Rhagovelia cachipai, Padilla-Gil, Dora N., 2011

Padilla-Gil, Dora N., 2011, Four new species of Rhagovelia in the robusta group from Colombia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), Zootaxa 2975, pp. 35-46 : 36-38

Rhagovelia cachipai sp. n.

Type material. HOLOTYPE, apt 3, allotype apt Ƥ: COLOMBIA, Cundinamarca, Cachipay, vía ferrocarril de Petaluma, 12 May 1990, leg. D. N. Padilla, ( ICN). PARATYPES, same data as holotype, 13 macr (CP).

Apterous Male. Length 5.8, maximum width (across pronotum) 1.8. General dorsal coloration uniform orangebrown, with anterior band of pronotum yellowish-brown. All margins (dorsal and ventral) of segments dark brown.

Head yellow, frons and vertex bearing stiff brown setae; antennae yellowish, all segments covered with very short, semi-recumbent dark pubescence, segments I and II also bearing ~8 long stiff, erect, black setae, 2 similar setae present near middle of segment II, segments III −IV lacking long, erect setae; lengths of segments I −IV, 1.10, 0.66, 0.74, 0.66.

Pronotum orange-brown, anterior 1/5 yellowish, this area of paler coloration extending downward across pleural region; pronotal surface and posterolateral margins of prosternum and metasternum brown foveate, pronotal surface covered with fine, short black setae, lateral and posterior margins and adjacent mesopleural area bearing many long, erect, black setae, posterior pronotum with distinct raised medium carina; length/width: 1.16/1.6, completely covering mesonotum but leaving small portion of metanotum exposed; length of exposed metanotum at midline 0.16.

Abdomen orange-brown, margins of tergites I −VII narrowly pruinose; tergite I shorter than II (0.30, 0.40), tergites III and IV equal in length (0.32), tergites V −VII progressively longer (0.34, 0.38, 0.56, respectively), tergite VIII shorter than VII (0.30); abdominal tergites II −VII pruinose laterally with ovate brown spots centrally and all connexival segments covered with short, recumbent golden setae and small black setae, intermixed with scattered erect slender black setae.

Legs yellowish, with tibiae and tarsi becoming brown distally; all segments thickly covered with short, semirecumbent golden setae; fore and middle trochanters unarmed, posterior trochanter bearing 5 small, black peg-like teeth of subequal size; all femora and trochanters with scattered stout, erect, black setae along anterior margins; fore and middle tibiae with 2 longitudinal rows of slender, erect dark setae along posterior margins; fore tibia weakly expanded and concave ventrally on distal 1/5, with small black grasping pad apically on posterior margin; middle femur and tibia slender, cylindrical; hind femur moderately incrassate, basal ¼ with a longitudinal row of 16 small black pegs, followed by 4 more creasing teeth, yellow with black tips; distal ½ with 2 roughly parallel longitudinal rows of spines, dorsal row containing 11 teeth beginning with a large tooth followed by 3 moderate sized teeth, then another large tooth followed by 6 progressively smaller teeth distally, ventral row composed of 10 smaller, subequal sized black teeth ( Fig. 2 ); distal ¼ with another irregular ventral longitudinal row of 6 smaller subequal sized black teeth. Hind tibia weakly sinuate, cylindrical, with 2 longitudinal rows of 24 black peg-like teeth of equal size, along posterior margin, apical spur conical, small, black.

Proportions of male legs as follows: fore femur/tibia/tarsal 1/tarsal 2: 1.20/1.44/0.06/0.32; middle femur/tibia/ tarsal 1/tarsal 2/tarsal 3: 2.40/2.08/0.14/0.64/0.70; hind femur/ tibia/ tarsal 1/tarsal 2/tarsal 3: 2.16/2.08/0.06/0.16/ 0.50.

Venter yellow to orange, abdominal ventrites I −VII separated by dark glabrous channels along sutures; abdominal ventrite I lying in nearly vertical orientation; abdominal ventrites II −VI bearing longitudinal median carina of triangular cross section; all ventral and lateral portions with numerous tiny black denticles, these denticles absent on posterolateral margins of segment VII bordering genital cavity; ventrite VII weakly depressed on posterior half, ventrite VIII not depressed basally; parameres symmetrical, shape as shown in Fig. 3 ; proctiger ( Fig. 4 ).

Apterous female. Length 6.0; maximum width (across pronotum) 2.06. Similar to wingless male in general structure and coloration with the following exceptions: lengths of antennal segments I −IV, 0.90, 0.68, 0.70, 0.62; abdominal tergites I −III subequal in length (0.32), IV −VI increasingly longer (0.40, 0.48, 0.56, respectively), VIII shorter than VII (0.14, 0.44, respectively); connexiva tapering gradually and evenly to apex of abdomen, connexival margins bowed, of even width throughout their length; abdominal ventrites lacking longitudinal medial carina; proctiger lying in horizontal position, tip rounded ( Fig. 5 ); hind femur moderately incrassate, bearing 5 spines along posterior margin, starting with a moderate sized spine, yellow with black tips, followed by 4 spines of progressively decreasing size, with 8 small spines ventrally in an irregular row toward distal end; hind tibia straight, bearing 2 longitudinal rows of ~22 small black peg-like teeth along posterior margin, with spine in apex.

Macropterous male. Length 7.20, maximum width (across humeral angles) 2.46. Similar in general coloration and structure to wingless male with following exceptions: pronotum expanded, brown with anterior band lighter, length/width: 2.60/2.46, humeral angles prominent, posterior lobe produced posteriorly to cover the entire metanotum, lateral margins bearing scattered long, erect, black setae, apex produced to a rounded acute angle ( Fig. 6 ); hemelytra exceeding tip of abdomen, bearing 4 closed cells, 2 long cells originating in the basal portion of the wing, followed by 2 smaller cells extending into the distal half, displaying uniformly dull light brown, and small dark brown spots in space between R and Sc, darker veins; Sc and R+M+Cu veins covered in short to moderatelength, recumbent golden setae intermixed with scattered long, erect, slender black setae; hind femur less incrassate, with an armature similar to wingless form but with length and number of teeth reduced.

Macropterous female: unknown.

Type locality. Cachipay, located 60 km W from Bogotá, 4º 45' 54'' N, 74º 28' 00'' W, with an average temperature is 22 ºC, and lying at an altitude of 1600 m.

Ecological notes: R. cachipai was found along small shaded streamlets, on calm pools.

Etymology. The name “ cachipai ” refers to the Colombian municipality of Cachipay (department of Cundinamarca) from which the types were collected.

Comparative notes. Rhagovelia cachipai is superficially similar to R. rubra but may be recognized by the larger size, the shape of the male hind tibia and the shape of the male paramere. In R. rubra the dorsal spine row on the male hind femur begins with a large spine separated by 1 moderate sized spine from another long spine, whereas in R. cachipai this same row begins with a long spine separated by 3 moderate sized spines from another long spine ( Fig. 2 ). The 2 species may also be distinguished by the shapes of the male parameres (compare Figs. 3, 7 ).

Figures

FIGURES 2 − 7. 2 − 6, Structural details of Rhagovelia cachipai sp. n., 2 − 4 male. 2, hind femur, dorsal view. Scale 0.25 mm; 3, paramere (setae omitted). Scale 0.05 mm; 4, proctiger. Scale 0.05 mm; 5, female abdomen, lateral view. Scale 0.1 mm; 6, pronotum, winged male, dorsal view. Scale 0.5 mm; 7, male paramere of R. rubra, not to scale (after Polhemus 1997).