Altavelia altoandina Molano & Morales, 2019

Polhemus, Dan A., Molano, Fredy, Morales, Irina, Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo & Floriano, Carla Fernanda Burguez, 2019, Altavelia, a new genus of Neotropical Veliinae (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Veliidae), with a key to species and descriptions of four new species from Colombia, Zootaxa 4585 (2), pp. 295-314 : 300-302

Altavelia altoandina Molano & Morales , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 A–B, 4A, 4F, 5)

Apterous male ( Figs. 1A , 4A, 4F ). Measurements (holotype / paratype): BL 4.50 / 4.62, HL 0.83 / 0.85, HW 0.61 / 0.63, ANT I 0.85 / 0.87, ANT II 0.67 / 0.69, ANT III 0.52 / 0.55, ANT IV 0.68 / 0.70, EYE 0.26 / 0.28, PL 1.53 / 1.56, PW 1.59 / 1.61, FORELEG: FEM 1.40 / 1.42, TIB 1.40 / 1.43, TAR I 0.13 / 0.15, TAR II 0.23 / 0.25, TAR III 0.45 / 0.47, MIDLEG: FEM 1.66 / 1.69, TIB 1.70 / 1.73, TAR I 0.11 / 0.14, TAR II 0.33 / 0.35, TAR III 0.54 / 0.55, HINDLEG: FEM 1.82 / 1.84, TIB 2.46 / 2.49, TAR I 0.11 / 0.13, TAR II 0.48 / 0.50, TAR III 0.53 / 0.55.

Body dark brown. Head brown. Antenniferous tubercles and buccula light brown; antennomeres light brown with a glabrous, transverse, black stripe at apex. Labium with articles I–IV dark brown. Pronotum brown. Coxae, trochanters, femora, and tibiae light brown to dark brown towards apices; tarsi dark brown. Dorsum of abdomen, including terminalia, brown. Lateral margins of abdominal laterotergites yellow. Abdominal sterna dark brown.

Head velvety. Antenna covered by short setae; antennomere I widest and curved laterally, II thinner than I, III– IV thinner than II, with abundant short setae. Ocular setae present. Anterior pronotal lobe narrowed, with sparse golden pilosity and longitudinal median carina. Humeri broad, elevated. Posterior pronotal lobe with large foveae; posterior margin convex. Legs unarmed, covered by abundant pilosity. Fore tibia with grasping comb occupying slightly over half of is length. Abdomen dorsally covered by short golden setae. Abdominal laterotergites elevated, sinuous, ending in robust spines, with long setae. Abdominal sterna with long golden setae, more abundant on margins; last abdominal mediosternite flat at middle. Dorsum of male proctiger with a large central T-shaped projection and a pair of small anterolateral projections ( Fig. 4A ). Paramere elongated, flat, curved mesally, with curved apex, with a row of setae near base ( Fig. 4F ).

Apterous female ( Fig. 1B ). Measurements (paratypes; n = 2): BL 5.62–5.70, HL 1.10–1.11, HW 0.65–0.67, ANT I 0.80–0.85, ANT II 0.68–0.69, ANT III 0.57–0.58, ANT IV 0.68–0.69, EYE 0.28–0.30, PL 1.77–0.79, PW 1.46–1.48; FORELEG: FEM 1.40–1.43, TIB 1.40–1.44, TAR I 0.09–0.10, TAR II 0.21–0.23, TAR III 0.41–0.42; MIDLEG: FEM 1.67–1.69, TIB 1.83–1.85, TAR I 0.13–0.15, TAR II 0.40–0.42, TAR III 0.49–0.51, HINDLEG: FEM 2.15–2.17, TIB 2.36–2.38, TAR I 0.14–0.16, TAR II 0.49–0.51, TAR III 0.51–0.54.

Color as in the apterous male holotype, except for head and pronotum orange brown, and lighter posterior margin of pronotum and margins of abdominal laterotergites. Body structure similar to male, except abdominal laterotergites reflexed over mediotergites, not ending in spines.

Type material examined. All specimens apterous. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( UPTC MHN-ART-0027 ): ‘ Colombia, Boyacá \ Viracachá, Vereda La Isla \ 3200 m, 5°24'1.47''N. 73°13'59.7''W \ Bosque Trampa de caída \ 19.xi.2014, 23.xi.2014 \ Leg P. Mondragon, M. Castro, J. Barrera’ . 1♀ PARATYPE ( UPTC MHN-ART-0028 ):‘ Colombia, Boyacá \ Pesca, Vereda La Carbonera \ 3130 m, 5°26'29.8''N 73°6'27.2''W \ Bosque Trampa de caída \ 9.xii.2014, 12.xii.2014 \ Col: P. Mondragon, M. Castro, J. Barrera’ . 1♀ PARATYPE ( CEIOC): ‘ Colombia, Boyacá \ Pesca, Vereda La Carbonera \ 2956 m, 5°26'23''N 73°6'32.6''W \ Bosque, Trampa de caída \ 12.xii.2014 \ Col: P. Mondragon, M. Castro, J. Barrera’ . 1♂ PARATYPE ( IAVH E-173205 ): ‘ Colombia, Boyacá \ Villa de Leyva, SFF Iguaque Carrizal \ 2800 m, 5°38'N 73°29'W \ Cap. Manual, noche\ 19.viii.1998 \ Col: E. Gonzalez’ .

Distribution. This species was collected manually and by using pitfall traps in moss covered rocks in the mountain forests of the municipalities of Tota (2956–3200 m) and Villa de Leyva (2800 m), Boyacá Department, Colombia ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. This species is named after the “altoandina” high mountain forest, where the types were collected.

Comments. Altavelia altoandina is the smallest known species of the genus. Although similar to A. columbiensis ( Hungerford, 1930) in body coloration, the new species can be distinguished from the latter by the smaller size (4.62–5.62 mm), the lack of abundant golden setae on the head, pronotum and abdominal laterotergites ( Figs. 1 A–B), the more elevated and sinuous male abdominal laterotergites ( Fig. 1A ), the dorsum of the male proctiger with a large central T-shaped projection and a pair of small anterolateral projections ( Fig. 4A ), and the strongly reflexed female abdominal laterotergites ( Fig. 1B ). Altavelia columbiensis is larger (about 7.70 mm) and has abundant golden setae on the head, pronotum and abdominal laterotergites ( Figs. 6 C–D), less elevated and not sinuous male abdominal laterotergites ( Fig. 6C ), two central projections and no anterolateral projections on the dorsum of the male proctiger ( Fig. 4C ), and elevated, but not reflexed, female abdominal laterotergites.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Altavelia altoandina, male holotype, dorsal view. B. Altavelia altoandina, female paratype, dorsal view. C. Altavelia antioquia, male paratype, dorsal view. D. Altavelia antioquia, female paratype, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. A. Altavelia altoandina, male proctiger, dorsal view. B. Altavelia antioquia, male proctiger, dorsal view. C. Altavelia columbiensis, male proctiger, dorsal view. D. Altavelia flavomarginata, male proctiger, dorsal view. E. Altavelia montana, male proctiger, dorsal view. F. Altavelia altoandina, paramere. G. Altavelia antioquia, paramere. H. Altavelia columbiensis, paramere. I. Altavelia daza, paramere. J. Altavelia flavomarginata, paramere. K. Altavelia montana, paramere. L. Altavelia inveruglas, male proctiger, dorsal view. M. Altavelia inveruglas, paramere. N. Altavelia osborniana, male proctiger, dorsal view. O. Altavelia osborniana, paramere.

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Altavelia altoandina, A. antioquia, A. montana, and A. quindiana.

FIGURE 6. A. Altavelia boliviana, male, dorsal view. B. Altavelia boliviana, female, apex of abdomen, left posterolateral view. C. Altavelia columbiensis, male, dorsal view. D. Altavelia columbiensis, male, lateral view.