Valdasus Stål, 1860

Wolski, Andrzej, Chérot, Frédéric & Carpintero, Diego Leonardo, 2020, Review of the genus Valdasus Stål, 1860 (Heteroptera, Miridae, Cylapinae), with descriptions of four new species from Brazil, Ecuador and French Guiana, Zootaxa 4869 (2), pp. 187-206 : 188-190

Valdasus Stål, 1860

( Figures 1–70 )

Valdasus Stål, 1860: 56 (as new genus), Walker, 1873: 166 (catalog), Atkinson, 1890: 48 (catalog), Carvalho, 1952: 50 (as junior synonym of Cylapus ), 1957: 29 (catalog, as junior synonym of Cylapus Say, 1832 ), Carvalho & Fontes, 1968: 273, 275 (as valid genus, key, diagnosis), Schuh, 1995: 38 (catalog), Gorczyca, 2000: 48 (list), 2006: 19 (catalog), Carvalho & Ferreira, 1994: 331 (key). Type species by monotypy: Valdasus schoenherri Stål, 1860 .

Diagnosis: Recognized by the following combination of characters: dorsum densely and deeply punctate, entirely covered with erect, dense, long setae ( Figs 1–7 ); eye strongly pedunculate; vertex deeply sulcate medially ( Figs 11–19 ); ostiolar peritreme oval, moderately raised above evaporative areas ( Figs 29, 31–33 ); mesepimeron punctate or rugopunctate ( Figs 29, 31–33 ); left paramere C-shaped ( Figs 34, 35 , 42, 46, 50 ); right paramere sickle-shaped ( Figs 36, 37 , 44, 48, 51 ); seminal duct relatively thick, rather short; secondary gonopore distinct, usually well-developed; microsculpture around secondary gonopore usually present ( Figs 38 , 40, 41, 45, 49 ); bursa copulatrix broad, strongly extending beyond first gonapophysis laterally and dorsally; sclerotized ring paired or unpaired, broadly developed ( Figs 52, 53, 57, 58 , 61–64 ); first valvula with ventral margin more or less arcuate, dorsal margin sinuate, strongly convex subapically ( Figs 55, 59 , 67, 69 ; second valvula with ventral margin arcuate, dorsal margin weakly sinuate, strongly serrate ( Figs 56, 60 , 68, 70 ).

Redescription: Female. COLORATION. Dorsum often uniformly dark brown or black, very often with contrastingly yellow outer angle of exocorium and base of cuneus, rarely body brown with large yellow areas ( Figs 1–7 ). SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Head matte, covered with simple, dense, long setae ( Figs 11, 14, 16 ); antennal segment I shiny, covered with several, semi recumbent and/or erect setae; segment II shiny or matte, covered with sparse, semi recumbent, short setae, usually being sparser on basal half; segments III and IV covered with regular, relatively dense, short setae; labium shiny, covered with rather long, almost erect setae. Thorax. Pronotum. Collar matte, covered with sparse, long, erect setae; calli and disc clothed with long, erect, dense setae; calli usually impunctate, rarely finely punctate, often weakly shagreened; disc deeply and densely punctate ( Figs 16 , 28, 31, 33 . Mesoscutum and scutellum. Mesoscutum covered with long, erect setae, sparser than those on scutellum, broadly impunctate, punctate only on lateral depressed areas; scutellum deeply and densely punctate with long, erect, dense vestiture ( Figs 22, 23 , 30 ). Thoracic pleura. Covered with simple, long, erect dense setae, sometimes sparser on metepisternum; proepisternum and small, anterior portion of proepimeron impunctate, remainder of proepimeron deeply and densely punctate; metepisternum more or less rugose, sometimes with fine punctures; mesepimeron punctate or rugopunctate; metepisternum partly smooth, partly rugose ( Figs 29, 31 ). Hemelytron. Clothed with long, dense, erect setae; clavus and corium densely and deeply punctate; apical portion of endocorium with punctation sparser than on remainder of corium or absent; cuneus impunctate, with semi recumbent and adpressed setae, shorter than on remainder of hemelytron ( Figs 1, 6 , 24, 25 , 30 ). Legs. Coxae relatively shining, covered with long, semi recumbent setae; femora and tibiae setae short, shorter than width of femora, semi recumbent or long, longer than widths of these segments, erect (Figs. Figs 9, 10 , 28, 31 ). Abdomen. Covered with regularly distributed, relatively long, semi recumbent and adpressed setae ( Figs 8 , 31 ). STRUCTURE. Macropterous; body usually elongate oval, rarely elongate ( Figs 1–7 ). Head. Vertical, elongate dorsoventrally, short in dorsal view; vertex weakly sloping toward frons, with strongly developed, medial, longitudinal depression; frons vertical, flat, relatively broad; eye strongly pedunculate, its inferior margin removed from posterior margin of mandibular plate in anterior view, strongly removed from ventral margin of head (by a distance subequal to eye height in lateral view); antennal insertion tuberculate, contiguous with eye, placed above suture between mandibular and maxillary plates; clypeus vertical, not seen from dorsal view, more or less convex; mandibular plate broad, triangular; maxillary plate narrow, rectangular or sub rectangular; gula short, horizontal; buccula round ( Figs 11, 16 , 28, 30 ); antenna long, filiform; antennal segment I usually longer than vertex, mostly cylindrical, narrowed basally; segment II thinner than segment I, mostly cylindrical, weakly broadened toward apex; segments III and IV thinner than segment II, long, filiform; labium short, usually reaching metacoxae, rarely reaching second or third segment of abdomen; segments I, II, and IV not subdivided ( Figs 6 , 16, 18, 21 ). Thorax. Pronotum. Collar narrow, depressed in relation to remainder of pronotum; callus short, broad, reaching lateral portion of pronotum; pronotal lateral margins not carinate; posterior margin almost straight, only weakly convex medially or sinuate, or strongly convex medially ( Figs 6, 7 , 26, 27 , 31 ). Mesoscutum and scutellum. Mesoscutum exposed, sloping toward base of scutellum, its lateral portion depressed; scutellum flat to convex ( Figs 22, 23 , 30, 31 ). Thoracic pleura. Mesopleuron with distinct depression; mesepimeron moderately convex; metepisternum relatively broad, with visible posterior carina, evaporatorium broadly developed, semicircular, peritreme moderately raised above evaporatorium, oval, placed close to anterior margin of metepisternum; mesepimeron well exposed ( Figs 29, 31 ). Hemelytron. Lateral margin with basal one-third straight, apical two-thirds arcuate; cuneus well developed, costal fracture present; membrane with two cells ( Figs 6 , 24, 25 ). Legs. Long; tarsi with three segments, tarsomere I shorter than tarsomeres II and III combined; pretarsal claw with subapical tooth ( Fig. 32 ). Genitalia. Bursa copulatrix voluminous, extending laterally and dorsally beyond first valvula; seminal depository moderately developed, without any ring-like structures ( Figs 52, 53, 57, 58 , 61, 62, 65, 66 ); sclerotized ring paired ( Figs 52, 53, 57, 58 ) or unpaired ( Figs 61, 63 ), well-developed; lateral oviduct welldeveloped, short or elongated, extended laterally beyond margin of dorsal labiate plate; spermathecal gland weakly developed ( Figs 52, 57 ), sometimes vestigial; ventral wall of bursa copulatrix with more or less developed sclerotizations (sv); posterior wall membranous, without any scale-like structures ( Fig. 54 ); first valvula or gonapophysis ( Figs 55, 59 , 67, 69 ) with ventral margin more or less arcuate, dorsal margin sinuate, strongly convex subapically; second valvula or gonapophysis ( Figs 56, 60 , 68, 70 ) with ventral margin arcuate, dorsal margin weakly sinuate, strongly serrate. Male. Similar in coloration, structure, texture, and vestiture, body sometimes more oval shaped. Genitalia. Genital segment without supragenital bridge; aperture of genital segment directed dorsally; left paramère ( Figs 34, 35 , 42, 43, 46, 49, 50 ) C-shaped, usually with distinct lateral process on base of apical process; right paramere ( Figs 36, 37 , 44, 47, 51 ) slightly smaller than left, sickle-shaped; endosoma ( Figs 39 , 40, 41, 45, 48 ) with or without sclerites; seminal duct rather short, relatively thick; secondary gonopore more or less developed, usually with microsculpture.

Discussion. Valdasus can be regarded as a member of the tribe Cylapini based on the following characters presented by Wolski (2017) in the diagnosis of the tribe: a) head hypognathous ( Figs 8–10 , 11–17 , 28, 31, 33 ); b) vertex sulcate along midline ( Figs 18, 19 , 28 ); c) buccula ring-like ( Figs 31, 32 ); d) labial segments I and II not subdivided ( Figs 31, 33 ); e) metepisternum with distinct posterior carina ( Figs 29, 32 ); f) metathoracic scent gland efferent system broad and well-developed ( Figs 29, 31, 33 ); g) seminal duct relatively broad and short ( Figs 38 , 40, 41, 45, 48 ); and h) secondary gonopore clearly present, well developed ( Figs 38 , 40 ). Additionally, the genus Valdasus , similarly to other representatives of the tribe Cylapini , possesses the broadly developed bursa copulatrix that extends laterally and dorsally beyond the first valvula ( Figs 52, 53, 57, 58 , 61–66 ; Wolski in prep.). Within Cylapini Valdasus most resembles the genera Amapacylapus Carvalho & Fontes , Cylapus Say , Peltidocylapus Poppius , and Valdasoides Carvalho in having the strongly pedunculate eye, the well exposed mesoscutum, and dorsum with dense and deep punctuation ( Figs 1, 6 , 11–17, 22–23 ) Among these genera, Valdasus is most similar to Peltidocylapus in sharing the ostiolar peritreme oval and blunt, moderately raised above surface of evaporative areas ( Figs 29, 31, 33 ; Wolski 2017: Fig. 158) whereas the ostiolar peritreme is strongly raised in Amapacylapus and Cylapus , being narrow, ear-like in the former ( Wolski 2017: Fig. 10 ) and arcuate and sharply pointed in the latter ( Wolski 2017: Figs 93, 96, 108, 129, 146). Valdasus can be distinguished from Peltidocylapus mostly by the pronotal vestiture, being rather fine and sparse in Peltidocylapus and long, dense and erect in Valdasus ( Figs 1, 5 , 29, 32, 33 ) and also by the texture of mesepimeron which is weakly rugose or smooth in Peltidocylapus and rugopunctate or punctate in Valdasus ( Figs 29, 31, 33 ).

The abovementioned characters, i.e., the oval peritreme, moderately upraised above the evaporatorium, the dense, erect dorsal vestiture, and the rugopunctate or punctate mesepimeron are found in two species currently placed in the genus Peltidocylapus , namely Peltidocylapus erebeus (Distant, 1883) and P. stygius (Distant, 1883) . Based on these similarities both species are here returned to the genus Valdasus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Habitus. 1–7.—Dorsal view; 8–10.—Lateral view. 1, 8.—Valdasus erebeus Distant (lectotype); 2, 9.—Valdasus favrei n. sp., 2: male paratype FC n° 5858, 9: male paratype, Ecuador USNM. 3.—Valdasus ferrerai n. sp. Male paratype FC n° 5965. 4.—Valdasus flavinotum (holotype); 5.—Valdasus henryi (holotype); 6, 10.—Valdasus schoenherri (female, Brazil); 7.—Valdasus stygius (lectotype). Scale = 2 mm.

FIGURES 11–27. Details of morphology. 11–17.—Head in anterior view. Scales = 0.5 mm. 18, 19.—Head in dorsal view. Scales = 0.5 mm. 20, 21.—First antennal segment. Scales = 0.1 mm. 22, 23.—Scutellum and mesoscutum. Scales 0.5 mm. 24, 25.—Hemelytron. Scales 0.5 mm. 26, 27.—Pronotum. Scales 0.5 mm. 11, 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26.—Valdasus favrei n. sp. Male holotype. 13, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.—Valdasus ferrerai n. sp. Male holotype. 14.—Valdasus flavinotum (holotype); 15.—Valdasus henryi n. sp. (holotype); 16.—Valdasus schoenherri Stål, 1860 (♀, Brazil, USNM); 17.—Valdasus stygius (Distant) (lectotype).

FIGURES 28–33.Scanning electron micrographs. 28, 29, 31, 33.—Lateral views; 30.—Dorsal habitus; 32.—Metatarsus. 28, 29. Valdasus flavinotum. 30–32. Valdasus henryi. 33. Valdasus schoenherri.

FIGURES 34–39. Male genital structures. 34, 35.—Left paramere. 36, 37.—Right paramere. 38, 39.—Endophallus. 34, 36, 38.—Valdasus favrei n. sp. 35, 37, 39.—Valdasus ferrerai n. sp. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 40–51. Male genitalic structures. 40, 45, 48.—Endosoma (dorsal view). 41. Endosoma (ventral view) 42, 46, 49.— Left paramere (right lateral view). 43, 50. Left paramere apical process (dorsal view); 44, 47, 51.—Right paramere (left lateral view). 40–44.—Valdasus favrei. 45–47.—Valdasus flavinotum. 48–51.—Valdasus henryi. mw = medial weakly sclerotized part of ductus seminis distal part; ap = apical process; bp = basal process; lp = lateral outgrowth of left paramere apical process; pb = paramere body; sp1-sp4 = spicules of endosoma. Scale = 0.1.

FIGURES 52–60. Female genitalic structures. 52, 57.—Bursa copulatrix (dorsal view); 53, 58. Bursa copulatrix (ventral view); 54.—Posterior wall. 55, 56, 59, 60.—Ovipositor: 55, 59. Gonapophysis I, 56, 60.—Gonapophysis II. odl = lateral oviduct; s = sclerite connecting posterior portions of sclerotized ring; sd = seminal depository; sg = spermathecal gland; sr = sclerotized ring; sv = sclerotization on bursa copulatrix ventral wall. 52–56. Valdasus favrei. 57–60. Valdasus flavinotum. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 61–70. Female genitalic structures. 61, 63, 65. Bursa copulatrix (dorsal view), 61, 65: with ventral wall, 63: with ventral wall removed; 62, 64, 66. Bursa copulatrix (ventral view), 62: ventral wall of bursa copulatrix; 64: with ventral wall removed; 67, 68, 69, 70.—Ovipositor: 67, 69.—Gonapophysis I, 68, 70.—Gonapophysis II; odl = lateral oviduct; s = sclerite connecting posterior portions of sclerotized ring; sd = seminal depository; sg = spermathecal gland; sr = sclerotized ring; sv = sclerotization on bursa copulatrix ventral wall. 61–64, 67, 68. Valdasus henryi. 65, 66, 69, 70. Valdasus schoenherri. Scale 0.5 mm Short scale bar corresponds to bursa copulatrix; long scale bar corresponds to elements of ovipositor.