Alkindus crassicosta Horvath, 1919

Matesco, Viviana Cauduro & Grazia, Jocelia, 2013, Revision of the genus Alkindus Distant (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Thyreocoridae: Corimelaeninae), Zootaxa 3750 (1), pp. 57-70 : 67-68

Alkindus crassicosta Horvath, 1919

( Figs. 1–4 , 7, 8, 11, 12 , 15, 16 , 21–23, 27, 28, 31 )

Type locality: São Paulo, Brazil.

Alkindus crassicosta Horvath, 1919: 232 ; McAtee & Malloch 1933: 349–350 (redescription); Grazia et al. 1999: 108 (list); Grazia & Schwertner 2011: 12 (list); Klein et al. 2013: 242 (distribution record).

Diagnosis. Head ( Figs. 2 , 7 ). Ocelli nearer eyes than to middle of vertex; head posterior to ocelli about 1.6 times the diameter of ocelli.

Pronotum. Lateral punctate area proportionally smaller than in A. atratus . Callus inconspicuously rastrate. Hemelytra ( Figs. 3 , 8 ). Subcostal smooth area of corium broader than in A. atratus ; largest width at median third. Exocorial vein with internal and external branches subparallel, closer to each other than in A. atratus . Abdominal venter ( Figs. 11 , 15 ). Sternite VII on average 0.8 and 1.0 times the length of segments III–VI in female and male, respectively; anterior margin of sternite VII broadly rounded in female and narrowly rounded to slightly angulate in male, posterior margin broadly rounded in male and angulate and ventrally projected at middle in female. Lateral bristles absent. Based solely on the absence of such bristles, the specimens of A. crassicosta would key to the genus Pericrepis, because McAtee & Malloch (1933) mistakenly consider the presence of lateral bristles as characteristic of the genus Alkindus .

Male genitalia ( Figs. 15, 16 , 31 ). Ventral exposure of pygophore shorter than in A. atratus , about 0.2 times the length of urosternite VII, punctate, with median transverse striations. Ventral rim broadly concave, almost subrectilinear at median 3/5, not covering the proctiger.

Measurements (n=5). Total length 4.1 (3.0–4.6) ± 0.6; head length 0.8 (0.8–0.9) ± 0.1, width 1.9 (1.8–1.9) ± 0.0; eye width 0.3 ± 0.0; interocular distance 1.3 (1.3–1.4) ± 0.0; anteocular length 0.3 (0.3–0.4) ± 0.0; length of antennal segments: I—0.4 ± 0.0; II —0.1 (0.1–0.2) ± 0.0; III—0.2 (0.2–0.3) ± 0.0; IV—0.3 (0.3–0.4) ± 0.0; V—0.4 (0.4–0.5) ± 0.0; pronotal length 1.4 (1.3–1.4) ± 0.0, width 2.9 (2.8–3.0) ± 0.1; scutellar length 2.7 (2.5–3.0) ± 0.2, width 2.3 (2.3–2.4) ± 0.0; abdominal width 2.7 (2.6–2.9) ± 0.1; corium length 1.9 (1.7–2.2) ± 0.2; rostrum length 1.5 (1.5–1.7) ± 0.1.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 11, 12 ). Gonocoxites 8 more elongate than in A. atratus ; mesial margins strongly projected ventrally, especially at anterior and median third, projection evanescent posteriorly; mesial margins about 1.1 times the length of abdominal sternite VII at midline and 1.4 times the length of posterior margins of gonocoxites 8.

Measurements (n=2). Total length 4.8 (4.7–4.8) ± 0.1; head length 0.9 (0.9–1.0) ± 0.1, width 2.0 ± 0.0; eye width 0.3 ± 0.0; interocular distance 1.5 ± 0.0; anteocular length 0.4 ± 0.0; length of antennal segments: I—0.5 ± 0.0; II—0.2 ± 0.0; III—0.3 ± 0.0; IV— 0.4; V—0.5; pronotal length 1.5 (1.4–1.5) ± 0.1, width 3.1 ± 0.0; scutellar length 3.0 (2.9–3.0) ± 0.1, width 2.6 ± 0.0; abdominal width 2.9 (2.9–3.0) ± 0.1; corium length 2.2 (2.2–2.3) ± 0.0; rostrum length 1.7 (1.6–1.8) ± 0.1.

Distribution. Brazil (States of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul). Provinces 51 and 53, according to Morrone (2006) ( Fig. 32 ).

Type material (photographs examined). Holotype ♀. Labels: 1) Brasilia, S. Paulo; 2) crassicosta det. Horvath ( HNHM).

Material examined. BRAZIL, Santa Catarina: Maracajá , 1 ♂, 21-X-2005, Bertolin, T. col. ( UFRG); Rio Grande do Sul: Triunfo, 1 ♂, 20/X/1977, H. A. Gastal leg. ( MCNZ); Eldorado do Sul, 3 ♂, 12.05.2010, Joana Klein col. ( UFRG); Barra do Quaraí, Fazenda Espinilho , 2 ♀, 1ª varredura, campo, 10/I/2004, Bunde; Schwertner cols. ( UFRG).

Figures

FIGURE 32. Distribution records of Alkindus atratus Distant (black triangles) and A. crassicosta Horvath (black circles), according to the provinces of Latin America and the Caribbean islands proposed by Morrone (2006). Numbers refer to the following provinces (mentioned only those in which the species occur): 8 — Transmexican Volcanic Belt, 9 — Balsas Basin, 11 — Mexican Pacific Coast, 14 — Chiapas, 15 — Eastern Central America, 16 — Western Panamanian Isthmus, 25 — Maracaibo, 26 — Venezuelan Coast, 29 — Venezuelan Llanos, 39 — Roraima, 51 — Pampa, 53 — Brazilian Atlantic Forest, 56 — North Andean Paramo.

FIGURES 1 – 4. A. crassicosta Horvath, female holotype. Fig. 1. Dorsal view. Fig. 2. Head, dorsal view. Fig. 3. Lateral view. Fig. 4. Genital plates, ventral view. Scale bar = 1 mm. Abbreviations: X—segment X, gc 8 — gonocoxites 8, lt 8 — laterotergites 8, lt 9 — laterotergites 9.

FIGURES 5–12. General and female genital morphology. Figs. 5, 6. A. atratus. Fig. 5. Head, dorsal view. Fig. 6. Corium of the left forewing, lateral view. Figs. 7, 8. A. crassicosta. Fig. 7. Head, dorsal view. Fig. 8. Corium of the left forewing, lateral view. Figs. 9, 10. A. atratus, genital plates. Fig. 9. Ventral view. Fig. 10. Lateral view. Figs. 11, 12. A. crassicosta, genital plates. Fig. 11. Ventral view. Fig. 12. Lateral view. Abbreviations: VII—7th sternite, X—segment X, cl—clavus, co—costa, cu—cubital vein, ed—endocorium, ee—external branch of the exocorial vein, ei—internal branch of the exocorial vein, ex—exocorium, gc8—gonocoxites 8, lt8—laterotergites 8, lt9—laterotergites 9, sco—subcostal area.

FIGURES 13–16. Pygophore. Figs. 13, 14. A. atratus. Fig. 13. Ventral view. Fig. 14. Posterodorsal view. Figs. 15, 16. A. crassicosta. Fig. 15. Ventral view. Fig. 16. Posterodorsal view. Abbreviations: VII—7th sternite, dr—dorsal rim, lr—lateral rim, pr—proctiger, pyg—pygophore, vr—ventral rim.

FIGURES 17–31. External scent efferent system, leg structures, and genital morphology with the scanning electron microscope. Figs. 17–20. A. atratus, external scent efferent system. Fig. 17. Meso- and metapleuron. Fig. 18. Detail of ostiole, peritremal groove, and evaporatorium. Fig. 19. Mycoid microsculpture of the evaporatorium. Fig. 20. Mycoid microsculpture of the evaporatorium in greater detail, evidencing the mushroom bodies. Figs. 21–23. A. crassicosta, external scent efferent system. Fig. 21. Meso- and metapleuron. Fig. 22. Detail of ostiole, peritremal groove, and evaporatorium. Fig. 23. Detail of mesopleural evaporatorium and pseudoperitreme. Fig. 24. A. atratus, metasternum with median projection and coxal combs. Figs. 25, 26. A. atratus. Fig. 25. Foretibial comb. Fig. 26. Foretibial apparatus. Figs. 27, 28. A. crassicosta. Fig. 27. Foretibial comb. Fig. 28. Foretibial apparatus. Figs. 29, 30. A. atratus. Fig. 29. Female genital plates, ventral view. Fig. 30. Pygophore, ventral view. Fig. 31. A. crassicosta, pygophore, ventral view. Abbreviations: VI—6th sternite, VII—7th sternite, X—segment X, bs—basal spines, cc—coxal comb, ev—evaporatorium, gc8—gonocoxites 8, lt8—laterotergites 8, lt9—laterotergites 9, oostiole, os—outer setae, pe—peritreme, pr—proctiger, psp—pseudoperitreme, pyg—pygophore, sp—metathoracic spiracle, tc—tibial comb, ves—vestibular scar.