Paravelia nieseri Moreira & Barbosa, 2012

Rodrigues, Higor D. D., Moreira, Felipe F. F., Nieser, Nico, Chen, Ping Ping, Melo, Alan L., Dias-Silva, Karina & Giehl, Nubia F. S., 2014, The genus Paravelia Breddin, 1898 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) in Brazil, with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 3784 (1), pp. 1-47 : 32-33

Paravelia nieseri Moreira & Barbosa, 2012

( Figs 17 D, 20A)

Paravelia nieseri Moreira & Barbosa, 2012: 61 . [Original description]

Diagnosis. Male. BL 6.25–6.35, PW 2.06–2.26. Female. BL 6.10, PW 2.06. Head and posterior margin of pronotum orange to orange brown; remaining of body brown to dark brown; legs yellowish brown, with small basal area dark. Ventral region of head, anterior margin of prosternum, and posterior region of first genital segment of male with small black denticles. Posterior angle of pronotum acuminated ( Fig. 17 D). Forewing with a basal white macula, not starting from humeral angle and ending before posterior margin of pronotum; at apex another oval white macula near posterior margin of wing ( Fig. 17 D). Male hind trochanter with small denticles; male hind femur with a row of small teeth on basal 3/4, followed by two robust spines. Male abdominal sternite VII with a pair of acute projections on posterior margin. Female hind femur with a row of 4–6 small spines on distal half. Male proctiger with a distinct anterior elevation. Paramere with a slight dorsal notch near base and with truncate apex ( Fig. 20 A).

Discussion. This species was recently described and known only from the macropterous form. Males have a pair of projections on abdominal sternite VII, like P. basalis , P. confusa , P. williamsi , and P. truxali Polhemus & Polhemus, 1985 . Its acuminated posterior angle of pronotum differentiates it from the first three species, in which the angle is rounded. Both P. nieseri and P. truxali have, besides acuminated posterior angle of pronotum, coloration of head and part of pronotum orange, and the acute shape of projections of male sternite VII. However, in P. nieseri the pronotum is dark brown to black, with margins of posterior lobe orange; the paramere has a slight notch on basal dorsal surface; female hind femur has no denticles; whereas in P. t r u x a l i the pronotum is orange with anterior lobe, humeral angles, and a wide median stripe brownish; the paramere is slightly widened on the basal dorsal surface; and female hind femur has approximately seven black denticles on ventral surface. Paravelia nieseri was known only from the type-locality in the Serra do Caraça, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Its geographical range is herein expanded to the Serra do Cipó, Retiro das Pedras, and Ouro Preto, all located above 1.300 m a.s.l. in Minas Gerais.

Type material examined. Holotype: Brazil, Minas Gerais: macropterous male ( MZUSP), Serra do Caraça, XI.1961, (Kloss, Lenko, Martins & Silva). Paratypes: 2 macropterous males, 1 macropterous female ( MZUSP), same data as holotype.

Additional material examined. Brazil, Minas Gerais: 2 macropterous males, 1 macropterous female ( DPIC), Serra do Caraça, about 1.500 m a.s.l., 27.III.1999, (M.A. Horta); 2 macropterous females ( DPIC), Serra do Cipó, Cardeal Mota, MG-010, Km-103, temporary pool, 08.III.1997, (A.L. Melo); 3 macropterous males, 5 macropterous females, 5 nymphs ( DPIC), same data, except Km-105, 06.II.2000; 2 macropterous males, 3 macropterous females ( DPIC), Serra do Cipó, 12.XII.1997, (A.L. Melo); 2 macropterous males, 1 macropterous female ( DPIC), Brumadinho, Retiro das Pedras, 20o04’S / 44o00’W, 14.IV.1999, (G.J.C. Vianna); 1 macropterous male, 1 macropterous female ( DPIC), same data, except XI.1999; 2 macropterous females ( DPIC), Ouro Preto, Estrada Real, Trilha do Chafariz, temporary pool in trail, 20º21’45.18”S / 43º33’33.63”W, 1.427 m a.s.l., 05.IV.2010, (H.D.D. Rodrigues).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Dorsal view, (A) Paravelia foveata, (B) P. lanemeloi (paratype), (C) P. manausana, (D) P. nieseri (holotype).

FIGURE 20. Lateral view of genital capsule of male, (A) P. nieseri, (B) P. platensis, paramere in posterior view, (C) P. recens, (D) P. rotundanotata, (E) P. spinifera, (F) P. splendoris, (G) P. williamsi.