Belostoma anurum ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1848 )

Ribeiro, Josė Ricardo Inacio, 2007, A review of the species of Belostoma Latreille, 1807 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) from the four southeastern Brazilian states, Zootaxa 1477 (1), pp. 1-70 : 21-22

Belostoma anurum ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1848)

( Figs 5I–P ; 16A ; 22A )

Diplonychus anurus Herrich-Schäffer, 1848: 26 (Fig. 799).

Zaitha anurus Dufour, 1863: 388 .

Zaitha anura Champion, 1901: 365 .

Zaitha stollii: Dufour 1863 (probably): 387.

Zaitha subspinosa: Dufour 1863 (probably): 387.

Belostoma boscii: Montandon 1903c (in part): 117.

Belostoma anurum: Lauck 1962: 48 (Fig. 27), 71 (Fig. 45), 75 (Fig. 51).

Belostoma dallasi: Schnack 1973: 5 ( Fig.14 ) (not De Carlo).

Types.— Belostoma anurum was described from specimens [locality not mentioned] which have been lost; therefore Lauck (1962) proposed a male neotype (Bahia), deposited in SEMC [not examined]. According to Lauck (1962: 74): “The original description and also the figure closely fit a series of specimens from Brazil, S. A., Bahia,… A male 31 mm. long and 13.7 mm. wide has been selected for the neotype ( KU).”

Material examined.—FRENCH ANTILLES sic [= LESSER ANTILLES]. 1 f ( AMNH): Ilha Martinique sic [= Martinica], Fort-de-France , 08.II.[?], ( Socimea [?]), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. BRAZIL. 1 m [?] ( DZRJ 10 ): São Sebastião , IX.1967, [without collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. Alagoas — 1 f (DZRJ-a 484): Delmiro Gouveia [“CHESF-ENGE-RIO EIP-XINGÓ”], 20–25.III.1992, ( R. Sachsse), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. Bahia — 7 m / 8 f ( AMNH): Encruzilhada , XI.1972, (M. Alvarenga), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. * 2 m / 1 f ( AMNH): same [960 m], XI.1972, (M. Alvarenga), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 f ( DZRJ 14 ): Vitória da Conquista [bus stop], 08.III.1997, (J. R. I. Ribeiro), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. * 1 m ( MZSP 70091 ): Villa Nova [= Senhor do Bonfim], V. 1908, (E. Saiba [?]), J. A. de Carlo det. as B. boscii, J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. Ceará — *1 f ( DPIC): Praia de Lagoinha , 07.VII.1999, (M. H. Pereira), A. L. Melo det. 1999. Maranhão — 1 m ( MZSP): Jacatepa [?], IX.1961, (“A.” [?]) [unreadable], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. Minas Gerais — 1 f (DZRJ- a 379): Manga [6], [without date and collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. * 1 m ( MZSP): Nedina, Itaobim , 16.X.1965, [without collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998, [“ Exp. DZ –FAPESP”]. Rio de Janeiro —* 5 m / 8 f ( AMNH): [without a more precise locality, date, and collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1999, [“ N. Thayer exp.”]. 1 f ( DZRJ 5 ): Iguaba , 20. VI.1984, ( R. C. Vasconcellos), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. São Paulo — * 1 m / 1 f ( MZSP): Guaratinguetá , 04.IV.1969, [without collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998, [“Exp. Dep. Zool.”]. 1 m (DZRJ-a 485): Ubatuba, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar-Núcleo Picinguaba , 05.VII.1998, (D. M. Takiya), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998, [with eggs on dorsum]. * 1 m ( DZRJ 15 ): same, 27.IX.1997, (“ Equipe Entomologia ” [J. L. Nessimian]), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 m (DZRJ-a 494): same, 05–09.VII.1993, [without collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 m / 3 f (DZRJ-a 496): same, 03–06.VII.1998, [without collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 m / 1 f (DZRJ-a 377): same, [pool in the way to lodging], 14.XII.1992, (E. R. Calil and M. E. Félix), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 m / 1 f (DZRJ-a 492): same, [“ Picadão da Barra ”], 05.VII.1994, [without collec- tor], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 m / 1 f (DZRJ-a 493): same, 05.VII.1994, [without collector], J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998. 1 f (DZRJ-a 371): same, [near to lodging], 15.XII.1992, (E. R. Calil and A. C. J. Carvalho), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 1998.

Distribution.— ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires ( De Carlo 1930), Catamarca ( De Carlo 1930), Chaco ( De Carlo 1930), Corrientes ( De Carlo 1930), Entre Ríos ( De Carlo 1930), Salta ( De Carlo 1938), San Pedrito [?]( De Carlo 1938). BRAZIL ( Dufour 1863): Alagoas ( Ribeiro 2005), Bahia ( De Carlo 1938), Ceará ( Lauck 1962), Espírito Santo ( De Carlo 1938), Maranhão ( Ribeiro 2005), Minas Gerais ( Lauck 1962), Rio de Janeiro ( De Carlo 1938), Rio Grande do Norte ( Lauck 1962), Santa Catarina ( Lauck 1962), São Paulo ( Ribeiro 2005). CHILE ( Mayr 1871). COLOMBIA: Bogotá ( Mayr 1871). COSTA RICA ( Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno 1909). CUBA ( Mayr 1871). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ( Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno 1909). GRENADA ( Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno 1909). GUATEMALA ( Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno 1909). GUYANAS? ( De Carlo 1930). LESSER ANTILLES: Martinica (new record). MÉXICO ( Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno 1909). PANAMA ( Kirkaldy & Torre-Bueno 1909). PARAGUAY ( De Carlo 1930).

Description.—Measurements (m / f). Total length (from apex of head to apex of hemelytra at rest) 29.4– 35.2 / 30.0–33.0; largest width of body 12.9–15.0 / 12.9–13.5; median length of pronotum 5.29–5.71 / 5.07– 5.64; greatest pronotal width 9.14–10.43 / 9.43–9.68.

General coloration yellowish brown.

Body elliptical. Length of anteoculus 1.07–1.31 times length of interoculus; length of rostral segment I 1.28–1.53 times length of segment II; anterior frontogenal suture equal to or longer than posterior frontogenal suture; clypeus not reaching ocular line (0.07–0.29 mm); vertex without longitudinal median carina; posterior interocular width 1.00–1.13 times length of anteoculus, and 1.36–1.73 times width of eye; eyes rounded. Pronotum without longitudinal median carina; greatest pronotal width 1.70–1.89 times its length; scutellum reaching nodal line, with weakly longitudinal median carina; prosternal keel poorly anteriorly curved and prominent, rounded at apex ( Fig. 5I–J ). Pilosity not extending along genital operculum, covering part of connexivum.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 5K–M ).—Dorsal arms converging and acute at apex in dorsal view; ventral diverticulum with quite developed dorsal caudal protuberance in dorsal and lateral views, and with poorly developed ventroapical protuberance in lateral and ventral views; caudal lateral margins of ventral diverticulum slightly convex, some sinuousities in ventral view; width of ventral diverticulum twice its length in ventral view.

Variation.—Forms with shorter dorsal arms, more robust posterior portion of phallus, and dorsal caudal and apicoventral protuberances ( Fig. 5N–P ) are found in the states of Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.

Notes on biology.— Belostoma anurum has been found near fishpond margins in the “ aguapé ” marshes or plant debris ( Pereira 1992). In addition, according to Ribeiro et al. (1998), this species seems to prefer almost exclusively ponds with rich vegetation.

Comparative notes.—Some B. anurum specimens studied here do not differ from B. subspinosum cupreomicans (Stål, 1854) and B. s. subspinosum (Palisot de Beauvois, 1920) in features of the phallus. Instead, both subspecies, B. s. cupreomicans and B. s. subspinosum , were said to differ from B. anurum in anteocular and interocular lengths ( Lauck 1962). I attribute these different observations to different orientations of the head while being measuring. Thus B. anurum seems to be considered a junior synonym of B. subspinosum (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805) . However, because I could not borrow types, I do not synonymize the species here.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Belostoma costalimai De Carlo, 1938 and B. anurum (Herrich-Schäffer, 1848). B. costalimai. 5A–B, Prosternal keel (lateral view) of the specimens from Rio de Janeiro: 5A, DZRJ-a 469. 5B, DZRJ-a 470. 5C–H, Phallus: 5C–E, Specimen from Minas Gerais (MNRJ 113). 5F–H, Specimen from Rio de Janeiro (DZRJ-a 469). B. anurum. 5I–J, Prosternal keel (lateral view) of specimens from São Paulo: 5I, MZSP. 5J, DZRJ 15. 5K–P, Phallus: 5K–M, Specimen from Rio de Janeiro (DZRJ-a 497). 5N–P, Specimen from Rio de Janeiro (AMNH). 5C, 5F, 5K and 5N, Dorsal views. 5D, 5G, 5L, and 5O, Ventral views. 5E, 5H, 5M, and 5P, Lateral views. Scale bar: 1.00 mm.

FIGURE 14. Belostoma ribeiroi De Carlo, 1933. 14A–B, Prosternal keel (lateral view): 14A, Specimen without a more precise locality (MNRJ 106). 14B, Specimen from State of Minas Gerais (MNRJ 120). 14C–H, Phallus: 14C–E, Specimen (holotype) from State of Mato Grosso (MNRJ 119). 14F–H, Specimen from State of Minas Gerais (MNRJ 120). 14C and 14F, Dorsal views. 14D and 14G, Ventral views. 14E and 14H, Lateral views. Scale bar: 1.00 mm.

FIGURE 16. Dorsal habitus. 16A, Belostoma anurum (Herrich-Schäffer, 1848): specimen from State of Minas Gerais (MZSP). 16B, B. aurivillianum (Montandon, 1899): specimen from State of Roraima (INPA 0020902). 16C, B. bergi (Montandon, 1899): specimen from Rio Grande [?] (MNHN, lectotype). 16D, B. bosqi De Carlo, 1932: specimen from State of Rondônia (INPA 0020940). Scale bar: 10.00 mm.

FIGURE 22. Geographic distribution map of Belostoma species in southeastern Brazil. 22A, = B. anurum, = B. aurivillianum. 22B, = B. bergi, = B. bosqi; = B. candidulum.