Barrerablissus Brailovsky

Brailovsky, Harry, 2015, A new genus and species of Micropterous Blissidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea) from Ecuador, Zootaxa 4028 (4), pp. 583-588 : 583-584

Barrerablissus Brailovsky , gen. nov.

Type species: Barrerablissus strigosus sp.nov.

Description. Body relatively slender and elongate; dorsal surface completely shining, non-pruinose; ventral surface with head and thorax mostly pruinose; rostral segments, acetabulae, legs, pro-, meso-, and metapleura, apex of metathoracic scent gland auricle, abdominal sterna, and genital capsule shining; dorsally coarsely and deeply punctate. Head nondeclivent, nearly prognant, wider than long; tylus almost reaching middle third of antennal segment I; vertex moderately convex; antenniferous tubercle short, truncate; antennal segment I broad, rounded, II and III cylindrical, IV fusiform; antennal segment I the shortest, II the longest, and IV longer than III; ocelli close to eyes; eyes hemispheric, protruding, set on short broad lateral extensions; maxillary plates and genae without modifications; buccula short, apically rounded, not extending beyond base of antennal segment I; labium reaching posterior margin of mesosternum ( Fig 3 ). Thorax. Pronotum shallowy constricted, divided into two lobes by a tiny transverse impression; anterior lobe largest and wider; posterior lobe shorter and narrower; anterolateral margins evenly convex, broadest at level of calli; posterior margin straight; calli almost flat; anterior and humeral angles rounded ( Fig 3–4 ). Mesosternum with deep median furrow; metathoracic scent gland auricle large, elongate, enlarged at distal end, ear-like, and moderately curving posteriorly; evaporative area transversally furrowed, not extending to upper margin of metapleuron ( Fig 6 ). Legs. Fore coxal cavities intermediate between types A and B ( Slater 1979, fig. 3), posteriorly open, separated by a simple narrow prosternal projection not entirely reaching the metasternum; all trochanters terminating into ventrodistal triangular subspinose dark axial projection adpreesed to the femora; fore femur moderately incrassate, armed below and distally with two spines, one large, robust and apically acute, the other one tiny and acute ( Fig 5 ); middle and hind femora moderately incrassate, unarmed; fore tibiae slightly enlarged distally, not fossorial; inner face of each tibiae with two rows of tiny spines, irregularly distributed. Hemelytra micropterous; wings reduced to a pair of minute tumid pads, widely divergent, leaving most of metanotum exposed, and not extending onto abdominal tergum I. Abdomen elongate; abdominal terga slightly convex; connexivum with very prominent spiracles, placed far from upper border; spiracle II closer to anterior border, III to VI closer to posterior border than to anterior border; abdominal spiracles II to VI dorsal, VII ventral. Integument. Almost glabrous; dorsal surface with few elongate, upstanding golden hairs; ventral surface with few semidecumbent, short, golden hairs; antennal segments densely clothed with elongate, upstanding golden hairs; legs with few, elongate, upstanding golden hairs. Genital capsule. Fig 7 . Paramere. Slender, elongate, with apex moderately curving.

Etymology. Combination of a personal name “Barrera” (Ernesto Barrera) with Blissus (type genus of the family Blissidae ); gender masculine.

Diagnosis. Barrerablissus gen. nov., is distinguished by having the dorsal surface of pronotum completely shining, and lacking of pruinose areas; ocelli present; fore coxal cavities open; mesosternum with deep median furrow; metathoracic scent gland auricle elongate, moderately curving posteriorly; fore femur ventrally armed with two spines, one large and robust, the other tiny and acute; inner face of each tibiae with two rows of tiny spines irregularly distributed; micropterous, with the wings reduced to a pair of minute, tumid pads; and abdominal sterna lacking a stridulitrum.

This new genus is similar to Aulacoblissus Slater (1986), Heteroblissus Barber (1954), Howdenoblissus Stys (1991), Napoblissus Brailovsky and Barrera (2012) and Praetorblissus Slater (1966) in having extreme microptery to apterous condition and fore coxal cavities open.

Barrerablissus gen. nov., share with Heteroblissus and Praetorblissus in having ocelli; absent in the other three genera.

Praetorblissus is distinguished by having all femora miltispinose, and the metathoracic scent gland auricle large, apically almost spatulate, and distally curving anteriorly. In Barrerablissus the fore femora is armed with two spines, the unarmed middle and hind femora, and the metathoracic scent gland auricle is large, elongate, enlarged at distal end, and moderately curving posteriorly.

Heteroblissus can be distinguished by the prominent stridulitrum on sterna III to VI, which are absent in Barrerablissus .

Figures

FIGURES 3 – 5. Barrerablissus strigosus sp. nov. 3, head and pronotum in dorsal view. 4, pronotum and scutellum in dorsal view. 5, fore leg.

FIGURES 6 – 7. Barrerablissus strigosus sp. nov. 6, metathoracic scent gland auricle. 7, genital capsule in caudal view, paramere included.