Catulona Rolston, 1992 :30–33

Campos, Luiz Alexandre, Grazia, Jocélia & Greve, Caroline, 2004, Notes on Catulona Rolston, 1992, and the description of a new species from Brazil (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, Discocephalinae), Zootaxa 404, pp. 1-7 : 2-3

Catulona Rolston, 1992:30–33 .

Type­species: Catulona pensa Rolston, 1992 , by original designation

Additions to the generic description: second rostral segment reaching and sometimes surpassing mesocoxae; apex of rostrum lying from urosternite IV to the posterior margin of urosternite VI. Costal angles of corium reaching the posterior margin of the sixth connexival segment. Lateral margin of metapleural evaporatory area almost rectilinear.

Female. Gonocoxites 8 (gc8) posteriorly projected, covering gonocoxites 9; medial rim of laterotergites 9 (la9) parallel, covering proctiger. Spiracle (sp) present at the base of laterotergites 8 (la8), posterior margin of the latter slightly convex.

Male. Articulation membrane between abdominal segments VII and VIII bearing a mesial, dorsal process posteriorly projected over and partially covering the genital cup. Rolston (1992) interpreted this structure as a “tergal process.” Pygophore. Dorsal rim shallowly concave (dr); ventral rim mesially concave (vr); posterolateral angles broad, rounded and slightly tumid; aperture of the genital cup occupying more than half of the dorsal surface of pygophore. Parameres (pa) well developed, placed lateroposteriorly to the proctiger (pr) and projected dorsocaudad, bearing a hook­like basal process at the dorsal surface; parameres inserted near the base of the posterolateral angles of pygophore, under a fold of the ventral rim. Proctiger broad, its central third membranous, longitudinally slit from the base almost attaining the apex; 1+1 lateral finger­like projections (lpp) with an apical fringe of dense, long setae (fr). Phallus. Phallotheca (ph) slim, concave dorsad and convex ventrad; posterior aperture of vesica (va) broad; dorsal process (dpv) long, thin, curved dorsad and narrowing the base of phallotheca. Ductus seminis distalis (dsd) longer than the lengths of phallotheca and vesica combined, sinuous, rigid and bearing a large aperture diagonal to the longitudinal axis.

Distribution. Brazil: Bahia, Espírito Santo (NEW RECORD), Minas Gerais (NEW RECORD), Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo (NEW RECORD), Paraná (NEW RECORD).

Comments. Rolston (1992) affirmed that the “tergal process” should be diagnostic for Catulona ; our observations, however, show that it is present and developed in various degrees in most males of Ochlerini . Paralincus Rolston is one genus that bears a membranous process similar to that of Catulona . Concerning the relationships of Catulona, Campos (1999) proposed a monophyletic group within Ochlerini including Paralincus , Catulona , Barola Rolston and Cromata Rolston. This group share the lateral margin of the metapleural evaporatory area almost rectilinear; interocular distance about twice the anteocular length; median margins of laterotergites 9 contiguous; and proctiger hidden by laterotergites 9.