Procryphocricos perplexus Polhemus

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 : 474-475

Procryphocricos perplexus Polhemus

Fig. 9

Procryphocricos perplexus Polhemus, 1991 : Pan-Pac. Entomol. 67: 119.

Discussion. This species was described from only two brachypterous males collected from fine roots in Río Claro in Colombia ( Polhemus 1991). In a subsequent effort to complete the description of the brachypterous form of this species, Sites & Álvarez Arango (2010) described and provided detailed illustrations of the female, and predicted the existence of the macropterous form based on similarities of Procryphocricos with the closely related, polymorphic Cryphocricos ( Sites 1990) . Macropterous forewings are necessary for replenishing a compressible air bubble; however, both genera have brachypterous forewings and Cryphocricos is known to respire using a plastron ( Parsons & Hewson 1974, Sites & Nichols 1993). Thus, it is likely that Procryphocricos also uses a plastral respiratory mechanism.

Material examined. COLOMBIA: Antioquia: Puerto Triunfo, Río Claro, 24 July 2006 ( UMC, 1♂, 1♀)

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.