Urucuiana, Carvalho & Rosas, 1965

Chérot, F., Costa, L. & Touchet, M., 2011, Miscellanea Miridologica II. New combinations and new synonymies in the tribe Mirini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae), Zootaxa 3004 (1), pp. 57-62 : 59-62

Urucuiana

Urucuiana Carvalho and Rosas, 1965: 207–208 (n. gen.). Type species: Urucuiana tuberculata Carvalho and Rosas, 1965: 208 (n. sp.) by original designation and monotypy.

Bahiamiris Carvalho, 1975: 499 (n. gen.). Type species: Bahiamiris rubrornatus Carvalho, 1975: 500 (n. sp.) by original designation and monotypy. NEW SYNONYM .

Discussion. Urucuiana was described by Carvalho & Rosas (1965) to accommodate their new species U. tuberculata from Surinam, the type species, on the basis of the male holotype alone. The only subsequent mention of this species is in the current World catalog ( Schuh, 1995: 971).

Bahiamiris was described by Carvalho (1975) to accommodate his new species B. rubrornatus from Bahia, Brazil, the type species, on the basis of the female holotype. There was no subsequent mention of this species beyond the World catalog ( Schuh, 1995: 701). Another species, B. cajabianus , was described two years later ( Carvalho, 1977: 17–18) from Mato Grosso, Brazil, on the basis of the female holotype. It was also ignored in the subsequent literature, except for the World catalog ( Schuh, 1995: 701). Nothing is known about the biology of these three nominal species and their known distribution is limited to the type localities.

Analysis of the three holotypes of these nominal species as well as analysis of one additional specimen from French Guyana identified as Bahiamiris cajabianus by Carvalho show the striking similarities of these plant bugs. Each of them largely conforms to the original descriptions of Bahiamiris and Urucuiana . The diagnostic features of both nominal genera are the following: elongated body, margins of hemelytra practically straight, slightly wider at apex of clavus; head horizontal, frons and first two antennal segments strongly pilose; lorae prominent; vertex lacking carina; eyes separated from the anterior margin of pronotum 1; first antennal segment elongated, thick, slightly curved and laterally flat, incrassate subbasally, after a short, cylindrical, narrow base; pronotal surface coarsely punctate; a pair of tubercular black spots in a shallow whitish concavity on the lateroposterior area of the disk; collar wide; callosities reduced; mesoscutum exposed, with lateral fossae; and pronotal disk and scutellum with a whitish median carinae.

Consequently based on our observations we consider all the examined specimens as belonging to one same genus and suggest the following synonymy: Urucuiana Carvalho & Rosas, 1965 (valid name) = Bahiamiris Carvalho, 1975 (new subjective junior synonym). Two new combinations also result from our new synonymy: Urucuiana rubrornata ( Carvalho, 1975) (new combination) and Urucuiana cajabiana ( Carvalho, 1977) (new combination).

Because external anatomy of the male holotype of U. tuberculata ( Fig. 4 ), the female holotype of Bahiamiris cajabianus , and our additional specimens identified as B. cajabianus ( Figs. 5–7 ) are practically identical, we recognize them as conspecific. The male genital structures of our additional specimen ( Figs 9–13 ) confirm our conclusions; they are practically identical with Carvalho & Rosas’ original drawings (1965, p. 4, figs 2–4) and very characteristic. We observe only a minor difference in the number of spicules at the apex of the small lobe of the endophallus. Our specimens have only two spicules. On Carvalho & Rosas’ fig. 2 (op. cit.), there are four apical spicules, including two that are relatively small. We suspect these represent differences in phallic expansion and sclerotization, not the existence of two sister species. Therefore we suggest the following synonymy: Urucuiana tuberculata Carvalho & Rosas, 1965 (valid name) = Urucuiana cajabiana Carvalho, 1977 (new subjective junior synonym).

According to the list of Costa & al. (2008), French Guyana is a new country record for U. tuberculata . The species was described from Surinam and later reported from Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Examined specimens. Urucuiana rubrornata : Type: Holotype (♀): Brazil, Bahia, Encruzilhada, Estrada Rio – Bahia, km 965, Motel da Divisa, xi.1972, leg. Seabra & Roppa (MNRJ) [Coordinates of Encruzilhada: about 40°, 54’W., 15°, 31’ S.]. Urucuiana tuberculata : Types: Holotype (♂): Surinam, Kabeil, 19.v.1961, leg. Van Doesburg, P. H. Jr (USNM) [unidentified locality]. Holotype (♀) of Bahiamiris cajabianus : Brazil, Mato Grosso, Sinop, Rio Teles Pires, x.1975, Alvarenga & Roppa leg (MNRJ) [Coordinates: 55°29’W., 11°52’S.]. Other specimen: 1♂: French Guyana, highway number 2 to Regina, 67 km of Cayenne, 04.vi.1986, Riley, E. G. & Rider, A. (identified by Carvalho as B. cajabianus ) (MNRJ) [Coordinates: 52°19’37’’W., 04°25’48’’N.].

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Dorsal habitus of examined taxa. 1–3. Holotypes of Guianella pilosa and its junior synonyms. 1. Female holotype of Boliviomiris antennalis. 2. Female holotype of Guianella pilosa. 3. Female holotype of Pilosicerus rondoniensis. 4–5. Urucuiana tuberculata. 4. Male holotype. 5. Male specimen identified by Carvalho as Bahiamiris cajabianus. Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 6–7. Male of Urucuiana tuberculata (based on specimen from French Guyana identified as Bahiamiris cajabianus by Carvalho). 6. Body. 7. Head. Both in lateral view. Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 8–13. Male genitalic structures of Urucuiana tuberculata (based on specimen from French Guyana identified as Bahiamiris cajabianus by Carvalho). 8–9. Pygophore. 10. Right paramere. 11. Left paramere. 12–13. Endophallus. Scales = 0,1 mm.