Maculambrysus gallicei Sites, 2023

Sites, Robert W., 2023, A new species of Maculambrysus Reynoso & Sites, 2021 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Naucoridae) from an aguaje palm swamp in southeastern Peru, Zootaxa 5389 (2), pp. 288-294 : 289-293

Maculambrysus gallicei Sites , NEW SPECIES

( Figs. 1–13 )

Description. Macropterous male. HOLOTYPE, length 8.88; maximum width 4.64. Paratypes (n = 10), length 8.48–9.28 (mean = 8.78); maximum width 4.56–5.04 (mean = 4.71). General shape elongate, parallel-sided, broadly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly; widest across embolia at abdominal segment II ( Fig. 1 ). Overall dorsal coloration dark-orange-brown with dark-brown hemelytra ( Fig. 1 ). Exposed abdominal lateral margins with alternating lightand dark-checkered appearance. Dorsal surface coarsely punctate. Ventrally, mostly orange-brown, with dark-brown at mesepimeron and metepimeron bases and most of propleuron ( Fig. 2 ).

Head. Head length 1.56; maximum width 2.24. Eyes convergent anteriorly, synthlipsis 0.84; thin band of cuticle posterior and laterad to eye; eyes flat and not raised above level of vertex or pronotum. Anterior margin between eyes shallowly convex, extending anteriorly in front of eyes 6% of head length; posterior margin between eyes strongly convex, extending posteriorly 35% of head length. Labrum width 2.1× length, evenly rounded. Labium orange-brown, with three visible segments, extending 0.52 beyond labrum. Antennal segment proportions 2:9:14:9, length 0.68, elongate hairs on segment 4 and distal 2/3 of 3.

Thorax. Pronotum mostly orange-brown with various lighter areas including behind eyes, anterior to posterior transverse band at midline and half distance to lateral margin and at lateral margin; coarsely punctate; lateral margins broadly and shallowly convex, convergent anteriorly, explanate; sparsely covered with short setae; posterior margin nearly straight at margin with scutellum, convex at clavus; anterior margin deeply concave receiving convex posterior margin of head; transverse line of dark punctures defining anterior margin of band in posterior 1/4; posterolateral corners rounded; width 2.8× length; length at midline 1.52; maximum width at posterolateral corners 4.32. Prothorax ventrally dark-brown and pruinose medially, with yellow glabrous lateral band; apices of propleura meeting broadly at midline, separated from level of prosternellum. Probasisternum orange-brown, with sharp medial carina and generally appearing pruinose, row of elongate pale hairs lateral to carina. Prosternellum light-brown, extending beneath apices of propleura. Elongate golden setae along anterior, mesal, and posterior margins and in posterolateral portion of pruinose area of propleuron. Scutellum with subtle mottling of dark- and light-orange-brown, triangular, densely punctate, width twice length, width 2.88, length 1.44. Hemelytra densely punctate, concolorous dark-brown except lighter at lateral margin of embolium. Claval commissure length 0.94. Embolium length 2.68, greatest width 0.62; lateral margin straight in proximal 2/3, convex in distal third. Hind wings well-developed. Mesobasisternum with midventral longitudinal tumescence with sulcus and erect light-colored hairs on midline; tumescence terminating posteriorly as acute mesosternellum between mesocoxae. Metasternellum (=metaxyphus), subtriangular, with apex acute. Mesepimeron and metepimeron with dark infuscation at coxal bases.

Legs. All leg segments yellow-brown to orange-brown. Profemur with dark-brown punctation evident dorsally, somewhat diminished ventrally; basal half of posterior margin with brush row of elongate hairs and 5–6 combs of 2–5 short brown spines; anterior margin with dense pad of setae without associated spines. Protibia and tarsus with occlusal inner surface flattened and with spatulate setae; tarsus immovable, one-segmented; pretarsal claw single, minute, triangular. Procoxa posteromesal surface with hair-lined ridge where it meets median prosternal carina. Meso- and metacoxa partially recessed into thorax. Metacoxa with longitudinal sulcus that can accommodate flexed metafemur. Meso- and metafemora with row of short, brown spines on anterior margins; spines restricted to basal 1/3 and single on mesofemur, combs of 1–3 spines irregularly spaced along full length of metafemur. Mesotibia with ventrolateral, ventromedial, dorsolateral, and dorsomedial rows of stout reddish-brown spines, dorsolateral and dorsomedial rows include combs of up to 4 spines; dense comb of spines at apical rim dorsally, two transverse comb rows of stout spines at apex of ventral margin. Metatibia with ventrolateral, ventromedial, dorsolateral, and dorsomedial rows of stout reddish-brown spines, 2–3 transverse comb rows of stout spines at apex of ventral margin. Meso- and metatibiae and -tarsi with long, pale swimming hairs; hairs sparse on mesotibia and -tarsus, profuse on metatibia and -tarsus. Meso- and metapretarsi with paired claws slender, curved, with nascent basal tooth. Leg measurements as follows: foreleg, femur 2.28, tibia 1.74, tarsus 0.48; middle leg, femur 2.26, tibia 1.96, tarsomeres 1–3, 0.14, 0.26, 0.32; hind leg, femur 2.60, tibia 3.04, tarsomeres 1–3, 0.16, 0.58, 0.50.

Abdomen. Abdomen dorsally with lateral margins of III–VIII exposed and with checkered appearance ( Fig. 1 ), III–VI with posterior third dark-brown, anterior 2/3 yellow-brown; lateral margin with row of pale short setae, group of trichobothria on dorsal surface near posterolateral corners of III–VIII; sparse brush of dark setae on terga III–VI beneath edge of hemelytra. Posterolateral corners of III–IV right-angled, V slightly produced, VI acute. Accessory genitalic process of VI broad, nearly parallel-sided, directed caudad, posterolateral corners rounded ( Fig. 3 ). Tergum VIII with lateral lobes evenly convex on lateral margins, medial lobes (pseudoparameres) with posteromedial corners obsolete, continuously rounded from anteromedial to posterolateral corners ( Fig. 4 ). Ventrally mostly orange-brown, pruinose, with pile of fine hairs. Lateral margin with thin glabrous band. Glabrous patches on laterosternites II–VII. Mediosternite V with posterior margin asymmetrical. Pygophore with anterior margin between parameres produced at midline, posterior apex with thick brush of setae ( Figs. 5, 6 ). Parameres symmetrical, elongate, subquadrate, corners broadly rounded, with brush of long setae in apical third ( Fig. 7 ). Phallosoma without ventral teeth or denticles, with proximal ends of left and right ventral lobes elevated from body of phallosoma forming open pockets ( Figs. 8–10 ).

Macropterous female. Paratypes (n = 10), length 8.96–9.60 (mean = 9.22); maximum width 4.80–5.16 (mean = 4.91). Similar to male in general structure and coloration except as follows: Mediosternite V symmetrical. Mediosternite VII (subgenital plate) 0.82× as long as wide, width 1.24, length 1.02, posterior margin middle half truncate, bordered with small concavity and slightly produced, pointed posterolateral corners ( Fig. 11 ); lateral lobes absent. Left laterosternite VI with posterior margin mostly straight, posteromedial corner with small digitate production; right laterosternite VI posterior margin shallowly convex and with small production in mesal fourth ( Fig. 11 ).

Diagnosis and comparative notes. This species can be distinguished from most congeners by the dorsal color pattern. More specifically, the hemelytra are concolorous dark-brown and the pronotum is mottled orange-brown, whereas in M. bifidus , M. maya , M. scolius , and M. tricuspis , the hemelytra are mottled and the pronotum has distinct, irregular, brown stripes. Maculambrysus gallicei n.sp. is most similar to M. stali , with which it shares the concolorous hemelytra; however, the lateral margins of M. gallicei n.sp. are less convex in the anterior half, the accessory genitalic process of males is directed caudad rather than angled to the right, male tergum VIII lateral lobes are evenly convex laterally, but distinctly angled in M. stali , and the female subgenital plate lacks lateral lobes, which are present in M. stali , and has small productions on both laterosternites VI, which are absent in M. stali .

Habitat description. The type locality is an aguaje palm swamp on the property of Finca Las Piedras research and education center in southeastern Peru ( Fig. 12 ). Other nearby streams north and south of the type locality were sampled for aquatic Heteroptera; however, Maculambrysus gallicei n.sp. was not found in any of them. The slowly flowing water at the type locality was mostly clear, maximum depth was ≤ 1m, and was under a canopy of primarily Mauritia flexuosa Linnaeus , the aguaje palm. The substrate was sand and silt and substantial amounts of dead leaves accumulated in pools and along the margins. Filamentous roots from riparian vegetation extended into the water. Maculambrysus gallicei n.sp. was collected mostly from the leafpacks and filamentous roots. Standing pools of water on a mud trail ( Fig. 13 ), disconnected from the flowing water of the aguaje palm swamp, also harbored surprising numbers of M. gallicei n.sp. specimens. Also collected from the type locality was the saucer bug Picrops usingeri La Rivers and other heteropterans, including Belostoma stollii (Amyot & Serville) , Belostoma sp. denticolle group ( Belostomatidae ); Brachymetra sp. , Cylindrostethus palmaris Drake & Harris , Limnogonus adjuncus Drake & Harris , Neogerris lotus (White) , Microvelia belterrensis Santos, Rodrigues, Couceiro & Moreira , Microvelia mimula White , Tachygerris adamsoni (Drake) ( Gerridae ); Hydrometra guianana Hungerford & Evans ( Hydrometridae ); Tenagobia romani Lundblad ( Micronectidae ); Ranatra spp. ( Nepidae ); Neoplea sp. ( Pleidae ); Paravelia dilatata Polhemus & Polhemus , Rhagovelia sp. robusta group, Steinovelia virgata (White) , Stridulivelia anta Polhemus & Spangler , and Stridulivelia tersa Polhemus & Spangler ( Veliidae ).

Etymology. The specific epithet honors Geoffrey Rene Gallice, president of Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon of the Finca Las Piedras education and research center, and who made his collecting permit available for this research.

Repositories. The holotype and some paratypes will be deposited in the Museo de Historia Natural , Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Lima, Peru); additional paratypes are deposited in the Enns Entomology Museum ( University of Missouri ) and Essig Museum of Entomology (University of California-Berkeley).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: PERU: Madre de Dios Departamento, unnamed stream at Finca Las Piedras, 12.225562°S, 69.118373°W, elev 269 m, 28 July 2022, coll: R.W. Sites, small, slow, sandy stream w/ leafpacks & filamentous rootmats, L-2100. PARATYPES: same data as holotype L-2100 (2♂, 3♀ UMC; 2♂, 3♀ MHN) ; same stream, except 12.2272°S, 69.1171°W, elev. 255 m, 1 August 2022, coll: R.W. Sites, L-2112 (1♂ UMC) ; same stream, except 12°13.6’S, 69°7.7’W, 239 m, 27 July 2022, coll: W.D. Shepard, Aguaje palm swamp, WDS-A-2163 (1♀ UMC) ; same stream, except -12.2255, -69.1184, 28 July 2022, coll: W.D. Shepard, Aguaje palm swamp, WDS-A-2164 (2♂, 1♀ UMC; 2♂, 1♀ MHN) ; same stream, except N Puerto Maldonado, -12.2256, -69.1184, 28 July 2022, C.B. Barr, Quebrada Aguajal , Mauritia palm swamp (2♀ MHN; 2♂, 1♀ EMEC) ; same except 29 July 2022 (1♀ MHN) ; same except 28 July 2022, collected from muddy pool in trail (1♀ EMEC) ; same except 12.226380°S, 69.118415°W, elev. 270 m, 28 July 2022, coll: R.W. Sites, muddy trail next to unnamed stream, L-2101 (3♀ UMC) ; unnamed stream at Finca Las Piedras , 12°13.624’S, 69°6.432’W, elev 242 m, 28 July 2022, coll: R.W. Sites, slow, narrow, sandy intermittent stream w/ leafpacks, L-2102 (1♂, 1♀ UMC; 1♂ MHN) ; same stream, except, 12°13.6’S, 69°6.4’W, 242 m, stream by Anaconda tr., 28 July 2022, coll: W.D. Shepard, WDSA-2165 (1♂, 1♀ UMC; 2♂ MHN) .

Other material examined. Immatures: PERU: Madre de Dios Departamento, unnamed stream at Finca Las Piedras , 12°13’37”S, 69°7’01”W, elev 214 m, 27 July 2022, coll: R.W. Sites, standing stream in palm swamp w/ leafpacks & marginal veg, L-2099 (1–5th instar UMC) ; unnamed stream at Finca Las Piedras, 12.225562°S, 69.118373°W, elev 269 m, 28 July 2022, coll: R.W. Sites, small, slow, sandy stream w/ leafpacks & filamentous rootmats, L-2100 (2–5th, 1–4th, 1–3rd instars UMC) ; same except 12.226380°S, 69.118415°W, elev. 270 m, muddy trail next to unnamed stream, L-2101 (2–5th instars UMC) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Maculambrysus gallicei n.sp. (1) Holotype dorsal habitus, (2) holotype ventral habitus, (3) male terminal abdominal terga, arrow indicates accessory genitalic process of tergum VI, (4) male abdominal tergum VIII.

FIGURES 5–11. Maculambrysus gallicei n.sp. (5–6) Male genital capsule with and without terga IX and X, respectively, (7) male left paramere, (8–10) male phallosoma in right, ventral, and left aspects, respectively (11) female terminal abdominal sterna, white arrow indicates production on posterior margin of right laterosternite VI, yellow arrow indicates small, digitate production at posteromedial corner of left laterosternite VI. sgp = subgenital plate.

FIGURES 12–13. Type locality of Maculambrysus gallicei n.sp. (12) Aguaje palm swamp, (13) pools on muddy trail near aguaje palm swamp.