Edessa (Edessa) proxima sp. n.

(Figs. 38, 66 C–D, 74)

Etymology. The name refers to the similarity with E. (E.) schirmeri Breddin, 1904 (L. proximus, nearest).

Material examined. Holotype male. VENEZUELA, Yaracuy: El Diamante 800m km 14, 12-I-1966, F. Fernandes Y. & C. J. Rosales cols. (MPEG).

Paratypes. VENEZUELA, Yaracuy: 1♁ 1♀, El Diamante 800m km 14, 12-I-1966, F. Fernandes Y. & C. J. Rosales cols. (UFRGS) ; Aragua: 1♀, El Limon 450m, 15 - III - 1951, C. J. Rosales col. (MIZA) .

Measurements (n= 4). Total length: 15.6–17.5; head length: 1.6; head width: 3.0; pronotum length: 3.3–3.5; pronotum width: 10.3–11.4; scutellum length: 7.2–8.1; scutellum width: 5.5–6.1; abdominal width: 8.3–9.4; length antennomeres: I: 1.0; II: 1.0–1.1; III: 1.6–1.7; IV: 3.0.

Diagnosis. Large (15.6–17.5 mm). Dorsal body surface olive green (Fig. 66 C). Ventral surface dark yellow with transversal black bands on thorax and abdomen (Fig. 66 D). Antennae brown (Fig. 66 C–D). Pronotum with brown punctures; anterolateral margin emarginated (Fig. 66 C). Humeral angles short (1.6 times wider than long); apex with black spot restricted to the angles in dorsal view and restricted to the margin of the angles in ventral view; strongly bent backward (Fig. 66 C–D). Scutellum with brown punctures; apex acuminate, the same level as the end of the coria (Fig. 66 C). Coria with all veins concolorous with the surrounding surface (Fig. 66 C). Connexival segments with concavities slightly covered by elliptical small black spots separated by a large yellow median spot (Fig. 66 C), spots not extending ventrally (Fig. 66 D). Posterolateral angles of connexivum with apices black (Fig. 66 C). Ventral surface, thorax with black bands; dark band of the propleura covering 2/3 of the width of the sclerite (Fig. 66 D). Proepisternum with dark band (Fig. 66 D). Evaporatorium concolorous with the surrounding surface; peritreme straight (Fig. 66 D). Metasternal process (Figs. 38 G; 66 D) with arms of anterior bifurcation straight and laterally well expanded, margin acuminated at apex; anterior bifurcation broadly excavated receiving fourth and a small part of the third rostral segment. Legs brown (Fig. 66 D). Abdomen with spine of third segment rounded (Fig. 38 G). Intersegmental areas covered by narrow solid black bands with well-defined margins, not reaching lateral margin (Fig. 66 D). Pseudosutures partially covered by superficial black lines (Fig. 66 D). Median longitudinal brown band incomplete, restricted to the segment VII (Fig. 66 D). Trichobothria one in line with spiracle and the other laterad. Posterolateral angles of segment VII not reaching the level of apices of laterotergites IX (Fig. 38 F). Male genitalia, posterolateral angles of the pygophore developed, projected laterally, apices internally with spots black (Fig. 38 A–B, E). Superior processes of the genital cup rectangular, thick, in flattened and coarse posterior view, continuing ventrally in a crenulate high carina ending in a small dentiform projection (Fig. 38 B, D crenulate carina and dentiform projection barely visible). Parameres (Fig. 38 D–E) with black margins; anterior lobe rounded; dorsal lobe rounded with apex curved; posterior lobe subtriangular. Proctiger, posterior face subelliptical (Fig. 38 D–E). Ventral rim not setose (Fig. 38 C); with expansions little developed, rounded, concolorous with the surrounding surface (Fig. 38 C). Female genitalia, valvifers VIII subrectangular, with dark punctures; sutural margins contiguous brown and not divergent; posterior margin brown. Laterotergites VIII with dark band on lateral margins. Laterotergites IX with apices acuminate passing the mediotergite VIII (Fig. 38 F).

Comments. Edessa (E.) proxima sp. n. resembles E. (E.) schirmeri Breddin, 1904 (see Mendonça et al., 2023, Fig. 19 A–B) due to humeral angles short and strongly bent backward; connexival segments with concavities slightly covered by elliptical small black spots that not extend ventrally; and proepisternum with dark band. On the other hand, both species can be easily separated by the apex of the scutellum leveled with the end of coria (in E. (E.) schirmeri apex of scutellum not reach the end of the coria); body ventrally with intersegmental areas of abdomen covered by narrow bands (in E. (E.) schirmeri intersegmental areas covered by wide bands).

Distribution (Fig. 74). VENEZUELA: Yaracuy, Aragua.