Rhagovelia cauca Polhemus, 1997

Galindo-Malagón, Ximena Alejandra, Mondragón-F, Silvia Patricia, Morales, Irina & Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo, 2022, New species, synonymies and records in the genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 5087 (1), pp. 1-34 : 10-14

Rhagovelia cauca Polhemus, 1997

( Fig. 4A, B , 6B )

Rhagovelia cauca Polhemus, 1997: 222–225 .

Rhagovelia azulita Padilla-Gil, 2009a: 203 . Syn. nov.

Rhagovelia huila Padilla-Gil, 2009a: 200 . Syn. nov.

Rhagovelia oporapa Padilla-Gil, 2009a: 206 . Syn. nov.

Rhagovelia quilichaensis Padilla-Gil, 2011a: 33 . Syn. nov.

Comments. The structural characteristics of the apterous females of R. azulita are compatible with R. cauca , including the middle tibia strongly concave and flattened ventrally at the base ( Fig. 4B ), the shape of the abdominal laterotergites, and abdominal mediotergite VII with a dense fringe of long black bristles on the posterior margin ( Fig. 4A ). In addition, males have black denticles on the proepisternum near the labium, and the paramere examined on the type series is identical to that of R. cauca , differing from the illustration provided by Padilla-Gil (2009a). The only marked difference between these two species is the dark general coloration of R. azulita with contrasting lightercolored areas on the anterior lobe of the pronotum and the lateral margins of the abdominal laterotergites, whereas R. cauca usually has a lighter and more uniform general coloration. However, as Polhemus (1997) mentioned, the populations of R. cauca from Ecuador tend to be much darker than those from Colombia. This probably also occurs in populations from Huila Department, in southern Colombia and close to Ecuador, where the types of R. azulita have been collected. Therefore, R. azulita is here considered a junior synonym of R. cauca .

The type specimens of R. huila are identical to those of R. azulita and they have been collected in the same municipality in Huila. The same comments mentioned above for R. azulita are valid for R. huila , which we also consider a junior synonym of R. cauca , differing from other Colombian populations only by the darker coloration. The original description of R. huila presents several inconsistencies in relation to the type specimens; for example, the male has black denticles on the proepisternun, which are lacking in the original description, and bears two rows of spines on the hind tibia, whereas only one is mentioned by Padilla-Gil (2009a). The type specimens of R. oporapa are also conspecific with R. cauca , based on the same reasons mentioned for R. azulita and R. huila . The types of R. oporapa are even darker than those of R. azulita and R. huila , with an almost uniformly dark coloration and very small contrasting areas on the abdominal laterotergites. Additionally, some of the paratypes of R. oporapa were collected at the same locality and on the same date as those of R. huila .

The type material of R. quilichaensis has all typical characteristics of R. cauca , including the orange general coloration with yellow areas on the pronotum and the abdominal laterotergites that do not contrast strongly with the rest of the body. The shape of the paramere is as illustrated by Polhemus (1997) for R. cauca , and not the complex figure drawn by Padilla-Gil (2011a: 35, fig. 2). Consequently, we also consider R. quilichaensis a junior synonym of R. cauca . Finally, we present a table comparing the measurements presented in the original descriptions of the species herein synonymized and the values that we obtained from the type specimens examined, showing that they differ considerably ( Table 2 ).

Distribution. COLOMBIA: Antioquia ( Polhemus 1997), Cauca ( Padilla-Gil 2011a, 2019a, 2020), Huila (Padilla-Gil 2009, Aristizábal-García 2017), Quindío ( Morales-Castaño & Molano-Rendón 2008, this work), Risaralda (this work), Santander (this work), Tolima ( Parra-Trujillo et al. 2014), Valle del Cauca ( Polhemus 1997, this work) ( Fig. 6B ). ECUADOR ( Polhemus 1997).

Type material examined. Holotype apterous ♂ of R. cauca (NMNH) : ‘ Colombia, Valle del Cauca, swift forest stream 4 km. E of Peñas Blancas, 1550 m, 26-VII-1989, CL2420. D.A & J. T. Polhemus’. Holotype apterous ♂, allotype apterous ♀ of R. azulita (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Huila, Oporapa, Vereda San Ciro, Quebrada Azulita, IV.2001 . W. Bonilla leg’. Paratypes 4 ♂ apterous, 5 ♀ apterous of R. azulita (ICN) : same data as holotype. Holotype apterous ♂, allotype apterous ♀ of R. huila (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Huila, Oporapa, Vereda San Ciro, 1375 m. 14.II.2001. W. Bonilla leg’. Paratypes 8 ♂ apterous, 1 ♂ macropterous, 5 ♀ apterous of R. huila (ICN) : same data as holotype. Holotype apterous ♂, allotype apterous ♀ of R. oporapa (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Huila, Oporapa, Quebrada Caparrosa, Charco El Chunche. 07.II.2001. Bonilla leg’. Paratypes 3 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ apterous of R. oporapa (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Huila, Oporapa, Vereda San Ciro. 1375 m. 14.II.2001. W. Bonilla leg’. Holotype apterous ♂, allotype apterous ♀ of R. quilichaensis (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Cauca, Santander de Quilichao, Corregimiento San Pedro. 02.IV.2010. D.N. Padilla leg’. Paratypes 1 ♂ apterous, 1 ♂ macropterous, 1 ♀ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous of R. quilichaensis (ICN) : same data as holotype.

Additional material examined. Quindío: Armenia, Vereda Ríobamba, Río Espejo , 1546 m, 23.X.2005, (M. Rojas): 6 ♂ apterous, 5 ♀ apterous ( CIUQ) . Armenia, Vereda Ríobamba, Río Espejo , 1546 m, 07.XI.2005, (A. Londoño): 4 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ apterous ( CIUQ) . Armenia, Sendero C. Rosado, 1450 m, 07.XI.2005, (A. Londoño): 2 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous ( CIUQ) . Armenia, Uniquindio, 1450 m, 21.XI.2003, (C. Cuartas): 1 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous ( CIUQ) . Barcelona, 1003 m, 10.VII.2005, (F. Molano): 2 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05823). Calarcá , Vereda Pradera Baja, quebrada El Pescadorcito, 1609 m, 13.VII.2005, (Proyecto 249): 2 ♂ macropterous, 6 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ macropterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05814). Calarcá , La Virginia, quebrada El Cofre , 1727 m, 13.VII.2005,(Proyecto 249): 3 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05827).Calarcá, La Virginia, quebrada La Honda, 1741 m, 13.VII.2005, (F. Molano): 8 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ macropterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05829). Calarcá , La Bella , 1277 m, 10.VII.2005, (D. Pana): 4 ♂ apterous (UPTC-In-05830). Calarcá , La Virginia, quebrada Platanillas , 1772 m, 13.VII.2005, (Proyecto 249): 7 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05840). Calarcá, La Virginia, 1420 m, 13.VII.2005,(I. Morales): 9 ♂ apterous, 12 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05841). Calarcá , Vereda Pradera, E 67, 13.VII.2005, (I. Morales): 1 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05842). Calarcá, Vereda Pradera, 1600 m, 13.VII.2005, (J. Cobos): 1 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05843). Circasia , Abedules , 1689 m, 16.VII.2005, (I. Morales): 6 ♂ macropterous, 3 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ macropterous, 10 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05815). Circasia , El Silencio , 1500 m, 16.VII.2005, (J. Cobos): 3 ♂ macropterous, 2 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ macropterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05816). Circasia , Pinares , 1449 m, 16.VII.2005, (D. Parra): 4 ♂ apterous, 6 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05821). Circasia , Vereda Membrillal, Quebrada La Arenosa , 1534 m, 16.VII.2005, (Proyecto 249): 2 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In- 05824). Circasia , Pinares , 1499 m, 16.VII.2005, (J. Cobos): 3 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05825). Circasia , Los Pinos , 1566 m, 16.VII.2005, (C. Rivera): 7 ♂ apterous, 9 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05836). Filandia , Bambuco , 1800 m, S.F., (H. Suárez): 3 ♂ apterous (UPTC-In-05540). Filandia , Bremen , 1686 m, 08.VII.2005, (F. Molano): 3 ♂ macropterous, 6 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ macropterous, 3 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05770). Filandia , Bremen , 1686 m, 08.VII.2005, (H. Suárez): 1♂ macropterous, 36 ♂ apterous, 13 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05813). Filandia , Bremen, E. Los Monos , 1686 m, 08.VII.2005, (F. Molano): 1♂ macropterous, 1 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05833). Filandia , Bambuco Alto , 1800 m, 08.VII.2005, (H. Suárez): 5 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05839). La Tebaida, Quebrada 7 , 1800 m, 10.IV.2005, (F. Molano): 2 ♂ macropterous, 10 ♂ apterous, 10 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05838). Montenegro, Quebrada 1, 09.IV.2005, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05536) . Montenegro, Quebrada 4, 1229 m, 09.IV.2005, (F. Molano): 6 ♂ apterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In- 05539) . Montenegro, Vereda Orinoco, quebrada El Cenizo , 1226 m, 12.VII.2005, (F. Molano): 2 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05768). Montenegro, Vereda Guatemala, 1200 m, 12.VII.2005, (I. Morales): 2 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05771) . Montenegro, Vereda La Pradera , Quebrada El Pescador, E 62, 13.VII.2005, (I. Morales): 2 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05844). Quimbaya, Tigrera , 1100 m, 09.VII.2005, (L. García): 19 ♂ apterous, 18 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05826). Vereda El Laurel, Reserva Natural La Montaña del Ocaso , 987 m, 24.IV.2018, (D. Martínez): 1 ♂ apterous (UPTC-In-05946). Salento , La Nubia , 1430 m, 16.VII.2005, (J. Cobos): 3 ♂ macropterous, 2 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 1♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05769). Salento , La Playa , 1718 m, 07.VII.2005, (J. Cobos): 2 ♂ macropterous, 9 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 10 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05828). Salento , Boquía , 1682 m, 07.VII.2005, (J. Cobos): 1 ♂ macropterous, 6 ♂ apterous, 12 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In- 05831). Salento , Boquía , 1600 m, 07.VII.2005, (I. Morales): 2 ♂ macropterous, 1 ♂ apterous, 1♀ macropterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05837). Risaralda : Pueblo Rico , Vereda Montebello , inmediaciones Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá , Reserva Natural Montezuma, cuenca Río Taiba , 1300 m, 01.XI.2014, (M.I. Castro): 7 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05538). Pueblo Rico , Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá, finca Montezuma 1379 m, 5°13’49.82” N, 76°04’58.93” W, 03.XI.2014, (G. Contreras, A. Montañez & J. Delgado): 1 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In- 05620). Santander : Barbosa , 1650 m, 14. V.2007 (S. Díaz): 2 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05541). Valle del Cauca: Yotoco , 02.VII.2014, (J. Carvajal): 2 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05542) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. A. Female, dorsal view, Rhagovelia cauca; B. Female, ventral view, R. cauca; C. Male, dorsal view, R. elegans; D. Hind femur, tibia, and tarsus, male, ventral view, R. elegans; E. Apex of hind tibia and tarsus, male, ventral view, R. elegans, arrow indicates crescent-shaped spur.

FIGURE 6. Geographic distributions in Colombia of A. Rhagovelia cali; B. Rhagovelia cauca.