Rhagovelia gaigei Drake & Hussey, 1957

Galindo-Malagón, Ximena Alejandra, Mondragón-F, Silvia Patricia, Morales, Irina & Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo, 2022, New species, synonymies and records in the genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 5087 (1), pp. 1-34 : 28-29

Rhagovelia gaigei Drake & Hussey, 1957

( Fig. 12 , 14E )

Rhagovelia gaigei Drake & Hussey, 1957: 5

Rhagovelia victoria Padilla-Gil 2012: 61 . Syn. nov.

Remarks. So far, R. gaigei was known only from the type series and the material examined by Polhemus (1997). Possibly due to this reason, this species was not used for comparison when R. victoria was described by Padilla-Gil (2012). Examination of topotypical and type material of both species showed that R. victoria is a junior synonym of R. gaigei . Padilla-Gil (2012) included R. victoria in the robusta group because most of its characters agreed with this group, although it did not fit into it entirely, especially regarding the paramere shape. Rhagovelia victoria possesses all diagnostic features of R. gaigei , including the paramere ( Padilla-Gil 2012: fig. 14), which has essentially the same shape as that of R. gaigei figured in Polhemus (1997: 365, fig. 389). Additionally, in both species, the male hind trochanter has several small spines, the hind femur displays a basal row of minute spines and two parallel rows of spines on apical 3/5 decreasing in size distally, the hind tibia bears small spines throughout its length and a straight apical spur, and the posterolateral margins of male abdominal segment VII surrounding the genital cavity lack black denticles. Finally, R. victoria was described from the same Colombian region where the types of R. gaigei were collected (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena).

Distribution. COLOMBIA: Cesar (this work), Magdalena ( Drake & Hussey 1957, Polhemus 1997, this work) ( Fig. 12A ).

Type material examined. Holotype apterous ♂ of R. gaigei (NMNH) : ‘ Colombia, Santa Marta , Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Mt. San Lorenzo, 1525 m, 09-VI-1920, F.M. Gaige’ . Holotype apterous ♂ of R. victoria (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Departamento Magdalena, Santa Marta, Corregimiento Minca , Hacienda La Victoria , 11º7’22.2” N, 74°5’29.7” W, 1075 m, 14.X.2007, leg. F. Fernandez’ . PARATYPE: same data as holotype, 1 apterous ♂ ( ICN) .

Additional material examined. Cesar: Valledupar, Chemesquemena, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 1800 m, II.2017, (J. Carvajal): 2 ♀ macropterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05614). Valledupar, Chemesquemena, Sierra Nevada, 1800 m, I.2017, (J. Carvajal): 1 ♂ apterous (UPTC-In-05616) . Magdalena: Santa Marta, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Hacienda La Victoria, Jabalí Bajo, 1151 m, 19.IV.2007, (L. Jiménez): 1 ♂ apterous (UPTC-In- 05615) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Geographic distribution of Rhagovelia gaigei.

FIGURE 14. Specimens of the genus Rhagovelia recorded from Colombia, dorsal view: A. R. trailii (apterous male); B. R. venezuelana (apterous male); C. R. williamsi (apterous male); D. R. zeteki (apterous male); E. R. gaigei (apterous male).