Bubaces castaneus Distant, 1893

Brailovsky, Harry & Barrera, Ernesto, 2020, Review of the genus Bubaces (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae Lethaeini) with descriptions of three new species, new distributional records, and key to species, Zootaxa 4767 (2), pp. 244-256 : 246-249

Bubaces castaneus Distant, 1893

( Figs. 1 , 8 , 15–16)

Bubaces castaneus Distant, 1893: 409 -410 (original description)

Redescription. Male. Dorsal coloration. Head shining reddish brown; tylus and antennal segments I-IV shining pale chestnut orange; basally with two iridescent spots, one on either side of midline; each spot consists of a series of parallel ridges. Pronotum with anterior lobe dark shining reddish brown, posterior lobe pale shining chestnut, with humeri and anterolateral borders yellow. Scutellum dark shining reddish Brown. Clavus and coria pale shining chestnut, with costal margins yellow; hemelytra tricolored, membranes at base and near apical corial borders shining chestnut, followed by a transverse hyaline band which continues along the border, the rest pale yellow gray. Dorsal abdominal segments shining chestnut, with lateral margins of segments III-V shiny yellow. Ventral coloration. Head, thorax and abdominal sterna shining chestnut; rostral segments I-IV yellow (apex of IV pale brown); evaporative surfaces dark shining reddish brown; coxae and trochanters shining chestnut; femora shining chestnut with apices yellowish orange; tibiae and tarsi yellow. Structure. Body length over 5.4 mm. Head. Dorsally impunctate; vertex flat; ocelli separated from adjacent eye by less than its diameter: Ventrally with scattered punctures, with shallow longitudinal sulcus; rostrum reaching posterior border of abdominal sternite IV; rostral segment I surpassing base of head. Thorax. Pronotum glabrous, bilobed, with dorsal transverse impression shallow, not deeply incised; posterior pronotal lobe evenly punctate. Hemelytra. Macropterous, extending beyond apex of last abdominal segment; clavi and coria glabrous. Abdomen. Sterna sparsely clothed with fine long hairs. Genitalia. Parameres as in figures 15–16.

Female. Habitus and color similar to male. Metathoracic scent glands with each ostiolar peritreme simple, short, not so well-developed, sinuate, not curving posteriorly.

Measurements. Male. Body length 4.80; head length 0.81; head width across eyes 0.81; interocular distance 0.42; preocular length 0.54; length antennal segments: I 0.72, II 0.90, III 0.73, IV 0.76; pronotum: total length 0.87; maximum width across humeral angles 1.36; scutellum: length 0.67; width 0.79.

Female. Body length 5.54; head length 0.87; head width across eyes 0.84; interocular distance 0.43; preocular length 0.57; length antennal segments: I 0.82, II 1.65, III 0.84, IV 0.81; pronotum: total length 1.00; maximum width across humeral angles 1.63; scutellum: length 0.81; width 0.87.

General distribution*. Described from Mexico and later cited from Central America, West Indies, and South America, south to Brazil and Argentina. ARGENTINA: CHACO DE SANTA FE (Las Garzas). BRAZIL: BAHIA (Encruzilhada). MEXICO: CAMPECHE (Escarcega); YUCATAN (Temax, Peto, Muna, Chichenitza, Chuminopolis). WEST INDIES: GRENADA (Grand Anse). TRINIDAD (Arima, St. Gorge Co., Curepe, Simla) (Distant 1893; Brailovsky 1981; O’Donnell 1986; Baranowski and Slater 2005; Dellapé, et al. 2015).

* The following state records given by Brailovsky (1981) and O’Donnell (1986) are erroneous and belong to another species: MEXICO: COLIMA (Paso del Rio, Acaponeta); JALISCO (Chamela); OAXACA (Tehuantepec).

Material examined. New records. MEXICO: Campeche, Bolonchen de Rejón, 15-21-VI-1982, M. Vertiz, H. Velasco ( UNAM) 2 males, 4 females; Calkimi, 28-IV-1982, M. Garcia ( UNAM) 1 female; El Remate, 26-IV-1982, A. Ibarra ( UNAM) 1 female. Quintana Roo, Coba, 3-XI-1981, E. Barrera ( UNAM) 1 male, 1 female; San Isidro, Puerto Morelos, 12-13-VIII-1982, M. Garcia ( UNAM) 1 male; km 146 road Chetumal-Puerto Juarez, 17-VI-1984, F. Heredia ( UNAM) 4 females; Can Cun, 16-VIII-1982, H. Delfin ( UNAM) 1 female. Yucatan, X-Can, 30-IV- 1982, A. Ibarra ( UNAM) 1 female.

Discussion. Bubaces castaneus , the type species of the genus, is segregated by having the dorsal surface of the pronotum, clavi and coria glabrous, the coria lack the circular yellow to creamy-yellow subapical spots, the head ventrally has a shallow longitudinal sulcus, the rostrum reaches the posterior border of abdominal sternite IV, all tibiae are sparsely spined, and the ostiolar peritremes in male specimens are raised, above the pleural surface, posteriorly with a gentle and open curve, resembling a question mark.

This species is included in the “ castaneus ” group by having the total length of the body longer than 4.70 mm.

Biology. Collected at light trap (O’Donnell 1986).

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Dorsal view of Bubaces spp. 1, B. castaneus Distant (female). 2, B. convergens Brailovsky (male). 3, B. enatus Brailovsky (female). 4, B. gloriosus sp. nov. (female). 5, B. occidentalis sp. nov. (male). 6, B. rostralis sp. nov. (male). 7, B. uhleri (Distant) (male).

FIGURES 8–12. Lateral view of Bubaces spp. 8, B. castaneus Distant (female). 9, B. convergens Brailovsky (male). 10, B. gloriosus sp. nov. (female). 11, B. occidentalis sp. nov. (male). 12, B. uhleri (Distant) (male).