Picrops La Rivers, 1952

Reynoso-Velasco, Daniel, 2017, New combinations, status, and species of Neotropical Ambrysini (Heteroptera: Naucoridae: Cryphocricinae), Zootaxa 4323 (4), pp. 503-518 : 509

Genus Picrops La Rivers

La Rivers (1952) established the subgenus Picrops to accommodate the divergent morphology of Ambrysus usingeri . Picrops differs from the remainder of the genus Ambrysus in a much greater suite of characters than was originally presented by La Rivers. Both sexes of Picrops have four or more distal comb rows of spines on the hind tibia (three or fewer in Ambrysus ). The midline of the abdominal sternum is clothed with a heavy band of elongate hairs on segments III–VIII in males and III–VII in females, similar in appearance to the thick mid-ventral band of hairs in species of Laccocorinae and more profuse than in most species of Ambrysus . The accessory genitalic process of male tergum VI is absent, whereas it is present in most species of Ambrysus . Mediotergite VII in males is enlarged and bears a lateral process on each side (sometimes absent on the left side); no species of Ambrysus has such modification of mediotergite VII. The pseudoparameres of tergum VIII are reduced or absent, whereas the condition of these structures has recently been shown to be informative at the species complex or species level in Ambrysus ( Reynoso-Velasco & Sites 2016a, b). The parameres are asymmetrical and wrap over the phallosoma, whereas they are symmetrical and generally lie to the sides of the phallosoma in Ambrysus . The femora and tibiae are exceptionally slender for this family. The lateral margin of the eye appears as a sharp point, hence the name Picrops . The dorsal surface is a mottled pattern of dark and light brown with hints of rose on the head, pronotum, forefemora, and connexiva. This genus is among the most dorsoventrally flattened naucorids. The asymmetrical parameres and modified mediotergite VII are autapomorphies of Picrops within Ambrysini . These features together clearly distinguish members of this subgenus from all other species of Ambrysus . Thus, we elevate the subgenus Picrops to full generic rank.