Sephina, Amyot and Serville, 1843

Brailovsky, Harry & Barrera, Ernesto, 2021, Illustrated key to the species in the genus Sephina (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Spartocerini), with descriptions of three new species and new distributional records, Zootaxa 5048 (1), pp. 77-98 : 79-81

Key to the known species of Sephina

1. Hemelytral membrane black or dark brown, scattered with yellow irregular discoidal spots; anterior pronotal lobe, sloping, mesally simple, without subconical humps or subacute tubercles ( Fig. 4 )......................................... 2

- Hemelytral membrane entirely black or dark brown; anterior pronotal lobe sloping, mesally split, forming two obtuse subconical humps or bituberculate, with two subacute expansions ( Figs. 1–3 )............................................ 5

2. Femora black with apical third yellow; tibiae black with basal third yellow; humeral angles subacute.................. 3

- Femora and tibiae entirely black to brownish with apex much darker; humeral angles rounded, not exposed............. 4

3. Endocorium with a small yellow discoidal spot; margins of abdominal sterna III–VII entirely shiny red; upper margin of connexival segments III–VII shiny red, inner margin black; antennal segment IV longer than 4.30 mm., in each sex; anterior border of ocellus on an imaginary line extending to middle of eye; anterolateral border of pronotal disc clearly serrate at the anterior half ( Fig. 8 )........................................................................... S. faceta Brailovsky

- Endocorium with a large yellow discoidal spot; margins of abdominal sterna III‒VIII bicolorous; connexival segments III‒VIII bicolorous; antennal segment IV shorter than 3.60 mm in each sex; anterior border of ocellus on an imaginary line extending to posterior border of eye; anterolateral border of pronotal disc finely serrate at the anterior half ( Fig. 9 )...................................................................................................... S. geniculata Distant

4. Midline of corium with a yellow quadrate or semidiscoidal spot; connexival segments and pleural margins of abdominal sterna III–VI unicolorous, shiny orange; body sized longer than 21.00 mm; antennal segment IV longer than 5.30 mm; anterolateral margins of pronotal disc clearly emarginated, with anterior half serrate ( Figs. 4 , 6‒7 )................. S. nigripes Schmidt

- Midline of corium with a large yellow spot; connexival segments III‒VI and pleural margins of abdominal sterna III‒VI bicol- orous, shiny orange with posterior third black; body sized less than 20.00 mm; antennal segment IV shorter than 4. 60 mm.; anterolateral margins of pronotal disc non emarginated, with anterior half finely serrate ( Fig. 5 )...................................................................................................... S. talamancana Brailovsky

5. Head dorsally orange or shiny red........................................................................ 6

- Head dorsally black or only with the interocellar space and the space between ocelli and eye orange or shiny red......... 10

6. Anterior border of ocellus on an imaginary line far from the posterior border of eye................................. 7

- Anterior border of ocellus on an imaginary line touching the posterior border of eye................................ 9

7. Clavus entirely black; connexival segment VII and pleural margins of abdominal sternite VII shiny orange; humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view semiglobose, slightly raised ( Fig. 19 )............................... S. ayalai Brailovsky

- Clavus bicolorous; connexival segment VII and pleural margins of abdominal sternite VII bicolorous, shiny orange with posterior margin black; humps of anterior pronotal lobe hemispheric, slightly raised..................................... 8

8. Corium black with one or two medium-sized discoidal spots red to yellowish orange; humps of anterior pronotal lobe slightly convex, not globose ( Fig. 13 )................................................. S. erythromelaena (White) (in part)

- Corium shiny red to orange, with apical angle and wide discoidal spot near midline black; humps of anterior pronotal lobe convex, scarsely raised ( Fig. 31 )........................................................... S. indierae Wolcott

9. Anterior lobe of pronotal disc in lateral view with two large and remarkable globose to mamiliform humps on each side of midline; posterior margin of pronotal disc shiny orange; connexival segments III‒VI shiny orange to red; pleural margins of abdominal sterna III‒VI shiny orange ( Figs. 1 , 32‒33 ) ( Colombia).......................... S. effrena sp. nov. (in part)

- Anterior lobe of pronotal disc in lateral view with two convex humps slightly raised; connexival segments III‒VI and pleural margins of abdominal sterna III‒VI bicolorous, shiny orange with posterior third black; posterior margin of pronotal disc black ( Figs. 30‒31 )...................................................... S. pubera (Erichson) (= S. excellens Schmidt )

10. Humeral angles prominent, abruptly exposed, with short and acute lateral spine ( Figs. 4 , 32 ); anterior pronotal lobe with two triangular expansions conspicuosly raised in lateral view and placed at each side of midline......................... 11

- Humeral angles gradually expanded into short spine, slightly directed backward ( Figs. 15–16 ) or humeral angles rounded, obtuse and not expanded ( Figs. 12 , 17 ); anterior pronotal disk sloping, mesally split, forming two obtusely, hemispheric humps. .................................................................................................. 12

11. Corium black without red or yellow discoidal spot; general shape of humeri triangular ( Fig. 10 )......... S. bicornis Distant

- Corium black with one reddish or yellowish discoidal spot; general shape of humeri quadrate ( Figs. 2 , 11 )................................................................................................. S. pustulata (Fabricius)

12. Humeral angles gradually expanded into short spine, directed outward or slightly backward ( Figs. 15–16 ); humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view slightly or conspicuously exposed................................................ 13

- Humeral angles rounded, obtuse, not exposed ( Figs. 12 , 17 ); humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view not conspicuously exposed............................................................................................ 14

13. Pronotal disc entirely black; ( Fig. 15 ); humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view remarkably protuberant, raised; head ventrally black..................................................................... S. sulcaticollis Schmidt

- Pronotal disc bicolorous; humps of anterior pronotal disc in lateral view hemispheric, not conspicuously protuberant; head ventrally shiny orange ( Fig. 16 )............................................................. S. rogersi Distant

14. Ground color of corium mostly black.................................................................... 15

- Ground color of corium mostly yellow, shiny orange or shiny red, with or without black areas....................... 21

15. Anterior border of ocellus on an imaginary line extending far from the posterior border of eye....................... 16

- Anterior border of ocellus on an imaginary line reaching posterior border of eye.................................. 17

16. Connexival segments III‒VII and pleural margins of abdominal sterna III–VII reddish to orange; corium black without yellow- ish orange discoidal spot; humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view convex, raised; acetabulae black ( Fig. 17 )................................................................................................ S. limbata Stål

- Connexival segments III‒VII and pleural margins of abdominal sterna III–VII bicolorous, anterior half reddish orange, poste- rior half black; corium black with one or two reddish or yellowish orange discoidal spots; humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view slightly convex, non globose or exposed; acetabulae reddish orange ( Fig. 13 )........ S. erythromelaena (White)

17. Upper margin of connexival segments III–VII black; pleural margins of abdominal sterna V–VII black; sternite III shiny orange with posterior half black and IV black with anterior third shiny orange; humps of anterior pronotal lobe raised, hemispheric, exposed ( Fig. 20 )............................................................ S. pagella Brailovsky & Sánchez

- Connexival segments III–VII and pleural margins of abdominal sterna III–VII shiny orange; humps of anterior pronotal lobe insinuate or hemispheric, and slightly exposed............................................................. 18

18. Corium black, without red to yellow discoidal spot.......................................................... 19

- Corium black with one or two fused reddish or yellowish discoidal spot......................................... 20

19. Pronotal disc black with shiny red semicircular fascia, which arms reaching the posterolateral borders of pronotum; buccula black to dark reddish brown ( Fig. 18 )......................................... S. esquivelae Brailovsky & Sánchez

- Pronotal disc black with shiny red semicircular fascia which arms are truncate, not reaching the posterolateral borders of pronotum; buccula reddish to orange ( Fig. 21 )....................................... S. subulata Brailovsky & Sánchez

20. Clavus shiny orange, except claval commissure and claval margin black; collar orange; dorsal surface clothed with short, semidecumbent golden setae; humps of anterior pronotal lobe insinuate; body shorter than 20.30 mm ( Fig. 12 )........................................................................................ S. quintanarooana Brailovsky

- Clavus black; collar black; basal angle of corium black; dorsal surface densely clothed with erect golden setae; humps of anterior pronotal lobe hemispheric, fairly exposed; body longer than 22.50 m ( Fig. 14 ).................... S. ornata sp. nov.

21. Connexival segments III‒VI and sides of abdominal sterna shiny orange; humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view con- spicuously protuberant, globose, mamiliform ( Figs. 1 , 32‒33 ).............................. S. effrena sp. nov. (in part)

- Connexival segments III‒VI and sides of abdominal sterna bicolorous, alternating yellow and black patches; humps of anterior pronotal lobe in lateral view not conspicuously protuberant, exposed or slightly raised and not exposed................ 22

22. Corium entirely yellow to pale orange.................................................................... 23

- Corium not entirely yellow to pale orange................................................................. 25

23. Anterolateral margins of pronotum almost entirely yellow with only the border of humeral angles black; collar yellow; pronotal disc with pale yellow to yellowish-white erect setae; clavus entirely yellow; rim of abdominal spiracle yellow........... 24

- Anterolateral margins of pronotum black or alternating black and yellowish to orange patches; collar black; pronotal disc with black erect setae; clavus yellow with claval commissure black; rim of abdominal spiracle black ( Figs. 26–27 )........................................................................................... S. formosa (Dallas) (in part)

24. Meso- and metapleura shiny black, with acetabulae and posterior margin yellow; anterior lobe of metathoracic peritreme black; abdominal sternite VII almost shiny black ( Figs. 3 , 22‒24 ).................... S. gundlachi (Guérin-Méneville) (in part)

- Meso- and metapleura mostly pale yellowish orange; anterior lobe of metathoracic peritreme yellowish orange; abdominal sternite VII yellowish orange ( Fig. 25 )...................................................... S. dorsalis (White)

25. Scutellum black, with a yellow longitudinal stripe across midline; corium with broad yellow transverse stripe across midline and reaching the costal border; apical angle of corium yellow ( Fig. 35 )......................... S. miniacea (Blanchard)

- Scutellum black or with only apex dark castaneous; corium with or without a narrow yellowish transverse stripe across midline, or corium yellow with a broad black transverse stripe across midline reaching the costal border or corium yellow with apical third and endocorium with a very, large, black, ovoid spot.................................................... 26

26. Clavus entirely yellow; corium yellow with apical third and endocorium with a large black, ovoid spot ( Figs. 3 , 22‒24 )....................................................................... S. gundlachi (Guérin-Méneville) (in part)

- Clavus never entirely yellow usually with claval commissure black; corium with a different coloration................. 27

27. Anterolateral margins of pronotum yellow, with humeral angles black; clavus yellow with claval suture black; claval commissure yellow; corium black with a narrow yellow transverse stripe near the midline, reaching the costal border and extending along the costal border to basal angle, or corium yellow with a very large black ovoid spot at endocorium; posterior margin of corium, including the apical angle, black ( Figs. 3 , 22–24 )..................... S. gundlachi (Guérin-Méneville) (in part)

- Anterolateral margins of pronotum mostly black; humeral angles black; clavus black or yellow, with inner margin near scutellum black; claval commissure black; corium with different coloration........................................... 28

28. Propleuron yellow with two relatively small black discoidal spots; corium with apical angle, apical margin, basal third and narrow stripe near claval suture yellow, with a large, wide, black spot covering endocorium and exocorium ( Fig. 36 )................................................................................................ S. crassa sp. nov.

- Propleuron yellow or orange, with a broad, black, longitudinal stripe; corium with a different coloration; apical angle of corium yellow, orange or black................................................................................ 29

29. Apical angle of corium black; collar orange; corium black with a wide nearly circular orange spot at midline, extending anteriorly along costal margin, to basal angle; dorsal surface clothed with short, erect setae; medium-sized species, less than 16. 50 mm long ( Fig. 34 )...................................................................... S. maculata (Dallas)

- Apical angle of corium yellow; collar black or yellow; corium colored differently; dorsal surface clothed with long, erect setae; large species longer than 18.00 mm...................................................................... 30

30. Corium yellow with a wide, black, transverse stripe reaching costal border and extending anteriorly along costal margin to the basal angle; pronotal disc black, with a shiny orange to yellowish semicircular fascia with arms shorter, truncated and not reaching the posterolateral borders of pronotum; humeral angles subacute; head dorsally and pronotal disc densely clothed with long erect, black, setae ( Figs. 26‒27 )................................................. S. formosa (Dallas) (in part)

- Corium yellow, with an elongate, black, irregular longitudinal stripe at middle third of exocorium and extending anteriorly along costal margin to reach basal angle; pronotal disc black, with a dull yellow semicircular fascia which arms reaching the posterolateral borders of pronotum; humeral angles obtuse, rounded; head dorsally and pronotal disc clothed with short and sparsely golden setae ( Fig. 28 )................................................................. S. vinula Stål

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Pronotal disc in lateral view of Sephina spp. 1, S. effrena sp. nov. 2, S. pustulata (Fabricius). 3, S. gundlachi (Guérin-Méneville). 4, S. nigripes Schmidt.

FIGURES 5‒10. Dorsal view of Sephina spp. 5, S. talamancana Brailovsky (male). 6, S. nigripes Schmidt (female type). 7, S. nigripes Schmidt (male). 8, S. faceta Brailovsky (female). 9, S. geniculata Distant (female). 10, S. bicornis Distant (male holotype).

FIGURES 17‒22. Dorsal view of Sephina spp. 17, S. limbata Stål (male). 18, S. esquivelae Brailovsky & Sánchez (male). 19, S. ayalai Brailovsky (male). 20, S. pagella Brailovsky & Sánchez (male). 21, S. subulata Brailovsky & Sánchez (male). 22, S. gundlachi (Guérin-Méneville) (male).

FIGURES 11‒16. Dorsal view of Sephina spp. 11, S. pustulata (Fabricius) (female). 12, S. quintanarooana Brailovsky (female). 13, S. erythromelaena (White) (male). 14, S. ornata sp. nov. (female). 15, S. sulcaticollis Schmidt (male). 16, S. rogersi Distant (male).

FIGURES 29‒33. Dorsal view of Sephina spp. 29, S. pubera (Erichson) (male). 30, S. excellens Schmidt (male type = synonym of S. pubera). 31, S. indierae Wolcott (male). 32, S. effrena sp. nov. (female). 33, S. effrena sp. nov. (male).

FIGURES 23‒28. Dorsal view of Sephina spp. 23, S. grayi Van Duzee (female) (synonym of S. gundlachi). 24, S. grayi Van Duzee (female) (synonym of S. gundlachi). 25, S. dorsalis (White) (female). 26, S. formosa (Dallas) (female). 27, S. formosa (Dallas) (male). 28, S. vinula Stål (female).

FIGURES 34‒36. Dorsal view of Sephina spp. 34, S. maculata (Dallas) (male). 35, S. miniacea (Blanchard) (female syntype). 36, S. crassa sp. nov. (female).