Rhagovelia goilala, Polhemus, 2024

Polhemus, Dan A., 2024, Thirty-four new species of Rhagovelia (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the East Papua Composite Terrane, far eastern New Guinea, Zootaxa 5400 (1), pp. 1-214 : 49-53

Rhagovelia goilala new species

( Figs. 77–84 )

Type material examined. Holotype, wingless male: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Central Prov. , New Guinea, Owen Stanley Range, tributary streamlet to Hane River, 1.0 km. [straight line] SSE of Fane, 1310–1370 m., 8°33'33"S, 147°05'24"E, water temp. 20 °C., 4 October 2003, 11:00–12:30 hrs., CL 7256, D. A. Polhemus ( BPBM) . Paratypes: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Central Prov., New Guinea: 3 winged males, 98 wingless males, 99 wingless females, 47 immatures, same data as holotype, CL 7256 ( USNM, BPBM) ; 6 winged females, 27 wingless males, 14 wingless females, 10 immatures, Owen Stanley Range, Hane River , 1.8 km. SSE of Fane, 1310–1370 m., 8°34'00"S, 147°05'10"E, water temp. 19 °C., 3 October 2003, 10:30–13:30 hrs., CL 7253, D. A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 1 winged male, 13 wingless males, 10 wingless females, 2 immatures, Owen Stanley Range, spring-fed streamlet crossing trail near Hane River , 1.8 km. SSE of Fane, 1370 m., 8°34'00"S, 147°05'10"E, water temp. 19 °C., 3 October 2003, 13:00–13:30 hrs., CL 7253a, D. A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 1 winged male, 1 winged female, 16 wingless males, 11 wingless females, Owen Stanley Range, Mas River , 2.0 km. SW of Fane, 1235 m., 8°33'25"S, 147°04'04"E, water temp. 20 °C., 5 October 2003, 10:00–13:30 hrs., CL 7257, D. A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 2 winged males, 6 winged females, 19 wingless males, 20 wingless females, Owen Stanley Range, trib. to Mas River , 1.9 km. SW of Fane, 1220–1250 m., 8°33'33"S, 147°04'12"E, water temp. 20.5 °C., 5 October 2003, 10:45–12:30 hrs., CL 7258, D. A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) .

Description.

Wingless male: Size: length = 4.10–4.40 mm (x = 4.21, n = 7); width 1.35–1.65 mm (x = 4.27, n = 7). Wingless female, length = 4.15–4.40 mm (x = 4.27, n = 5), width = 1.45–1.60 (x = 1.53, n = 5). Winged male, length = 4.60–4.80 (x = 4.70, n = 2), width = 1.70, 1.75 (x = 1.72, n = 2). Winged female, length = 4.80 (n = 1), width = 1.90 (n = 1).

Coloration: Dorsal ground color dark brown, marked with dark yellow to orange-brown on basal antennae, anterior pronotum, central section of mesonotum, connexiva and legs ( Fig. 77 ). Head dark brown; lower frons, juga and rostrum dark yellow, rostrum fuscous ventromedially, piceous distally; eyes dark reddish black. Pronotum dark yellow on anterior half, this yellowish coloration continuing laterally as a continuous band onto the propleurae, posterior half dark brown to black. Mesonotum broadly dark brown to black posterolaterally, broadly orange-brown centrally, this orange coloration in the form of a broad triangle with the apex directed posteriorly. Metanotum and abdominal tergites I–V dark blackish-brown; tergites VI and VII blackish-brown laterally, orange-brown centrally, abdominal tergites VIII and IX (proctiger) black; all abdominal tergites uniformly dull and lacking shining areas; connexiva dark blackish-brown on inner halves, dark yellow on outer halves, ventral faces also dark yellow.Antennal segment I with basal one-third dark yellow, distal two-thirds plus all of segment II dark brown, segments III and IV black. Legs generally medium brown, with coxae, trochanters, basal half of fore femur, and all femora ventrally dark yellow. Venter dark brown, with all acetabula, prosternum, posterior half of metasternum, and central portions of abdominal ventrites III–VI dark yellow to yellowish brown.

Structural characters: Head moderately short, declivant anteriorly, with weakly impressed median line; length 0.35, width 0.85; length of eye along inner margin 0.35, anterior/posterior interocular space, 0.22/0.45. Pronotum short, length along midline 0.30, less than dorsal length of head, leaving mesonotum broadly exposed, width 1.25; mesonotum smooth, lacking deep foveae, humeri depressed, length 0.60. Metanotum barely exposed, length 0.10. Lengths of abdominal tergites I–VIII, respectively: 0.20: 0.25: 0.20: 0.20: 0.20: 0.25: 0.45: 0.45. Connexiva with margins of even width throughout, weakly outwardly convex, convergent posteriorly, posterolateral angles not modified, separated by entire width of tergite VIII, bearing a few long dark setae.

Entire dorsum and laterotergites thickly covered with fine, appressed pale pubescence, intermixed with scattered longer, semi-recumbent black setae; legs and antennae thickly clothed with short appressed pale setae, with scattered long, erect, bristly black setae on anterodorsal faces of antennal segments I and II, and anterior margins of all femora, plus long pilose brown setae along posterior margins of all femora; fore and middle trochanters lacking pegs or teeth; fore and middle femora and middle tibia with margins straight, not flattened or otherwise modified; fore tibia slightly flattened ventrally on distal one-fourth, longitudinally channeled adjacent to grasping comb; hind trochanter bearing 12–14 small dark pegs ventrally; hind femur highly incrassate, bearing two parallel rows of teeth, ventral row lying in area covered by infolded hind tibia and consisting of approximately 14 tiny, closely appressed black pegs running from base of femur to midpoint, followed by a gap at central portion of femur, followed by 7 small black spinules running to apex, dorsal row commencing near middle of femur at distal end of basal peg row with a large, acute tooth, followed by 4 teeth of progressively declining size, then another large, acute tooth, followed by 5 teeth of progressively declining size, all these teeth orange-brown basally with black apices; hind tibia broadly and gently sinuate, inner surface bearing a row of about 14 small dark teeth, plus one large, acute, tooth approximately two-thirds distance from base ( Figs. 79, 80 ).

Venter of head and thorax lacking small black denticles; meso- and metasterna slightly depressed centrally, margins of this depression bearing long, fine gold setae; abdominal venter set with short appressed gold setae intermixed with scattered long, fine, erect dark brown setae centrally; basal abdominal ventrites sculptured, ventrite I lying in vertical orientation, remaining ventrites horizontal and all in similar plane, ventrite II with an acute longitudinal carina of V-shaped cross section medially, this carina continuing in less pronounced form onto ventrite III; ventrites IV and V unmodified, ventrite VI and VII broadly and shallowly flattened centrally, ventrite VIII constricted basally.

Male paramere elongate, thickest basally, bearing stout setae on central section of ventral margin, distal section broadly curving upward, not expanded, apex acute ( Fig. 81 ). Male proctiger with basolateral lobes well developed, rounded; distolateral lobes not developed; distal cone elongate triangular, densely setiferous, apex acute ( Fig. 82 ).

Lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.85: 0.60: 0.80: 0.60.

Lengths of leg segments as follows: femur, tibia, tarsal 1, tarsal 2 of fore leg, 1.05: 1:20: 0.05: 0.03: 0.30; of middle leg, 1.90: 1.40: 0.10: 0.65: 0.85; of hind leg, 1.50: 1.65: 0.05: 0.15: 0.35.

Wingless female: Similar to wingless male in general structure and coloration, with following exceptions: abdominal tergites I–VIII black around margins with broad orange-brown patches centrally; connexival margins straight and of even width throughout, converging evenly to posterior apex of abdomen, infolded very slightly over lateral sections of abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 78 ), posterolateral angles forming right angles when viewed laterally, bearing short, angular tufts of posteriorly-directed stiff black setae; abdominal tergite VIII horizontal, proctiger angled downward at 45°; hind femora only weakly incrassate, bearing only 3 very small dark teeth on posterior third, these teeth of progressively decreasing size distally; hind tibiae straight, inner surface lacking teeth; ventral coloration predominantly orange-brown, with metasternum and V-shaped area on central mesosternum black; all abdominal ventrites lying in similar horizontal plane, sternite II with weak longitudinal medial carina basally, central sections of abdominal sternites III–VI flattened centrally.

Winged male: Similar to wingless male in general structure and coloration, with following exceptions: pronotum greatly enlarged, width 1.70, length 1.70, completely covering meso- and metanotum; anterior lobe with transversely ovate orange-brown patch along anterior margin in area behind head, this patch weakly suffused with silvery pruinosity, narrowly confluent laterally behind eyes with paler coloration on propleurae; humeri enlarged, slightly protrusive laterally; posterior pronotal lobe dark blackish-brown, broadly domed, posterior half with small, obscure foveae, posterior margin broadly angular, bearing scattered long, gently curving, semi-erect black setae; forewings mostly dark blackish-brown, narrowly paler brown basally parallel to anal vein, wing apices extending past apex of abdomen when intact, bearing 4 closed cells consisting of two elongate cells in basal half of wing followed by two smaller cells of subequal size distally near center of wing. Hind femur less incrassate than in wingless male.

Winged female: Similar to winged male in general form and coloration, but body size slightly longer; pronotum width 1.90, length 1.60.

Etymology. The name “goilala ” is a noun in apposition and refers to the people who inhabit the Owen Stanley range in the area where this species was discovered.

Distribution. Southeastern New Guinea; endemic to the Owen Stanley Range ( Fig. 84 ). The species range as presently known occupies the Owen Stanley Range area of freshwater endemism (Area 31) as delineated by D. Polhemus & Allen (2007).

Discussion. Rhagovelia goilala is a robust, orange-brown species currently known from the upper Auga River basin (an east bank tributary to the Angabanga River) on the southwestern flank of the Papuan Peninsula. In general appearance this species is most similar to R. udabe , known from similar elevations in the Vanapa River basin to the southeast, but can be separated from that species by the absence of prominent, acuminate tufts of setae at the posterolateral angles of the female connexiva (compare Figs. 71 , 78 ); the absence of a concavity along the posterior margin of male abdominal ventrite VII; and the structures of the male genitalia (compare Figs. 75, 75 to Figs. 81, 82 , and see discussion under R. udabe ).

Ecological notes. The type-locality lay 1.0 km southeast of the mission station of Fane in a straight line, but on the other side of the small Hane River valley, so the walking distance via the main trail up the Auga River gorge, which contoured in and out of the Hane valley, was over 2 km. This was a small, shallow, steeply descending streamlet in a bed of rough, shattered rocks and spalls from the underlying metamorphic bedrock. The channel was heavily shaded by partially disturbed upland rain forest, with the bed profile consisting of alternating small cascades and pools. Certain reaches had little surface flow due to percolation through the loose rocks of the streambed.

On a tributary to the Mas River, west of Fane and slightly lower (CL 7258) this species was taken from small, shallow pools formed below side springs with emergent taro, the outflows from which entered a swift, clear creek in a high gradient bed of rocks and boulders, with periodic bedrock exposures ( Fig. 83 ). As at the Hane River, this species was found only on the side spring outflows and streamlets, and not along the main stream channel which experiences more variable flow regimes and higher volume spates.

The author’s field notes from 3 October 2003 state that (with supplementary comments in brackets): “Took orange-marked Rhagovelia and dark Neusterensifer from a small, shallow, spring-fed tributary [to the Hane River] overtopped with boulders and vegetation. Later took the same Rhagovelia from a shallow, flowing pool (CL 7255) where a streamlet crossed the main trail [along the Auga River gorge] just before the Hane River ford [coming from Fane village]. This Rhagovelia is clearly a species of the streamlets, and is never seen on the main river.”

Figures

FIGS. 77–82. Rhagovelia goilala n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Fane, CL 7256. 77. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 78. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 79. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 80. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 81. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 82. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIG. 83. Cascades and pools along the upper Mas River, west of Fane, Central Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7257, habitat for R. goilala n. sp.

FIG. 84. Distributions of species in the R. goilala subgroup in eastern New Guinea.

FIGS. 70–75. Rhagovelia udabe n. sp., structural details; specimens from New Guinea, Woitape, CL 7252. 70. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 71. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 72. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 73. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 74. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 75. Male proctiger, dorsal view.