\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA new \u003cem\u003eRhagovelia\u003c/em\u003e (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Brazilian Amazon, with a key to species of the...

ZOOTAXA

ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)

ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press

Zootaxa 3790 (4): 595–600

www.mapress.com/zootaxa/Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3790.4.8

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:14EE4FB8-0ACA-4F1E-ADDD-166154CE6305

A new Rhagovelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the Brazilian

Amazon, with a key to species of the robusta group known from the country

FELIPE FERRAZ FIGUEIREDO MOREIRA1, 2 & JULIANNA FREIRES BARBOSA2

1Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório Nacional e Internacional de Referência em Taxonomia de Triatomíneos. Avenida Brasil, 4365,

Pavilhão Rocha Lima, Quinto Andar. Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. CEP 21045-900. E-mail: [email protected] Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Entomologia. Avenida

Carlos Chagas Filho 373, CCS, Bloco A, Sala 107. Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. CEP 21941-971, Caixa Postal

68044. E-mails: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract

Rhagovelia zecai sp. nov., from the Brazilian Amazon, is described, illustrated, compared with similar species, and in-

cluded in a key to species of the robusta group recorded from the country.

Key words: Aquatic insects, Neotropical Region, taxonomy, waterstriders

Resumo

Rhagovelia zecai sp. nov., da Amazônia brasileira, é descrita, ilustrada, comparada com espécies similares e incluída

numa chave para as espécies do grupo robusta registradas no país.

Palavras chave: Insetos aquáticos, região neotropical, taxonomia, percevejos patinadores

Introduction

Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 is a group of predatory semiaquatic bugs very common in tropical regions, which can be

easily recognized by the swimming fan present on the deeply cleft distal article of the middle tarsus (Schuh and

Slater 1995; Polhemus 1997). Representatives of the genus are usually collected on the free surface of flowing

freshwater bodies, like springs, streams, and rivers, but representatives of a few species can be caught on intertidal

marine water (Andersen 1982).

The taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus in the Western Hemisphere have been studied by Polhemus (1997),

who described countless species and reorganized the species groups of the Americas. In Brazil, the works of Nieser

and Melo (1997), Nieser and Polhemus (1999), Moreira et al. (2010, 2012), and Moreira and Barbosa (2011, 2012)

have contributed immensely to the knowledge of the Rhagovelia from the southeastern region of the country.

However, taxonomic studies based on material from other regions remain rare, and there are still unknown species,

like the one recently collected on the Amazon region and herein described and keyed.

Material and methods

Type-material has been deposited on the Coleção Entomológica Professor José Alfredo Pinheiro Dutra,

Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de

Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (DZRJ). Measurements are given in millimeters and abbreviated as follows: body

length (BL), head length (HL), head width through eyes (HW), length of antennomeres I–IV [without

Accepted by D. Rider: 17 Mar. 2014; published: 23 Apr. 2014 595

intersegmental pieces] (ANT I, ANT II, ANT III, ANT IV), maximum eye width (EYE), pronotum length on

midline (PL), pronotum width (PW), femoral length (FEM), tibial length (TIB), and length of tarsomeres I–III

(TAR I, TAR II, TAR III). Descriptions and photographs were made using specimens preserved in alcohol.

Results and discussion

Description

Rhagovelia zecai Moreira & Barbosa sp. nov.

(Figs. 1–6)

Apterous male (Fig. 1). BL (genitalia removed)—2.95; HL—0.39; HW—0.83; ANT I—0.78, ANT II—0.36, ANT

III—0.40, ANT IV—0.41; EYE—0.34; PL—0.96; PW—1.42; FORELEG: FEM—0.93, TIB—1.01, TAR I—0.04,

TAR II—0.03, TAR III—0.27; MIDLEG: FEM—1.52, TIB—1.20, TAR I—0.09, TAR II—0.46, TAR III—0.77;

HINDLEG: FEM—1.44, TIB—1.34, TAR I—0.07, TAR II—0.07, TAR III—0.31.

Head orange brown, dorsally darker between eyes, with longitudinal midline and two oblique impressions on

base shining. Bucculae and base of antenniferous tubercles yellow, apex of antenniferous tubercles brown. Eyes

dark reddish brown. Antennomere I with about half its basal length pale yellow; remaining of antenna brown,

except yellow intersegmental pieces. Rostrum with articles I–II yellow; III yellow on basal 3/4, dark brown on

apical 1/4; IV shining dark brown. Pronotum orange brown, with lighter yellowish brown anterior lobe and narrow

midline of posterior lobe; circular punctations adjacent to anterior margin and margins of posterior lobe brown.

Sides and venter of thorax orange brown, lighter than dorsum, except metasternum dark orange brown. Abdominal

tergites I–II orange brown; III–V dark orange brown; VI dark orange brown on base, becoming orange brown

towards apex; VII orange brown on base, yellowish brown on apex. Abdominal connexives orange brown, lighter

on outer margin. Abdominal sternites orange brown, lighter towards apex of body. Genital segments yellowish

brown on base, brown on apex. All coxae and fore and hind trochanters yellow; middle trochanter yellow on base,

brown on apex. Fore femur yellow on base, brown on apex; middle femur dark brown; hind femur dark yellow on

base, dark brown on rest of dorsum, brown on venter. Tibiae and tarsi brown to dark brown.

Head short, wide, velvety, covered by short brown setae and longer, thicker, darker setae on anterior portion

and adjacent to inner eye margin. Antenna covered by short brown setae; articles I–II also with robust black setae

dorsally. Antennomere I curved outside, thicker on apex; II–III cylindrical; IV fusiform. Buccula and jugum

densely covered by small black denticles (Fig. 2). Rostrum almost reaching middle of mesosternum.

Pronotum completely covering mesonotum, covered by short recumbent brown setae, with few longer setae

laterally. Anterior lobe of pronotum with row of circular punctations adjacent to anterior margin; posterior lobe

with several circular punctations, except for area of weak central longitudinal carina, with posterior angle widely

rounded. Exposed portion of metanotum short, with concave posterior margin. Pleural region of thorax with many

circular punctations; these also present on short oblique rows on mesosternum and sparsely distributed on

metasternum. Proepisternum, prosternum, lateral portions of mesosternum, and metasternum with several small

black denticles (Fig. 2).

Abdominal tergites and sternites covered by short recumbent brown setae; apex of connexives also with longer

thicker brown setae. Abdominal tergite VII wider on apex, with posterior margin slightly convex. Abdominal

sternites I–VI with a distinct central longitudinal carina, covered by short black denticles (Fig. 3). Last abdominal

sternite without carina or denticles. Parameres symmetrical, shape as in Fig. 4.

Legs covered by short brown setae and rows of longer erect black setae on femora and tibiae. Fore femur wider

on apex. Fore tibia weakly concave on apical inner surface. Middle femur wider at base. Hind trochanter granulose,

unarmed (Fig. 5). Hind femur strongly incrassate, ventrally with a row of 8 small pegs centrally on proximal 1/3;

distal 2/3 with two rows of spines – dorsal row with 6–8 small spines, followed by 2–3 larger spines, and 2–3 small

spines; ventral row with 8 smaller spines which increase in size towards apex (Fig. 6). Hind tibia curved, with

small subequal spines towards its length, a curved larger spine near apex, and a slightly curved apical spur (Fig. 6).

MOREIRA & BARBOSA596 · Zootaxa 3790 (4) © 2014 Magnolia Press

PLATE I. Figures 1–6. Rhagovelia zecai sp. nov., male. 1. Dorsal habitus. 2. Head and thorax, ventral view. 3. Part of

abdomen, ventrolateral view. 4. Paramere. 5. Part of abdomen and hind legs, ventral view. 6. Hind femur, tibia and tarsus,

ventral view.

Type-material. BRAZIL: Amazonas – Rio Preto da Eva, PDBFF Project, ZF3 Road, km 41 reserve, second

order stream, 2°26'54.64" S / 59°46'13.52" O, 4–6.VIII.2000, (J. L. Nessimian): 1 apterous male [HOLOTYPE].

Distribution. So far the species is known only from the male type, collected on a blackwater stream from a

well preserved “terra firme” forest reserve on Rio Preto da Eva Municipality. The area of the stream where the

specimen was collected is 2.5–3.5 m wide, with a mean depth of about 30 cm (Dr. J. L. Nessimian, in litt.).

Etymology. Named in honor of Dr. José Ricardo Inacio Ribeiro (Zeca for the friends), for his contributions to

the taxonomy of Neotropical Belostomatidae.

Comments. Rhagovelia zecai sp. nov. belongs to the robusta group sensu Moreira et al. (2012) based on the

pronotum long, completely covering mesonotum; apical spur of hind tibia not crescent-shaped; posterolateral

margins of male abdominal segment VII surrounding genital cavity without robust black denticles; and shape of

male paramere.

The differences between R. zecai sp. nov. and other species of the same group known from Brazil are

presented on the key below, but the new species is more similar to R. venezuelana Polhemus, 1997, from Colombia,

Venezuela and with a suspect record from Panama. Both species share general dorsal coloration orange brown,

with lighter anterior lobe of pronotum; jugum, proepisternum, meso-, metasternum and abdominal sternites with

small black denticles; male abdominal sternites I–VI with raised longitudinal median carina; male hind femur with

a row of small spines on proximal 1/3 and two rows on distal 2/3; and male hind tibia weakly curved, with one of

the pre-apical spines slightly longer than the others, not distinctly large and conical.

Males of the two species differ, however, because hind trochanter of R. zecai sp. nov. is unarmed (Fig. 5),

whereas it bears 5 tiny black pegs in R. venezuelana; the hind femur has the proximal row containing 8 small spines

on the former (Fig. 6), and approximately 26 on the latter; dorsal most row on distal 2/3 of hind femur with 6–8

small spines, followed by 2–3 larger spines, and 2–3 small spines on the former (Fig. 6), and bearing 1 large curved

spine, followed by 5 smaller spines, then 2 larger spines, and 4 smaller ones on the latter; ventralmost row on distal

2/3 of hind femur with 8 small spines on the former (Fig. 6), and 13 on the latter; and by shape of parameres (Fig.

4).

Zootaxa 3790 (4) © 2014 Magnolia Press · 597RHAGOVELIA OF THE ROBUSTA GROUP FROM BRAZIL

PLATE II. Figures 7–9. Rhagovelia sooretama, male. 7. Hind femur and tibia, ventral view [SPI: spines]. 8. Apex of abdomen,

lateral view [DEN: denticles]. 9. Paramere. Figures 10–19. Parameres, males: 10. R. amazonensis. 11. R. pseudotijuca. 12. R.

traili. 13. R. plaumanni. 14. R. palea. 15. R. jubata. 16. R. guianana. 17. R. bocaina. 18. R. relicta. 19. R. robusta.

Identification key to the Rhagovelia of the robusta group from Brazil

[based on apterous males; modified from Polhemus (1997) and Moreira & Ribeiro (2009)1]

1. The large spine(s) mentioned in step 1 can be underdeveloped in some males. If an illogical result is achieved, it is recommended

to start the key from step 6.

MOREIRA & BARBOSA598 · Zootaxa 3790 (4) © 2014 Magnolia Press

1 Hind tibia with several subequal spines, besides apical spur (Fig. 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

- Hind tibia with one or more distal spines greater than the others, besides apical spur (Fig. 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 Sides of abdominal segment VII bearing patches of small black denticles (Fig. 8); paramere as in Fig. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. sooretama Moreira, Nessimian & Rúdio, 2010

- Sides of abdominal segment VII without patches of small black denticles; paramere with different shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3 Proepisternum bearing minute black denticles (Fig. 2) (sometimes in small numbers and only visible at higher magnifications)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

- Proepisternum lacking minute black denticles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4 Body length about 3.20 mm; hind trochanter with small subequal spines plus one much longer spine; paramere as in Fig. 10 . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. amazonensis Gould, 1931

- Body length 3.75–3.85; hind trochanter only with small subequal spines; paramere as in Fig. 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. pseudotijuca Moreira & Barbosa, 2011

5 Abdominal tergites V and VI laterally pruinose with ovate brown spots centrally; abdominal tergite VII with a dark yellowish

spot centrally; hind femur with a long, sharp spine removed dorsally from the 2 rows of spines along the posterior margin;

paramere as in Fig. 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. traili (White, 1879)

- Abdominal tergites V and VI dull black, lacking ovate brown spots centrally; abdominal tergite VII shining black, lacking a

dark yellowish spot centrally; hind femur lacking a long, sharp spine removed dorsally from the 2 rows of spines along the pos-

terior margin; paramere as in Fig. 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. plaumanni Polhemus, 1997

6 Hind trochanter unarmed; hind femur with three regular rows of spines, without large conical spine near center (Fig. 6);

paramere as in Fig. 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .R. zecai sp. nov.

- Hind trochanter with at least one spine, if unarmed (rarely in R. bocaina) then hind femur with a large conical spine near center

and several rather irregular rows of spines; paramere with different shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

7 Sides of abdominal segment VII bearing patches of small black denticles (Fig. 8); hind trochanter armed with small subequal

spines plus one to three larger spines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

- Sides of abdominal segment VII lacking patches of small black denticles; hind trochanter unarmed (rarely in R. bocaina) or

armed only with small subequal spines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

8 Dorsal coloration, including legs and antennae, uniformly orange brown, not heavily marked with black on appendages; hind

femur bearing a long, sharp spine near middle displaced dorsally from the main rows of spines along posterior margin;

paramere as in Fig. 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. palea Bacon, 1956

- Legs and antennae heavily marked with black on dorsal surfaces; hind femur lacking a long, sharp spine displaced dorsally

from the main rows of spines along posterior margin; paramere as in Fig. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. jubata Bacon, 1948

9 Small black denticles absent from jugum and adjacent region of proepisternum; anterior margin of hind femur bearing numer-

ous long, erect pilose setae in addition to the typical stout, erect black setae; paramere as in Fig. 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .R. guianana Polhemus, 1997

- Small black denticles present on jugum and adjacent region of proepisternum (sometimes in small numbers and only visible at

higher magnifications); anterior margin of hind femur lacking numerous long, erect pilose setae, bearing only scattered stout,

erect black setae; paramere with different shape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

10 General color yellowish brown to orange brown; middle trochanter pale to light yellow; paramere as in Fig. 17 . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. bocaina Moreira & Ribeiro, 2009

- General color black; middle trochanter dark brown to black; paramere with different shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

11 Hind femur with two parallel regular rows of spines, without large spine dorsally displaced; paramere as in Fig. 18 . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. relicta Gould, 1931

- Hind femur with 3–4 irregular rows of spines, with large spine near its middle dorsally displaced from others; paramere as in

Fig. 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R. robusta Gould, 1931

Acknowledgements

The manuscript benefited from the useful comments of Dr. David Rider and two anonymous reviewers.

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