Urucuca, Heiss, 2014

Heiss, E., 2014, Two new apterous Mezirinae from Brazil (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (2), pp. 1329-1336 : 1330-1331

Urucuca nov.gen.

Type species: Urucuca laticephala nov.sp.

D i a g n o s i s Superficially resembling the habitus of Mystilocoris pubescens USINGER & MATSUDA, 1959 from Colombia, the type and only species of this genus, sharing the stout body, short antennae and stalked eyes. It is however distinguished from the latter by different structure of head with larger and more stalked eyes, other fusion of thoracic segments and the large oval lateral expansions of pro- and mesonotum.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Small-sized apterous Mezirinae , body ovate attenuated posteriorly; surface of body with deep large punctures, lateral margins and elevated structures of head, thorax and abdomen beset with longer, legs and antennae with shorter stiff yellowish pubescence.

H e a d: Distinctly wider than long; genae anterolaterally expanded and enclosing the carinate clypeus; antenniferous lobes finger-like; antennae shorter than width of head, segment I longest, II shortest, III+ IV of subequal length; eyes strongly stalked placed on large laterally projecting lobes; postocular lobes converging posteriorly; rostrum shorter than head.

P r o n o t u m Strongly transverse, anterior margin concave, raised posterior margin convex, lateral margins with large oval wing-like expansions, directed upward.

M e s o n o t u m:About 4x wider than long, lateral margins with smaller round expansions directed upward, median elevation of scutellar structure knob-like and produced posteriorly, fused to mesonotum but fusion line marked by a suture.

M e t a n o t u m: Fused to mtg I, posterior margin carinate and raised, highest and roundly elevated at middle; mtg II fused to mtg I and tergal plate, posteriorly delimited by a transverse elevated carina, this not reaching lateral margins.

A b d o m e n:Tergalplateraisedalong midline with distinct elevations on mtg IV and V, sloping laterally; deltg II+III fused, posterior margins of deltg II-VII with a tuft of yellowish setae; tergite VII strongly raised medially for the reception of the pygophore, ptg VIII small and short.

V e n t e r: Rostrum 4-segmented, shorter than head; metathoracic scent gland opening straight and produced, reaching posterior angle of mesonotum and visible from above; sternites I+II fused to metasternum, III-VII deeply punctured anteriorly, transversely elevated and smooth posteriorly; spiracles II-VI ventral, VII lateral and visible from above, VIII terminal on ptg VIII.

L e g s: Unarmed, trochanters fused to femora, tarsi two-segmented, claws distinct but pulvilli not discernible.

E t y m o l o g y: Named after Uruçuca in Bahia state, the locality of its discovery.