Mesovelia tuberculata Floriano & Moreira

Floriano, Carla Fernanda Burguez, Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo, Bispo, Pitágoras Da Conceição, Morales, Irina & Molano-Rendón, Fredy, 2016, A new species of Mesovelia (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Mesoveliidae) from South America, with identification key and notes on Colombian species, Zootaxa 4175 (4), pp. 345-352 : 346-349

Mesovelia tuberculata Floriano & Moreira , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 3 D, 4)

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE apterous ♂ ( USNM): ‘ Colombia, Valle del Cauca \ tidal lagoon at Punta \ Arenas, nr. Buenaventura \ 31 July 1989 CL 2438\ D.A. & J.T. Polhemus’ . PARATYPES apterous 1♂, 2♀ ( USNM), same data as holotype .

Description. Apterous male. Color. Most of body brown ( Fig. 1 ). Head with frons light brown, lateral margins brown, basal margin darker, cephalic trichobothria inserted in pits with dark brown borders; eyes reddish brown; antennae brown, basal 1/3 of antennomere I lighter; most of rostrum yellow, article IV brown. Pronotum yellow, with margins brown; mesonotum with central yellow spot. Coxae, trochanters, and basal 2/3 of femora light yellow; distal region of femora, tibiae and tarsi light brown. Abdominal tergum I with light spots laterally; tergum VII light yellow; tergum VIII light yellow, with posterior margin brown; connexivum brown or a little lighter; sternum VII with central light spot; sternum VIII and pygophore yellow.

Morphology. Body covered by short brown setae. Head covered by mainly short brown setae; clypeus covered by large brown setae; sides in front of eyes and area between clypeus and frons covered by silvery pubescence; antennae thin, very long, reaching middle of abdomen; antennomere I stout and curved outward; antennomeres III– IV narrower than I–II, antennomere I about 1.3 times longer than II, IV about 1.2 times longer than III; antennomere I with margins converging proximally and distally, antennomere II with margins diverging distally, III–IV with margins parallel; rostrum long, reaching first abdominal sternum. Pronotum with short collar behind head. Pro- and mesofemora subequal in length to pro- and mesotibiae, pro-, meso- and metafemora each with a large dark brown seta on dorsoposterior 1/6; meso- and metafemora each with another large dark brown seta on dorsoposterior 1/3, ventrally without row of spinules; pro-, meso- and metatibiae with row of longer dark brown setae not longer than pretarsal claw; metatibia about 1.3 times longer than metafemur. Abdominal tergum VII with posterior margin rounded; posterior margin of tergum VIII with weak notch; anterodorsal region of pleuron VIII with a tubercle ( Fig. 1 C); sternum VI with fringe of black spinules on rounded posteromedian projection ( Fig. 1 B); paramere with margins converging, posterior margin sharp, apex single ( Fig. 3 D).

Apterous female. Similar to male in color pattern, except connexiva yellow with brown mesal and lateral margins. Also similar in morphology, except genitalia and absence of fringe on posterior margin of abdominal sternum VI.

Measurements (mm). Male holotype / paratype: body length 1.79 / 1.53; head length 0.53 / 0.42; head width through eyes 0.45 / 0.45; head width through antenniferous tubercles 0.34 / 0.34; antennomere I 0.38 / 0.36; antennomere II 0.28 / 0.28; antennomere III 0.57 / 0.57; antennomere IV 0.64 / 0.66; FORE LEG, femoral length 0.57 / 0.57; tibial length 0.57 / 0.57; MID LEG, femoral length 0.72 / 0.72; tibial length 0.74 / 0.74; HIND LEG, femoral length 0.89 / 0.83; tibial length 1.13 / 1.15. Paratype ♀: body length 2.12; head length 0.57; head width through eyes 0.49; head width through antenniferous tubercles 0.34; antennomere I 0.34; antennomere II 0.28; antennomere III 0.58; antennomere IV 0.70; FORE LEG, femoral length 0.60; tibial length 0.55; MID LEG, femoral length 0.70; tibial length 0.74; HIND LEG, femoral length 0.96; tibial length 1.17.

Diagnosis and comparatives notes. Males of M. tuberculata sp. nov. can be distinguished from other American species of Mesovelia by the mesofemur ventrally without a row of spinules; the posterior margin of abdominal tergum VIII with a weak notch; abdominal pleuron VIII with an anterodorsal tubercle ( Fig. 1 C); abdominal sternum VI with the posteromedian projection rounded, with a fringe of black spinules ( Fig. 1 B); and the paramere with margins converging and apex single ( Fig. 3 D).

The new species is most similar to M. zeteki because males of both do not have spinules on the mesofemur and on abdominal sternum VII, but display a fringe of spinules on abdominal sternum VI. These two species can be distinguished because males of M. tuberculata sp. nov. are shorter, from 1.5 to 1.8 mm long, and have the posterior margin of abdominal tergum VIII with a weak notch, abdominal pleuron VIII with an anterodorsal tubercle ( Fig. 1 C), abdominal sternum VI with the posteromedian projection rounded ( Fig. 1 B), and the paramere with margins converging and apex single ( Fig. 3 D). In contrast, males of M. zeteki are about 2.4 mm long and have abdominal tergum VIII with the posterior margin straight, abdominal pleuron VIII without a tubercle ( Fig. 2 C), abdominal sternum VI with the central projection of the posterior margin acute ( Fig. 2 B), and the paramere with margins diverging and apex bifid ( Fig. 3 C).

Etymology. The specific epithet, tuberculata , refers to the tubercle on anterodorsal area of pleuron VIII.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Mesovelia tuberculata sp. nov. (A) male, holotype, dorsal view; (B) male, holotype, ventral view; (C) male, holotype, lateral view; (D) female, paratype, dorsal view; (E) female, paratype, ventral view.

FIGURE 2. Mesovelia zeteki Harris & Drake, holotype, male. (A) dorsal view; (B) ventral view; (C) lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Parameres. (A) M. amoena Uhler [modified from Spangler (1990)]; (B) M. mulsanti White [modified from Moreira et al. (2008)]; (C) M. zeteki Harris & Drake; (D) M. tuberculata sp. nov..