Rhagovelia elegans Uhler, 1894

Galindo-Malagón, Ximena Alejandra, Mondragón-F, Silvia Patricia, Morales, Irina & Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo, 2022, New species, synonymies and records in the genus Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 5087 (1), pp. 1-34 : 17-18

Rhagovelia elegans Uhler, 1894

( Fig. 4C–E , 8A )

Rhagovelia elegans Uhler, 1894: 216–217 .

Rhagovelia insularis Champion, 1898:135 . Syn. by Polhemus (1997: 119).

Rhagovelia costalimai Drake, 1948:142 . Syn. by Polhemus (1997: 119).

Rhagovelia trinidalis Drake, 1948:143 . Syn. by Polhemus (1997: 119).

Rhagovelia gorgona Manzano, Nieser & Caicedo, 1995: 54 . Syn. by Padilla-Gil & Moreira (2013: 410).

Rhagovelia pediformis Padilla-Gil, 2010a: 293 . Syn. nov.

Remarks. After examining the type material of R. pediformis , we found that the body color and structural characteristics ( Figs. 4 C-E) are within the range of variation observed for R. elegans in material from different localities and reported in numerous publications ( Moreira & Ribeiro 2009; Moreira et al. 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016; Moreira & Campos 2012; Dias-Silva et al., 2013; Cordeiro & Moreira, 2015; Moreno et al. 2018; Giehl et al. 2020). The measurements presented in the description of R. pediformis are considerably larger than those observed on the type specimens. Padilla-Gil (2010a) reported a body length of 5.70 mm for the male, when in reality it measures approximately 4.50 mm, and 5.60 mm for the female, when it is actually approximately 4.20 mm long ( Table 2 ). The apex of the male proctiger is not as wide as that presented by Padilla-Gil (2010a: 294, fig. 3), and is very similar to that presented by Polhemus (1997: 127, fig. 106) for R. elegans . Furthermore, the paramere is almost identical to the one presented by Bacon (1956) for R. elegans . Finally, Polhemus (1997) had commented on the intraspecific variation of R. elegans , stating that widely separated populations had been described as distinct species by different authors, but with no consistent differences among them. This led him to treat R. costalimai Drake, 1948 , R. insularis Champion, 1898 , and R. trinidalis Drake, 1948 as synonyms of R. elegans . Accordingly, we consider R. pediformis to also be a synonym of the last species. Rhagovelia gorgona Manzano, Nieser & Caicedo, 1995 is yet another synonym of R. elegans , as determined by Padilla-Gil & Moreira (2013).

Distribution. BRAZIL ( Gould 1931). COLOMBIA: Amazonas ( Polhemus 1997), Antioquia (Aristizábal-García 2017), Caldas (this work), Casanare ( Aristizábal-García 2017), Cauca ( Bacon 1956, Manzano et al. 1995), Cesar ( Aristizábal-García 2017), Chocó (this work), Córdoba (this work), Cundinamarca ( Aristizábal-García 2017), Huila (this work), Magdalena ( Polhemus 1997, this work), Meta ( Aristizábal-García 2017, this work), Nariño ( Padilla-Gil 2010a, 2013, 2017), Norte de Santander (this work), Quindío (Morales-Castaño & Molano-Rendón 2008, Aristizábal-García 2017, this work), Santander (this work), Sucre ( Aristizábal-García 2017, Moreno et al. 2018), Tolima ( Parra-Trujillo et al., 2014; this work), Valle del Cauca ( Polhemus 1997, Morales-Castaño & Molano-Rendón 2008, this work), Vichada (this work) ( Fig. 8A ). COSTA RICA ( Polhemus 1997). DOMINICA ( Bacon 1956). ECUADOR ( Polhemus 1997). GRENADA ( Uhler 1894). HISPANIOLA ISLAND ( Polhemus 1997). MARTINIQUE ( de Kort-Gommers & Nieser 1969). PANAMA (Champion 1898). ST. KITTS & NEVIS ( Bacon 1956). ST. LUCIA ( Polhemus 1997). ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES (Uhler 1893). TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ( Gould 1931). VENEZUELA ( Hungerford 1944).

Type material examined. Holotype apterous ♂, allotype apterous ♀ of R. pediformis (ICN) : ‘ Colombia, Nariño, Tumaco, Río Mejicano , Vereda El Retorno, 4 II 2009 D. Padilla, leg.’

Additional material examined. Caldas: Norcasia, Río Manso , quebrada 1, 07.X.2016, (C. Llano): 11 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ macropterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05583) . Chocó: Acandí, Capurganá, quebrada camino al Cielo , 12.VII.2015, (F. Molano): 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05585) . Acandí, Capurganá, Cascada Sap. 2, 20.I.2008, (J. López): 1 ♂ macropterous (UPTC-In-05582) . Acandí, Capurganá, camino a Sapzurro , 8°37’37.89” N, 77°20’53.16” W, 15.I.2008, (López et al.): 1 ♂ macropterous (UPTC-In-05585) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 4 m, 6°06’46.6” N, 77°26’05.7” W, 03.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 8 ♂ apterous, 9 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05596) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle, Parque Nacional Natural Utría, playa Cocalito, quebrada Cocalito , 0 m, 05.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 1♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05600) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 12 m, 6°06’11.6” N, 77°26’03.5” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 8 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05601) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 2 m, 6°06’57.0” N, 77°26’13.2” W, 03.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 2 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05602) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 112 m, 6°06’53.7” N, 77°25’57.0” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 3 ♂ apterous, 6 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05603) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle, Parque Nacional Natural Utria, Playa Cocalito , 0 m, 05.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ macropterous, 13 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 18 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05604) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle, Parque Nacional Natural Utría, playa La Aguada, quebrada La Aguada , 0 m, 05.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 4 ♂ apterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05605) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 19 m, 6°7’10.8” N, 77°26’24.5” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ macropterous, 3 ♂ apterous, 5 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05606) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 100 m, 6°6’51.8” N, 77°25’51.7” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 11 ♂ apterous, 9 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05607) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 98 m, 6°6’54.3” N, 77°25’57.2” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 12 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ macropterous, 16 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05608) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 20 m, 6°6’47.7” N, 77°26’03.7” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 17 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 9 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05609) . Bahía Solano, Corregimiento El Valle , 18 m, 6°07’08.7” N, 77°20’23.8” W, 04.XI.2016, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05621) . Nuquí, Quebrada Jovi con La Chantadura , Sitio 9, 20 m, 5°36’5” N, 77°23’42” W, 21.X.2017, (F. Molano & I. Morales): 1 ♂ apterous (UPTC-In-05592) . Nuquí, Sector Terquito, Sitio 16, 8 m, 5°37’29” N, 77°25’18” W, 22.X.2017, (I. Morales & F. Molano): 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05593) . Nuquí, Bejuquillal adentro, sitio 6, 20.X.2017, (F. Molano & I. Morales): 10 ♂ apterous, 7 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05594) . Nuquí, Termales , 22.X.2017, (I. Morales & F. Molano): 1 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05595) . Nuquí, Quebrada Piedra Piedra, Sitio 14, 8 m, 5°37’29” N, 77°25’18” W, 22.X.2017, (F. Molano & I. Morales): 3 ♂ apterous, 4 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05597) . Nuquí, Quebrada Jovi con La Chantadura , Sitio 9, 20 m, 5°36’5” N, 77°23’42” W, 21.X.2017, (F. Molano & I. Morales): 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05598) . Nuquí, Sector Terquito, Sitio 17, 8 m, 5°37’29” N, 77°25’18” W, 22.X.2017, (I. Morales & F. Molano): 5 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05599) . Riosucio , 150 m, 7°14’33.30” N, 76°33’51.77” W, V .2015, (J. García): 3 ♂ macropterous, 1 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ macropterous (UPTC-In-05577). Riosucio , 15.VII.2015: 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05581) . Córdoba: Valencia , 08.XII.2008 (N. Nonzoque & V. Bernal): 3 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05580) . Huila: Quebrada El Neme , 820 m, 3°04’28” N, 75°23’50” W, 15.VII.2015, (N. Torres): 1 ♂ macropterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05587). Magdalena: Santa Marta, Minca , 11.IV.2016, (I. Morales): 1 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05584) . Santa Marta, PNN Tayrona, Caño arrrecife, camino, 23.X.2004, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ macropterous ( CIUQ) . Meta: Puerto López, Vía Puerto López-Puerto Gaitán , 204 m, 4°07’00.3” N, 72°48’10.7” W, 14.X.2016, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ apterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05578) . San Martín, Vereda Puerto Castro, finca Mararay, caño Colorado, 215 m, 3°28’01.99” N, 72°32’16.15” W, 14.VII.2018, (D. Martínez): 1 ♂ apterous. Villavicencio, Jardín Botánico , 650 m, 4°9’00” N, 73°39’20” W, 29.III.2011, (M. Loaiza): 1 ♂ macropterous, 1 ♀ macropterous (UPTC-In-05817) . Norte de Santander: Cúcuta, Caño Las Cruces , punto 8, 23.VII.2010, (N. Tórres): 2 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05586) . Quindío: Ulloa-Higuerón, quebrada Higuerón , 1000 m, 09.VII.2005, (I. Morales): 1 ♀ macropterous (UPTC-In-05589). Quimbaya, Vereda El Laurel, Reserva Natural La Montaña del Ocaso , 988 m, 4°34’51” N, 75°51’37” W, 25.IV.2018, (D. Martínez): 1 ♂ macropterous, 6 ♂ apterous, 3 ♀ macropterous, 7 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05818) . Santander: Piedecuesta, Punto 9, 930 m, 6°53’43.2” N, 73°02’24.8” W, 21. IX.2017, (F. Molano & I. Morales): 9 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05590) . Tolima: Ibagué , Jardín Botánico San Jorge, Quebrada Arrubia, 23. VI .2003, ( Camacho ): 3 ♀ macropterous, 3 ♀ apterous, 5 ♂ apterous ( CIUQ) . Valle del Cauca : Alcalá, 1078 m, 09.VII.2005, (F. Molano): 1 ♂ macropterous, 5 ♂ apterous, 1 ♀ macropterous, 2 ♀ apterous (UPTC-In-05588) . Vichada: Puerto Carreño, Finca La Alegria, Caño Villa Maydi , 85 m, 5°35’54.4” N, 68°30’19.4” W, 06. VI .2018, (D. Martínez): 4 ♀ macropterous (UPTC-In-05866).

Figures

FIGURE 4. A. Female, dorsal view, Rhagovelia cauca; B. Female, ventral view, R. cauca; C. Male, dorsal view, R. elegans; D. Hind femur, tibia, and tarsus, male, ventral view, R. elegans; E. Apex of hind tibia and tarsus, male, ventral view, R. elegans, arrow indicates crescent-shaped spur.

FIGURE 8. Geographic distributions in Colombia of A. Rhagovelia elegans; B. Rhagovelia femoralis.