Spilopleura Stal , 1870, status nov.

Olivera, Leonela, Melo, Maria Cecilia & Dellape, Pablo M., 2023, Revisiting the South American Acanthocephalini (Hemiptera, Coreidae): Spilopleura Stal (status novum), Evolutionary Systematics 7 (1), pp. 35-50 : 35

Spilopleura Stal, 1870, status nov.

1870 Acanthocephala (Spilopleura) Stål, 150 [n. subgen.; type species: Metapodius parensis Dallas 1852].

1938 Acanthocephala (Spilopleura) : Blöte, 275.

2010 Acanthocephala (Spilopleura) : Packauskas, 13 [synonymized under Acanthocephala ].

2021 Acanthocephala (Spilopleura) : CoreoideaSF Team [as synonym of Acanthocephala ].

Type species.

Spilopleura parensis (Dallas).

Diagnosis.

Pronotum without tubercles, posterior pronotal lobe always punctate; apex of scutellum flat, never incrassated or with an apparent callosity; with a conspicuously rounded or conical, but never spinose, projection on the metathoracic acetabulum; and metatibia conspicuously expanded.

Redescription.

Male. Head. Dorsally flat, lateral margins parallel (Fig. 1A ). Post-tylar depression visible. Preocelar pit deep. Eyes hemispherical, globose, and protuberant; postocular tubercle weakly exposed, visible in dorsal view (Fig. 1A ). Ocelli rounded and weakly elevated. Juga not visible from above, flexed below antenniferous tubercles (Fig. 1B ). Buccula short and sub-quadrangular, extending beyond the anterior third of the eye (Fig. 1B ). Antenniferous tubercles broad and oblique at apex (Fig. 1A ). Antennae slender, as long as body length; scape cylindrical, stout and slightly curved outwards, inner side longitudinally ridged; pedicel and basiflagellomere cylindrical; distiflagellomere elongate and narrowly fusiform. Antennal segments decreasing in length from scape to basiflagellomere, and the distiflagellomere is the longest. Labium reaching or surpassing the mesocoxae. Thorax. Pronotum trapezoidal, steeply declined; with distinct collar, frontal angles blunt; anterior lobe smooth and unarmed, calli almost flat; anterolateral margins straight and slightly crenulate; posterior lobe punctate without tubercles on the disc; humeral angles slightly enlarged, extending laterally into a small spine directed backwards; posterolateral margins tuberculate; triangular processes short. Scutellum transversely striated, lateral margins thickened; apex flat never thickened. Hemelytra extending beyond the apex of abdomen; clavus and embolium with decumbent yellowish setae, with punctures along and next to the veins and in the center of the cells, costal edge unarmed; membrane glabrous. Thoracic pleura without tubercles, episterna striated, epimera punctate; metathoracic gland auricle well developed, lobes of auricle rounded, posterior lobe reduced; evaporative area striated; supracoxal area of metapleura incrassate posteriorly; metathoracic acetabulum with a conspicuous projection (Figs 2E , 6E ). Prosternum with a deep concavity; mesosternum flat, with an anterior projection; metasternum flat. Legs: Coxae rounded and setose; pro- and mesotrochanters unarmed, metatrochanter with two small ventral setiferous tubercles. Pro- and mesofemora slender, with two rows of spines on ventral margin that become larger towards the apex; anterior, posterior, and dorsal margins of profemur unarmed. Metafemur incrassate, laterally compressed; dorsal margin with two rows of conical setiferous tubercles, with a conspicuous large spine near the base; ventral margin with two rows of spines that become larger to the apex and ends in a flat projection, posterior row less developed; anterior margin unarmed; posterior margin tuberculate. Pro- and mesotibiae unarmed and cylindrical, with the distal third almost quadrangular, with semierect yellowish setae over the entire surface, thicker and darker on the margins of the apical third. Metatibia with dorsal and ventral margins expanded; ventral expansion always tuberculate. Tarsi: Protarsus as long as the length of the meso- and metatarsus combined; meso- and metatarsus sub-equal. Pretarsi: Two claws and pulvilli well developed. Abdomen. Terga with one or two central lines extending along all abdominal tergites. Lateral margin of abdominal sternite III fold-like expanded (Fig. 2E ). Connexival segments smooth. Spiracles well developed and closer to the anterior margin of abdominal sternites. Male genitalia: Pygophore globose, lateral margins declivent to the apex; posteroventral margin rounded, with a median depression or not; lateral margins of the anterior opening sinuous on medial part; transversal wall of pygophore short. Parameres symmetrical, basal shank wide, narrowing at the joint with the arm in both views, inner margin slightly expanded distally; arm perpendicular to basal shank, wide and slightly concave, narrowing to apex, ends in a downwardly directed apical dentiform process. Aedeagus: Phallosoma wide and membranous, with the basal region and the lateral margins sclerotized; conjunctiva membranous, with a pair of small ventral well sclerotized appendages that arise to the apex of two well-developed digitiform membranous sacs, and with two pairs of dorsal appendages: dorsal appendages I well sclerotized, large, broad and flat and lobulated apically; dorsal appendages II: small and membranous, posterior to the dorsal sac. Dorsal sac of conjunctiva large and membranous. Vesica well sclerotized, rolled up on itself, with almost two coils. Ejaculatory duct straight.

Female. Structure and color similar to male. Thorax. Supracoxal area of metapleura not incrassate posteriorly. Metathoracic acetabulum without a conspicuous projection. Metatrochanter unarmed or with only one small ventral setiferous tubercle. Ventral margin of profemur with only one row of spines. Metafemur flattened and less developed than in males; spines of the dorsal margin without a conspicuous larger spine; ventral margin with two rows of flat spines that become larger to the apex and ends in a flat bidentate projection; posterior margin tuberculate or not. Expansions of the metatibia unarmed and more developed than in males. Abdomen. Expansion of abdominal sternite III absent. Female genitalia: Sternum VII with plica and fissure present. First gonocoxae large and triangular, distal angle rounded, proximal region of the outer lateral margin with a finger-like process for insertion of the muscles of the vagina (dorsal apodeme). First gonapophysis elongate, digitiform and hollow, basal and middle thirds punctate and with oblique striations and long setae, inner region of the distal third weakly sclerotized and with short and thick peg-like setae; first ramus straight and well sclerotized. Second gonocoxa elongate. Second gonapophysis elongate and well sclerotized, thickened distal region with a wide lateral tooth; second ramus well sclerotized, curved in basal region. Spermatheca: Type III, subtype D ( Pluot-Sigwalt and Moulet 2020): Seminal receptacle tubular, sinuous and apically globose; intermedian zone straight, distal region with a well sclerotized and pigmented flange (distal flange), median region (flexible zone) straight, unsclerotized and unpigmented, proximal region with a slightly pigmented flange (proximal flange); spermathecal duct shorter than the seminal receptacle, with a dilation with thickened and strongly pigmented walls.

Figures

Figure 1. Spilopleura sp. Schematic drawings of head (A) Dorsal view; (B) Lateral view. Abbreviations: aTb: antenal tubercle; bu: buccula; ju: juga; pOtb: postocular tubercle; pp: preocelar pit; ty: tylus; Ptyd: post-tylar depression.

Figure 2. Spilopleura parensis (Dallas). A Lectotype female in dorsal view and labels; B Head in lateral view; C Head in dorsal view; D Thoracic pleurae; E Projection of metathoracic acetabulum in males. Abbreviations: MsP: mesopleura; MtAc: metathoracic acetabulum; MtP: metapleura; PrP: propleura.

Figure 6. Spilopleura ochracea (Montandon). A Holotype female in dorsal view and labels; B Holotype female in lateral view; C Head in dorsal view; D Head in lateral view; E Projection of metathoracic acetabulum in males. Abbreviations: MtAc: metathoracic acetabulum.