Baptista obtusa, Ye & Polhemus & Bu, 2014

Ye, Zhen, Polhemus, Dan A. & Bu, Wenjun, 2014, First record of the genus Baptista Distant, 1903 (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3811 (3), pp. 301-315 : 311-313

Baptista obtusa sp. n.

( Figs. 7, 8, 9 , 13 , 17 , 20, 23, 35,36,37, 43, 44, 45, 46)

Type material. Holotype: macropterous male, CHINA, Yunnan Prov., Xishuangbanna, Jinghong city, Puwen town , Cangyang River , (22°32'N, 101°14'E), alt. 885m, 25.IV.2011, coll. Zhen Ye. Paratypes: CHINA, Yunnan Prov.: 6 macropterous males, 4 macropterous females, 2 apterous males, same data as holotype; 4 macropterous males, 2 macropterous females, Xishuangbanna, Jinghong city, Mengla county , Menglun town , Baka village , (21°96'N, 101°21'E), alt. 625 m, 7.VIII.2010, coll. Kai Dang ; 1 macropterous male, 1 macropterous female, Xishuangbanna, Jinghong city, Mengla county , Menglun town , Mengkuan River , (21°91'N, 101°09'E), alt. 500–600m, 18.VIII.2010, coll. Min Li.

Diagnosis. The male of this new species can be distinguished from B. collaris and B. hoedli by its larger size; the moderately curved fore tibia ( Fig 17 ); the relatively stout spines on the ventral part of the fore tibia (Fig 20); the much more incrassate fore femur; the U–shaped incision medially on the posterior margin of abdominal ventrite VII ( Fig 13 ); in B. collaris and B. hoedli , the posterior margin of ventrite VII has medially a deep, angular concave; the abdominal segment VIII is slightly wider ( Fig 23 ); and most distinctly is the shape of the paramere (Figs 36, 37). The new species differs from B. curvicornis sp. n. in having the ground colour dark brown to blackish (in B. curvicornis sp. n., the ground colour is yellow); by the U–shaped incision medially on the posterior margin of abdominal ventrite VII (in B. curvicornis sp. n., the posterior margin of ventrite VII has a very deep, angular concavity, separating two relatively broad, blunt, concave lateral processes); by the absence of modifications to abdominal segment VIII; and most distinctly in the shape of the paramere.

Description. Macropterous male ( Fig 7 ). Colour: ground colour dark brown, head blackish, clypeus and pseudocellar spots slightly darker, rostrum yellowish with black apex, buccula brownish; basal part of antennal segment I dull yellow, antennal segments II–IV dark brown; pronotum blackish, area behind head along anterior margin with narrow pruinose mark, covered by silvery patches (except medially); legs mainly yellowish, with apices of femora, tibiae, and tarsi infuscated; abdomen dorsally and laterally mainly dark brown, ventrally varying from orange to brown, connexiva dull orange, posterior mediotergites more or less dull orange; forewing dark brown with six white spots; segment VIII, pygophore and proctiger yellowish, with each strongly infuscated apically. Structural characteristics: body length: 2.95–3.15 (holotype: 2.98), medium-sized, body elongate, bearing short, grayish or golden, appressed pubescence. Head about 1.56 times as wide as long, posteriorly inserted into medially concave anterior margin of pronotum, head along inner eye margin with slightly silvery pubescence, labrum trianglar, buccula clearly visible; antennae long and slender, about 0.63 times as long as body, lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.44, 0.26, 0.53, 0.71; pronotum width: 1.08–1.13, length: 0.95–1.02, about 1.12 times as wide as long, pentagonal in outline, with anterior margin deeply emarginated, area behind anterior margin with paired of patches of dense silvery pilosity; pronotal collar angularly widened behind eyes, ventrally narrowed. Legs bearing mainly decumbent or suberect setae, venter of femur with distinct patch of long, erect setae, fore femur simple, incrassate, not curved, without special modifications ( Fig 17 ); fore tibia moderately curved, with conspicuous row of short, stout, curving black spines ventrally (Fig 20), grasping comb short, about 0.23 times tibia length; lengths of leg segments (femur, tibia and tarsi): fore leg: 0.8, 0.69, and 0.3, middle leg: 0.9, 0.85, and 0.42 (0.15+0.27), hind leg: 1.08, 1.19, and 0.52 (0.22+0.3); forewing with relatively long, suberect setae along basal longitudinal veins, with some golden, decumbent setae on transverse veins delimiting basal cells; abdomen pleurally and ventrally without special modifications, except sternite VII with relatively deep, blunt concave (Ushaped) incision medially on ventral margin ( Fig 13 ), segment VIII about 1.7 times as long as wide, ventrally without modifications, anterior margin medially with deep incision, conspicuously emarginated dorsocaudally ( Fig 23 ). Genital segments: pygophore sub–rectangular; proctiger small, narrow, and elongate, with apex acute (Fig 35); paramere long, symmetrical, slightly curved in middle, apex rounded, blunt (Figs 36, 37).

Macropterous female ( Fig 8 ). Similar to male in general structure and colouration, but slightly larger; body length: 3.08–3.17, structure of head including antenna as in male, head about 1.38 times as wide as long, antennae about 0.54 times as long as body, lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.36, 0.24, 0.46, 0.63; pronotum as in male, width: 1.15–1.2, length: 0.95–1.02, about 1.19 times as wide as long; fore tibia without grasping comb, lengths of leg segments (femur, tibia, and tarsi): fore leg: 0.85, 0.67, and 0.32, middle leg: 0.90, 0.81, and 0.39 (0.14+0.25), hind leg: 1.10, 1.15, and 0.5 (0.2+0.3); abdomen pleurally and ventrally without special modifications; connexiva dorsocaudally approximately rectangular; gonocoxa and proctiger relatively small, proctiger with apex apex.

Apterous male ( Fig 9 ). Similar to macropterous form in general structure and colouration; body length 2.91; head about 1.55 times as wide as long, antennae about 0.67 times as long as body, lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.42, 0.29, 0.53, 0.71; pronotum hind margin broadly rounded, width: 0.93, length: 0.71, about 1.31 times as wide as long; lengths of leg segments (femur, tibia, and tarsi): fore leg: 0.78, 0.68, and 0.29, middle leg: 0.9, 0.84 and 0.43 (0.14+0.29), hind leg: 1.06, 1.18, and 0.51 (0.2+0.31); grasping comb about 0.21 times tibia length; lateral parts of mediotergites I–II and V–VI with silvery pubescence, medial sections of mediotergites varying from brown to orange. Other characters as in macropterous male.

Apterous female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan) ( Fig 46 )

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin obtusa (meaning blunt), referring to the blunt, Ushaped concavity in the posterior margin of ventrite VII.

Figures

FIGURE 46. Geographical distribution of Baptista of the world.

FIGURES 6–9. Habitus of Baptista spp.. 6. B. curvicornis sp. n., male; 7. B. obtusa sp. n., male; 8. B. obtusa sp. n., female; 9. B. obtusa sp. n., apterous male. Scale 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 10–13. Abdominal sternites of Baptista spp. (males). 10. B. digitata; 11. B. hoedli; 12. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 13. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 14–17. Fore legs of Baptista spp. (males). 14. B. digitata; 15. B. hoedli; 16. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 17. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.2 mm. FIGURES 18–20. Details of fore tibial venter of Baptista spp. (males). 18. B. hoedli; 19. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 20. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 21–25. Photographs of abdominal segment VIII of Baptista spp. (males); 21–24 ventral view, 25 lateral view. 21. B. digitata; 22. B. hoedli; 23. B. obtusa sp. n.; 24–25. B. curvicornis sp. n.; Scale 0.2 mm.