Protrocha nigrilutea sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 82B4DCB5-D192-4D93-86E0-55B01D97892C

Figs 21–23, 26I

Diagnosis

Body mainly black with vertex, pronotum and mesonotum light yellowish-brown with white median longitudinal stripe continuing over abdomen; forewing black with clavus hyaline yellow and with broad white stripe along claval suture (Fig. 21); frons with median carina (Fig. 21A, D), sublateral carinae ventrally horizontally straight (Fig. 21A, D), central plate oblong, not extending anteriorly beyond sublateral carinae in lateral view (Fig. 21C, F); sides of frons with several sensory pits not arranged in rows (Fig. 21C, F) and pair of isolated sensory pits placed under horizontal portion of sublateral carinae, just above clypeus, on each side (Fig. 21A, D); abdominal tergites (Figs 21C, F, 26I) with row (tergite IV) or group of sensory pits followed by isolated ventral pair (tergite IV) or group of three to four sensory pits (tergites V to VII).

Etymology

The specific name ʻ nigrilutea ʼ (ʻ nigri ʼ, Latin = ʻblackʼ; ʻ lutea ʼ, Latin = ʻyellowʼ) refers to the coloration of this species.

Material examined

Holotype

MEXICO • ♂; “MICH” [Michoacán], Morelia-Guadalajara, route 15, Km 313; 19.98883° N, 101.79947° W; 1900 m a.s.l.; Oct. 2005; R. Rakitov leg.; sweep; DNA voucher ENT4921; INHS.

Paratypes

MEXICO • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; INHS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; DZRJ .

Description

BODY LENGTH. Males = 2.5 to 2.8 mm; females = 3.4 to 3.8 mm.

COLORATION. Males and females with same coloration (Fig. 21 A–F). Vertex, pronotum and mesonotum light yellowish-brown with broad median longitudinal white stripe (Fig. 21B, E). Lateral lobe of pronotum (Fig. 21C, F) dorsally black and ventrally white. Frons pale (Fig. 21A, D); sides of frons, gena and clypeus black (Fig. 21C, F). Gena (Fig. 21C, F) with white macula along clypeus margin. Forewings (Fig. 21 B–C, E–F) black, clavus hyaline yellow, with broad white stripe along claval suture. Legs (Fig. 21 B–C, E–F) black with pale maculae on femora; tarsi brown. Abdomen (Fig. 21 B–C, E–F) black with broad white longitudinal median stripe, with white longitudinal continuous stripe along lateral margins of tergites in lateral view (Fig. 21C, F), with some red maculae in between abdominal segments (Fig. 21F).

HEAD AND THORAX. Vertex (Fig. 21B, E) hexagonal, as long as half its width, as long as pronotum length; posterior margin slightly elevated. Frons (Fig. 21A, D) with median carina and pair of sublateral carinae; sublateral carinae convergent, almost fused to each other, ventrally horizontally straight (Fig. 21A, D); central plate (Fig. 21A, D) oblong, as long as wide at widest portion, not visible in dorsal view (Fig. 21B, E), not extending anteriorly beyond sublateral carinae in lateral view (Fig. 21C, F); sides of frons partially visible in frontal view, almost fused above clypeus (Fig. 21A, D), in lateral view with 21 sensory pits not arranged in rows and pair of isolated sensory pits placed under horizontal portion of sublateral carinae, just above clypeus, on each side. Clypeus (Fig. 21C, F) not swollen, without carinae. Ocelli absent. Eye oblong. Antenna short, with several small circular structures visible on pedicel. Pronotum (Fig. 21B, E) semicircular, as long as half its width; with median carina; median portion of disc depressed, without sensory pits; lateral portion of disc with 21 to 22 sensory pits on each side; lateral lobe of pronotum (Fig. 21C, F) with four sensory pits arranged in group. Mesonotum (Fig. 21B, E) with median carina and pair of lateral carinae; region between lateral carinae depressed, without sensory pits; region outerad of lateral carina with nine to 11 sensory pits. Brachypterous, with reduced venation. Legs simple, with carinae and setae; tibia III with single median spine.

ABDOMEN. Terga with longitudinal carina. Tergite III (Figs 21C, F, 26I) without sensory pits. Tergite IV (Figs 21C, F, 26I) with one row of three to four (four in holotype) sensory pits, with penultimate one displaced, followed by isolated ventral pair aligned diagonally (Figs 21C, F, 26I). Tergite V (Figs 21C, F, 26I) with one row of four to five (five in holotype) sensory pits, with penultimate one displaced, followed by isolated ventral pair aligned diagonally or group of three sensory pits (Figs 21C, F, 26I). Tergite VI (Figs 21C, F, 26I) with group of five to six (six in holotype) sensory pits followed by isolated ventral group of three sensory pits. Tergite VII (Figs 21C, F, 26I) with group of five to six (six in holotype) sensory pits followed by isolated ventral group of three to four (four in holotype) sensory pits. Tergite VIII (Figs 21C, F, 26I) with one sensory pit.

MALE TERMINALIA. Pygofer (Fig. 22A) wide, with anterior margin deeply concave; posterior margin with concavity at middle third; ventral portion broad; setose. Connective (Fig. 22B) inverted Y-shaped, with support bridge with dorsal flap. Style (Fig. 22 C–D) hook-like; anterior portion pointed; caudal portion strongly curved anterodorsally, converging towards the other in dorsal view (Fig. 22C); dorsal margin (Fig. 22D) sinuous; ventral margin (Fig. 22D) with straight angle between anterior and middle third, after that almost rounded, with round projection in middle of middle third; middle portion (Fig. 22D) as long as wide, setose; apex serrated (Fig. 22D). Phallobase (Fig. 22 E–H) sclerotized, symmetrical, with middle portion rounded and narrowing to apex in dorsal view, drop-shaped; apex pointed in dorsal view (Fig. 22 E–F), irregularly rounded in lateral view (Fig. 22 G–H), surrounding aedeagus almost completely. Aedeagus (Fig. 22 E–F) with apex narrowing and open dorsally; with pair of hooks on same side of phallus; in dorsal view (Fig. 22 E–F), one hook strongly spiraled with apex curved posteriorly, other basally directed anteriorly but curved posteriorly; aedeagal hook spiraled dorsally in lateral view (Fig. 22 G–H). Suspensorium V-shaped. Segment X of anal tube (Fig. 22 I–J) as long as wide at widest portion; posterior margin (Fig. 22I) rounded; setose.

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Posterior margin of sternite VII (Fig. 23B) with median portion produced and with median concavity; lateral portion slightly concave; setose. Gonoplac (Fig. 23C) sclerotized, subrectangular with apex truncate, setose. Anterior connective lamina of gonapophysis VIII (Fig. 23D) with six apical teeth: three long, rounded and curved teeth, innermost larger than outer ones, with three small, rounded, straight teeth between them and outerad of them. Posterior connective lamina of gonapophysis IX (Fig. 23 E–F) distal part in lateral view (Fig. 23F) with longitudinal row of six to eight wide spines; middle portion with several pits (Fig. 23F); apex setose (Fig. 23F); region between distal parts with two patches of small setae (Fig. 23E). Segment X of anal tube (Fig. 23 G–H) longer than wide; caudal margin (Fig. 23G) slightly pointed; with setae.

Remarks

Although this new species has two to three isolated sensory pits on the abdominal tergites IV and V, and three or four sensory pits on tergite VII (Figs 21C, F, 26I) (see Discussion), we chose to allocate this species in Protrocha based on comparisons with photographs of the holotype of P. orbiculata (Ball, 1935) (type species of the genus), with which the new species shares the overall shape of body and distribution of sensory pits on the frons and abdomen (except for the tergites IV and V). The new species was compared to species of Aphelonema described and illustrated in the works of Doering (1941) and Caldwell (1945) and we conclude it is a new species. This species can be distinguished from the type species of the genus, P. orbiculata, by the following combination of characteristics: (1) pronotum shape semicircular in P. orbiculata and sub-rectangular in P. nigrilutea (Fig. 21B, E); (2) sublateral carinae straight ventrally in P. nigrilutea (Fig. 21A, D); (3) all abdominal tergites with three isolated sensory pits in P. orbiculata but varying from two to three on tergites IV and V and three to four on tergites VI and VII in P. nigrilutea (Fig. 21C, F, 26I).