Ascra flavoscutellata Santos & Fernandes

Santos, Bianca Tamires Silva Dos, Silva, Valeria Juliete Da & Fernandes, Jose Antonio Marin, 2015, Revision of Ascra with proposition of the bifida species group and description of two new species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae), Zootaxa 4034 (3), pp. 445-470 : 462-464

Ascra flavoscutellata Santos & Fernandes n. sp.

( Figs. 39−45 , 57 , 64 , 66 )

Etymology. Name refers to the yellow cordiform spot on pronotal apex.

Material examined (n: 5). Holotype male: MEXICO. Oaxaca: Portillo Del Royo. 31–V–1985. E. Barrera ( UNAM).

Paratypes: MEXICO. Oaxaca: Two male and one female. Same data ( UNAM); Male ( UFRG).

Measurements: Head length (1.5–1.6); head width (2.4–2.5); pronotal length (3.2–3.4); pronotal width (7.5– 7.7); total length (11.5–11.8); abdominal width (7.2–7.5), length of antennal segments I − (0.5); II − (1.2); III − (1); IV − (1.7); V − unknown.

Diagnosis. Body dorsally probably green or dark green (specimens examined are brown due to preservation), yellowish in vicinity of pronotal cicatrices ( Fig. 57 ). Punctures on pronotum and scutellum large, black and sparse; head, hemelytron and connexivum with smaller and more concentrated punctures ( Fig. 57 ). Apex of scutellum with a large cordiform spot ( Fig. 57 ). Venter probably pale green (pale yellow on described specimens) with a pair of suffused irregular vittae encompassing spiracles plus three other median vittae ( Fig. 64 ). Venter with small punctures on pleural region and abdominal stripes. Antennae and legs dark yellow ( Figs. 57 , 64 ).

Head. Mandibular plates with a few dark punctures. Clypeus with a few basal dark punctures. Cephalic disk densely punctate. Bucculae with a few dark punctures; ventral margin rounded; enclosing ¾ of first rostral segment. Antennae not punctate or maculate.

Thorax. Pronotum with punctures sparse and uniformly distributed; anterolateral margin red; yellow area delimitating cicatrices calloused and not punctate. Scutellum with anterior margin yellow; punctures large and sparse on disk, lateral and distal end with punctures smaller and denser; cordiform spot calloused with a few punctures ( Fig. 57 ). Anterolateral margin of hemelytron red. Corium with punctuation dark brown, small and dense; punctuation larger on embolium and clavus ( Fig. 57 ). Ventral surface with punctures dark, dense and irregularly distributed on pleural region. Evaporatorium rugose, whitish and not punctate. Peritreme pale yellow and short, not reaching half of the distance between ostiole and lateral margin of the metapleuron. Metasternal process with arms very short, wide and divergent ( Figs. 39−40 ), receiving part of the fourth rostral segment; apex of arms rounded ( Fig. 39 ). Legs not punctate or maculate.

Abdomen. Dorsal surface dark brown. Connexival segments uniformly and densely punctate, except for central yellow rounded area; segments with two dark areas laterally; posterolateral angles projected in tiny black spines; lateral margin red. Segment VII with distal half dark. Ventral surface with pseudosutures and intersegmental region brown; punctures sparse on suffused vittae, except on median impunctate vitta; each segment with a small brown dot close to spiracle.

Female genitalia. Gonocoxites 8 setose, strongly convex, punctures black concentrated on inner half; distal margin black and rounded; sutural margin black. Laterotergites 8 almost flat, uniformly punctate; distal margin dark and slightly projected; apex acute, just surpassing laterotergites 9. Gonocoxites 9 setose, impunctate, trapezoidal and almost flat; proximal margin not tumid, only touching distal margin of gonocoxites 8. Laterotergites 9 setose and impunctate; basal part strongly excavated, distal part barely tumid; apex rounded ( Fig. 41 ), with distal black tiny spine.

Male genitalia. Pygophore. Dorsal rim with punctures concolorous, dense and large. Posterolateral angles not punctate and slightly developed ( Fig. 42−43 ). Genital cup setose. Superior process of genital cup pedunculate and reniform distally, almost flat ( Fig. 44 ). Parameres subrectangular, yellow with margin black; base globose ( Fig.

44). Proctiger with posterior face subtriangular, margin distinctly tumid; lateral excavations shallow and wide ( Fig. 44 ).Ventral rim setose; medially rugulose; punctures dark and irregularly distributed; medial excavation widely open leaving part of the parameres visible in ventral view ( Figs. 42−43 ); bottom of excavation narrow and smooth; expansions rounded, strongly developed ventrally but not reaching the level of posterolateral angles in ventral view ( Fig. 43 ). Phallus with distal acuminate process dorsally projected; vesica elliptical ( Fig. 45 ).

Comments. All specimens examined may have completely lost their original coloration. As a consequence, the diagnosis presented above is derived from colors observed from A. bifida and A. petersii . Future examination of well-preserved material is needed for accurate diagnosis of A. flavoscutellata .

Distribution ( Fig. 66 ): MEXICO: Oaxaca.

Figures

FIGURE 66. Distribution of the species of the bifida group of Ascra.

FIGURES 39 – 45. Ascra flavoscutellata n. sp. 39 – 40 Metasternal process; 39 — ventral view; 40 — lateral view. 41 — Female, genital plates. 42 – 44 Male, pygophore; 42 — dorsal view; 43 — ventral view; 44 — posterior view. 45 — Phallus. (Scale = 1 mm).

FIGURES 52 – 58. Dorsal view of the species of Ascra. 52 — A. bifida; 53 — A. cordifera; 54 — A. championi; 55 — A. petersii; 56 — A. abdita; 57 — A. flavoscutellata; 58 — A. vluteum. (Scale = 5 mm).

FIGURES 59 – 65. Ventral view of the species of Ascra. 59 — A. bifida; 60 — A. cordifera; 61 — A. championi; 62 — A. petersii; 63 — A. abdita; 64 — A. flavoscutellata; 65 — A. vluteum. (Scale = 5 mm).