Aleixus tobyschuhi, Schwertner & Grazia, 2012

Schwertner, Cristiano F. & Grazia, Jocelia, 2012, Review of the Neotropical Genus Aleixus Mcdonald (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Procleticini), with Description of a New Species and Cladistic Analysis of the Tribe Procleticini, Entomologica Americana 118 (1), pp. 252-262 : 255-259

Aleixus tobyschuhi , new species

Figures 2–5

HOLOTYPE: Male: BRAZIL, Rio Grande do Sul, Canela, Floresta Nacional de Canela, IBDF , 13.VIII.1982, F. Pires leg. Deposited at Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre ( MCNZ).

DIAGNOSIS: Coloration of the body without dark brown longitudinal stripes as seen in A. virgatus ( Fig. 1 ); each juga obtuse at apex; rostrum scarcely reaching metacoxae; humeral angles developed into wide and long tubercles.

DESCRIPTION: COLORATION: Dorsal surface yellowish matte to pale brown, with dark brown to black punctures; darker punctures concentrated on anterior and sometimes posterior third of pronotum and base of head. Five patches of dark brown punctures on scutellum and two on hemelytra somewhat delimiting an immaculate area at apex of radial vein ( Fig. 2 ). Connexival segments with one patch of dark brown punctures at middle. Ventral surface yellowish matte with darker and rougher punctures than dorsal side; evaporatorium on meso and metapleuron darkened. Urosternite VII with a large dark brown to black spot at middle in both sexes. Head: Juga scarcely surpassing clypeus, obtuse at apex. Antenniferous tubercles clearly visible in dorsal view. Antennal segment I almost reaching apex of head; proportion of antennal segments I <II> III <IV ≈ V. Rostrum scarcely reaching metacoxae. Pronotum: Anterolateral margins concave forming an obtuse angle at middle. Humeral angles developed in wide and long tubercles, bifid and black at apices, ventral surface with a short blunt subapical projection ( Fig. 3 ). Thorax: Scutellum surpassing the middle of connexival segment Vbut not attaining apex of coria. Peritreme extending 1/3 the distance from ostiole mesial margin to metapleura lateral margin ( Fig. 3 ). Superior surface of femora convex apically ( Fig. 3 ). Fore tibiae entirely cylindrical, II and III scarcely sulcate or flat near apex. Connexivum with posterolateral angles with blunt projections. Abdomen: Apair of trichobothria placed mesially to the line of spiracles. Abdominal spine small, not reaching metacoxae.

Male: Genitalia ( Fig. 4 ): Pygophore almost quadrangular. Posterolateral angles somewhat concave. Ventral rim of pygophore with the medial U-shaped emargination relatively shallow (vre), 1 + 1 flaps slightly bending dorsad into the genital cup (≈ Brepholoxa heidemanni Van Duzee ); inferior folder of ventral rim developed in a medial bilobed projection (vrp), apparently an autapomorphy of Aleixus . Segment X (x) wider than longer, with flat dorsal surface. Paramere (pa) short stocky, unilobate; base of paramere with an obtuse projection covered with bristles. The segment X and the parameres are placed perpendicularly to the pygophore axis. Superior process of dorsal rim (pdr) well developed, somewhat conical, covering the paramere in dorsal view, obscured by the dorsal rim. Basal plate (bp) of the articulatory apparatus modest developed, about ¼ of phallotheca length, dorsal connectives (dc) short and processus capitati (pc) almost reaching the middle of phallotheca. Processus phallothecae (pph) present. Conjunctiva with 1 + 1 assymetrical membranous lobes obscuring the slightly sinuous vesica.

Male. Measurements (N = 3): Total length: 5.9 (5.74–6.06); Abdominal width: 4.1 (4.01–4.18); Head length: 1.2 (1.14–1.23). Head width: 1.48 (1.47–1.51); Anteocular length: 0.57; Interocular width: 0.92 (0.90–0.94); Length of antennal segments: I 0.32, II 0.60 (0.57–0.65), III 0.35 (0.32–0.41), IV 0.54 (0.49–0.57), V 0.53 (0.49– 0.57); Pronotum length: 1.53 (1.47–1.64). Pronotum: width 5.70 (5.65–5.82); Scutellum length: 2.48 (2.46–2.54); Scutellum width: 2.54 (2.46– 2.62).

Female: Genitalia ( Fig. 5 ): Laterotergites 8 (la8) very poorly delimited, apparently forming an entire band ventrally, lacking spiracles. Laterotergites 9 (la9) well developed; oblong, not extending over laterotergites 8 and separating the laterotergites 8 of the reduced gonocoxites 8 (gc8). Gonocoxites 8 with posterior margins convex, sutural margins not juxtaposed leaving uncovered most of the sclerotized gonapophyses 8 (g8). Gonocoxites 9 (gc9) reduced, with almost 1/4 the length of segment X (x), anterior and posterior margins concave. Chitinellipsen (ch) present. Ductus receptaculi (dr), before vesicular area (va), almost three times the length of ductus after vesicular area. Pars intermedialis (pi) almost as long as capsula seminalis (cs), the latter semiglobose with a digitiform projection.

MEASUREMENTS. (N = 5). Total length: 6.44 (5.74–7.05). Abdominal width: 4.49 (4.34–4.45). Head length: 1.26 (1.23–1.31). Head width: 1.59 (1.55–1.64). Anteocular length: 0.63 (0.57–0.73). Interocular width: 0.99 (0.94–1.06). Length of antennal segments: I 0.32, II 0.64 (0.57–0.73), III 0.39 (0.32–0.49), IV 0.54 (0.49–0.65), V 0.52 (0.49– 0.57). Pronotum length: 1.82 (1.64–2.05). Pronotum width: 6.24 (5.98–6.64). Scutellum length: 2.76 (2.54–2.87). Scutellum width: 2.87 (2.70–3.28).

COMMENTS: Rider (1994, p. 213) mentioned that A. virgatus could be recognized by the following generic characters: juga surpassing tylus, but not contiguous anteriorly; lateral jugal margins distinctly sinuous, slightly reflexed; apex of head distinctly declivent when viewed laterally; antenniferous tubercles clearly visible in dorsal view; antennal segment II and III cylindrical segments IV and Vsomewhat inflated; antennal segment II longer than any other segment; scutellum subtriangular, apex broadly rounded not reaching apices of coria; rostrum reaching metacoxae; each peritreme acuminate apically; basal abdominal spine small. All of these characters are also found in A. tobyschuhi . The humeral angles developed into wide and long tubercles, the peritreme not reaching the middle of metapleura, the apices of femora only convexly projected, and tibia of II and III legs sulcate near apex distinguish A. tobyschuhi from A. virgatus .

ETYMOLOGY: This species is dedicated to Dr. Randall T. Schuh in recognition to his invaluable contributions to the systematic of the heteropterous insects as well as to his permanent and invaluable guidance to the authors.

TYPE LOCALITY: Floresta Nacional de Canela, Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: PARATYPES: BRA- ZIL, Santa Catarina, Rio Vermelho, lack abdomen, X.1958, Dirings ( MZSP); Rio Grande do Sul, Vila Oliva , 24.X.1957, Pe. Buck leg., 3 ♀, 1 ♂ ( MAPA); 21.II.1954, Pe. Buck leg., 1♂ ( AMNH); 28.II.1954, Pe. Pio Buck leg, 1♀ ( AMNH); Porto Alegre , 2 ♀ ( UFRS).

Figures

Fig. 2. Aleixus tobyschuhi new species, holotype male, dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 3. Aleixus tobyschuhi new species. A. Head and pronotum in frontal view. B. right metapleuron showing peritreme. C. Apex of femur. Scale bar = 1 mm (A, B) and 0.5 mm (C).

Fig. 4. Aleixus tobyschuhi new species, male. A. Pygophore, dorsal view. B. Pygophore, posterior view. C. Pygophore ventral view. D-F. Phallus, dorsal, lateral and ventral views. G. Right paramere, lateral view. Abbreviations: bp = basal plates of articulatory apparatus, cj = conjunctiva, dc = dorsal connectives, dr = dorsal rim, par = paramere, pc = processus capitati, spdr = superior process of dorsal rim, ph = phallotheca, pph = processus phallothecae, sg = secondary gonopore, v = vesica, vre = ventral rim emargination, vrp = ventral rim projection, x = segment X. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Aleixus tobyschuhi new species, female. A. genital plates; B. laterotergites 8 and 9, gonocoxites 9, gonapophyses 9, and ectodermical genital ducts (aaf = anterior annular flange, chi = chitinellipsen, cs = capsula seminalis, dre = ductus receptaculi, g8 = gonapophyses 8, g9 = gonapophyses 9, gc8 = gonocoxites 8, gc9 = gonocoxites 9, la8 = laterotergites 8, la9 = laterotergites 9, paf = posterior annular flange, pco = pars communis, pi = pars intermedialis, tvi = thickening of the vaginal intima, va = vesicular area, x = segment X). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 1. Aleixus virgatus McDonald, holotype female. Views: A. Dorsal. B. Lateral. C. Frontal. Scale bar = 1 mm.