Strongylovelia lillyae, Jehamalar, E. Eyarin, 2015

Jehamalar, E. Eyarin, 2015, Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha: Veliidae) from Tamil Nadu, India: the first species of the genus described from the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4033 (2), pp. 287-292 : 288-289

Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov. ( Figs. 1A– O )

Material examined. Holotype (apterous female): INDIA, TAMIL NADU, Kanyakumari District, Cherukole Village, 8°18’18.0’’ N, 77°15’34.5’’ E, alt. 131.2 ft [40 m], 24.x.2012, Coll. E.E. Jehamalar, E.H.R. Deasingh and E.I.T. Mahil.

Paratypes: 8 ♂ apt., 3 ♀ apt., 1 ♀ subadult, same data as for holotype; 13 ♂ apt., 17 ♀ apt., 2 ♀ mac. (including dealated one), 1 ♀ subadult, 9.i.2013, Coll. E.E. Jehamalar and E.H.R. Deasingh, same locality data as for holotype.

Repository. The type specimens are deposited in the CEL, ZSI, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Holotype Reg. No. 3725/H15 and Paratypes Reg. No. 3726/H15 to 3727/H15.

Etymology. This species is named after the author’s mother, Mrs. C. Lilly Sarojini Bai, for her curiosity and eagerness to support thetaxonomic work of the author.

Diagnosis. Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov. can easily be identified by the presence of two yellow spots on the head near the dorsal eye margin ( Figs. 1A–D, F ); the broad dark brown to black stripe between the mesonotum and the mesopleura, connected both anteriorly and posteriorly to thoracic transverse stripes, which enclose a large half-circled sordid white mark ( Figs. 1A, B, F ); the orange stripes on the first three abdominal tergites ( Figs. 1A–C ); the antennae and legs being black in coloration except for the first antennal segment excepting the tip, the basal three-fourths of the fore femur, the whole of the hind trochanter and the basal one fourth of hind femur, all of which are sordid white ( Figs. 1A– E ); abdominal sternites II-IV with their lateral regions yellowish-brown ( Fig. 1F ); the female connexivum sordid white (yellow to orange in the dealated form) up to the fifth abdominal tergite ( Figs. 1B, C ); and by the connexival margin and posterior region of the abdominal segments of female bearing long hairs ( Figs. 1B, C, F ).

Description. Apterous female (holotype measured; range of five specimens given in parentheses for some characters): ( Figs. 1B, F, O ). Body length 1.33 (1.32–1.39); body width (across mesoacetabula) 0.68 (0.68–0.71).

Colour. Dorsal aspect, black except two spots along dorsal eye margin yellowish-brown (upper spot large), eyes grayish-silver ( Fig. 1B ), black mark of pronotum extending laterally up to proacetabulum, anterior region of mesopleura black ( Fig. 1F ), mesonotum largely covered with sordid white mark except at antero- posterolateral corners, lateral region and thin layer of posterior region, lower margin of abdominal tergites I–III with yellowish-brown stripe (mark on abdominal tergite II broad), connexival segments II–V yellow ( Fig. 1B ); in lateral aspect, abdominal sternites II–IV orange (lateral region of abdominal sternite II brown), meso and metapleura sordid white, except acetabular region, infuscated ( Fig. 1F ); in ventral aspect, head, pro- and mesosternum sordid white except posterior margin of head brown and acetabular regions infuscated, metasternum and abdomen black. Appendages: first antennal segment except base, basal three fourth of fore femur, whole of hind trochanter and basal one-fourth of hind femur sordid white, fore coxa yellowish-brown, fore and mid trochanter dark brown and shiny, rostrum dark brown to black and shiny.

Structural characters. Body covered with brown adpressed hairs except hairs on pale areas of body venter and appendages sordid white. Head with three trichobothria, lower two surrounded by yellowish-brown mark, eye with a single ocular seta (sometimes broken off), head length 0.17 (0.17–0.19), width 0.50 (0.47–0.52), minimum interocular width 0.23, eye length 0.18, width 0.11, rostral length 0.39, first antennal segment slightly curved, base of second segment with 3 long black bristles in same plane, third segment basal one third with three long alternatively arranged black bristles, antennal segment length I–IV 0.12, 0.17, 0.32, 0.19 ( Fig. 1B ), head ventrally and pleural regions interiorly with minute black spinules, posterior eye margin almost covering entire pronotum laterally; pronotal length 0.06 (0.04– 0.06), width 0.47 (0.46–0.52), mesonotal length 0.26 (0.24–0.28), metanotum completely fused with mesonotum, posterolateral corners of meso-metanotum slightly obtusely produced and covered with medium sized dark brown hairs, pro- and mesosternal length 0.52, metasternal length 0.15, evaporative channel of scent apparatus prominent. Flexor margin of fore femur with 5–6 long setae, extensor margin of fore tibia with 6 long thick setae, mid and hind femur without any characteristic setae except subapex of hind femur flexor region with 1 long seta, claws of all legs inserted subapically. Leg measurements: Fore leg, trochanter length 0.15, femur length 0.33, width 0.06, tibial length 0.35, tarsus I 0.02, tarsus II 0.10; mid leg, trochanter length 0.20, femur length 0.81, width 0.05, tibial length 0.67, tarsus I 0.30, tarsus II 0.16; hind leg, trochanter length 0.12, femur length 0.50, width 0.06, tibial length 0.45, tarsus I 0.07, tarsus II 0.10.

Connexiva almost straight except slightly depressed near posterior region of abdominal tergite V ( Fig. 1B ); lateral region of connexivum fringed with long hairs except connexival segments near abdominal segments III–V devoid of long hairs but with minute hairs, hair fringe sparse basally, and dense distally ( Figs. 1B, F ); yellowish-brown stripe on second abdominal tergite broad ( Fig. 1B ); paratergite-like segments visible in association with abdominal segments I–V, such paratergite-like segments not visible on posterior region of abdominal tergites V–VIII, connexivum below the yellow mark clothed with dense long hairs; lateral region of gonocoxae with fringe of long hairs, abdominal tergites length I–VIII, 0.21, 0.11, 0.07, 0.06, 0.06, 0.08, 0.11, 0.09, proctiger clothed with setae, proctiger dorsal length 0.06, abdominal sternite I not visible, abdominal sternite II laterally with 4–5 long brown setae, abdominal sternites length II– VII, 0.06, 0.05, 0.06, 0.05, 0.06, 0.11, gonocoxae medial length 0.05, proctiger ventral length 0.04. First gonapophysis (go1) with a row of 12 spines arranged sparse proximally and dense distally, second gonapophysis with minute spines in addition to clusters of curly setae ( Fig. 1 O ).

Apterous male ( Figs. 1A, E, G–N ). Similar to apterous female with following exceptions: body small, antennal segment two and three each with two bristles, sordid white mark on mesonotum anterolaterally convex and posterolaterally indented, posteromedially not indented ( Fig. 1A ), anterior region of mesopleura infuscated ( Fig. 1E ); connexivum black without any modification, abdomen devoid of long hairs. Measurements: body length 0.89–0.93, width 0.46–0.53, head length 0.12–0.15, width 0.38–0.41, minimum interocular width 0.19, eye length 0.15, eye width 0.10, pronotal length 0.058–0.064, pronotal width 0.36–0.44, antennal length I–IV, 0.096, 0.125, 0.226, 0.166, mesonotal length 0.215, width 0.520. Leg measurements: Fore leg, trochanter length 0.11, femur length 0.25, width 0.05, tibial length 0.23, tarsus I 0.02, tarsus II 0.088; mid leg, trochanter length 0.17, femur length 0.62, width 0.07, tibial length 0.52, tarsus I 0.22, tarsus II 0.14; hind leg, trochanter length 0.08, femur length 0.39, width 0.07, tibial length 0.34, tarsus I 0.04, tarsus II 0.08. Dorsal abdominal length 0.47, abdominal tergite lengths I–IX, 0.13, 0.07, 0.04, 0.04, 0.03, 0.04, 0.10, 0.02, 0.03, abdominal sternite lengths II–VII, 0.013, 0.033, 0.024, 0.016, 0.019, 0.019. Abdominal segment VIII slightly widened posteriorly ( Fig. 1G ) in lateral aspect, lateral margin of proctiger strongly concaved and posterosublateral region indented, tip of paramere slightly bent outward ( Fig. 1H ), paramere tip slender ( Fig. 1I ). Proctiger subbasal region indented, leaving a spine-like protrusion ( Fig. 1J ); posterior margin of pygophore fringed with long hairs ( Fig. 1K ). In dorsal aspect, endosoma as in Figs. 1L, M , tip of endosoma medially with a gap, basal articulation of endosoma large and wide. In lateral aspect, sub-basal region with lateral sclerite forming an indistinct coil, ventral sclerite highly sclerotised than the dorsal sclerite and reaching to apex ( Fig. 1N ).

Macropterous female ( Figs. 1C, D ). Similar to apterous female with following exceptions: pronotal lobe with a large half-circled sordid white mark on posterior region, slightly indented medially at anterior and posterior margins, posterior region of pronotal lobe broad, humeral angle blunt; wings grayish brown, surpassing tip of abdomen ( Fig. 1D ), often broken off from base ( Fig. 1C ), area between hemelytral bases with a pale scutellum-like mark, connexivum from base up to abdominal tergite VI yellowish-brown, not depressed near posterior region of abdominal tergite V ( Fig. 1C ). Body length 1.33–1.40, pronotal lobe length 0.47–0.48, width 0.68–0.70, hemelytral length 1.37, width 0.52, distance of abdominal tip to hemelytral tip 0.43.

Comparative notes. Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov. cannot be assigned to any of the current species groups in the genus, but this species is closely related to S. esakii species group by the presence of straight connexiva and the wider fifth abdominal tergite of female. However, the presence of a yellow mark on the connexivum of the female, yellowishbrown markings on abdominal tergites I–III, and the lateral regions of sternites II–IV does not conform with Strongylovelia esakii species group. Absence of a depression on the dorsum of the abdomen, the wide abdominal tergite V and the shape of posterolateral corners of the mesometanotum in the female also exclude the new species from the S. philippinensis species group. Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov. is close to S. setosa Zettel & Tran, 2006 , on the basis of sordid white marks on the fore femur and hind femur, the dark mid trochanter, and the almost parallel female connexiva fringed with setae on their margins, but differs from S. setosa by the presence of a sordid white mark on the first antennal segment, yellowish-brown marks on the lateral regions of abdominal sternites II–IV, sordid white to yellow marks on female connexival segments II–V, and connexival segments III–V being devoid of long hairs. The new species also shares certain characters with S. vasarhelyii Zettel & Tran, 2006 , such as broad brown to black marks on the antero and postero lateral corners of the mesonotum, a sordid white mark on the mesonotum slightly indented posterolaterally and sometimes posteromedially, and the fore femur and hind femur with sordid white marks, but differs from S. vasarhelyii in the broad fifth abdominal tergite of the female, the distinct yellow spots (broad round to oblique anterior mark and a smaller posterior mark) on the head near the dorsal eye margin, and the absence of a sordid white mark on the mesotrochanter.

Distribution. Presently, Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov. is known only from Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu.

Figures

FIGURES 1 A – O. Strongylovelia lillyae sp. nov.: (apterous form otherwise mentioned) A, male, dorsal view; B, female, dorsal view; C, dealated female, dorsal view; D, macropterous female, dorsal view; E, male, ventral view; F, female, lateral view; G, male abdominal segment VIII, ventral view; H, male genital capsule, lateral view; I, male paramere, lateral view; J, male proctiger, dorsal view; K, male pygophore, dorsal view; L, male endosoma, dorsal view showing sclerites; M, same, dorsolateral view in transmittance light; N, same, lateral view; O, female gonapophyses and proctiger, lateral view (ba—basal articulation; ds—dorsal sclerite; gagonangulum; go 1 — first gonapophysis; go 2 — second gonapophysis; ls—lateral sclerite; pa—paramere; pr—proctiger; pypygophore; vs—ventral sclerite).