Rhagovelia denticulata 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 : 2782-2786

Rhagovelia denticulata Moreira, Nessimian and Rúdio , sp. nov.

Apterous male

BL 4.13–4.26; HL 0.39–0.48; HW 0.89–0.91; ANT I 0.95–0.99, ANT II 0.53–0.55, ANT III 0.50–0.51, ANT IV 0.50–0.54; INT 0.23–0.24; EYE 0.28–0.31; PL 0.90–1.02; PW 1.20–1.24; FORELEG: FEM 1.03, TIB 1.06–1.18, TAR I 0.03, TAR II 0.03– 0.04, TAR III 0.26–0.30; MIDLEG: FEM 2.00–2.14, TIB 1.42–1.56, TAR I 0.12–0.14, TAR II 0.38–0.54, TAR III 0.53–0.80; HINDLEG: FEM 1.58–1.64, TIB 1.44–1.58, TAR I 0.06–0.09, TAR II 0.13, TAR III 0.40.

General colour brown; body covered by short golden setae and longer black setae, denser on sides of pronotum and abdominal connexiva. Head yellowish on

frons. Eyes dark, reddish brown. Antennomere I pale yellow on base, becoming dark brown towards apex; antennomere II dark brown; segments III–IV brown. Anterior lobe of pronotum dark yellow, orange yellow on median carina and anterior margin; posterior lobe dark brown. Metanotum orange brown. Sides and venter of prothorax and proacetabulum pale yellow; outer side of meso- and metacetabula orange yellow, venter pale yellow; metasternum orange. Coxae, trochanters and base of fore femur pale yellow; remaining part of legs yellowish brown to dark brown, except base and venter of hind femur yellow. Abdominal tergites and base of connexiva orange brown, rest of connexiva yellowish brown. Abdominal sternites orange, becoming yellow in direction to the last segment. Genital segment I dorsally yellowish brown, dark yellow on venter; rest of genital segments dark brown.

Head broad, with longitudinal median line and two oblique foveae on base impressed and shining. Antennae covered by short brown setae; antennomere I with eight to nine robust erect black setae; II with one or two. Antennomere I thicker than rest, curved outward, slightly swollen on bases of robust setae; II–III cylindrical, II slightly thicker than III; IV fusiform, as wide on middle as III. Eyes relatively large. Jugum and ventral area of bucculae with many black denticles ( Figure 7A ). Rostrum wide, extending little beyond anterior margin of mesosternum.

Pronotum long, completely covering mesonotum, with weak longitudinal median carina, a pair of lateral cuticular sulci on anterior lobe, and posterior margin rounded. Anterior margin with four circular pits below eyes; various pits present on posterior lobe. Metanotum short, transversely rectangular on centre. Pro-, meso- and metaepisternum and acetabula with numerous black denticles ( Figure 7A ). Posterior margin of propleura, anterior and posterior margins of mesopleura, centre of metapleura and metacetabula with circular pits. Pro-, meso- and metasternum, and also abdominal sternites I–V (visible) with many black denticles ( Figure 7B ).

Abdomen evenly tapering posteriorly. Abdominal connexiva elevated at about 45 ◦. Abdominal tergite VII trapezoidal, broader posteriorly, with posterior margin slightly convex. Ventral abdominal carina and last abdominal sternite covered by long erect brown setae. Intersegmental area between abdominal sternites modified into glabrous channels. Posterolateral margins of last abdominal sternite with robust black denticles.

Legs densely pilose, covered by short brown setae and rows of longer black setae on femora and tibiae; hind femur also with many long light setae on inner surface. Fore femur with ventral surface a bit flattened near apex. Fore tibia slightly expanded on apex, slightly flattened and internally concave on the same area. Mid tibia larger on base than apex. Hind trochanter with one or two basal black pegs and one much larger and acute distal spine, this longer than any of the spines on hind tibia or femur ( Figure 7C ). Hind femur very incrassate, with a central increasing row of eight to nine spinules on basal half; distal half with two rows of longer spines, dorsalmost decreasing with four to six spines, ventralmost increasing with five to six spines, distalmost spines in each row with more spaced than others ( Figure 7C ). Hind tibia strongly cured, flattened on ventral surface, there with two rows of obtuse spinules, the last spine of the dorsalmost row longer than others, but shorter than apical spur ( Figure 7C ).

Proctiger as in Figure 7D . Parameres symmetrical, elongated, sinuous, with apex broad and round ( Figure 7E ).

Apterous female ( Figure 7F )

BL 4.16–4.54; HL 0.38–0.48; HW 0.90–0.96; ANT I 0.86–0.99, ANT II 0.53–0.59, ANT III 0.53–0.56, ANT IV 0.49–0.53; INT 0.23–0.24; EYE 0.29–0.33; PL 0.98–1.04; PW 1.24–1.36; FORELEG: FEM 1.08–1.24, TIB 1.10–1.24, TAR I 0.03–0.04, TAR II 0.03, TAR III 0.28; MIDLEG: FEM 1.90–2.04, TIB 1.40–1.46, TAR I 0.08–0.12, TAR II 0.56–0.58, TAR III 0.78–0.84; HINDLEG: FEM 1.50–1.76, TIB 1.40–1.56, TAR I 0.06–0.08, TAR II 0.13–0.14, TAR III 0.36–0.51.

General structure similar to male, colour pattern almost identical, but more yellowish. A small rounded yellow spot present on abdominal tergite IV, larger spots on V–VI, tergite VII almost entirely yellow. Black denticles present on same areas as in males, but in smaller number, especially on abdomen ( Figure 7G ). Abdominal tergite VIII slightly turned down, with posterior margin lightly concave. Abdominal connexiva vertical. Midline of abdominal sternite more translucent than rest of segment; posterior margin centrally concave. Last abdominal segment without black denticles surrounding the genital cavity. Mid tibia without modifications; hind trochanter without spines. Hind femur much thinner than in male, with two ventral decreasing rows of spines on distal half; dorsalmost with four to six spines, ventralmost with two to four, the most proximal spine of the dorsal row longer than the rest ( Figure 7H ). Two of the females also display a row of two to four short spines on the base of the femur at least in one of the hind legs. Hind tibia straight, with ventral spinules and apical spur ( Figure 7H ). Genital segments in horizontal orientation, rounded on apex, without tufts of setae.

Type material

Brazil: Espírito Santo – Santa Teresa, Nova Lombardia , Capitel de Santo Antônio, Córrego Grande (área aberta) [19 ◦ 52 ′ 30,8 ′′ S, 40 ◦ 31 ′ 56.6 ′′ W, 768 m asl], 24 October 2008, (J.A. Rúdio and F.F. Salles): 1 apterous male (left middle tarsus partially broken) [HOLOTYPE], 1 apterous female [PARATYPE] ( UFES) . Santa Teresa , Nova Lombardia , Capitel de Santo Antônio [19 ◦ 52 ′ 31.6 ′′ S, 40 ◦ 31 ′ 40.8 ′′ W, 705 m asl], 24–25 October 2008, (J.A. Rúdio and F.F. Salles): 1 apterous female [PARATYPE] ( UFES) . Santa Teresa, Bairro Dois Pinheiros , rio, 29 July 2007, ( CEUNES) : 1 apterous male, 1 apterous female [PARATYPES] (DZRJ).

Distribution

Known from the same stream in Santa Teresa at which the type series of R. vaniniae sp. nov. was taken, as well as another river in the same municipality.

Etymology

The term denticulata refers to the many black denticles present on the venter of this species.

Comments

Rhagovelia denticulata sp.nov. is part of the varipes group sensu Polhemus (1997), based on pronotum long, completely covering mesonotum, concavity of male fore tibia weakly expressed, female middle femur and abdomen unmodified, and posterolateral margins of male abdominal segment VII with robust black denticles.

Just three species have been described in the varipes group so far, and R. denticulata can be easily distinguished from them by its brown general colouration. The other species of the group are either black or blackish brown, with distinct silvery markings present on abdomen on the case of R. panda Drake and Harris, 1935 . Male paramere of R. denticulata is massive as in R. varipes Champion, 1898 , but it is more rounded at apex ( Figure 7E ). On the other two species of the group parameres are narrowed distally.

Among specimens deposited at DZRJ, it was observed that the pronotum leaves a very small central portion of the mesonotum exposed. This exposure is considered an artefact generated while fixing the specimens, having been observed in other alcohol-preserved Rhagovelia , in which the pronotum ends up being slightly raised and separated from the mesonotum.

Figures

Figure 7. Rhagovelia denticulata sp. nov. (A) Head and part of thorax; lateral view; male. (B) Part of thorax and abdomen; ventral view; male. (C) Part of hind leg; ventral view; male. (D) Proctiger; dorsal view; male. (E) Paramere; lateral view; male. (F) Dorsal habitus; female. (G) Part of thorax and abdomen; ventral view; female. (H) Part of hind leg; ventral view; female. Scale bar 1.00 mm.