Ascra cordifera ( Walker, 1868 ) Walker, 1868

Santos, Bianca Tamires Silva Dos, Silva, Valeria Juliete Da & Fernandes, Jose Antonio Marin, 2015, Revision of Ascra with proposition of the bifida species group and description of two new species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae), Zootaxa 4034 (3), pp. 445-470 : 453-454

Ascra cordifera ( Walker, 1868) n. comb.

( Figs. 9–16 , 53 , 60 , 66 )

Aceratodes cordifer Walker, 1868: 452 .

Edessa albicors Stål, 1872: 58 ; Synonymized by Distant, 1881: 97.

Edessa cordifera ; Distant, 1881: 97; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 189; Kirkaldy, 1909: 156; Ramos-Elorduy et al 1998: 74, 84, 85, 99 (list of edible insects); Ramos-Elorduy 2009: 275 (list of edible insects).

Holotype: Female. Mexico, Oaxaca ( BMNH). Examined.

Material examined (n: 102). MEXICO. Sinaloa: ♂ Chupaderos, IX −20−76. ( TAMU). Aguascalientes: ♀ 6 miles E Calvillo. July 11, 1983. Kovarik, Harrison, Schaffner ( TAMU); ♀♂ 10 mi NE Calvillo, July 5, 1984. Carrol, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU). Jalisco: 10♂ 7♀ 16 km N. Autlan, July 31−Aug. 2, 1978, Plitt & Schaffner ( TAMU); ♂♀ ( UFRG); 2♀ July 12−14, 1983. Kovarik, Harrison, Schaffner ( TAMU); 2♀ 2♂ July 7, 1984. Carrol, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU). State of Mexico: 2♂ San Diego Alcalá, 1700m, 7−XI −2000. H. Brailovsky & E. Barrera ( UNAM). Guerrero: ♂ 5km S de Pilcaya, 1250m. 8 a 10−XI −2000. H. Brailovsky & E. Barrera ( UNAM); ♀♂ 10.3 mi. S Iguala, July 23, 1981. Bogar, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU); ♂♀ 11.2 mi. N Iguala elev. 4300 ft. July 5, 1987. Kovarik, Schaffner ( TAMU); ♂ 6 miles Northeast Tixtla de Guerrero, July, 16 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU); ♀♂ Teucizapan entre Iguala y Teloloapan, 15−VII −1991, H. Brailovsky, J. Bueno ( TAMU). Puebla: ♀♂ 14.5 mi. SE Acatlan. July 21, 1981. Bogar, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU); 3♀ 4♂ 7.3 miles SW Izucar de Matamoros, July 22, 1981, Bogar, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU); ♂♀ ( UFRG); ♂ 14.4 miles southwest Izucar de Matamoros. August 1, 1976. Peigler, Grueltzmalcher, R&M Murray, Schaffnebr ( TAMU). Morelos: ♀ 7.3 mi SS W Yautepec, 2 July 1961. 3500’. U. Kans. Mex. Exped. ( KSBS); ♂ nr. Tijalpa, Rt 115. 22 – VI–1963. BLT, R.E. Woodruff (JEE); ♀ 4.4 mi. E Cuernavaca. July 6−7, 1974. Taken at light. Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner ( TAMU); 3♀ 3♂ July 27−29, 1976. Peigler, Grueltzmalcher, R&M Murray, Schaffner ( TAMU); ♂♀ ( UFRG); ♂♀ 10 mi. E Cuernavaca, July 30, 1976, Peigler, Grueltzmalcher, R&M Murray, Schaffner ( TAMU). Oaxaca: ♂ Totalapan, 5mi. N. W. 7−VI −1953, 3800 ft. ( KSBS); 6♂ 7♀ 7.6 mi n. Totalapan. July 14, 1971. Clark, Murray, Hart, Schaffner ( TAMU); ♂♀ ( UFRG); 2♀♂ 11.2 mi. s. Matatlan. July 12, 1981. Bogar, Schaffner, Friedlander ( TAMU); 3♂ 2♀ 7.7 mi. S Ejutla, July 20, 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner ( TAMU); 6♀ 3♂ 1.1 mi. W El Tule. Elev. 5400 ft. July 17, 1987. Kovarik, Schaffner ( TAMU); ♂♀ ( UFRG); ♀ 10 mi. SE Huajuapan de Leon. VI −27−1−1965. Burke, Meyer, Schaffner ( TAMU); ♂ San Dionisia, 24−VII −1974, W. F. Chamberlain ( TAMU). Tabasco: ♀ Campo Exp. CSAT 20 km. W Cardenas, July 22, 1980. Schaffner, Weaver, Friedlander ( TAMU).

Measurements: Head length (1.5–1.7); head width (2.5–2.6); pronotal length (3.0–3.5); pronotal width (7.0– 9.6); total length (11.3–15.0); abdominal width (7.3–9.0); length of antennal segments I– (0.5–0.6); II– (1.0–1.1); III– (1.2); IV–(1.8−1.9); V– (1.7−1.8).

Diagnosis. Dorsally dark green to brownish green on head, pronotum, scutellum and connexivum; hemelytron brown with embolium yellowish. Head, pronotum and scutellum with large dark punctures. Embolium with punctures contrastingly darker than the rest of hemelytron. Apex of scutellum with a large yellow to reddish cordiform spot ( Fig. 53 ). Venter yellow or orange ( Fig. 60 ), densely punctate with abdominal punctures darker and larger than thoracic punctures. Antennae and legs yellow.

Head. Mandibular plates greenish brown with black punctures. Clypeus rugulose or smooth with punctures sparse and concolorous. Cephalic disc slightly convex, rugulose, punctures black or concolorous. Bucculae setose not punctate or with few concolorous punctures; margin rounded; covering only half of first rostral segment. Antennae not punctate or maculate.

Thorax. Pronotum with anterolateral margin yellow. Anterior half of scutellum with punctuation deep and large on black spots; posterior half with fine punctures; large yellow cordiform calloused spot punctate at least proximally ( Fig. 53 ). Ventral surface with punctuation uniformly and densely distributed. Evaporatorium whitish, rugulose and not punctate. Peritreme yellow and short, not reaching middle of the distance between ostiole and lateral margin of metapleuron. Arms of the anterior bifurcation of metasternal process wide and divergent, receiving fourth segment of rostrum; apex of arms rounded ( Figs. 9–10 ). Legs not punctate or maculate.

Abdomen. Dorsal surface with fine concolorous and uniformly distributed punctures. Connexivum with dense and uniformly distributed concolorous punctures, central part of each segment with a calloused impunctate spot ( Fig. 53 ). Ventral surface with pseudosutures and intersegmental areas concolorous; punctures dark and uniformly distributed except on medial impunctate region ( Fig. 60 ).

Female genitalia. Gonocoxites 8 setose, convex, punctuation dark or concolorous but concentrated on inner part, distal rim acuminate. Laterotergites 8 with concolorous punctures deep and uniformly distributed, distal margin slightly acuminate with a small black spine reaching or passing laterotergites 9. Gonocoxites 9 setose not punctate, proximal margin slightly tumid and barely overlapping gonocoxites 8. Laterotergites 9 setose with basal half deeply excavated and distal part slightly tumid, apex acuminate ( Fig. 12 ) and black. Pars intermedialis oval ( Fig. 11 ).

Male genitalia. Pygophore. Dorsal rim deeply punctate and corrugated; posterolateral angles tumid ( Fig. 13 ) and impunctate. Superior processes of genital cup curved, slightly constricted medially and distally barely concave ( Fig. 15 ). Parameres with two lobes rising from base: one larger, subrectangular with apex, slightly curved passing dorsal rim; the other digitiform, long and directed lateroposteriorly ( Fig. 15 ). Posterior face of proctiger rounded and slightly concave; lateral excavation delimited dorsally by large black carinae ( Fig. 15 ). Ventral rim with large, dense brown punctures; bottom of medial excavation with a thin carina. Expansions of ventral rim large pyramidal or subconical ( Figs. 14–15 ). Phallus with distal acuminate process developed; vesica oblong ( Fig. 16 ).

Comments. Aceratodes cordifer was described by Walker (1868), but Stål (1872) created a new name – Edessa albicors— and erroneously used it as senior synonym of A. cordifer . Distant (1881) synonymized Edessa albicors and A. cordifer and considered E. cordifera the valid name.

Distribution ( Fig. 66 ): MEXICO: Sinaloa, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, State of Mexico, Guerrero, Puebla, Morelos, Oaxaca, Tabasco.

Figures

FIGURE 66. Distribution of the species of the bifida group of Ascra.

FIGURES 9 – 16. Ascra cordifera Walker, 1868. 9 – 10 Metasternal process; 9 — ventral view; 10 — lateral view. 11 — Female, genital internal. 12 — Female, genital plates. 13 – 15 Male, pygophore; 13 — dorsal view; 14 — ventral view; 15 — posterior view. 16 – Phallus. (Scale = 1 mm).

FIGURES 52 – 58. Dorsal view of the species of Ascra. 52 — A. bifida; 53 — A. cordifera; 54 — A. championi; 55 — A. petersii; 56 — A. abdita; 57 — A. flavoscutellata; 58 — A. vluteum. (Scale = 5 mm).

FIGURES 59 – 65. Ventral view of the species of Ascra. 59 — A. bifida; 60 — A. cordifera; 61 — A. championi; 62 — A. petersii; 63 — A. abdita; 64 — A. flavoscutellata; 65 — A. vluteum. (Scale = 5 mm).