Pulmomerus, Peredo & Brailovsky, 2012

Peredo, Luis Cervantes & Brailovsky, Harry, 2012, A new genus of Antiliocorini from Baja California, Mexico (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Rhyparochromidae: Rhyparochrominae), Zootaxa 3409, pp. 58-62 : 58-59

Pulmomerus gen. nov.

Description. Body shining; brachypterus, membrane completely absent; connexivum elevated. Head with very fine punctures; pronotum with just a row of large punctures on anterior margin and with a few large scattered punctures on posterior lobe; transverse pronotal impression absent; lateral pronotal margins rounded; posterior margin slightly concave. Clavus not apparent; hemelytra short, just reaching basal third of abdominal segment IV, covered with large scattered punctures, as well as scutellum. Apical corial margin straight. Prosternum shiny and with very fine puncture; meso- and metasternum pruinose; metathoracic scent auricle slightly directed posteriorly; evaporative area occupying less than half of metapleuron. Fore femora armed with small spines. Abdomen with suture between sterna segments IV and V incomplete and strongly curved forward. The trichobothria of sternum V are stretched across the deeply invaded sternum IV so that two are anterior to the spiracle V and the third is slightly posterior to the spiracle ( Fig. 3 ). Dorsal abdominal scent gland openings of segments III–IV, IV–V, and V–VI very small and difficult to observe in dried specimens.

Type species Pulmomerus levatus sp. nov.

Etymology. Refering to the area of Cabo Pulmo National Park, where the specimens were collected.

Discussion. Pulmomerus is a very distinctive genus, and is the only one described at the moment with extremely reduced hemelytra and without metathoracic wings. The spermatheca is also unique in the group. The lack of ocelli is another character that shows how modified the species is, and how its isolation in the Peninsula of Baja California probably has developed these singular characters.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 7. Pulmomerus levatus new species. 2. Fore leg. 3. Abdomen, lateral view. 4. Pygophore frontal view. 5. Pygophore lateral view. 6. Paramere. 7. Spermatheca.