Oiovelia brasiliensis Moreira, Nessimian and Rúdio, 2010

Moreira, F. F. F., Nessimian, J. L., Rúdio, J. A. & Salles, F. F., 2010, New species and new records of Veliidae from Espírito Santo State and adjacent Minas Gerais State, Brazil, with notes on nomenclature (Insecta: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha), Journal of Natural History 44 (45 - 46), pp. 2761-2801 : 2763-2767

Oiovelia brasiliensis Moreira, Nessimian and Rúdio , sp. nov.

Apterous male

BL 3.20–3.26; HL 0.48–0.49; HW 0.61; ANT I 0.60–0.61, ANT IIs 0.41–0.48, ANT III 0.31–0.36, ANT IV 0.39–0.41; INT 0.25–0.26; EYE 0.15–0.16; PL 1.06–1.12; PW 0.58–0.60; FORELEG: FEM 0.78–0.89, TIB 0.78–0.88, TAR I 0.08, TAR II 0.06– 0.08, TAR III 0.28; MIDLEG: FEM 1.01–1.03, TIB 1.01–1.04, TAR I 0.08–0.09, TAR II 0.11–0.13, TAR III 0.29–0.34; HINDLEG: FEM 1.14, TIB 1.26–1.41, TAR I 0.09, TAR II 0.19–0.20, TAR III 0.39–0.41.

Body robust, relatively long, covered by greyish pubescence and long black setae, these more numerous on margins and anterior lobe of pronotum, and on connexiva and apex of abdomen. General colour dark reddish brown.

Head orange brown to reddish brown, lighter near pronotum. Antennae light brown to dark brown; apex of antennomere I and entire III darker than the rest. Eyes red. Rostrum yellowish brown with shining black apex. Pronotum reddish brown, with greyish areas on sides of anterior lobe and near posterior angle; centre of anterior lobe and longitudinal median carina lighter. Sides and venter of thorax reddish to dark brown. Abdominal tergites reddish to dark brown, densely covered by greyish pruinosity, longer silvery setae centrally, and sparse long black setae. Abdominal connexiva reddish brown. Abdominal venter dark brown, covered by greyish pruinosity and longer lighter setae. Coxae, trochanters and base of femora yellow, remaining parts of legs yellowish to dark brown, tarsi darker. Genital segments orange brown.

Head slightly elongated in front of eyes, declivent, with long black setae on dorsum, and depressed and glabrous median line and pair of foveae on base. Antenniferous tubercles swollen. Antennae covered by short brown setae and longer black setae similar to that of body, without spine-like setae. Antennomere I clearly thicker than rest, wider on apex, curved outward; II–IV cylindrical; II slightly thicker than III; III a bit thinner than IV. Eyes relatively small, not touching anterior margin of pronotum ( Figure 2A ). Rostrum long and thin, reaching middle of mesocoxae.

Pronotum long; lateral margins bowed outward on anterior lobe, slightly constricted between lobes, thicker and more bowed on posterior lobe ( Figure 2A ); posterior angle widely rounded; anterior lobe with a centrally interrupted transversal row of shallow subcircular punctuations near anterior margin; posterior lobe with irregular longitudinal rows of punctuations; median line with light rounded carina, more evident on posterior lobe. Proepisternum and anterior margin of prosternum with a transversal row of punctuations; two other lines present on posterior part of propleura and anterior part of mesopleura, both near mesoacetabulum. Intersegmental area between meso- and metasternum with two pairs of central tubercles ( Figure 2B ).

Abdomen widening posteriorly up to tergite IV, then slightly tapering to apex. Only six abdominal tergites completely visible ( Figure 2C ). Last tergite trapezoidal, wider on apex, with concave posterior margin. Abdominal connexiva swollen, slightly elevated.

Legs without spines, covered by short brown setae, femora and tibiae with rows of longer black setae. Fore coxae inserted very close to each other; femora widened distally, that of foreleg thickest on base ( Figure 2D ). Fore tibia grasping comb very evident, formed by a row of striae, occupying almost half of tibial length.

Abdominal tergite VIII with lateral margins convergent and posterior margin concave. Parameres symmetrical, long, strongly curved, meeting centrally over proctiger. Proctiger as in Figure 2E . Paramere with base wide, then strongly narrowed and curved upward, with inferior surface widened after middle, and apex narrowed and curved downward, but not hook-like ( Figure 2F,G ).

Apterous female ( Figure 2H )

BL 3.29–3.36; HL 0.49–0.50; HW 0.62–0.63; ANT I 0.59–0.61, ANT II 0.43–0.48, ANT III 0.34–0.36, ANT IV 0.40; INT 0.25–0.26; EYE 0.15; PL 1.10–1.18; PW 0.86– 0.88; FORELEG: FEM 0.76–0.80, TIB 0.79–0.80, TAR I 0.08, TAR II 0.06–0.08, TAR III 0.31–0.36; MIDLEG: FEM 0.98–1.01, TIB 1.06–1.11, TAR I 0.08–0.09, TAR II 0.11–0.13, TAR III 0.36; HINDLEG: FEM 1.13–1.24, TIB 1.39–1.40, TAR I 0.06–0.08, TAR II 0.18–0.19, TAR III 0.40.

Similar to male in colour and structure. Abdomen laterally constricted on segments II–IV. Seven abdominal tergites completely visible. Tergite I swollen; II flat and directed downward, with a preapical transversal fissure ( Figure 2I ); III and IV horizontal, III with central fissure; V, VI and VII slightly turned upward. Abdominal tergites without long light setae; long black setae present on tergites I–II and VI–VII ( Figure 2J ), sometimes also on posterior margin of V. Abdominal connexiva swollen, folded and reflected over abdomen on segments IV–VII. Last abdominal tergite short, with curved and convergent lateral margins, and posterior margin concave. Femora not swollen; tibial grasping comb absent. Genital segments short and globose.

Macropterous female

BL 3.74; HL 0.44; HW 0.64; ANT I 0.60, ANT II 0.49, ANT III 0.38, ANT IV 0.43; INT 0.28; EYE 0.15; PL 0.85; PW 0.83; FORELEG: FEM 0.90, TIB 0.86, TAR I 0.08, TAR II 0.08, TAR III 0.35; MIDLEG: FEM 1.03, TIB 1.05, TAR I 0.08, TAR II 0.13, TAR III 0.36; HINDLEG: FEM 1.18, TIB 1.38, TAR I 0.08, TAR II 0.20, TAR III 0.43.

Practically identical to apterous female in general structure and colour. Pronotum wider; humeri more developed, slightly elevated, with outer angle obtuse. Wings reaching genital segments, folded near apex by abdominal connexiva, dark brown, when folded with a pair of distinct elongated white stripes on base, three irregular light maculae on centre, an arrow-like macula near apex, and whitish apex ( Figure 2K ). Forewing with four closed cells, one proximal pair and one distal. Long black setae absent on last abdominal tergites.

Type material

Brazil: Espírito Santo – Pinheiros, Reserva Ecológica Córrego dos Veados, Córrego Água Limpa, espuma [−18.36776 ◦, −40.13944 ◦, 86 m above sea level (asl)], 10 February 2009, (F.F.F. Moreira): 1 apterous male [HOLOTYPE], 1 apterous male, 2 apterous females [PARATYPES] ( UFES). Santa Teresa , Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi , Cachoeira Grande , espuma [19 ◦ 52 ′ 30.1 ′′ S, 40 ◦ 33 ′ 21.9 ′′ W, 704 m asl], 20 February 2009 (J.A. Rúdio and F.F. Salles): 1 macropterous female [PARATYPE] ( UFES) .

Distribution

Specimens were collected only on foam retained in black water rivers at two localities in Espírito Santo, this being the first record of the genus in southeastern Brazil.

Etymology

The term brasiliensis refers to natives of Brazil.

Comments

Oiovelia Drake and Maldonado-Capriles, 1952 is a very poorly studied genus, with only three species, O. cunucunumana Drake and Maldonado-Capriles, 1952 , O. rivicola Spangler, 1986 and O. spumicola Spangler, 1986 having been described to date. Oiovelia spumicola is easily separated from other species in the genus by the yellowish pronotum and hook-like male paramere.

Other species, including the one described above, display a reddish brown pronotum and have the apex of the paramere narrowed ( O. cunucunumana and O. brasiliensis sp. nov.) or enlarged ( O. rivicola ), but never hook-like. Oiovelia brasiliensis sp. nov. runs to O. cunucunumana in the key to species of the genus provided by Spangler (1986), presenting, as in the last species, an antennomere IV longer than III.

However, the following differences can be found between the two species: (1) BL 3.20–3.74 in O. brasiliensis sp. nov., 3.39–3.97 in O. cunucunumana ; (2) antennomeres uniformly coloured in O. cunucunumana , apex of antennomere I and all III darker than rest in O. brasiliensis sp. nov.; (3) eyes touching anterior margin of pronotum in O. cunucunumana only; (4) wings with an arrow-like apical macula in O. brasiliensis sp. nov. only; and (5) male paramere of O. cunucunumana not widened after middle, widened in O. brasiliensis sp. nov. ( Figure 2F,G ).

Various nymphs were collected with the types of O. brasiliensis sp. nov., but they do not run to O. cunucunumana on the key of Mazzucconi and Bachmann (1997). In fact, they apparently fit the diagnosis of an undescribed species mentioned in the same article, and still not described formally, having the head and thoracic tergal plates dark brown, and the legs gradually darker up to the apex. In O. cunucunumana , by contrast, the nymphs display a light brown head and tergal plates, have the coxae and trochanters light, and the femora, tibiae and tarsi of uniformly darker colour.

One apterous female very similar to O. brasiliensis sp. nov. was collected in Santa Teresa; however, it was predominantly yellowish in colour with tufts of long black setae on abdominal tergites VI–VII. The lack of a male with same colour did not permit its identification as O. spumicola or as another undescribed species in the genus.

Figures

Figure 2. Oiovelia brasiliensis sp. nov. (A) Part of head and pronotum; arrow shows space between eyes and pronotum; male. (B) Intersegmental area between mesosternum and metasternum; arrow shows central tubercle; male. (C) Part of pronotum and abdomen, showing visible abdominal tergites I–VI; male. (D) Fore leg; lateral view; male. (E) Proctiger; dorsal view; male. (F) Paramere; lateral view; male. (G) Paramere; laterocaudal view; male. (H) Dorsal habitus; female. (I) Part of abdomen; arrow shows transversal fissure of tergite II; female. (J) Apex of abdomen; dorsal view; female. (K) Part of pronotum and abdomen; dorsal view; macropterous female. Scale bar 1.00 mm.