Altavelia antioquia Molano & Morales, 2019

Polhemus, Dan A., Molano, Fredy, Morales, Irina, Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo & Floriano, Carla Fernanda Burguez, 2019, Altavelia, a new genus of Neotropical Veliinae (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Veliidae), with a key to species and descriptions of four new species from Colombia, Zootaxa 4585 (2), pp. 295-314 : 302-303

Altavelia antioquia Molano & Morales , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 C–D, 4B, 4G, 5)

Apterous male ( Figs. 1C , 4B, 4G ). Measurements (holotype / paratypes; n = 10): BL 6.60 / 6.63–6.66, HL 0.89 / 0.92–0.95, HW 0.82 / 0.85–0.87, ANT I 1.22 / 1.26–1.28, ANT II 0.95 / 0.97–0.98, ANT III 0.75 / 0.79–0.80, ANT IV 0.89 / 0.91–0.92, EYE 0.33 / 0.32–0.35, PL 1.94 / 1.95–1.97, PW 1.65 / 1.64–1.67, FORELEG: FEM 1.94 / 1.93–1.96, TIB 1.81 / 1.80–1.83, TAR I 0.09 / 0.08–0.11, TAR II 0.46 / 0.45–0.49, TAR III 0.56 / 0.55–0.57; MIDLEG: FEM 2.31 / 2.30–2.33, TIB 2.37 / 2.35–2.40, TAR I 0.13 / 0.11–0.15, TAR II 0.49 / 0.47–0.52, TAR III 0.56 / 0.55–0.58, HINDLEG: FEM 2.93 / 2.92–2.96, TIB 3.40 / 3.40–3.43, TAR I 0.13 / 0.11–0.22, TAR II 0.82 / 0.82–0.86, TAR III 0.62 / 0.61–0.65.

Body dark brown. Head dark reddish brown. Antennomeres I–II light brown with black stripe at apex, antennomeres III–IV dark brown. Labium with articles I–III brown, article IV black. Pronotum black on midline, dark reddish brown on sides of anterior lobe and humeri, yellowish on most of posterior lobe ( Fig. 1C ). Coxae and trochanters reddish brown, femora and tibiae reddish brown to dark brown towards apices; tarsi dark brown. Dorsum of abdomen, including terminalia, dark reddish brown; abdominal sterna dark brown.

Head velvety, covered by golden setae. Antenna covered by short setae; antennomere I widest and curved laterally, II thinner than I, III–IV thinner than II. Ocular setae present. Anterior pronotal lobe narrowed, with abundant golden pilosity except for longitudinal median carina. Humeri broad, elevated. Posterior pronotal lobe with large foveae; posterior margin flat. Legs unarmed, covered by abundant pilosity. Fore tibia with grasping comb occupying approximately 1/6 of is length. Abdomen dorsally covered by abundant short golden setae. Abdominal laterotergites elevated; VII ending in a short spine. Abdominal sterna with long golden setae; posterior margin of sternum VII straight. Dorsum of male proctiger with a large bifurcated projection (V-shaped) ( Fig. 4B ); paramere with thick base, elongated, flat, curved, with rounded apex ( Fig. 4G ).

Apterous female ( Fig. 1D ). Measurements (paratypes; n = 10): BL 7.09–7.13, HL 0.71–0.73, HW 0.79–0.82, ANT I 1.11–1.15, ANT II 0.98–1.02, ANT III 0.6 5–0.68, ANT IV 0.91–0.94, EYE 0.35–0.39, PL 2.10–2.13, PW 1.90–1.94, FORELEG: FEM 1.97–1.99, TIB 1.80–1.83, TAR I 0.08–0.11, TAR II 0.28–0.31, TAR III 0.38–0.43, MIDLEG: FEM 2.30– 2.33, TIB 2.43–2.47, TAR I 0.12–0.14, TAR II 0.45–0.48, TAR III 0.47–0.50; HINDLEG: FEM 3.02–3.06, TIB 3.74–3.77, TAR I 0.12–0.17, TAR II 0.84–0.88, TAR III 0.55–0.58.

Color as in apterous male, except for body brown instead of reddish brown, with smaller yellowish areas on posterior lobe of pronotum and orange brown lateral margins of abdominal laterotergites. Body structure similar to male, except for abdominal laterotergites reflexed over sides of mediotergites V–VIII, not ending in spines.

Type material examined. All specimens apterous. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( CEUA 94194 ): ‘ Colombia, Antioquia \ Sonsón, Vrd. Manzanares arriba Cerro La Vieja \ 5.774120 -75.232625, 3251 m \ Páramo , pitfall \ 16–19 mayo 2014, A. Cardona y D. Cardona’ . 1♀ PARATYPE ( UPTC MHN-ART-0063 ): same data as holotype . 6♂, 6♀ PARATYPES ( UPTC MHN-ART-0064 ): same data as holotype . 3♂, 8♀ PARATYPES ( UPTC MHN-ART-0062 ): same data as holotype . 3♂, 1♀ ( UPTC): ‘ Colombia, Antioquia \ Liborina, Vrd. El Placer , 3000 m \ 5–11 noviembre 2011, J. D. Castaño y C. Bota’ . 25♂, 30♀ ( UPTC): ‘ Colombia, Antioquia \ Sonsón, Vrd. Manzanares arriba Cerro La Vieja \ 5.771160 -75.236280, 2728 m, pitfall \ 16–19 mayo 2014, A. Cardona y D. Cardona’ . 15♂, 12♀ ( CEUA): ‘ Colombia, Antioquia \ Sonsón, Vrd. Manzanares arriba Cerro La Vieja \ 5.772746 -75.233605, 3152 m, ecotono, pitfall \ 16–19 mayo 2014 \ A. Cardona y D. Cardona’ .

Distribution. This species is known from elevations between 2728 and 3251 m in the municipalities of Sonsón (Paramo forest) and Liborina (“Ecotono”, high mountain forest area), Antioquia Department, Colombia ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. This species is named after Antioquia Department, Colombia, where the types were collected.

Comments. Altavelia antioquia is superficially similar to A. columbiensis , but can be distinguished from it by the smaller body length (6.60–7.10 mm), the dorsum of the male proctiger with a large bifurcated projection (Vshaped, Fig. 4B ), the shape of the paramere (compare Figs. 4G and 4H ), and the female abdominal laterotergites reflexed over the sides of mediotergites V–VIII. Altavelia columbiensis is larger (about 7.70 mm long), and has two smaller central projections on the dorsum of male proctiger ( Fig. 4C ) and female abdominal abdominal laterotegites elevated, but not reflexed.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Altavelia altoandina, male holotype, dorsal view. B. Altavelia altoandina, female paratype, dorsal view. C. Altavelia antioquia, male paratype, dorsal view. D. Altavelia antioquia, female paratype, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. A. Altavelia altoandina, male proctiger, dorsal view. B. Altavelia antioquia, male proctiger, dorsal view. C. Altavelia columbiensis, male proctiger, dorsal view. D. Altavelia flavomarginata, male proctiger, dorsal view. E. Altavelia montana, male proctiger, dorsal view. F. Altavelia altoandina, paramere. G. Altavelia antioquia, paramere. H. Altavelia columbiensis, paramere. I. Altavelia daza, paramere. J. Altavelia flavomarginata, paramere. K. Altavelia montana, paramere. L. Altavelia inveruglas, male proctiger, dorsal view. M. Altavelia inveruglas, paramere. N. Altavelia osborniana, male proctiger, dorsal view. O. Altavelia osborniana, paramere.

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Altavelia altoandina, A. antioquia, A. montana, and A. quindiana.