Branstettocoris, Brailovsky, Harry, 2010

Brailovsky, Harry, 2010, A new genus and two new species of Antillocorini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae: Rhyparochrominae) from Mexico and Guatemala, Zootaxa 2717, pp. 62-68 : 62-63

Branstettocoris gen. nov.

Type species: Branstettocoris pinguis sp. nov.

Description. Body small to minute, robust, coleopteroid, non flattened. Head porrect, dorsally almost flat, wider than long, pentagonal, moderately stout, produced before eyes to about 2.5 to 3 times length of eye, an shorter than entire pronotal length; width of head including eyes less than width at posterior margin of pronotum; tylus unarmed, apically globose, raised, and laterally higher than juga; antenniferous tubercle unarmed, not extending beyond point of insertion of antenna, visible from above; antennal segment I extending beyond apex of tylus; antennal segments I and II becoming wider from base toward apex, not curved; segment III robust, subcylindrical, and IV stouter, broadly fusiform; antennal segment III the shortest, IV usually the longest, and I and II subequal; eye sessile, not raised above vertex, set slightly away from frontal pronotal angles; inner face of each eye with two elongate, upstanding setae; ocellar depression deep, ocellus hard to see or absent; bucculae weakly raised anteriorly, gradually narrowing posteriorly, and not extending beyond antenniferous tubercle; rostrum stout, reaching posterior margin of mesosternum; rostral segment I not extending beyond anterior third of eye; rostral segment II the longest, III the shortest, and I longer than IV. Pronotum wider than long, nearly quadrate; transverse impression between pronotal lobes moderately developed; anterior lobe broad, rounded, and posterior lobe trapezoid; collar not defined; calli large, flat; pronotal disk flat or anterior lobe weakly higher than posterior lobe; anterior margin tiny concave; anterolateral margins with a blunt ridge, emarginated, and slightly raised; frontal angles rounded; humeral angles rounded, not exposed; posterior margin slightly concave. Prosternum lacking median groove; metathoracic scent gland auricle elongate, lobate, curved caudad; evaporative area lacking grooves, finely reticulated, and extending only slightly dorso-laterad of distal end of auricle, covering one third of metapleuron ( Figs. 2–3 ). Legs unarmed; hind coxae placed close together; fore femur slightly wider than succeeding femora. Scutellum triangular, wider than long or subequal, and somewhat raised mesally; lateral margins not emarginate; apex subacute; Y-shaped carina absent. Hemelytra coleopteroid (following Slater 1975 definition); claval suture absent; clavus and corium fused; the two wings do not overlap but meet along the midline; membrane reduced to a small flap, leaving the posterior abdominal segments VI and VII exposed; apical corial margin straight or slightly convex; costal margin narrowly emarginate, impunctate. Abdominal suture between sterna IV and V curving anteriorly and not reaching dorsal margin; posterior trichobothrial arrangement on sternite V not linear, located somewhat dorso-ventrally relative to one another, and usually behind spiracle ( Fig. 4 ); spiracle of abdominal sternite IV located on the lateral shelf. Male genital capsule broadly ovoid; posteroventral edge entire, hemispheric ( Fig. 5 ). Paramere lacking a well developed inner projection; outer projection convex; shaft elongate ( Figs. 7–10 ).

Comments. This new genus is most closely related to Caeneusia Strand and Paradema Slater in having the apical corial margin straight or at most very slightly sinuate near inner angle. In the other known genera of Western Hemisphere Antillocorini the apical corial margin have the inner one-third deeply and conspicuously concave ( Slater, 1980). Acolhua Distant is distinguished by having the apical corial margin not clearly concave, the head triangular, the dorsal surface clothed with very elongate, conspicuous upswept dark hairs, and the eyes strongly protruding and placed on short but distinct stalks ( Slater and Brailovsky 1986, 2004). In Paradema renocula O’Donnell (2000) the eyes are protruding but the head is quadrate, and the dorsal surface of body with short hairs. Caeneusia is distinguished by having the suture between abdominal sterna IV and V straight and reaching dorsal margin. The suture between abdominal sterna IV and V in Branstettocoris gen. nov., and Paradema are curving anteriorly and not reaching dorsal margin ( Fig. 4 ). Branstettocoris can be separated from Paradema in having the hemelytra coleopteroid, with claval suture absent, and clavus and corium fused; the anterolateral pronotal margins have a blunt ridge, emarginate, and slightly raised; and the evaporative area not covering outer two thirds of metapleuron.

In Paradema the hemelytra exhibits a macropterous condition, and the clavus has three distinct rows of punctures; the anterolateral pronotal margins are rounded, non-carinate; and the evaporative area occupies one-half to one-third of metapleuron, extending well beyond distal end of auricle and broadly rounded.

Etymology. Named for Michael Branstetter, distinguished American Hymenopterist. Gender masculine.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Branstettocoris spp. 1 – 2. B. pinguis sp. nov.: 1. Head and pronotum in dorsal view. 2. Metathoracic scent gland peritreme. 3. B. parvulus sp. nov., metathoracic scent gland peritreme. 4 – 8. B. pinguis sp. nov.: 4. Abdomen in lateral view. 5 – 6. Male genital capsule; 5. Caudal view. 6. Dorsal view. 7 – 8. Paramere. 9 – 10. B. parvulus sp. nov., paramere.