Rhagovelia quilichaensis, Padilla-Gil, Dora N., 2011

Padilla-Gil, Dora N., 2011, A new Rhagovelia in the armata group from Colombia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae), Zootaxa 2784, pp. 33-38 : 33-37

Rhagovelia quilichaensis sp. nov.

Type material. HOLOTYPE, apt 3, allotype apt Ƥ: COLOMBIA, Cauca , Santander de Quilichao, Corregimiento San Pedro, Río Quilichao, 1450 m, 2 April 2010, leg. D. N. Padilla ( ICN). PARATYPES, same data as holotype, of these the following have been distributed: 4 apt 3, 1 macr 3, 2 apt Ƥ, 1 macr Ƥ (PSO-CZ), 1 apt 3, 1 macr 3, 1 apt Ƥ, ( ICN), 2 apt 3 (CP).

Apterous male. Length 6.0; maximum width (across pronotum) 1.68. General dorsal coloration brown; with anterior band of pronotum, connexival margins, central portion of VII and VIII abdominal tergites, ventral surface, all acetabulae, coxae and trochanters dorsal and ventrally, yellow. Dorsal surface of body thickly covered with short, semi-recumbent, golden setae intermixed with scattered, long, erect, slender, black setae, these setae more numerous along posterior margin of segment VII.

Head brown, frons and vertex bearing stiff dark setae; antennae dark brown, segment I dark yellow on basal 1/ 4, all segments covered with short, semi-recumbent, dark pubescence, segment I also bearing 6 long stiff, erect black setae, segments II–IV with scattered long, slender, erect, dark setae along anterior margins, lengths of these setae exceed diameters of segments, lengths of segments I–IV 1.10, 0.74, 0.72, 0.64; jugum with ~12 denticles basally along sutures adjacent to anterior margin of proepisternum, central portion of proepisternum lacking such denticles.

Pronotum brown, anterior 1/5 yellow, covered by fine, moderate-length gold setae; lateral portions with long, erect, black setae, with distinct raised median carina; posterior lobe bearing small, deep, inconspicuous punctuations; propleural surface foveae. Pronotum completely covering mesonotum, leaving a small portion of metanotum exposed; pronotal length/width: 1.34/1.54; length of exposed metanotum at midline 0.12.

Abdomen brown, tergite I, 0.28, tergites II–IV equal in length (0.34), tergites V–VII increasingly longer (0.40, 0.44, 0.62, respectively); tergite VIII shorter than VII (0.48).

Legs brown, dorsal surface of basal 1/3 of fore femur and basal 1/6 of hind femur yellow; ventral surface of fore femur and hind femur yellow. All segments covered with short, semi-recumbent golden setae; fore and middle trochanters unarmed, posterior trochanter bearing 2−4 black teeth; fore, middle, and hind femora and tibiae with long, erect, heavy, black setae along the anterior and posterior margins; fore tibia dilated and concave ventrally on distal half, the anterior and posterior margins with thick fringes of stiff, semi-recumbent black setae; middle femur and tibia slender and cylindrical; hind femur moderately incrassate, basal 1/3 with longitudinal row of 12 small black pegs, distal 2/3 with 2 parallel longitudinal rows of spines, dorsal row beginning with a large forward-curving tooth basally followed by 12 teeth of progressively decreasing size distally, all teeth yellow with black tips, ventral row composed of 10 much smaller, subequal-sized black teeth; hind tibia slightly sinuous, cylindrical, with longitudinal row of 22 small black teeth along posterior margin ( Fig. 1 ), parallel to a second ventral, irregular row of 6 small, black teeth, and with moderate-length, conical, black, apical spur.

Proportions of male legs as follows: fore femur/tibia/tarsal 1/tarsal 2: 1.40/1.50/0.10/0.38; middle femur/tibia/ tarsal 1/tarsal 2/tarsal 3: 2.44/1.80/0.10/0.80/1.04; hind femur length-width/tibia/tarsal 1/tarsal 2/tarsal 3: 2.20– 0.62/2.12/0.10/0.16/0.50.

Venter yellow-orange, metasternum and abdominal ventrites with small, black denticles; metasternum and abdominal ventrites I–III bearing distinct raised, longitudinal median carina, bordered by parallel depressed and flattened areas; ventrite VII centrally depressed, poster-lateral margins with 7−8 large, black denticles on each side bordering the genital cavity; ventrite VIII bearing a longitudinal median carina; parameres symmetrical, slender, tips expanded, with slight ventral indentation, shape as shown in figure 2, proctiger as in Fig. 3 .

Apterous female ( Fig. 4 ). Length 7.33; maximum width (across pronotum) 2.0. Similar to wingless male in general structure and coloration, with the following exceptions: length of antennal segments I–IV, 1.20, 0.78, 0.80, 0.64; abdominal tergite I and IV (0.40), II and III (0.38), V–VII increasingly longer (0.54, 0.62, 0.68, respectively), VIII shorter than VII (0.48); connexival margins adjacent to abdominal tergites I–II weakly convergent, on tergite III strongly convergent and subparallel adjacent to remaining tergites; connexival margins bearing scattered long, slender black setae; tergites I–III thickly covered with semirecumbent, gold setae intermixed with scattered, short, black setae, tergite IV glabrous, tergites V–VI scattered covered with semirecumbent, short, gold setae; tergites VI–VII bearing tufts of stout, black setae along posterior margin; tergite VIII bearing long setae on the posterior lateral margins; proctiger lying in semi-vertical position ( Fig. 5 ); mesosternum and abdominal venter with small, brown denticles, thoracic and abdominal venter lacking longitudinal median carina; middle femur strongly flattened and concave on 1/3 basal ( Fig. 6 ); hind trochanter unarmed, hind femur only weakly incrassate, bearing 8 spines along posterior margin starting with a moderate-sized spine followed by 7 spines of progressively decreasing size; hind tibia straight, bearing a longitudinal row of 10 small black spines along basal half of posterior margin.

Macropterous male. Length 7.20, maximum width (across humeral angles) 2.20. Similar in general coloration and structure to wingless male, with following exceptions: pronotum brown and convex dorsal surface, with anterior band yellow and thickly covered with short, semi-recumbent gold setae, length/width: 2.72/2.20, humeral angles prominent, posterior lobe produced posteriorly to cover the entire metanotum, lateral margins bearing scattered, long, erect, black setae, apex produced to a moderately long, acute point slightly elevated above bases of hemelytra ( Figs. 7, 8 ); hemelytra exceeding tip of abdomen, bearing 4 closed cells, 2 long cells originating in the basal portion of the wing followed by 2 smaller cells extending into distal half, uniformly dull brown, darker veins; Sc and R+M+Cu veins covered with short, semi-recumbent gold setae intermixed with scattered long, erect, slen- der brown setae; hind femur less incrassate, with armature similar to wingless form but with length and number of teeth reduced; margins of connexiva showing and covered with short, semi-recumbent gold setae intermixed with scattered long, erect, slender brown setae.

Macropterous female. Length 7.20, maximum width (across humeral angles) 2.24. Similar in general coloration and structure to winged male with following exceptions: pronotum length/width: 3.52/2.24, posterior apex of pronotum strongly produced into an elevated, club-like process; posterior lobe bearing small, deep, conspicuous punctuations ( Figs. 9, 10 ).

Etymology. The name “ quilichaensis ” refers to the Quilichao River, where the types were collected.

Type locality. Rhagovelia quilichaensis sp. nov., was collected in the department of Cauca , Santander de Quilichao Municipality. The Quilichao River is located at 3º 00' 29'' N, 76º 28' 30'' W, 1450 masl.

Comparative notes. Rhagovelia quilichaensis sp. nov. is similar to R. macarena Polhemus 1997 in the shape of male paramere (Compare Figs. 2 , 11). R. quilichaensis may be recognized by its large size (male length 6.0); body colour: dorsal surface brown and ventral surface yellow; hind leg: trochanter bearing 2 to 4 black teeth, number and pattern of teeth of the femur, tibia with 2 longitudinal rows; and female with abdominal tergites VI and VII with black setae on the posterior margin and strongly flattened on 1/3 basal portion of the middle femur.

FIGURES 11–17. Male paramere, 11 R. macarena , 12 R. cauca , 13 R. huila , 14 R. malkini , 15 R. perija , 16 R. azulita , 17 R. oporapa . Figs. 11, 12, 14, 15, after Polhemus (1997); Figs. 13, 16, 17, after Padilla-Gil (2009).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6 Structural details of Rhagovelia quilichaensis sp. nov. 1 – 3 male, 1 hind tibiae, 2 paramere, 3 proctiger; 4 – 6 female, 4 dorsal habitus (legs omitted), 5 abdomen, lateral view, 6 middle femur, ventro-lateral view.

FIGURES 7 – 10. Structural details of Rhagovelia quilichaensis sp. nov. 7 – 8 pronotum, winged male, 7 dorsal view, 8 lateral view; 9 – 10, pronotum, winged female, 9 dorsal view, 10 lateral view.