Nerthra americana ( Montandon, 1905 )

Nieser, Nico, Chen, Ping-ping & Caspers, Max, 2024, Taxonomic notes on toad bug genus Nerthra (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gelastocoridae) with description of a new species from Bonaire and Curaçao, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 64 (1), pp. 33-46 : 36

Nerthra americana ( Montandon, 1905)

( Figs 1–8 , 15 , 38 )

Matinus americanus Montandon, 1905: 404 (original description). Nerthra americana : TODD (1955): 381 (redescription).

Material examined. BRAZIL: PARA: Bocaiúva [do Sul], 25°08′S, 49°04′W, 1000 m a.s.l., v.1964, leg. F. Plaumann, 1 3 1 ♀ ( NCTN).

Distribution ( Fig. 37 ). This species is rare in museum collections. MONTANDON (1905) described this species based on two specimens from Espírito Santo, Brazil, which unfortunately lacked more detailed locality information. Because MONTANDON (1905) did not designate a holotype, these two specimens were consequently considered as syntypes, of which one was deposited in the Hungarian National History Museum in Budapest and the other in Montandon’s personal collection. The whereabouts of the two specimens are unknown ( TODD 1955). TODD (1955) recorded a series of two males and 13 females from São Paulo, Brazil: Mraz Lgt. Jaro Mraz lived in SantaAnna (nowadays Santana),which is now incorporated in the northwest of the metropolis of São Paulo.At the time Mraz collected exclusively for the Czech National Museum (1920-1927) this was a quite isolated rural community bordered in the South by the Rio Tietê and in the the North by Serra da Cantateira which was covered by Mata Atlântica ( SEKERKA 2020). Todd took two from this set to be kept in SEMC. Our specimens are the third record of this species, also from Brazil. Bocaiúva do Sul lies in the Serra do Mar, north of Curitiba. This record extends the range of N. americana further to the south. The Serra do Mar presently contains an important natural protected area. Comparative notes. This species is somewhat similar to N. williamsi Todd, 1955 from São Paulo ( TODD 1955). The male can be recognized by its aberrant paramere, which is provided with a large dorsolateral projection ( Fig. 15 ), whereas the paramere of N. williamsi is simple. We provi- de 8 photographs and a drawing ( Figs 1–8 , 15 ) to support identification to species level.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Habitus of Nerthra americana (Montandon,1905):1–2 – male (1 – dorsal view, 2 – ventral view); 3–4 – female (3 – dorsal view, 4 –ventral view).

Figs 5–8. Nerthra americana (Montandon, 1905): 5 – male, head and prothorax (ventral view); 6 – male, left fore leg (ventral view); 7 – female, left fore leg (ventral view); 8 – male, right middle leg (ventral view).

Figs 15–18. Nerthra spp., apex of paramere, ventral view: 15 – N. americana (Montandon, 1905); 16 – N. buenoi Todd, 1955; 17 – N. occidua Todd, 1959; 18 – N. raptoria (Fabricius, 1803).

Figs 38–39. Distribution of treated Nerthra species: 38 – N. americana (Montandon, 1905), N. buenoi Todd, 1955 and N. papaceki sp. nov.; 39 – N. occidua Todd, 1959.

Figs 35–37. Nerthra occidua Todd, 1959. 35–36 – female, habitus dorsal view (35 – before cleaning, 36 – cleaned). 37 – apex of paramere (ventral view).