Cryphocricos graziae, Sites, 2021

Sites, Robert W., 2021, A review of Cryphocricos Signoret, 1850 (Naucoridae: Cryphocricinae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4958 (1), pp. 72-94 : 79-81

Cryphocricos graziae new species

( Figs 13–17 )

Holotype. Brachypterous ♀ ( MIZA): VENEZUELA: Monagas, Municipio Cedeño, Rio Areo, Alto de San Juan , 06/I/2002, J. Camacho, coll.

Paratypes: same data as holotype (1♂ brachypterous, 1♀ brachypterous MIZA; 2♂ brachypterous, 1♀ brachypterous UMC); Monagas St., Rio Aragua nr Rio Chiquito , 10°4’18.3606”N, 63°33’33.6558”W, 464 m, 1 Feb 2010, A.E. Short (1♂ brachypterous MIZA; 1♂ brachypterous, 1♀ brachypterous USNM; 3♂ brachypterous, 2♀ brachypterous, 15 nymphs UMC) .

Etymology: This species is dedicated to Professor Jocelia Grazia, who has retired from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul after more than 50 years of teaching, guiding her many graduate students, and outstanding research contributions to studies of the biology and taxonomy of Heteroptera .

Description. Brachypterous female. HOLOTYPE, length 8.08; maximum width 4.04. Paratypes (n = 5), length 7.76–8.32 (mean = 8.00); maximum width 3.90–4.20 (mean = 4.09). General shape elongate, suboval, attenuated anteriorly, dorsoventrally flattened, widest at embolia and abdominal segment III, half as wide as long ( Fig. 13 ). Overall dorsal coloration concolorous reddish-brown. Dorsal surface tuberculate. Ventral coloration reddishbrown ( Fig. 14 ).

Head. Head length 1.56, maximum width 1.56, inserted over twice as far into pronotum behind eyes as length in front of eyes to base of labrum, 25:: 11. Reddish-brown, coarsely tuberculate. Eyes convergent anteriorly, synthlipsis 0.78; thin band of cuticle along posterolateral margin of eye ending at anterolateral corner of pronotum; vertex raised above level of eyes. Anterior margin above labrum slightly convex, posterior margin between eyes deeply convex. Labrum width 1.5× length, evenly rounded, with transverse sulcus at base, spatulate setae covering dorsal surface beyond basal sulcus. Labium with three visible orange-brown segments, basal segment barely visible beyond head capsule, extending 0.50 not including extruded stylets. Antennal proportions 5:4:2:11, length 0.44, extending to slightly beyond lateral margin of eye.

Thorax. Pronotum tuberculate; disk abruptly elevated laterally and posteriorly and extending over most of surface; lateral margins convergent, straight to slightly convex, coarsely crenulate, each with approximately 15 rounded crenulations on each side that become less distinct at ends; posterior margin straight; anterior margin deeply concave between eyes to embrace convex posterior margin of head; posterolateral corners rounded and produced posteriorly to meet humeral angle of hemelytra; width 2.42× length; length at midline 1.32; maximum width at posterolateral corners 3.20. Prothorax ventrally transversely rugose; prosternellum pentagonal with distinctly thickened anterolateral and posterior margins, central carina continuous from posterior margin to posterior end of probasisternal carina; median probasisternal carina extending from prosternellum to ventral carina of head; propleuron darkly colored at lateral crenulations. Scutellum triangular, tuberculate, 1.27× longer than hemelytral commissure. Hemelytra with apical margin straight, posterolateral corner rounded, lateral margin straight to very slightly convex, anterolateral corner broadly rounded. Hemelytra tuberculate, reddish-brown, width 1.1× length measured from humeral articulation posteriorly and parallel with long axis of body, width 2.04, length 2.20. Clavus lacking. Hemelytral commissure 0.90. Embolium marked by abrupt shelf-like depression of lateral margin extending 78% of length of hemelytron, depression diminishing posteriorly, greatest width 0.30. Mesosternum depressed, with median carina. Metaxyphus acetabular, posterior margin broadly rounded and deflexed.

Legs. All legs reddish-brown, meso- and metathoracic tibiae lighter. Profemur width subequal to head length; anterior margin with dense pad of setae without associated spines; scattered tubercles over dorsal and ventral surfaces, posteroventrally with orange tubercles scattered, not organized in a row; midventral irregular, double row of orange-brown tubercles; posterodorsal margin with row of dark, regularly spaced tubercles and row of elongate hairs. Protibia and -tarsus with occlusal inner surface flattened and with spatulate setae, protibia with elongate ridge on anterodorsal and anteroventral margins; tarsus immovable, one-segmented; pretarsal claw single, minute, triangular. Procoxa tuberculate, with rows of large, tubercles on posteromesal and posterolateral margins. Meso- and metacoxae partially recessed into thorax. Meso- and metafemora ventral surface with sparsely scattered small, orange tubercles, posteroventral and posterodorsal margins each with row of small dark tubercles in distal half. Meso- and metatibiae each with ventromesal row of small spines and three apical comb rows of small spines. Meso- and metatibiae and -tarsi with long swimming hairs; hairs more profuse on metatibia and -tarsus. Meso- and metapretarsi with paired, evenly curved claws, with basal tooth. Leg measurements as follows: foreleg, femur 2.68, tibia 2.28, tarsus 0.40; middle leg, femur 2.40, tibia 2.08, tarsomeres 1–3, 0.16, 0.34, 0.54; hind leg, femur 2.76, tibia 3.28, tarsomeres 1–3 0.24, 0.44, 0.66.

Abdomen. Dorsally with hemelytra extending to anterior third of tergum III. Terga tuberculate. Terga VI and VII transversely rugose especially pronounced in middle half. Group of light colored trichobothria near posterolateral corners of III–VIII. Posterolateral corners of segments II–V blunt, VI produced to small spine, VII narrowly pointed. Ventrally reddish-brown, pruinose throughout. Golden colored sense organs near lateral margin, slightly anterolateral to spiracles. Mediosternite VII (subgenital plate) transversely rugose; posterior margin with three rounded lobes, middle lobe wider and slightly shorter than lateral lobes; lateral margins straight and convergent posteriorly ( Fig. 16 ); width 1.23× length; length at midline 0.78; maximum width 0.96.

Brachypterous male. Paratypes (n = 8), length 7.12–8.08 (mean = 7.58); maximum width 3.68–4.04 (mean = 3.82). Same as brachypterous female, but with following differences: Abdominal terga V – VII fused; posterior 2/3 of fusion transversely rugose ( Fig. 15 ). Posterolateral corners of V –VIII blunt. Abdominal mediosternite V with posterior margin concave asymmetrically to left side; mediosternites VI, VII also skewed; VIII concave posteriorly; IX mostly covered with spatulate setae. Pygophore convex medially; phallosoma narrow basally, widening apically, apical margin angled; vesica elongate and coiled ( Fig. 17 ) .

Macropterous female. Unknown.

Macropterous male. Unknown.

Diagnosis: This species was collected at the extreme northeastern most limit of the known distribution of all species of South American Cryphocricos . Cryphocricos graziae n.sp. is isolated by the Amazon basin from congeners that occur in southern Brazil and Argentina and it is substantially smaller than the described Andean species ( C. breddini , C. fittkaui , C. peruvianus ). The blunt posterolateral corners of the abdominal segments ally this species with North American congeners (see Usinger 1947). Further, the trilobate female subgenital plate with rounded lobes along with the blunt abdominal corners renders this species readily recognizable.

Figures

FIGURES 13–17. Cryphocricos graziae n.sp. (13) holotype, dorsal, (14) holotype, ventral, (15) male paratype, dorsal, (16) terminal abdominal sterna with female subgenital plate, (17) male genital capsule with phallosoma and coiled vesica.