Rhagovelia antap, Polhemus, 2024

Polhemus, Dan A., 2024, Thirty-four new species of Rhagovelia (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the East Papua Composite Terrane, far eastern New Guinea, Zootaxa 5400 (1), pp. 1-214 : 41

Rhagovelia goilala subgroup

The R. goilala subgroup contains three large-sized species, R. antap n. sp., R. udabe n. sp. and R. goilala n sp., with body lengths ranging between 4.00 and 4.80 mm, occurring at elevations between 550 and 1650 m in the mountains of the Papuan Peninsula. The ground color in all of these species is russet brown to orange-brown, overlain to varying degrees with contrasting black markings ( Figs. 63, 64 , 70, 71 , 77, 78 ). The pale coloration on the anterior pronotum forms a continuous band that is broadly confluent with similar pale coloration on the propleurae, and the female connexiva in all species are widely separated and at most weakly infolded posteriorly, leaving all abdominal tergites visible in dorsal view ( Figs. 64 , 71 , 78 ). The male proctiger has moderately large basolateral lobes, whereas the distolateral lobes are weakly developed or incipient ( Figs. 68 , 75 , 82 ), and the male paramere is thick, with a truncate apex ( Figs. 67 , 74 , 81 ). The species in this group inhabit the first order headwaters of any given drainage network, often in the vicinity of source springs ( Figs. 69 , 76 , 83 ).

Figures

FIG 69. A spring emerging from bedrock at the head of a tributary to the Mimani River, east of Dorobisoro, Central Prov., Papua New Guinea, CL 7262, habitat for R. antap n. sp.

FIGS. 63–68. Rhagovelia antap n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Cloudy Mountains, CL 7175. 63. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 64. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 65. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 66. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 67. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 68. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIGS. 70–75. Rhagovelia udabe n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Woitape, CL 7252. 70. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 71. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 72. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 73. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 74. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 75. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIGS. 77–82. Rhagovelia goilala n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Fane, CL 7256. 77. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 78. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 79. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 80. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 81. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 82. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIG. 76. A small, heavily shaded first order hill streamlet at 1600 m elevation near Woitape, Central Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7248, type-locality for R. udabe n. sp.

FIG. 83. Cascades and pools along the upper Mas River, west of Fane, Central Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7257, habitat for R. goilala n. sp.