Pulmomerus levatus, Peredo, Luis Cervantes & Brailovsky, Harry, 2012

Peredo, Luis Cervantes & Brailovsky, Harry, 2012, A new genus of Antiliocorini from Baja California, Mexico (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Rhyparochromidae: Rhyparochrominae), Zootaxa 3409, pp. 58-62 : 59-62

Pulmomerus levatus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1–7 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other species of Antillocorini from the American Continent, by its size, by the presence of six to seven small spines on internal margin of fore femora, the reduced hemelytra, the absence of metathoracic wings, the connexivum conspicuously directed upward, and the very peculiar spermatheca.

Body slightly elongated. Head, pronotum, scutellum, abdomen, and legs ochraceous. Antennae, rostrum, and hemelytra slightly paler, although last antennal segment grayish ( Fig. 1 ).

Head with very small punctures. Dorsal surface of pronotum without punctures, except for a row of punctures along pronotal collar, and by some scattered punctures on posterior third of pronotum. Scutellum and hemelytra with scattered punctures. Body surface clothed with numerous declivent, small, silvery hairs.

Head convex, tylus extending half of antennal segment I: eyes rounded and slightly separated from anterior pronotal margin; ocelli absent. Antennal segments covered by numerous hairs, more abundant on the last three segments. Rostrum reaching metacoxae. Pronotum convex, with lateral margins rounded; anterior margin slightly concave; and posterior margin with a shallow depression to allocate scutellum. Scutellum as an equilateral triangle. Hemelytra coleopteroid, with clavus and corium fused; median commissure extending entire length of hemelytron; posterior margin truncate, straight although slightly concave; membrane absent. Fore femora swollen, with six or seven small spines on internal distal half; fore tibia slightly curved and with distal fourth wider; internal margin of fore tibia very finally crenated ( Fig. 2 ). Connexivum conspicuously directed upward. Male genitalia: Genital capsule simple with opening a t-shaped ellipse Fig. 4 ); lateral margin just slightly sinnuated ( Fig. 5 ). Paramere simple with a long shank with an acute projection ( Fig. 6 ).

Female genitalia: Spermatheca with a very large bulb and well developed wings ( Fig. 7 ).

Male Measurements (n=2). Body length 2.1±0.09; head length 0.33±0.04; width across eyes 0.43±0.01; interocular distance 0.31±0.01; postocular distance 0.03±0.01; antennal segments: I 0.24, II 0.33±0.01, III 0.24±0.03, IV 0.3; rostral segments: I 0.27±0.04, II 0.33±0.01, III 0.25±0.04, IV 0.18; pronotum: length 0.45±0.04, width across anterior margin 0.43±0.04, width across humeral angles 0.61±0.01; scutellum: length 0.3±0.03, width 0.43±0.01; length fore femora 0.54±0.03; length fore tibia 0.49±0.02; length fore tarsi: I 0.12, II 0.04, III 0.08.

Female Measurements (n=4). Body length 2.46"0.05; head length 0.39"0.03; width across eyes 0.48"0.01; interocular distance 0.35"0.02; postocular distance 0.02"0.02; antennal segments: I 0.29"0.01, II 0.390.01, III 0.32"0.04, IV 0.32" 0.04; rostral segments: I 0.32"0.04, II 0.41"0.01, III 0.29"0.03, IV 0.2; pronotum: length 0.47"0.06, width across anterior margin 0.42"0.01, width across humeral angles 0.69"0.02; scutellum: length 0.31"0.03, width 0.44"0.02; length fore femora 0.62"0.02; length fore tibia 0.52"0.02; length fore tarsi: I 0.12"0.01, II 0.04, III 0.1"0.01.

Type specimens. Holotype. Male. MEXICO. Baja California Sur, San Jose del Cabo, Barracas, 6-X-2010, 23°26’48’’N, 109°25’57’’W, 51m, L. Cervantes, C. Mayorga, 51 m ( IEXA). Paratypes. 4 Ƥ, same data as Holotype. 1 3, Baja California Sur, La Paz, Km 27 La Paz-Los Planes, 26-III-2011, 24° 1´8" N, 110° 5´27"W, 548 m, L. Cervantes, C. Mayorga. 4Ƥ, 13, same data as Holotype, but 21-III-2011. 7 Ƥ Baja California Sur, San Jose del Cabo, Km 40 Las Cuevas-Los Frailes, 21-III-2011, 23° 23´49" N, 109° 25´56" W, 39 m, L. Cervantes, C. Mayorga ( CNIN, IEXA, USNM, Merrill Sweet Collection).

Etymology. From levo meaning “raise”, referring to the raised connexiva.

Distribution. Mexico, Baja California Sur

Biology. All the specimens were collected under fig trees, Ficus palmeri . Specimens were taken under the fig leaf litter on the sand surface between the upper layers of grains. The species was found associated with another species of Antillocorini and with Ozophora maculata Slater and O’Donnell.

Discussion. This species differs from others species of Antillocorini , by the reduced hemelytra, the highly elevated connexiva, a spermatheca with a very large bulb, and the presence of six to seven small spines on the distal half of the internal side of fore femora.

Figures

FIGURES 1. Pulmomerus levatus new species. Dorsal habitus.

FIGURES 2 – 7. Pulmomerus levatus new species. 2. Fore leg. 3. Abdomen, lateral view. 4. Pygophore frontal view. 5. Pygophore lateral view. 6. Paramere. 7. Spermatheca.