Phasmatocoris xavieri, Gil-Santana & Alves & Barrett & Costa, 2007

Gil-Santana, Hélcio R., Alves, Veracilda Ribeiro, Barrett, Toby Vincent & Costa, Luiz A. A., 2007, A new species of Phasmatocoris Breddin (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) from the Amazon, Brazil, Zootaxa 1642 (1), pp. 43-51 : 44-49

Phasmatocoris xavieri sp. nov.

Diagnosis. General coloration yellow-orange to bright testaceous. Anterior lobe of pronotum slightly longer than posterior lobe (Figs. 2, 5). Anterior projections of collar rounded apically (Fig. 3). Metanotum with a very small blunt tubercle. Distal two-thirds of fore femur armed with slender spinelike setae ventrally..Fore tibia ventrally with a single series of denticles. Abdomen slender. Last tergite in male tongue-like, truncate apically. Pygophore with lateral notch at upper margin (Fig. 10); posterior process of pygophore spinelike, straight, narrowed apically (Fig. 11). Apical portion of parameres subrectangular (Figs. 12, 13). Last sternite in female with conspicuous median terminal spine (Fig. 18).

Description. Male (Figs. 2–17). Dimensions (in mm) – Total length: 15,0–16,0; Head: length: 1,5–1,7; antennal segments: I: 13,0–13,5; II: 12,0–12,6; III: 1,9; IV: 7,3–7,5; rostrum length: 1,8–1,9. Thorax: pronotum: anterior lobe length: 2,2; posterior lobe length: 1,4–1,6. Fore legs: coxa: 5,0–5,2; femur: 7,0–7,1; tibia: 2,9–3,1; tarsus: 0,8; mid legs: femur: 14,0–15,0; tibia: 20,5–22,3; tarsus: 0,8–0,9; hind legs: femur: 16,5–18,0; tibia: 28,5–30,4; tarsus: 0,9. Abdomen length: 9,0–9,5.

General coloration yellow-orange to bright testaceous. Antennae, apical half of fore femur, mid and hind femora, tibiae and last abdominal segments darkened. Dorsum of head, posterior half of posterior lobe of pronotum, and mesopleura somewhat brownish. Anterior wings yellowish with fuscous patches throughout sub-basal cell, the basal half of discal cell, apical and lower region of wing, and very subtly in proximal subcostal region. Head and body moderately shiny; pubescence very short, sparse. Head elongated, covered with short delicate hairs, more numerous in superior and inferior post-ocular areas. Eyes medium-sized, not attaining venter of head. Interocular sulcus well defined. Postocular portion subglobular. Antennae with very short delicate hairs; segments straight, very slender. Anterior lobe of pronotum slightly longer than posterior lobe (Figs. 2, 5), anterior lobe sub-retangular in dorsal view; anterior projections of collar truncated apically; a well defined median furrow, a pair of shallow curved lateral lines, and a pair of small processes anterior to interlobular sulcus, near median furrow (Fig. 2). Posterior lobe of pronotum with a median depressed area, this with discrete rugosity. Scutellum elevated. Metanotum with small blunt tubercle. Wings, when folded, not reaching end of abdomen. Venation as in Figs. 8–9. Ventral surface of fore femur with slender spinelike setae in two series, posteroventral and anteroventral, setae very apically transformed into short teeth; anteroventral series interrupted at base, not connected to posteroventral series, one seta basal to interruption (Fig. 7). Distance from base of fore femur to insertion of first spiniform setae in posteroventral series about one-third total length of fore femur. Fore tibia ventrally with single series of denticles. All tarsi three-segmented. Mid and hind legs very slender, with very short, fine, blackish hairs. Tarsal segments and claws slender, claws slightly curved. Abdomen slender, sides subparallel, last two or three segments darkened, specially ventrally. Last abdominal tergite with tongue-shaped prolongation, truncate apically, somewhat wider at base, almost reaching tip of pygophore. Pygophore subrectangular, brownish to blackish, with lateral notch at upper margin (Fig. 10). Posterior process spinelike, straight, narrowed apically (Fig. 11). Apical portion of parameres subrectangular (Figs. 12–13). Phallosoma somewhat asymmetrical, basal plates shorter than phallosoma, strongly diverging, connected by narrow basal ridge (Figs. 14–15) The sclerite formed by basal plate struts widened; platelike extensions underlying base of articulatory apparatus conspicuous (Fig. 16). Endosoma wall covered with tiny spiculets and two areas of irregular sclerotization (Fig. 17). Apical endosoma processes as in Fig.17.

Female (Fig. 18). Dimensions (in mm) – Total length: 15,0–16,0; Head: length: 1,6–1,8; antennal segments: I: 13,0–13,5; II: 11,8–12,0; III: 1,6–1,8; IV: 6,5–7,0; rostrum length: 1,8–1,9. Thorax: pronotum: anterior lobe length: 2,1–2,2; posterior lobe length: 1,4–1,5. Fore legs: coxa: 4,6–5,0; femur: 7,0–7,1; tibia: 2,9– 3,0; tarsus: 0,8; mid legs: femur: 13,2–13,5; tibia: 20,0–21,0; tarsus: 0,8; hind legs: femur: 17,0–17,3; tibia: 28,0–29,0; tarsus: 0,85. Abdomen length: 9,3–9,6. Last abdominal sternite with conspicuous median apical spine (Fig. 18); genital segments simple, pale to very dark.

There is no noticeable sexual dimorphism.

Last instar (Fig. 19). Dimensions (in mm) – Total length: 11,8; Head: length: 1,4; antennal segments: I: 9,0; II: 8,8; III: 1,4; IV: 3,3; rostrum length: 1,6. Thorax: pronotum: anterior lobe length: 2,2; posterior lobe length: 0,7. Fore legs: coxa: 3,5; femur: 5,5; tibia: 2,5; tarsus: 0,7; mid legs: femur: 8,7; tibia: 10,1; tarsus: absent; hind legs: femur: 11,3; tibia: 18,0; tarsus: 0,7. Abdomen length: 6,0.

The nymph is very similar to the adult, except for the less developed posterior lobe of the pronotum, the obvious absence of wings, and the blackish abdomen with whitish markings.

Material examined. Brazil, Amazonas, municipality of Presidente Figueiredo, Gruta dos Animais (02°03´02,64S / 59°57´51,47W) 04/01/2006 and 09/05/2006: Holotype male (05/09/2006); three males paratypes (02: 01/04/2006 and 01: 05/09/2006); three female paratypes (01: 01/04/2006 and 02: 05/09/2006) and one nymph (05/09/2006).

The holotype male, two females paratypes and one nymph will be deposited in the Entomology Collections at Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia ( INPA); one male and one female paratypes will be deposited in the Museu Nacional da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro ( MNRJ) ; and 1 paratype male in the collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .

Etymology. Phasmatocoris xavieri . The new species is named for Mr. Francisco Felipe Xavier Filho, Senior Technician in Entomology at INPA, in recognition of his outstanding dedication to the field of entomology.

Geographical distribution. The only known locality (where the type series was found) is the cave “Gruta dos Animais” (” 02°03´02,64S / 59°57´51,47W), in the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo , Amazonas State, Brazil .