Procryphocricos quiu Sites & Camacho

Sites, Robert W. & Camacho, Jesús, 2014, Neotropical genera of Naucoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha): New species of Placomerus and Procryphocricos from Guyana and Venezuela, Zootaxa 3753 (5), pp. 469-482 : 479-482

Procryphocricos quiu Sites & Camacho , NEW SPECIES

Figs. 8 , 14–17

Description. Brachypterous male. HOLOTYPE, length 5.44; maximum width 3.04. Paratypes (n = 2), length 5.64–5.20 (mean = 5.42); maximum width 2.88–3.20 (mean = 3.04). General shape ovate, widest across abdominal segment III ( Fig. 8 ), strongly dorsoventrally flattened. Overall coloration dorsally medium brown with lighter scutellum and part of pronotum; ventral surface mostly medium brown, legs light brown (all leg segments brown in live specimens, see Fig. 16 ).

Head. Length 1.00, maximum width 1.26. Head mostly medium brown with light brown laterally; with scattered short setae; projecting anterior to eyes 13% of head length. Eyes dark red; approximately 1.6 x as long as wide, length/width 0.52/0.32; inner margins parallel, lateral margins rounded; synthlipsis 0.66; vertex with posterior margin deeply convex, extending behind and around eye diminishing to where pronotum meets eye. Labrum brown, broadly rounded distally, short hairs scattered over distal half, 1.6 x as wide as long, width/length 0.38/0.24. Maxillary plate brown, distal margin gently convex, darkly colored, extending approximately to 2/3 length of labrum, bordering sides of rostral base. Strong midventral carina with acute anterior terminus caudad of labium. Labium with three light brown visible segments, short, extending 0.34 beyond labrum. Antenna short, yellow, hirsute, extending slightly beyond lateral margin of eye, relative lengths 1:2:2:4.

Thorax. Pronotum convex with depressed transverse band along posterior margin; medium brown with darker brown infuscation in anterolateral 1/4 extending to near midline, and in some specimens 2/3 distance posteriorly; darkest in anterolateral corners; coarsely tuberculate and with scattered recumbent setae throughout; maximum width 2.48, length at midline 0.88; posterior nearly straight; lateral margins convergent anteriorly, explanate, with distinct concavity in middle half; posterolateral corners broadly rounded. Scutellum light brown with medium brown markings, triangular, coarsely tuberculate and with scattered recumbent setae throughout; width 1.62, length at midline 0.80; lateral margins nearly straight; slightly swollen and above level of hemelytra. Hemelytra short; medium brown; coarsely tuberculate; with sparse, elongate, erect setae and scattered short, dark, recumbent setae; posterior margin broadly convex; length 1.34; nearly touching at midline; reaching abdominal tergum III laterally. Embolium delimited mesally by thick longitudinal carina. Prosternum with mid-ventral carina in anterior third with darkened, pronounced tubercle at each end; posterior 2/3 with gentle transverse convexity. Propleuron with elongate, dark, recumbent setae continuing onto prosternum; propleura widely separated at midline by prosternum. Mesosternum with weak midventral carina continuing anteriorly to broad, transverse carina at base of prosternum, continuing posteriorly to triangular apex between mesocoxae; mesosternum and meso—and metapleuron with scattered, dark, recumbent setae. Metaxyphus transverse, medium brown, posterolateral margins broadly concave and deflected ventrad, produced to rounded apex medially.

Legs. All segments light brown. Profemur with scattered, short, recumbent setae throughout, row of longer setae on posterior margin near base; row of short, brown spines embedded within dense pad of pale setae of equal length along anterior margin; medium brown band on distal 1/3 of dorsal surface. Protibia and tarsus with occlusal inner surface flattened, with dorsal and ventral inner margins finely crenulate; single immovable tarsal segment; claw minute, triangular. Procoxa with short, dark brown, peg-like setae in basal half of dorsal surface; apical rim dark brown. Meso- and metacoxae recessed into thorax. Meso- and metafemora with weak row of short, peg-like setae on anterior margin, dorsal surface glabrous, remainder with scattered, short, recumbent setae. Mesotibia with weak ventral row of reddish-brown spines, widely separated ventrolateral spines, inner row of combs with 3–5 spines each, 2 transverse rows of long, stout spines at apex of ventral margin, slender pale spines ringing most of remainder of apex. Metatibia with ventral row of stout reddish-brown spines, 4–5 widely separated ventrolateral spines, 2 transverse rows of long, stout spines at apex. Metatibia and tarsus with long, pale swimming hairs; rows of swimming hairs absent from mesotibia and tarsus. Meso- and metapretarsi with claws slender, evenly curved, with basal tooth. Leg measurements as follows: foreleg, femur 1.72, tibia 1.40, tarsus 0.39; middle leg, femur 1.54, tibia 1.40, tarsomeres 1–3, 0.12, 0.26, 0.36; hind leg, femur 1.76, tibia 1.98, tarsomeres 1–3 0.12, 0.32, 0.46.

Abdomen. Dorsally, medium brown with scattered, dark, recumbent setae. Terga III–V partially fused but with evidence of antecostal sutures visible, especially laterally; II–IV and anterior part of V rugose, posterior part of V with rugosity replaced by transverse ridges. Small clusters of 2–3 non-rugose glabrous patches 1/3 distance from lateral margin to midline on III–V. Connexiva III-V depressed, with lateral margins smooth and evenly convex, posterolateral corners of III–IV square, V acute. Ventrally medium brown, lighter anteriorly, mostly pruinose and covered with long, dark, recumbent setae except narrow marginal glabrous band; laterosternites II–VII with glabrous areas [abdominal sense organs, sensu Hamilton (1931)]. Sterna III–IV with small midventral tubercle near posterior margins. Sternum V with concavity of posterior margin displaced slightly asymmetrically to left, VI evenly convex, VII slightly concave at midline. Genital operculum with apex slightly convex to nearly truncate.

Male genitalia. Pygophore brown, elongate setae generally scattered, more dense posteriorly. Parameres small, tapering medially. Pygophore with median, narrowly-rounded production between parameres ( Fig. 14 ).

Brachypterous female. Paratypes (n = 2), length 6.08, maximum width 3.44. Abdominal terga III-VI fused with only weak indication of segmentation becoming more pronounced laterally; III–V rugose, VI rugose anteriorly, transversely ridged posteriorly. Tergum VI broadly rounded posteriorly, extending over terminal segments. Non-rugose glabrous patches on III–VI. Lateral margin of abdominal tergum VI nearly straight, with posterolateral corner produced caudad to point. Posterior margin of mediosternite III nearly straight, IV–V shallowly concave laterally, VI concave. Mediosternite VI asymmetrical, with right anterolateral corner expanded laterad ( Fig. 15 ). Subgenital plate 0.9 x as long as greatest width, length at midline 0.66, width at base 0.76; lateral margins convergent posteriorly, lateral carina delimiting dorsal reflexion; apex with negligible broad, shallow medial concavity; posterolateral corners rounded, dense pad of golden setae on each side of midline near posterior margin, line of elongate golden setae along posterior third of lateral carina ( Fig. 15 ).

Diagnosis and comparative notes. P. quiu can be distinguished from P. perplexus by the shallowly but distinctly concave lateral margin of the pronotum, which is much less concave to straight in P. perplexus . P. q u i u can be distinguished from P. macoita most easily in living specimens; the legs are completely brown in P. q u i u, whereas the femora, tibiae, and tarsi of P. macoita are green ( Figs. 12 , 16 ). It can be distinguished from both P. perplexus and brachypterous P. macoita by a variously developed dark transverse band in the distal third of the dorsal surface of the profemur, and more darkly infuscated head and pronotum; whereas these features are mostly clear in the congeners.

Discussion. This species was collected in the Río Quiu near Quiri. We found one specimen in the gravel streambed early during our collecting, and subsequently spent most of our time searching more streambed for additional specimens without success. It was not until the end of our time at this site that we found more specimens among dead leaves, twigs, and other debris along the margin of the river, its probable preferred habitat. We have several additional specimens of Procryphocricos from Rio Guárico north of San Juan in Guárico state that probably are conspecific with P. q u i u, but examination of more specimens is needed to confidently identify them.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and is the name of the river from which the type series was collected.

Repositories. The holotype is deposited in Museo del Instituto de Zoologia Agrícola, Maracay, Venezuela. Paratypes are deposited in Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Enns Entomology Museum, University of Missouri; and the United States National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: VENEZUELA: Barinas: Río Quiu nr Quiri, 8º 03.341'N, 70º 56.597'W, 203 m, 15 July 2009, L-1083, river margins / Colls Sites, Shepard, Short, Camacho, García, Gustafson, VZ0907 1503S. PARATYPES: same data as holotype (2 brachypterous ♂, 4 brachypterous ♀).

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 9. Species of Procryphocricos. (6) brachypterous HOLOTYPE of Procryphocricos macoita n. sp., (7) macropterous PARATYPE of Procryphocricos macoita n. sp., (8) brachypterous HOLOTYPE of Procryphocricos quiu n. sp., (9) brachypterous male Procryphocricos perplexus.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Features of Procryphocricos quiu n. sp. (14) male genital capsule with aedeagus and parameres, (15) terminal abdominal sterna including subgenital plate of female, (16) live specimen photographed out of water on dead vegetation natural substrate, (17) marginal debris habitat in Río Quiu from which the type series was collected.

FIGURES 10 – 13. Features of Procryphocricos macoita n. sp. (10) male genital capsule with aedeagus and parameres, (11) terminal abdominal sterna including subgenital plate of female, (12) brachypterous adults in alcohol under microscope; photo taken within 2 hours of collection, (13) rootmat habitat in Río Macoita from which the type series was collected.