Bubaces uhleri (Distant)

Brailovsky, Harry & Barrera, Ernesto, 2020, Review of the genus Bubaces (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae Lethaeini) with descriptions of three new species, new distributional records, and key to species, Zootaxa 4767 (2), pp. 244-256 : 255-256

Bubaces uhleri (Distant)

( Fig. 7 , 12 )

Rhaptus uhleri Distant, 1901: 508 (original description).

Redescription. Male. Dorsal coloration. Strongly shining, almost dark chocolate brown to reddish brown; basally with two iridescent spots, one on either side of midline; each spot consisting of a series of parallel ridges; antennal segments I-IV, tylus, humeri, anterolateral borders of pronotum, and costal margins of coria pale shining chestnut orange; each corium with a prominent circular pale shining yellowish-orange subapical spot; hemelytral membranes hyaline; dorsal abdominal segments shining reddish brown. Ventral coloration. Head, thorax, abdominal sterna and genital capsule strongly shining reddish brown; evaportive areas darker; rostral segment I pale yellowish orange, II -IV yellow (apex of IV pale brown); coxae, trochanters, femora, and tibiae shining chestnut orange; tarsi pale shiny yellow. Structure. Body length shorter than 3.9 mm, width greates beyond middle. Head. Impunctate; wider than long, non-declivent, vertex slightly swollen; ocelli absent; eyes large, protuberant; ventrally with short, shallow longitudinal sulcus; rostrum reaching posterior border of metasternum; rostral segment I extending just beyond level of middle of eye. Thorax. Pronotum glabrous, bilobed, transverse impression shallow, not deeply incised; anterior pronotal lobe slightly convex, with punctate collar, set off from remainder of pronotum by a gently incised groove; collar broadening slightly mesally; anterolateral margins emarginate, sinuate; posterior pronotal lobe with scattered shallow punctures. Metathoracic scent glands with ostiolar peritremes broad, raised above pleural surfaces, not strongly recurved posteriorly, but with a gentle, very wide curvature that resembles a “question mark”. Legs. Fore, middle and hind femora tuberculate; fore tibiae without spines; middle and hind tibiae sparsely spined. Hemelytra. Coleopteroid with clavi and coria fused, glabrous; hemelytral membranes reaching posterior border of abdominal sternite VI. Abdomen. Sterna sparsely clothed with fine longer hairs.

Female. Not examined.

Measurements. Male. Body length 2.85; head length 0.64; head width across eyes 0.61; interocular distance 0.37; preocular length 0.36; length antennal segments: I 0.45, II 0.51, III 0.45, IV 0.57; pronotum: total length 0.58; maximum width across humeral angles 0.87; scutellum: length 0.54; width 0.43.

General distribution. Widely distributed in the West Indies. Originally described from the Island of Grenada [(Mount Gay Est (Leeward Side)] and later cited from: ANTIGUA: Christian Valley. BARBADOS: Crab Hill, St. Thomas Parish. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Monte Cristi, Santo Domingo. GRENADA: Goat Point, Grand Anse, St. Andrew Parish. JAMAICA: Parish of Manchester, Parish of St. Andrew. NEVIS: Butler Village. ST. LUCIA: 2 mi N Castries. ST. VINCENT: Kingstown. TRINIDAD: Cumate, Arima, Simla Biol. Sta., St. George Co.) ( Distant 1901, O’Donnell 1986, 1991, Baranowski and Slater 2005).

Material examined. New records: GUADELOUPE: Pointe de la Grande Vigie, 77 m, 16.50959°N— 61.46715°W, 27-I-2010, R. Anderson ( UNAM) 1 male.

Discussion. Bubaces uhleri , belongs to the “ uhleri ” species group, and can be identified by having the dorsal surfaces of the pronotum, clavi and coria glabrous, each corium with a circular pale yellowish orange subapical spot, the ocelli absent, the rostrum reaching the posterior border of the metasternum, rostral segment I extending just beyond level of middle of eye, the femora of each leg dorsally and laterally tuberculate, the fore tibiae without spines, while the middle middle and hind tibiae are spinose, the hemelytra reduced, coleopteroid, with the clavi and coria fused, and the hemelytral membranes short, reaching the posterior border of abdominal segment VI.

Biology. Occurs often in xeric areas in ground litter. Taken below Ficus sp., in St. Vincent. They may also feed on grass seeds. Some specimens attracted to blacklights ( Baranowski & Slater 2005).

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Dorsal view of Bubaces spp. 1, B. castaneus Distant (female). 2, B. convergens Brailovsky (male). 3, B. enatus Brailovsky (female). 4, B. gloriosus sp. nov. (female). 5, B. occidentalis sp. nov. (male). 6, B. rostralis sp. nov. (male). 7, B. uhleri (Distant) (male).

FIGURES 8–12. Lateral view of Bubaces spp. 8, B. castaneus Distant (female). 9, B. convergens Brailovsky (male). 10, B. gloriosus sp. nov. (female). 11, B. occidentalis sp. nov. (male). 12, B. uhleri (Distant) (male).