HERAEUS MESOAMERICANUS SP. NOV.

(FIGS 30 F, 33D, 34E–H, 36A, 37)

Diagnosis

Labium extending to mesocoxae. Distiflagellomere with a sub-basal whitish band. Evaporative area short, distance from dorsal margin of auricle to dorsal margin of evaporative area shorter than distance from dorsal margin of evaporative area to dorsal margin of metapleura. Membrane brown, veins paler, without an apical pale spot. Meso- and metafemur with a subapical narrow brown band. Pygophore apex pointed dorsally in lateral view.

Description (Fig. 36 A)

Total length 5.61.

Head: Brown, shiny, coriaceous, with short recumbent and long erect setae dorsally. Head length 1.18, width 0.85, postocular length 0.43. Eyes not surpassing dorsal margin of head in lateral view. Ocelli posterior of an imaginary line passing the posterior border of eyes. Interocular width 0.42, interocellar width 0.22. Labium pale brown with abundant erect setae, extending to mesocoxae. Labial segment lengths: I 0.72, II 0.82, III 0.60, and IV 0.24. Antennae pale brown, apical half of basiflagellomere and distiflagellomere darker, distiflagellomere with a subbasal whitish band; all segments with abundant short recumbent and sparse short erect setae. Antennal lengths: scape 0.46, pedicel 1.03, basiflagellomere 0.91, and distiflagellomere 1.03. Length of pale band on distiflagellomere 0.24.

Thorax: Anterior pronotal lobe brown, collar and posterior lobe paler, with four longitudinal pale stripes, humeral angles yellowish; collar delimited posteriorly by a punctate sulcus; anterior and posterior lobes with short recumbent and long erect setae, longer on anterior lobe. Pronotum pruinose, punctate, punctures larger on posterior lobe. Collar length 0.08, anterior lobe length 0.51, posterior lobe length 0.54; anterior lobe width 0.89, posterior lobe width 1.42. Pleurae brown, acetabular areas paler, punctate, with short recumbent setae. Evaporative area short. Scutellum brown, with a longitudinal median dark stripe, apex paler; pruinose, punctate; with short recumbent and long erect setae, as on anterior pronotal lobe. Hemelytra pale brown, irregularly pigmented. Costal margin pale on proximal three-quarters, apex of corium darker with a subapical whitish spot and an small pale inner spot; setae short and recumbent; membrane brown with veins paler (Fig. 36 A). Legs: Coxae, protrochanter, profemur, except distally, and a subapical narrow band on meso- and metafemur brown, remainder of legs pale brown, apex of tibiae, tarsi, and pretarsi darker (Fig. 33 D); setae semi-erect, longest on profemur. Profemur with spines restricted to apical half.

Abdomen: Brown, with abundant short recumbent setae. Male genitalia: Pygophore (Fig. 34 E, F) rounded, elongate, with pointed posterior margin, apex with a dorsally directed protuberance, declivent posteriorly in lateral view; anterior margin of dorsal aperture rounded. Inner projections subquadrangular. Parameres: Figure 34 (G, H). Aedeagus: conjunctiva and vesica with a few sparse spines laterally, vesica with two sclerotized lobes; processus gonopori long and slender (Fig. 30 F).

Variability observed in other material studied In the specimens from Belize, the labium is slightly longer, barely extending to metacoxae.

Distribution

Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, and Panama (Fig. 37).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ mesoamericanus ’ is an adjective meaning Central American, and refers to the known geographic distribution of the species.

Type material

Holotype: ♂, COSTA RICA, San Jose, San Isidro de Coronado, 550 ft, 11/12-VI-[19]67, BL trap, E.B. Fogar (USNM).

Paratypes: 5♂, 11♀, same data as for holotype (USNM); 1♂, 2♀, San Isidro de Coronado, Finca Joseph Smids, 5500 ft, 31-V/2-VI-[19]67, blacklight trap, E.B. Fagan (USNM); 1♂, 1♀, 31-V/2-VI-[19]67, blacklight trap, E.B. Fagan (MLP); Puntarenas: 7♂, 7♀, finca Las Cruces, 6 km S San Vito de Java, 4200 ft, 28-IX/2- X-1986, J.E. Eger (USNM); 1♂, 1♀, 28-IX/2-X- 1986, J.E. Eger (MLP).

Additional material studied

BELIZE: 2♂, 3♀, Orange Walk Dist., Chan Chich

Lodge, 1-IV-[20]09, BLT, E. Flota (USNM); 1♂, Cayo

Dist., Chiquibul Forest Res., 27-III-[20]08, BL Trap,

27-III-[20]08, B. Miller (USNM); 1♂, Cayo Dist., Benque

Viejo del Carmen, Riverside N, Mopan

River Resort, 20-XI-[20]07, BL Trap, M. Chrysler

(USNM); 1♂, 13-XII-[20]07, BL Trap, M. Chrysler

(USNM).

COSTA RICA: 1♂, Torrazu, 20-VIII-[19]36, on Coffee arabica, E. Marin (USNM); Cartago: 1♀, Turrialba, Int. Amer. Inst. Agr. Sci., blacklight trap, 18/20-VIII- [19]64, R.E. Woodruff (USNM); Puntarenas: 1♂, Turrialba, 27-I-1965, J.A. Slater & N.T. Davis (AMNH); 1♀, on Chrysanthemum, V-[19]87 (USNM).

ECUADOR: Tungurahua: 2♂, Baños, 6200 ft, 24-I- 1976, Spangler et al. (USNM); 2♂, 3♀, Finca Las Cruces, 6 km S San Vito de Java, 4200 ft, 28-IX/2- X-1986, J.E. Eger (USNM).

HONDURAS: 1♂, 1♀, Comayagua, Siguatepeque, 25- VIII-[19]66, mosquito trap, R.E. Woodruff (USNM); 1♂, 21 km NW Siguatepeque, Ch. 5 rd., 1-VIII- 1977, O’Brien & Marshall (AMNH); 1♀, Sta. B., 13 km SE El Mochito, 22-VII-1977, C.W. & L. O’Brien & Marshall (AMNH).

PANAMA: Chiriqui, 3♂, 15♀, Dist. Renacimiento, Santa Clara, 4000 ft, 28/29-V-[19]76, at light, Engleman & Thurman (AMNH); 1♂, 1♀, 28/29-V- [19]76, at light, Engleman & Thurman (MLP); 2♂, 1♀, 20/22-V-[19]77, Engleman (AMNH); 1♂, 3♀, 29- V-[19]76, D. Engleman (AMNH); 1♂, Rovira, Elvira Farm, 15-VIII-[19]64, 220 ft, blacklight trap, A.B. Broce (USNM); 3♂, Rovira, 5-VII-[19]64, 2500 ft, mosquito light trap, A. Bruse (USNM); 1♂, 9-V-[19]64, mosquito light trap, A. Bruse (USNM); 1♀, Rovira, 4-VII- [19]64, blacklight trap, A.B. Brose (USNM); 1♂, 1♀, Volcan Chiriqui, 3500 ft, 4-XI-[19]73, D. Engleman (AMNH); 1♂, 1♀, Volcan Aria, 4500 ft, 25-V- [19]73, lagos, D. Engleman (USNM); 1♂, 11-IV- [19]73, D. Engleman (USNM); 1♀, 2.5 mi. W El Volcan, 4400 ft, Las Lagunas, 9-VII-1974, O’Briens & Marshall (AMNH); 1♂, 2♀, Res. For. La Fortuna, El Vivero, 20-VII-1995, UV-HG lights, L.B. O’Brien (USNM); Panama, 1♂, Cerro Campana, 29-VII- 1995, C.W. & L.B. O’Brien (USNM); 1♀, Interamerican Hwy. 3 km E of Ipeli, 3-V-1992, UV and HG vapour light, A. Gillogly (USNM).