Podisus distinctus (Stål, 1860)

Telepta distincta Stål, 1860: 11; Thomas 1992: 90 (Syntype male in NHRS, Figs 1–3).

Arma distincta: Walker 1867: 137 .

Arna [sic] submarginata Walker, 1867: 139; Thomas 1992: 99 NEW SYNONYMY. (removed from the synonymy with Podisus ventralis (Dallas, 1851) proposed by Thomas 1992: 99) (Holotype female in NHMUK, Figs 4–6).

Podisus (Telepta) distinctu s: Stål 1867: 497; Thomas 1992: 90.

Podisus (Podisus) distinctus: Stål 1870: 51; Thomas 1992: 90.

Podisus submarginatus: Lethierry & Severin 1893: 219; Thomas 1992: 99.

Apateticus (Eupodisus) distinctus: Schouteden 1907: 71; Thomas 1992: 90.

Apateticus (Eupodisus) submarginatus: Schouteden 1907: 72; Thomas 1992: 99.

Apateticus (Podisus) distinctus: Kirkaldy 1909: 19 .

Apateticus (Podisus) submarginatus: Kirkaldy 1909: 21; Thomas 1992: 100.

Podisus distinctus: Thomas, 1992: 90; Aldrich 1995: 1033, 1036–1040; Zanuncio et al. 1997: 483–487; Aldrich et al. 1997: 1–3, 6–11; Oliveira et al. 1999: 77–80; Magalhães et al. 2002: 445–447; Dellapé et al. 2003: 8; Henry & Wilson 2004: 75, 76, 79, 80; Lacerda et al. 2004: 237–241; Matos Neto et al. 2004: 101–107; Santos et al. 2004: 213, 215–219; Torres et al. 2006: 3; Causton et al. 2006: 136; Soares et al. 2009: 30–32; Guedes et al. 2009: 170–175; Campos et al. 2009: 168; Araújo et al. 2011: 560–564; Zanuncio et al. 2011: 608–612; Grazia & Schwertner 2011: 713; Weiler et al. 2012: 188; Zanuncio et al. 2013: 39–43; Barbosa et al. 2012: 1–5; Sá et al. 2013: 282–286; Matesco et al. 2014: 351, 353, 360–362, 364, 374; Abreu et al. 2015: 22–24; Martínez et al. 2015: 1514–1520; Ricalde et al. 2015: 2126, 2127, 2129; Tavares et al. 2017: 35–39; Melo et al. 2017: 496; Brugnera et al. 2019b: 16; Lupoli 2019: 76, 77, 81, 85, 87.

Types examined: Telepta distincta Stål, 1860: Syntype ♂, labels: “ Brasil ”, “ F. Sahtt ”, “Type.”, “Typus”, “ NHRS- GULI 000067359 ” (NHRS) (Figs 1–3).

Arma submarginata Walker, 1867: Holotype ♀, labels: “Tejuca, Jan/1857. H. Clark. ”, “37. Arna submarginata .”, “Type”, “Holotype”, “ NHMUK 010592336 ” (NHMUK) (Figs 4–6) .

Non-types examined: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais 2 ♂, Carmos do Rio Claro, Carvalho leg. (MNRJ); Espírito Santo 1 ♂, Domingos Martins, 17.X.2018, D. S. Martins leg. (UFES); Rio de Janeiro 1 ♀, Distrito Federal [Rio de Janeiro], Carvalho leg. (MNRJ); Tejuca [Rio de Janeiro], I.1857, H. Clark leg. [010938846] (NHMUK) São Paulo 1 ♀, Paranapiacaba, 25.II.1962, L. Stowbunenko leg. (MZUSP); 1 ♂, Salesópolis, Est. Biol. Boracéia, 21–22.X.1989, Exc. DZUSP leg. (MZUSP) ; Santa Catarina 5 ♂ 3 ♀, Araranguá, 30.IX.2009, Bianchi, F. M. leg. (UFRG); 2 ♂ 2 ♀, Araranguá, 24.IV.09, Bianchi, F. M. & Perin C. leg. (UFRG); Rio Grande do Sul 8 ♀, Maquiné, 4.VI.2011, -29.6103, -50.1946, Bianchi, F. M. leg. (UFRG); 2 ♂, Torres, P. E. Itapeva Mata Sul, 12.I.2005, L. Moura & I. Hey- drich leg. [177390, 177379] (MCNZ) .

Diagnosis. Anterolateral margin of pronotum tumescent on anterior two-thirds, pale or reddish, crenulated; humeral angles directed upward and slightly backward, acute and darker at apex, with a posterior minute tooth (Figs 1, 4, 25, 27). Paramere with two branches equally long and acute at apex, inner branch without ventral sculptures, posterior margin of paramere concave (Figs 32, 37); superior process of dorsal rim subrectangular, with striated dorsal sculpturing (Fig 38); thecal shield and basal theca subequal in length, thecal shield wider than basal theca (Figs 41–43). Capsula seminalis finger-like, longer than distal part of ductus receptaculi; 1 + 1 secondary thickening of gonapophyses IX boomerang-like (Figs 49–50).

Redescription. Body dorsally brown and usually paler ventrally, with dark brown punctures (Figs 1–2, 4–5, 25–27). Head: longer than wide and densely dark brown punctured; mandibular plates and clypeus subequal in length; width of head across eyes longer than anterior width of pronotum; ocelli situated posterior to the eyes (Fig. 27). First three labial segments pale brown, last segment dark brown; apex of labium reaching metacoxae; proportion of antennal segments: I<II>III>IV (Figs 5, 26). Antennae brown, IV segment usually pale yellow; proportion of antennal segments: I<II>III<IV>V (Fig. 27). Thorax: anterolateral margins of pronotum tumescent on anterior two-thirds, pale or reddish and crenulated; humeral angles directed upward and slightly backward, acute and darker at apex, with a posterior tooth. Scutellum triangular, frenal portion longer than postfrenal portion, apical margin usually with a pale line. Corium longer than scutellum, reaching anterior margin of abdominal segment VI; hemelytral membrane dark brown mesially, surpassing apex of abdomen (Figs 1, 4, 25, 27). Legs usually pale yellow, sometimes with dark spots on femur. Peritreme discal-type, curved anteriorly; metapleural evaporatorium surrounding the peritreme, not reaching the lateral margin of pleuron; mesopleural evaporatorium reaching the lateral margin of pleuron. Abdomen: connexival segments dark with pale spots medially; apex of connexival segments projected posteriorly. Abdominal tubercle reaching the posterior margin of metacoxae; females usually with a row of dark brown spots in the middle of urosternites IV-VII (Figs 2, 5, 26). Male genitalia: pygophore cup-like; anterior opening subtriangular; dorsal rim concave and projected medially in dorsal view; superior layer of ventral rim sinuous in ventral view; inferior layer of ventral rim concave; paramere with two branches equally long and acute at apex, inner branch without ventral sculpturing, posterior margin of paramere concave; superior processes of dorsal rim subrectangular, with striated dorsal sculptures (Figs 31–33, 37–38). Phallus with thecal shield and basal theca subequal in length, thecal shield wider than basal theca; apex of 1+1 lobes of conjunctiva slightly sclerotized; vesica with 1+1 lateral flaps; ductus seminis distalis located between the flaps of vesica, posteriorly directed, ending on a secondary gonopore (Figs 41–43). Female genitalia: gonocoxites VIII as long as wide, sutural margins parallel and juxtaposed, posterior margins sinuous; laterotergites VIII trapezoidal; gonocoxites IX rectangular, posterior margin slightly convex, lateral margins over the laterotergites IX; laterotergites IX longer than wide, obtuse apically, surpassing the segment X, reaching the posterior margin of laterotergites VIII; segment X subrectangular (Figs 47–48). Internal genitalia with Capsula seminalis finger-like, longer than distal part of ductus receptaculi; posterior annular flange located above the base of capsula seminalis; posterior region of distal part of ductus receptaculi dilated; proximal part of ductus receptaculi twice longer than vesicular area; ring sclerites circular; 1+1 secondary thickening of gonapophyses IX boomerang-like; thickening of vaginal intima with anterior region somewhat conical and posterior region cylindrical. (Figs 48–50).

Measurements. Males: (n = 8). Head length: 1.73 ± 0.07 (1.65–1.85), width: 1.96 ± 0.08 (1.82–2.04); pronotum length: 2.20 ± 0.10 (2.04–2.30), width: 6.13 ± 0.29 (5.54–6.40); scutellum length: 3.12 ± 0.15 (2.89–3.40), width: 2.83 ± 0.10 (2.72–3.00); length of antennal segments: I 0.27 ± 0.04 (0.18–0.30), II 1.40 ± 0.07 (1.28–1.50), III 0.92 ± 0.09 (0.80–1.10), IV 1.23 ± 0.09 (1.10–1.30); V 1.18 ± 0.05 (1.12–1.24); length of labial segments: I 0.95 ± 0.04 (0.86–0.98), II 1.21 ± 0.05 (1.14–1.30), III 0.93 ± 0.02 (0.90–0.96), IV 0.82 ± 0.06 (0.72–0.92); length of abdomen: 4.15 ± 0.18 (3.90–4.41), width: 4.33 ± 0.19 (4.09–4.59); total length: 9.45 ± 0.31 (9.00–9.90). Females: (n = 9). Head length: 1.97 ± 0.12 (1.75–2.14), width: 2.15 ± 0.13 (1.87–2.36); pronotum length: 2.50 ± 0.20 (2.12–2.75), width: 7.03 ± 0.46 (6.11–7.76); scutellum length: 3.68 ± 0.40 (3.15–4.40), width: 3.29 ± 0.24 (2.90–3.75); length of antennal segments: I 0.30 ± 0.04 (0.22–0.34), II 1.64 ± 0.18 (1.44–2.00), III 0.99 ± 0.12 (0.80–1.16), IV 1.41 ± 0.13 (1.24–1.62); V 1.17 ± 0.07 (1.08–1.25); length of labial segments: I 1.01 ± 0.05 (0.94–1.10), II 1.37 ± 0.10 (1.20–1.50), III 1.04 ± 0.06 (0.90–1.12), IV 0.90 ± 0.05 (0.82–0.95); length of abdomen: 5.14 ± 0.27 (4.60–5.52), width: 5.25 ± 0.40 (4.60–5.85); total length: 10.55 ± 0.72 (9.20–11.68).

Distribution. Brazil (Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul) (Fig. 56).

Comments. Thomas (1992) considered Arma submarginata Walker, 1867 (= Podisus distinctus Stål, this work) (Figs 4–6) a synonym of Arma ventralis Dallas, 1851 (currently Podisus ventralis (Dallas)) . We examined the type of Arma ventralis (Figs 19–21, female, deposited in NHMUK) and concluded they are not synonyms; Arma submarginata is actually a synonym of P. distinctus, here redescribed. Podisus distinctus and P. ventralis can be differentiated by: the anterolateral margins of pronotum more tumescent in P. distinctus; the anterior half of the posterior margin of gonocoxites VIII strongly concave in P. ventralis and sinuous in P. distinctus; the branches of the parameres shorter and with rounded apex in P. ventralis (see Thomas, 1992: Fig. 96), and longer with acute apex in P. distinctus (Fig. 37).

The tumescent anterolateral pronotal margins of P. distinctus are similar to the species of the congrex group proposed by Thomas (1992), who characterized it by the “pronotal margin inflated, rugulose”. Due to the lack of a phylogenetic hypothesis for the Podisus species, the possible relatedness of P. distinctus with species of the congrex group is yet unclear.