Acanthocephala pleuritica ( Costa, 1863 )

Olivera, Leonela, Dellapé, Pablo M. & Melo, María Cecilia, 2024, Description of eight new species of the genus Acanthocephala Laporte, 1833 from South America (Hemiptera, Coreidae, Acanthocephalinae), Zoosystema 46 (12), pp. 285-318 : 313-314

Acanthocephala pleuritica ( Costa, 1863)

( Figs 27-30 )

Metapodius pleuriticus Costa, 1863: 258 [n. sp., “ patria ignota ”]; 1864: 76. — Walker, 1871: 4: 51.

Acanthocephala pleuritica : Stål, 1870: 152 [n. comb.]. — Lethierry & Severin 1894: 2: 31. — Packauskas 2010: 5: 19. — CoreoideaSF Team 2021: http://coreoidea.speciesfile.org, cat. on-line].

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Brazil • 2 ♂; Pará, Itaituba , II- 1961, Dirings col.; MZSP • 14 ♀; Taperinha, prox. Santarém ; 29.XII.1967 – 9.I.1968; Exp. P. Amaz., # MZSP2132 , 2138 , 2140 , 2142 , 2144 ( MZSP) • 4 ♂, 4 ♀; Taperinha, prox. Santarém ; 1/ 11.II.1968, Exp. P. Amaz.; # MZSP2005 , 2003 , 2013 , 2014 , 2139 , 2143 , 2146 , 2153 ; MZSP • ♀; Río Xingu , 21/ 28.X.1986; F. Val. Col.; # MZSP1985 ; MZSP • ♂; Santarém; USNM • ♂; Santa Catarina, Rio Vermelho , IV.1963; Dirings col.; # MZSP2169 ; MZSP .

DISTRIBUTION. — This species was described without the reference to a place where the specimen was found, that is why subsequently the species was cited from “ patria ignota ”. Here we give some records of the species from Brazil ( Fig. 30 ) and establish a distribution for the species for the first time.

REDESCRIPTION OF MALE ( Fig. 27A )

(Measurements taken from one male)

General

Total length 24.25, length of head 2.72. Head ( Figs 27C, D )

Brown, with two longitudinal darker fringes dorsally, posterior margin of eyes with a yellowish fringe followed by a darker area, with sparse semierect yellowish setae.Base of tylus slightly elevated, apex of tylus slightly projected upwards, at level of dorsal margin of head in lateral view. Post-tylus depression deep, 1.6 times shorter than interocellar space. Length of tylus 1.12, length of postylus depression 0.38. Eyes globose and protuberant, not surpassing the dorsal margin of head. Width of eye 0.90, ocular distance 2.98, synthlipsis 1.25, ocellar distance 1.12, interocellar space 0.61. Buccula rounded, extending backwards to the anterior third of eye. Antennae longer than body length. Scape with inner side longitudinally ridged. Scape, pedicel and basiflagellomere pale brown with abundant semierect dark stiff setae, distiflagellomere black with a subapical yellowish band of about ⅓ of article length ( Fig. 27A ). Length of antennal articles: scape 5.87, pedicel 4.37, basiflagellomere 4.00, distiflagellomere 11.00; width of antennal articles:scape 0.42, pedicel 2.88, basiflagellomere 2.88, distiflagelomere 0.26. Labium brown, extending to mesocoxae. Length of labial segments: I 2.26, II 2.07, III 1.93, IV 1.64.

Thorax

Pronotum ( Fig. 27E ): dark brown, with short decumbent and erect yellowish setae, longer and more abundant on anterior lobe; anterolateral margins straight; posterior pronotal lobe with small rounded tubercles on humeral angles; these not elevated, ending in a small spine directed posteriorly; humeral distance 1.2 times larger than width of abdomen; posterolateral margins slightly tuberculated on anterior half; triangular processes short. Width of humeral angles 9.37. Scutellum: dark brown with its apex yellowish; longer than wide, with sparse semierect yellowish setae; with transversal rugosities. Length of scutellum 3.75, width 3.50. Thoracic pleurae: brown, with abundant decumbent yellowish setae forming one patch on propleura, two patches on mesopleura [forming one large patch in some specimens], and one on metapleura ( Fig. 28A ); methathoracic scent gland auricle and evaporatorium yellowish, anterior lobe of auricle black, rounded, posterior lobe elongate ( Fig. 28B ). Thoracic sterna: brown, with abundant erect yellowish dark setae; mesosternal anterior projection paler.

Hemelytra. Clavus and corium brown, veins reddish brown, punctures with short yellowish decumbent setae; costal margin smooth; membrane dark brown, glabrous, with veins paler. Length of hemelytra 20.12.

Legs. Pro- and mesotrochanters unarmed, metatrochanter with one small ventral setiferous tubercle. Pro- and mesofemora brown with dark stiff semierect setae all over the surface and erect setae ventrally; dorsal, anterior, and posterior margins unarmed, rows of ventral spines ending in a small apical spine, except the posterior row of profemur ending in a larger spine. Metafemur darker with reddish tonalities and ventral margin black; with dark stiff semierect setae all over the surface and erect setae ventrally; three times wider than profemur ( Fig. 28C ); dorsal margin with two rows of dark brown to black conical setiferous tubercles, posterior brown with a larger basal tubercle; ventral margin with two rows of spines, anterior row with conical black spines becoming larger at middle and ending in a flat dentate projection; posterior row less developed with tubercles becoming larger to the apex and ending in a flat dentate projection; anterior margin unarmed; posterior margin with a row of concolor conical setiferous tubercles, basal tubercle larger. Pro- and mesotibiae brown, unarmed. Metatibia dark brown tinged with reddish. Dorsal expansion of metatibia ( Fig. 28C ) unarmed, gradually enlarging on basal third, from where it slightly narrows to enlarge again to the apex, apical region rounded; ventral margin black, slightly expanded on basal third, bordered with two rows of irregular black conical setiferous tubercles, becoming larger to the apex and crossing on distal third forming only one row. Pro- and mesotarsi brown, metatarsi yellowish. Width of profemur 0.89; length of metafemur 13.67, width 2.75; length of metatibia 15.75, width 3.00.

Abdomen

Length of abdomen 13.25, width 7.87. Terga black, suture between segments IV-V and V-VI yellowish.Sterna pale brown, with scattered short yellowish semierect and decumbent setae more abundant laterally. Abdominal sternite III expanded forming a subtriangular fold ( Fig. 28E ). Area of insertion of trichobothria and surrounding area yellowish, and individualized on sternite III and IV and forming one macula on the other segments; lateral areas with rugosities around spiracles. Spiracles black, surrounding area paler.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 29 ). Pygophore dark brown to black ( Fig. 29A, B ), dorsal opening rounded, parandria not developed; dorsal margin on lateral view rounded abruptly declivent posteriorly ending in a rounded projection. Parameres ( Fig. 29C ) basal shank wide, inner margin convex and not expanded, outer margin slightly concave; arm narrow, shorter than basal shank, ending a recurved process. Aedeagus as seen in Figure 29D , conjunctival dorsal appendices I subtriangular.

REDESCRIPTION OF FEMALES ( Figs 27B ; 28D )

Apex of tylus more projected upwards than in males. Metafemur ( Fig. 28D ): Dorsal margin of with two rows of conical setiferous black tubercles; posterior row of spines on ventral margin only developed on distal half, and with small conical black spines becoming larger towards apex; and anterior margin unarmed; posterior margin with a row of small conical dark setiferous tubercles. Metatibia ( Fig. 28D ): dorsal expansion developed, enlarging basally, with a notch from where it narrows parallel to the tibia till the apex, ending in a straight angle; ventral margin expanded, well-developed and rounded on basal third, then narrowing parallel to the apex; margin sparse setiferous tubercles.

REMARKS

Unfortunately, we were not able to examine the type specimen of this species. According to the original description, Costa (1863) studied a male, which should be deposited in the Museum and Centre of Natural Sciences and Physics, in Italy, with all his collection. Nevertheless, after contacting the curator of this institution, he confirmed that the specimen is lost.

Figures

FIG. 27. — Acanthocephala pleuritica: A, male, dorsal view; B, female, dorsal view; C, head, dorsal view; D, head, lateral view; E, pronotum. Scale bars: A, B, 10 mm; C, D, 1 mm; E, 2 mm.

FIG. 28. — Acanthocephala pleuritica: A, male lateral view;B, metathoracic gland and evaporatory area;C, male metafemur and metatibia;D, female metafemur and metatibia; E, lateral expansions on abdominal sternites III, ventral view.Abbreviations:see Material and methods. Scale bars: A, C, D, 5 mm; B, 0.5 mm; E, 1 mm.

FIG. 29. — Acanthocephala pleuritica, male genitalia: A, pygophore lateral; B, pygophore dorsal; C, right paramere, lateral views; D, aedeagus. Abbreviations:see Material and methods. Scale bars: A, B, 1 mm; C, D, 0.5 mm.

FIG. 30. — Distributional map of the new species of the genus Acanthocephala Laporte, 1833 described in the present work.