberculate; disk abruptly elevated laterally and posteriorly and extending over most of surface; lateral margins convergent, evenly convex, coarsely crenulate throughout, each with about 21 rounded crenulations on each side which become less distinct at ends; posterior margin straight; anterior margin deeply concave between eyes to embrace convex posterior margin of head; posterolateral corners rounded and produced posteriorly to meet humeral angle of hemelytra; width 1.25× length; length at midline 1.06; maximum width at posterolateral corners 2.64. Prothorax ventrally appearing indistinctly rugose and pruinose throughout, rugosity distinctly transverse on prosternellum; prosternellum pentagonal with thickened anterolateral and posterior margins, central carina weakly developed posteriorly, attenuating in anterior half; probasisternum with median carina extending from prosternellum to ventral carina of head; propleuron darkly colored laterally at crenulations. Scutellum tuberculate, triangular, 1.3× longer than hemelytral commissure. Hemelytra with margins straight medially and apically, posterolateral corners broadly rounded, lateral margin very slightly convex in posterior fifth, straight in anterior 4/5, anterolateral corner rounded. Hemelytra tuberculate, dark-brown, width subequal to length measured from humeral articulation posteriorly and parallel with long axis of body, width 1.72, length 1.68. Clavus lacking. Hemelytral commissure 0.68. Embolium marked by tuberculate ridge extending 75% of length of hemelytron, greatest width 0.26, ventrolaterally with granular appearance ( Fig. 33 ). Mesosternum depressed, with median carina continuing to broadly triangular metaxyphus.

Legs. Legs reddish-brown with some black mineral deposition from aquatic habitat. Profemur width subequal to head length; anterior margin with dense pad of setae apparently without associated spines; scattered tubercles over dorsal and ventral surfaces, becoming larger posteroventrally ( Fig. 34 ); midventral irregular, double row of tubercles; posterodorsal margin with row of tubercles distinctly regular in basal 3/4, becoming irregular in distal 1/4, with row of elongate hairs. Protibia and -tarsus with occlusal inner surface flattened and with spatulate setae, protibia with elongate ridge on anterodorsal and anteroventral margins; tarsus immovable, one-segmented; pretarsal claw single, minute, triangular ( Fig. 34 ). Procoxa coarsely tuberculate, with rows of large brown tubercles on posteromesal and posterolateral margins. Meso- and metacoxae partially recessed into thorax. Meso- and metafemora ventral surface with scattered tubercles, posteroventral margins each with row of tubercles, posterodorsal margins with less distinct row of tubercles. Meso- and metatibiae each with ventromesal row of small spines and two apical comb rows of spines. Meso- and metatibiae and metatarsus with long swimming hairs; hairs more profuse on metatibia. Meso- and metapretarsi with paired, evenly curved claws, with basal tooth. Leg measurements as follows: foreleg, femur 2.34, tibia 1.68, tarsus 0.36; middle leg, femur 1.90, tibia 1.64, tarsomeres 1–3, 0.12, 0.26, 0.40; hind leg, femur 2.08, tibia 2.40, tarsomeres 1–3 0.16, 0.34, 0.50.

Abdomen. Dorsally with hemelytra extending to just beyond anterior margin of tergum III ( Fig. 26 ). Terga III–VI tuberculate throughout, a few tubercles evident laterally on VII. Middle half of tergum VI and all of VII transversely rugose. Group of light colored trichobothria near posterolateral corners of III–VII. Posterolateral corners of segments II–VII blunt, not acute, at most right angled. Ventrally light reddish-brown, pruinose throughout. Golden colored sense organs near lateral margin, slightly anterolateral to spiracles ( Figs. 27 , 33 ). Mediosternite VII (subgenital plate) transversely rugose, posterolateral corners broadly rounded, concave medially ( Fig. 29 ), width 1.26× length; length at midline 0.62; maximum width 0.78.

Brachypterous male. Paratypes (n = 4), length 5.84–6.08 (mean = 5.96); maximum width 3.04–3.18 (mean = 3.09). Same as brachypterous female, but with following differences: Abdominal terga 5–7 fused; posterior half of fusion transversely rugose ( Fig. 28 ); tubercles over all abdominal terga except posterior fourth of fused segments. Posterolateral corner of V blunt, but angle slightly <90 degrees. Abdominal mediosternite V with posterior margin concave asymmetrically to left side; mediosternites VI, VII also skewed; VIII concave posteriorly; IX mostly covered with spatulate setae posteriorly. Pygophore with slight medial convexity; phallosoma narrow basally, widening apically, apical margin angled; vesica elongate and coiled ( Fig. 30 ).

Macropterous male. Paratypes (n = 3), length 6.56–7.36 (mean = 6.89); maximum width 3.20–3.60 (mean = 3.44). Same as brachypterous male, but with following differences: Pronotum with disk abruptly elevated only laterally; posteriorly with deep sulcus creating transverse band in posterior fourth; lateral margins straight, with ca. 16–20 crenulations ( Fig. 31 ). Hemelytra with well-developed clavus with claval and intraclaval sutures; claval commissure 0.50. Embolium well-developed, widening posteriorly to tapered end, lateral margin with slight concavity, maximum width 0.26; embolar suture distinct. Hemelytron length (chord measurement) 4.68. Hindwing macropterous.

Macropterous female. Unknown.

Diagnosis. This is the smallest known species of Cryphocricos . The posterolateral corners of the abdominal segments are blunt and generally right-angled, which is consistent with all species described from North America and with C. graziae n.sp. Cryphocricos sandyae is even smaller than the small species from Costa Rica and Panama, and in a molecular phylogeny it was recovered as sister to C. hungerfordi + a population of small Cryphocricos from Belize (Sites, in prep.). In comparison with C. latus and C. obscuratus from Costa Rica and Panama, respectively, the tubercles on the posteroventral aspect of the profemur are substantially larger and fewer in number on C. sandyae ( Fig. 34 ); the anterolateral margins of the pentagonal prosternellum are not as prominent in C. sandyae ; the embolium is angled ventrolaterally with the lateral margin pruinose ventrally in C. sandyae ( Fig. 33 ), whereas the embolium is flattened and lateral margin is distinctly transversely striate ventrally in C. latus and C. obscuratus ( Fig. 33 ).

Discussion. One female brachypterous paratype has a pronotal depression in the middle of the disk on each side. The three streams in which this species was collected were between 200 and 600 m elevation, shallow, slowly flowing, and with marginal vegetation, leaf debris, and substantial filamentous algae growth ( Fig. 32 ); however, the collections were conducted in the dry season and the alluvial deposits suggest much faster flow seasonally.

Figures

FIGURES 26–32. Cryphocricos sandyae n.sp. (26) holotype, dorsal, (27) holotype, ventral, (28) male paratype, dorsal, (29) terminal abdominal sterna with female subgenital plate, (30) male genital capsule with phallosoma and coiled vesica, (31) macropterous male paratype, (32) Minas Calamar, the type locality.

FIGURES 33–34. (33) Ventral surface of left embolium of Cryphocricos sandyae n.sp. (left) and Cryphocricos obscuratus (right), white arrows indicate margin of embolium. (34) Ventral surface of left foreleg of Cryphocricos sandyae n.sp. (top) and Cryphocricos obscuratus (bottom), yellow arrows indicate posteroventral row of tubercles.