Ocyochterus graziae, Polhemus, 2021

Polhemus, Dan A., 2021, Two new species of Ocyochterus (Heteroptera: Ochteridae) from Ecuador and Panama, Zootaxa 4958 (1), pp. 34-44 : 37-40

Ocyochterus graziae new species

( Figs. 2 , 5 , 9–14 , 21 )

Holotype. Male. ECUADOR, Tungarahua Prov. , 14 km. E. of Banos [vic. 1°24’10”S, 78°18’23”W], 5380 ft. [1640 m], 25 January 1976, P. J. Spangler et al. ( USNM).

Paratypes (adults only). ECUADOR, Tungarahua Prov.: 1 male, same data as holotype ( BPBM) . Pichincha Prov.: 1 male, 1 immature (not paratype), 46 km. via Puerto Quito [vic. 0°05’13”N, 79°07’10”W], 30 August 1976, J. Cohen ( USNM) . Zamora-Chinchipe Prov.: 1 male, 30 km. W. of Zamora [vic. 3°58’34”S, 79°10’57”W], 1700 m., 29 November 1978, J. Anderson ( USNM) .

Additional specimens examined (not paratypes): ECUADOR, Tungarahua Prov.: 3 females, 32 km. E of Banos [vic. 126°’06’08”S, 78°10’36”W], seepage over rock outcrops, 28 January 1976, P. J. Spangler et al. ( USNM) .

Etymology: the name “ graziae ” is a patronym honoring Dr. Jocelia Grazia, in recognition of her many decades of work to help advance our understanding of Heteroptera.

Description. Male. General form broadly ovate ( Fig. 2 ), body length 6.30 mm, maximum width (across bases of hemelytra) 3.90 mm.

Colour. General coloration dark brown, marked with small, scattered patches and flecks of pale pruinose lavender; head with eyes yellowish, portion of head posterior to ocelli and bordering inner margins of eyes dull dark blackish-grey with small dark orange patches at extreme posterolateral angles, vertex and upper frons metallic dark metallic green, lower margin of frons transversely yellowish orange, this coloration extending backward laterally along inner margins of eyes for half their length ( Fig. 5 ); clypeus, labrum and rostrum golden brown. Pronotum matte dark grey centrally, trending to dark reddish brown laterally, lateral flanges broadly orange-brown; surface sparsely set with very short pale setae, bearing scattered, shallow, weakly pruinose grey punctillae; a pair (1+1) of small, widely separated bluish pruinose patches present centrally to either side of midline, another pair (1+1) of larger bluish pruinose patches present in middle of each explanate lateral margin. Scutellum matte black, lacking pruinose patches, surface sparsely set with very short pale setae, bearing scattered, shallow, weakly pruinose grey punctillae. Hemelytra matte dark grey centrally, trending to dark reddish brown laterally, embolar margins broadly orange-brown; surface sparsely set with very short pale setae, bearing scattered, shallow, weakly pruinose grey punctillae; 7–8 small bluish pruinose flecks present on inner corium adjacent to claval suture, inner embolar margin irregularly mottled with pruinose blue, outer embolar margin with 3 large, relatively evenly spaced pruinose blue patches, posterior corium and base of membrane with 2 more similar patches ( Fig. 2 ); wing membrane matte dark brown with veins dark reddish brown, irregularly marked with pruinose blue flecks along vein traces, plus 8 small, evenly spaced flecks present along posterior wing margin. Thoracic venter dull black, acetabulae and legs orangebrown; ventral surfaces of lateral pronotal flanges and lateral hemelytra dull dark orange.

Structural characters. Head length (along midline as measured from directly above)/width (across eyes) = 0.70/2.20, angled downward at greater than 45° when viewed laterally; frons and clypeus nearly smooth, very weakly rugose with barely suggested transverse striations, lacking longitudinal medial carina or channels along inner margins of eyes ( Fig. 5 ); eyes large, protruding, projecting very slightly posterolaterally beyond posterior margin of vertex, upper margins not rising above level of vertex when viewed anteriorly; antennae with segments I and II short, globose, segments III and IV slender, filiform, lengths of segments I–IV = 0.15, 0.10, 0.40, 0.40; rostrum long, length = 3.80, exceeding hind coxae and extending onto base of second visible abdominal sternite.

Pronotum length (midline)/width = 1.20/3.60, anterior lobe lacking lateral tubercles; anterior collar not evident; anterolateral margins explanate, weakly demarcated from disk, lateral margins forming obtuse angles; calli not tumescent, barely evident; posterior pronotal margin multisinuate, posteriorly concave centrally above base of scutellum . Scutellum triangular, length/width = 1.10/1.70, posterior apex forming small, acute point; mesoscutum hidden beneath posterior margin of pronotum. Hemelytra long, attaining tip of abdomen, with corium, clavus and embolium well defined, anterolateral embolar margin well-produced, flattened, explanate; length of clavus along outside margin 2.60; membrane abbreviated, venation not prominent, at least 7 closed cells visible. Ventral surface of thorax smooth and dull; scattered shallow, dark punctillae present on lateral pronotum and hemelytra; abdominal venter densely covered with very short, fine, appressed silvery setae, this setal covering interrupted by ovate glabrous patches surrounding spiracles laterally on paratergites.

Legs with all coxae and bases of trochanters bearing short, fine, recumbent pale setae; femora glabrous; tibiae bearing numerous short, sharp golden spines, intermixed with 4–5 longer golden spines along each anterior and posterior margin, lengths of these latter spines subequal to width of tibia; middle and hind femora slightly bowed downward in middle when viewed laterally; tarsi with short, sharp golden spines ventrally; claws large, goldenbrown, gently curving, arolia moderately long, hair-like, extending approximately one-half length of claws. Lengths of leg segments as follows: fore femur/tibia/tarsal 1/tarsal 2 = 1.60/1.50/0.10/0.35; middle femur/tibia/tarsal 1/tarsal 2 = 1.85/1.90/0.10/0.50; hind femur/tibia/tarsal 1/tarsal 2/tarsal 3 = 2.00/2.80/0.10/0.40/ 0.40.

Genital segment well retracted into abdomen. Pygophore with caudal tip blunt, broadly rounded, bearing setiferious lateral tumescence on left side ( Figs. 9, 13 ). Proctiger elongate trapezoidal, apex broadly angular ( Fig. 10 ). Right paramere slender and very elongate, bearing a small blunt basal lobe above a U-shaped bend, followed by a long distal arm, this arm bearing a transverse ridge near midpoint ( Fig. 12 ), this ridge appearing as a small, rounded lateral flange in certain views. Left paramere small, T-shaped ( Fig. 14 ). Aedeagus with shape as in Fig. 11 , consisting of cruciform phallobase bearing acuminate lateral projections; distal portion of aedeagus forming elongate flagellum, this flagellum articulated at basal point of connection to phallobase, and again at a transverse joint near midpoint, extreme distal section very slender and whip-like, enclosed in a slender, closely appressed phallotheca.

Female. Similar to male in general structure, coloration, and body proportions, but slightly larger in overall size; body length 7.20, maximum width (across bases of hemelytra) 4.40. Posterior corium of each hemelytron behind and inward from inner angle of embolar suture bearing a promiment, transversely ovate dark yellow marking. Subgenital plate roughly pentagonal, recessed basally into abdominal ventrite VI, posterior margin with small medial indentation.

Comparative notes. In overall body form, O. graziae is similar in some respects to O. victor , but is smaller and stouter, with darker overall coloration and more limited pale markings (compare Figs. 1, 2 ). It is easily distinguished from the two previously described species of Ocyochterus by its broad and robust body form and dorsal coloration, with no areas of yellowish coloration on the lateral flanges of the pronotum, and a reddish-brown dorsal ground color overlain with scattered small flecks of pale bluish to lavender coloration (compare Figs. 1, 2, 4 ). The frons of O. graziae is most similar to that of O. irmae , but with the transverse striae deeper and more extensive, and the lateral areas of pale brown coloration extending further posterad adjacent to the inner margins of the eyes (compare Figs. 5, 8 ).

The male genitalia are similar in many respects to those of the previously illustrated for O. irmae (D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus 2014) , although the right paramere is much more reduced in size. The proctiger is somewhat narrower and more elongate than in O. irmae ( Fig. 10 ), and the process on the posteromedial margin of the pygophore is more truncate ( Fig. 13 ). The right paramere is very elongate and similar to O. irmae , including the possession of a transverse ridge near the middle of the distal arm, while the left paramere has a more concave upper margin and the apex of one of the lateral processes slightly more acute ( Fig. 12 ). The aedeagus is also largely similar to O. irmae , although the elongate distal flagellum projecting beyond the phallotheca is slightly shorter in O. graziae ( Fig. 11 ).

The females listed here from 32 km E. of Banos are presumed to represent this species based on body form, and origination from a collection site near the type-locality, but in the absence of a male the identification cannot be verified with certainty. As such, this series is not included as paratypes.

The immature in hand probably represents instar III or IV, although this cannot be conclusively determined in the absence of a full developmental specimen series. The body is uniformly pale brown in coloration, with the legs uniformly pale yellow. The anterior margin of the frons bears a transverse row of 8 short, evenly-spaced, spinelike setae above the base of the labrum; these setae are not present in the adult. The posterior margin of the frons is clearly delineated from the vertex and eyes by a prominent, arcuate sulcus. The pro-, meso- and metanota are all well defined, but the scutellum and wing pads are not yet evident in this developmental stage. The entire dorsal surface is set with numerous small, shallow punctillae. Ventrally the rostrum is long and reaches to the posterior apices of the hind coxae, as in the adult.

Ocyochterus graziae is the third species in the genus known from the Ecuadorian Andes, with three of the four described species occurring in close geographic proximity to each other in the vicinity of Quito. Of these three species, O. irmae is by far the most broadly distributed, occurring from Colombia to northern Ecudaor; O. graziae is known from the length of Ecuador; and O. victor is known only from a circumscribed area in central Ecuador ( Fig. 21 ). Given the infrequency with which Ocyochterus species are collected, however, these apparent patterns of distribution must be considered provisional.

Ecological notes. According to label data, the female specimens in hand that are presumed to represent this species were taken from “seepage over rock outcrops,” which is similar to the situation in which the author previously encountered O. irmae in the Colombian Andes. No other ecological information is at hand. It is likely that O. graziae , and probably all Ocyochterus species, are specialized inhabitants of hygropetric habitats.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Distribution of Ocyochterus species in northwestern South America and adjacent southern Mesoamerica.

FIGURES 1–4. Ocyochterus species, photographs of dorsal habitus showing body shape and color patterning. 1. O. victor Bolívar, female, specimen from Ecuador, Pichincha, near Chiriboga. 2. O. graziae n. sp., male paratype specimen from Ecuador, Tungarahua, 14 km. E. of Banos. 3. O. gilloglyi n. sp., male holotype specimen from Panama, Cerro Trinidad. 4. O. irmae D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus, male paratype specimen from Colombia, Valle de Cauca, Farallones de Cali.

FIGURES 5–8. Ocyochterus species, photographs of anterior head showing coloration and cuticular sculpture of eyes, frons and clypeus. 5. O. graziae n. sp., male paratype specimen from Ecuador, Tungarahua, 14 km. E. of Banos. 6. O. gilloglyi n. sp., male holotype specimen from Panama, Cerro Trinidad. 7. O. victor Bolívar, female, specimen from Ecuador, Pichincha, near Chiriboga. 8. O. irmae D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus, male paratype specimen from Colombia, Valle de Cauca, Farallones de Cali.

FIGURES 9–14. Ocyochterus graziae n. sp., male genitalic structures; paratype specimen from Ecuador, Tungarahua, 14 km. E. of Banos. 9. Male genital capsule in right lateral view. 10. Proctiger. 11. Aedeagus. 12. Right paramere. 13. Posteror margin of pygophore. 14. Left paramere.