Kiskeya, Weirauch, Christiane & Forero, Dimitri, 2007

Weirauch, Christiane & Forero, Dimitri, 2007, Kiskeya palassaina, new genus and new species of Saicinae (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from the Dominican Republic, Zootaxa 1468, pp. 57-68 : 59-63

Kiskeya , new genus

Figures 1–6

Type species: Kiskeya palassaina , new species

Diagnosis: Recognized by the spines on the ventral surface of the head (figs. 1E, 2C) and on the prosternum (fig. 2B); by the disc of the anterior pronotal lobe with very low anterior paired protuberances (fig. 2D); by the humeral angles of the posterior pronotal lobe with long spine (figs. 1A, 2A); by the scutellum (mesoscutum) with one long, erect spine (fig. 2B); by the metanotum large and elongate and with one low tubercular spine close to the posterior margin (figs. 2B, E, G); and by the fore leg armature unique among Saicinae, which consists of two rows of five or six stout and long spines on the femur and a row of stiff setae on the median surface of the tibia (figs. 1A, 3A).

Resembles Bagriella McAtee and Malloch, Buninotus Maldonado, Caprilesia Gil-Santana, Marques , and Costa, Paratagalis Monte, and Tagalis Stål among Neotropical Saicinae in having stout spines on the femur. Clearly distinguished from all of these by the absence of spines on the fore tibia. Distinguished further from Tagalis by the presence of humeral spines, from Paratagalis by the absence of spines on the disc of the anterior pronotal lobe, from Bagriella by the presence of spines on the fore coxa, from Caprilesia by the absence of a long spine on the metanotum, and from Buninotus in having spines on the second and third labial segments and having the scutellar spine long and acute.

Description: Female: small (total length, holotype: 6.37 mm), thorax elongate, abdomen elongate ovoid, legs slender, apterous (figs. 1–4). VESTITURE: Body, antennae, and legs with rather sparse, fine, suberect setae, antenna in addition with longer and denser setation, fore femur with two medial rows of 5 or 6 spines, fore tibia with medial row of stiff setae and one row of very short, spinelike setae; for additional stout spines on head and pronotum refer to that part of the structure description. COLORATION (fig. 1): General coloration brown and pale brown, with banded fore legs, whitish coxae, pattern of pale, red, and dark areas on mediotergites and pale and dark dorsal laterotergites. STRUCTURE: Head (figs. 1, 2): Anteocular and postocular portion of head (without clypeal spine and neck) about as long as anterior pronotal lobe (figs. 1C, 2A), anteocular portion almost twice as long as postocular area (measured to anterior margin of neck) (fig. 2A), postocular area slightly globose, width across eyes about four times width of one eye, interocular sulcus deep, almost straight, at about midpoint of eye in dorsal view (fig. 2A), mandibular and maxillary plates extremely small (fig. 2C), gena large, with one stout spine (with apical seta) anteroventrally and one spine posteroventral of eye (fig. 2C), gula straight, clypeus slender and rather low, with long, anteriad directed spine (figs. 1C, 2A, C), labrum small, elongate. Eyes: Globose in dorsal view (figs. 1C, 2A), elongate ovoid in lateral view (figs. 2B, C), rather small, in lateral position, not reaching dorsal or ventral margin of head, consisting of relatively few ommatidia. Antenna: Long and slender, scapus (directed posteriad) reaching scutellar spine (figs. 1B, C), pedicellus about one third length of scapus, basiflagellomere and distiflagellomere of similar length as pedicellus, distiflagellomere with distinct, apparently membranous subapical swelling. Labium (figs. 1E, 2B): Second (first visible) labial segment slender, elongate, reaching anterior margin of eye, with pair of stout suberect spines at midpoint, third (second visible) labial segment swollen, about half as long as second segment, with stout, suberect spines at midpoint, fourth (third visible) segment slender, about as long as third, tapering. Thorax (figs. 1C–E, 2A, B, D–G): Pronotum longer than wide, anterior lobe subquadrate, posterior lobe short and not as wide as greatest width of anterior lobe, anterior and posterior lobes separated by deep furrow (fig. 2A); anterior margin of anterior lobe with collar, lateral angles with rounded tubercles, disc of anterior lobe flat, anterior margin with paired, lateral, low but distinct protuberances, posterior margin with paired, lateral, very low protuberances, lateral margins gently sloping, median longitudinal depression of anterior lobe distinct, but shallow in posterior four-fifths of disc, leading to deep circular depression close to posterior margin of anterior lobe (fig. 2D); posterior lobe narrow, very short, with paired long and suberect spines on each humeral angle, posterior margin slightly concave (figs. 2A, E, G). Scutellum with broad base and triangular apex, tapering into very long erect spine (fig. 2E). Metanotum very long, about twice as long as visible part of mesonotum, anteriorly with triangular area smooth, remainder of segment with strong transverse ridges; rather short, suberect median spine in posterior third (fig. 2E). Proepimeron posteriorly tubular (fig. 2G); with stout, posteriad directed setae at posterior margin (fig. 2F). Mesepisternum large, with dorsoventral ridges, mesepimeron narrow, posterior margin with ridge with swelling dorsal to coxal cavity (fig. 2G). Metepisternum very large, anterior lobe forming part of mesocoxal cavity obsolete; metepimeron obsolete (fig. 2G). Prosternum with prosternal process elevated, apex pointed (figs. 1D, 2F); lateral margin of prosternum with one anteriad directed spine (fig. 2B). Stridulitrum with transverse cuticular ridges present, narrow. Mesosternum slightly longer than prosternum, with weak median, longitudinal ridge (fig. 1D). Metasternum slightly longer than mesosternum, with weak median, longitudinal ridge, furcal pits small, distinctly removed from anterior margin of metacoxal cavity (fig. 1D). Legs (figs. 1A, B, 2B, 3A–D): slender, fore leg distinctly stouter and shorter than mid and hind leg, tarsi with three tarsomeres, first and second tarsomeres tubular, of similar length and diameter, third tarsomere distinctly dilated laterally (fig. 3B), relatively short and with scopula consisting of distally extended setae, i.e., tenent setae, on ventral surface (figs. 3C, D), claws slender, curved, oriented in right angle relative to third tarsomere, with basal swelling, parempodia setiform (fig. 3C); fore leg with elongate coxa with one spine on anterior surface, three or four spines on posterior surface (figs. 1B, 2B), trochanter triangular, ventral surface with three or four spines (fig. 1B), femur slightly curved, relatively stout, with two rows of spines on medial surface, dorsal row consisting of six spines, ventral row of five or six spines (figs. 2B, 3A), tibia slightly curved, apically slightly expanded, with row of stiff setae and row of short thornlike setae on medial surface (figs. 2B, 3A); mid and hind leg with coxae ovoid, trochanters triangular, femora and tibiae relatively long and slender. Fossula spongiosa and metacoxal comb absent. Abdomen (figs. 1F–H, 4A, B): elongate ovoid, lateral margins smooth, dorsal laterotergites distinct, ventral laterotergites narrow; first spiracle on first/second syntergite, second to seventh spiracle small, circular, on mediosternites (figs. 1H, 4B), eighth spiracle on distinct sclerite (fig. 4D). GENITALIA (female only) (figs. 4C, D, 5A– E): first valvifer broad and short, posterior margin rounded (figs. 5B, C); first valvula triangular, covered by third valvula in posterior view (fig. 5A); second valvula with membranous, median lobes with long median appendages (figs. 5D, E); third valvulae consisting of unpaired, flattened cone-shaped sclerite (figs. 4D, 5A, B, D, E); ninth tergite and (probably) tenth covering third valvula in part and forming apex of terminalia (figs. 4D, 5).

Etymology: Named after the Taíno name for Hispaniola, “ Kiskeya ”, which means “mother of earth.” The gender is feminine.

Biology: The series of seven specimens collected in 1991 was found “in litter near stream” and the two more recently collected specimens were “hand collected from under stones and logs”.

Discussion: Nine female specimens of this taxon of Saicinae are currently known. In spite of the somewhat unfavourable circumstances (only female specimens, apterous), the armature of the fore leg appears to be unique among Saicinae. This fact together with other characters listed in the diagnosis support our decision to describe this taxon as a new species, which we place in a new genus. Sexual dimorphism of legs seems to be limited in other genera of Saicinae. We therefore postulate that the fore leg armature we describe here for the female will in principle correspond to the one in the males that might be collected in the future.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kiskeya palassaina, habitus of holotype (A, B) and paratype (C – H) [AMNH _ PBI 00190561], digital microphotographs. A, dorsal view; B, lateral view; C, head and thorax, dorsal view; D, thorax, ventral view; E, head and thorax, lateral view; F – H, abdomen in F, dorsal view, G, ventral view, H, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Kiskeya palassaina, paratype [AMNH _ PBI 00190561], head and thorax, scanning micrographs. A, head and thorax, dorsal view; B, head and thorax, lateral view; C, anterior part of head, lateral view; D, anterior pronotal lobe, dorsal view; E, meso- and metathorax, dorsal view; F, prosternal process, lateral view; G, meso- and metathorax, lateral view. Abbreviation: sp 1, abdominal spiracle 1.

FIGURE 3. Kiskeya palassaina, paratype [AMNH _ PBI 00190561], leg structures, scanning micrographs. A, foreleg; insets show close-up of armature on femur and tibia. B, tarsus of fore leg, dorsal view; C, second and third tarsomeres of fore leg, showing scopula on ventral surface of third tarsomere; D, close-up of ventral surface of third tarsomere, showing several apically extended tenent setae.

FIGURE 4. Kiskeya palassaina, paratype [AMNH _ PBI 00190561], abdomen, scanning micrographs. A, B, abdomen in A, dorsal view, B, lateral view; C, D, female terminalia in C, dorsal view, D, lateral view. Abbreviations: t 1 / 2 – 10, abdominal tergites; sp 1 – 8, abdominal spiracle; vf 1, first valvifer (eighth segment); vv 3, third valvula (styloids).

FIGURE 5. Kiskeya palassaina, paratype [AMNH _ PBI 00190561], female external genitalia. A, posterior view; B, ventral view with genitalia slightly extended; C, first valvifers and valvulae, ventral view; D, E, second valvifers and valvulae and fused third valvula, D, ventral view, E, lateral view. Abbreviations: t 9, 10, abdominal tergites 9, 10; sp 7, 8, abdominal spiracles 7, 8; vf 1, first valvifer (eighth segment); vv 1, first valvula (eighth segment); vv 3, third valvula (styloids).

FIGURE 6. Collecting sites of Kiskeya palassaina in the Dominican Republic.