Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira, 2022

Rodrigues, Juliana Mourao dos Santos, Crumiere, Antonin Jean Johan, Toubiana, William, Khila, Abderrahman & Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo, 2022, New species and new records of semiaquatic bugs (Arthropoda, Insecta, Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Gerromorpha) from French Guiana, ZooKeys 1126, pp. 155-199 : 155

Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira sp. nov.

Figs 12 , 13 , 14 , 15

Type material examined.

French Guiana • apterous ♂ holotype; [unspecified locality]; [Oct. 2016]; [A.J.J. Crumière, A. Khila, F.F.F. Moreira, W. Toubiana leg.]; CEIOC 82141 • 2 apterous ♂ paratypes, 3 apterous ♀ paratypes; same, except CEIOC 82143 • 2 apterous ♀ paratypes; near Cayenne; 4.6282, -52.3072; 21 Oct. 2016; A.J.J. Crumière, A. Khila, F.F.F. Moreira, W. Toubiana leg.; CEIOC 82142.

Description.

Apterous male (Figs 12 , 13 ). Holotype (paratypes). BL 2.80 (2.80-2.85); HL 0.30 (0.30); HW 0.72 (0.75); INT 0.15 (0.15); ANT I 0.67 (0.67-0.70); ANT II 0.35 (0.37-0.70); ANT III 0.40 (0.42); ANT IV 0.50 (0.50); EYE 0.30 (0.30); PL 0.17 (0.17); PW 0.80 (0.75-0.80); FORELEG: FEM 0.82 (0.85-0.87); TIB 0.85 (0.87-0.90); TAR I 0.02; TAR II 0.02; TAR III 0.17 (0.15-0.20); MIDLEG: FEM 1.50 (1.50); TIB 1.07 (1.12); TAR I 0.07 (0.05-0.07); TAR II 0.45 (0.52); TAR III 0.65 (0.67-0.70); HINDLEG: FEM 1.15 (1.13-1.20); TIB 1.25 (1.37); TAR I 0.05 (0.05); TAR II 0.10 (0.10); TAR III 0.27 (0.27).

Head dorsally black, covered by stiff short setae; frons with denser cover of short setae and few long, curved setae; longitudinal midline and a pair of oblique indentations at base impressed and shining; impressed midline fading posteriorly. Eye shining dark red; ocular setae present. Antenniferous tubercle shining brown, darker at apex. Antennomeres covered by short and medium setae; antennomere I yellow basally, turning brown, then black towards apex, with four or five thick long black setae on mesal surface; antennomeres II-IV black; II with one thick long black seta; interarticular pieces shining brown. Buccula and labium shining brown; buccula and last labial article darker. Venter of head dark brown to black.

Pronotum black, with dark orange mark between eyes behind vertex of head; with greyish pubescence on sides of mark, covered by medium-sized dark setae, with loger black setae on sides and posterior margin. Meso- and metanota black, covered by medium and long black setae; metanotum with greyish pubescence on posterolateral corners. Thoracic pleura black with greyish pubescence, covered by medium and long black setae. Proacetabulum mostly pale yellow, becoming brown, then black laterally and mesally. Mesoacetabulum black with greyish pubescence; laterally with a brown mark; margin surrounding middle coxa pale yellow. Metacetabulum laterally black with greyish pubescence, becoming brown, then pale yellow towards apex; in ventral view, mostly pale yellow. Thoracic sterna bluish black, covered by greyish pubescence, with long brown setae laterally on mesosternum, two oblique rows of light setae submedially on mesosternum, and medium-sized light setae posteriorly on meso- and metasterna.

Fore and hind coxae and trochanters pale yellow; distal tip of trochanters, in ventral view, brown; fore coxa with medium and long light setae on mesal surface, and few stiffer long brown setae; hind coxa with curved, short, light setae basally and longer more straight light setae apically; fore trochanter with medium and long light setae, and stiffer long brown setae; hind trochanter with medium and long light setae, and few long brown setae. Middle coxa shining, in ventral view, light brown to brown marginally, dark brown to black centrally; covered by medium and long, light and brown, setae; with stiffer long brown setae laterally. Middle trochanter dark brown to black, shining on dorsal apex, covered by medium and long light setae. Fore femur basally light yellow, becoming brown, then black towards apex, covered by medium and long light setae, with rows of stiff long dark setae on anterior and posterior surfaces. Fore tibia and tarsus dark brown to black. Fore tibia covered by medium and long curved light setae, with longer dark setae on anterior and posterior surfaces, those on basal posterior surface thicker; dense cover of long, almost straight, brown, setae on apex of ventral surface; grasping comb discreet; grooming comb present. Tarsus with dense cover of short and medium-sized brown setae. Middle femur dark brown to black, covered by medium and long light setae, with rows of longer stiff brown setae on anterior and posterior surfaces, and two thicker black setae near apex of anterior surface, the distalmost thickest. Middle tibia dark brown to black, densely covered by medium and long brown setae, with rows of longer brown setae on anterior and posterior surfaces. Middle tarsus brown to black, densely covered by medium and long brown setae, with some longer brown setae on anterior surface. Hind femur, in dorsal view, narrowly dark brown on base; in ventral view, narrowly lighter brown on base; rest dark brown to black; covered by medium-sized brown setae, with rows of longer dark setae on anterior and posterior surfaces, those on anterior surface thicker. Hind tibia dark brown, covered by medium-sized brown setae, with rows of longer thicker setae on anterior and posterior surfaces; those on anterior surface thicker. Hind trochanter dark brown, covered by medium-sized brown setae.

Abdominal medio- and laterotergites black, covered by greyish pubescence, except for large shining black area covering most of mediotegite VII, and shining black lateral margins of laterotergites; long dark setae widespread. Abdominal sterna II-VI bluish black, covered by greyish pubescence; with medium-sized light setae adjacent to posterior margins; long light setae on sides of sterna III-VI and center of VI. Abdominal sternum VII brown to dark brown on wide subrectangular area centrally; bluish black with greyish pubescence on sides of brown area and posterior margin; with long light setae, these are more dense laterally. Abdominal segment VIII light brown on anterior half, dark brown on posterior half, laterally covered by long brown setae and medium-sized light setae. Pygophore and proctiger light brown on anterior 1/3, dark brown on posterior 2/3, densely covered by medium-sized light setae.

Head compact. Eyes large, touching pronotum. Antennomere I thickest, curved laterally; II-III cylindrical, subequal in width; IV fusiform, slightly thicker than II-III. Labium robust, reaching middle of mesosternum.

Pronotum shorter than dorsal eye length, with posterior margin slightly concave. Mesonotum slightly elevated centrally, posterior margin widely rounded. Metanotum short at midline, posterior margin almost straight. Thoracic pleura and sterna, and abdominal sterna covered by minute circular punctations on bluish black areas. Posterior margin of mesosternum widely concave. Posterior margin of metasternum slightly concave medially.

Fore trochanter unarmed. Fore femur as thick as fore tibia, thinner than middle femur, with a slight concavity before middle of anterior margin. Fore tibia slightly widened near apex, with a weak preapical concavity on ventral surface. Middle femur without flattening or constriction, thickest subbasally, slightly thicker in this area than hind femur. Hind femur not reaching apex of terminalia, thickest right after middle, with a distally decreasing row of 2-4 black spines starting approximately on apical 1/3 of posterior surface and not reaching apex. Hind tibia slightly curved distally, without pegs throughout length nor apical spur; a tuft of medium-sized brown setae apically.

Abdominal mediotergite I shortest; II-VI of approximately same length, progressively narrower; VII longest, with posterior margin slightly convex. Laterotergites slightly elevated; lateral margins slightly divergent for first two segments, then tapering for one segment, then tapering more strongly towards apex, ending continuously to posterior margin of mediotergite VII. Sternum II laterally compressed, with a concavity each side through which hind coxae move, without distinct median carina; III very weakly compressed laterally, without median carina; IV-VI progressively longer, without median carina; VII longest, without median carina or depression, slightly swollen adjacent to concave posterior margin. Abdominal segment VIII cylindrical; dorsal apical margin straight (Fig. 13A, B ). Proctiger short; lateral lobes moderately large, rounded; apex rounded (Fig. 13C, D ). Paramere small, slightly curved dorsally near apex; apex rounded (Fig. 13D, E ).

Apterous female (Fig. 14 ). BL 3.00-3.15; HL 0.32-0.37; HW 0.75-0.82; INT 0.15-0.17; ANT I 0.65-0.70; ANT II 0.35-0.40; ANT III 0.37-0.40; ANT IV 0.45; EYE 0.30-0.32; PL 0.17-0.20; PW 0.75-0.85; FORELEG: FEM 0.77-0.85; TIB 0.80-0.90; TAR I 0.02; TAR II 0.02; TAR III 0.20-0.22; MIDLEG: FEM 1.45-1.55; TIB 1.02-1.12; TAR I 0.05-0.07; TAR II 0.45-0.52; TAR III 0.65-0.70; HINDLEG: FEM 1.10-1.20; TIB 1.25-1.40; TAR I 0.05; TAR II 0.10-0.12; TAR III 0.27-0.30.

Similar to apterous male in colour and structure, except for: fore femur lacking slight concavity on anterior surface; fore tibia lacking weak preapical concavity, without grasping comb; hind femur relatively shorter in relation to abdomen, with 1-4 spines; hind tibia not curved; abdominal mediotergite I with stronger greyish pruinosity on posterolateral angles; narrow shining black areas on centre of mediotergites V-VI, larger areas on VII-VIII and on dorsum of proctiger; mediotergite VII shorter, with almost straight posterior margin; tergum VIII wide anteriorly, with lateral margins tapering to almost straight posterior margin; laterotergites slightly more bowed laterally, ending next to tergum VIII, with a tuft of brown setae on apex; abdominal sternum VII swollen anteriorly and not posteriorly, with larger brown area covered by more light setae, and posterior margin slightly projected medially.

Etymology.

The specific epithet tantilloides refers to the resemblance between this new species and R. tantilla Drake & Harris, 1933.

Comments.

Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira, sp. nov. is part of the Rhagovelia angustipes complex of species, based on the pronotum of the apterous form shorter than the dorsal eye length, with the posterior margin slightly concave. The tarsal formula 3-3-3 indicates that it is not part of the salina group, but an assignment to either the bisignata or hambletoni group is not possible due to the absence of macropterous individuals (D. Polhemus 1997). This new species displays an elongated abdomen and a relatively short and thick hind femora in both males and females. Running it through Nieser and D. Polhemus (1999) key to species of the Rhagovelia angustipes complex from southeastern and southern Brazil ends in no possible logical results. Using the keys provided by Bacon (1956) and Galindo-Malagón et al. (2021), however, results in R. tantilla , which is indeed similar to the specimens at hand.

This new species and R. tantilla share the following features: 1) similar body size (2.80-2.90 in the male, 3.00-3.15 in the female); 2) antennomere II shorter than III; 3) fore and hind coxae and trochanters yellow, middle coxa and trochanter dark (Figs 12B , 14B ); 4) male fore and hind trochanters without spines (Fig. 12B ); 5) male fore tibia not distinctly curved (Fig. 12B ); 6) male hind tibia without pegs throughout length nor apical spur (Fig. 12B ); 7) abdomen relatively elongated, with laterotergites slightly elevated and lateral margins tapering more or less evenly to apex (Fig. 12A ); and 8) male abdominal segment VIII subcylindrical, with lateral margins bowed, shorter dorsally than mediotergite VII (Fig. 12A , 13A ).

There are, however, essential differences between them, including: 1) male hind femur surpassing terminalia, thickest at middle, with 6-7 spines on the posterior surface (vs. not reaching terminalia, thickest after middle, with 2-4 spines in the new species; Fig. 12B ); 2) male hind tibia straight (vs. slightly curved distally in the new species; Fig. 12B ); and 3) shape of the paramere (compare Fig. 13E and Galindo-Malagón et al. 2021: fig. 19T). The distribution of shining black areas on the abdominal dorsum of R. tantilla is variable. For males, Bacon (1956) reported them on segments VIII or VII-VIII, while Galindo-Malagón et al. (2021) mentioned VII-VIII and figured a specimen with an additional smaller mark on VI. Females, in turn, reportedly have shining black areas on segments VII-VIII to V-VIII, according to both studies above. In the new species, we found shining black areas occupying most of male abdominal mediotergite VII and tergum VIII, whereas for females there are two narrow marks centrally on V-VI and two larger marks on VII-VIII. Finally, while our new species occurs in French Guiana, R. tantilla has a much more western distribution, from Belize ( Drake and Harris 1933), through Central America ( Bacon 1956; Moreira et al. 2015) and the Colombian Andes ( Galindo-Malagón et al. 2021), to northwestern Peru ( Bacon 1956).

Figures

Figure 12. Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira, sp. nov., habitus, apterous male A dorsal view B ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 13. Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira, sp. nov., male terminalia A, B abdominal segment VIII, dorsal and ventral views, respectively C proctiger, dorsal view D genital capsule, lateral view E pygophore and paramere, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 14. Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira, sp. nov., habitus, paratype apterous female A dorsal view B ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 15. Geographic distribution of Rhagovelia tantilloides Rodrigues, Khila & Moreira, sp. nov. in French Guiana. Question mark indicates an imprecise record (only the country is known, but not a specific locality).