Paravelia spinifera Polhemus & Polhemus, 1984

(Figs 19 B, 20E)

Paravelia spinifera Polhemus & Polhemus, 1984a: 341 . [Original description] Paravelia spinifera: Heckman 2011, 220. [Identification key]

Macropterous male. BL 3.85–3.90; HL 0.50–0.60; HW 0.70–0.71; ANT I 0.67–0.70, ANT II 0.47–0.50, ANT III 0.43–0.45, ANT IV 0.50–0.51; EYE 0.22–0.23; PL 1.32–1.37; PW 1.65–1.67; FORELEG: FEM 0.90–0.92, TIB 0.91–0.92, TAR I 0.07, TAR II 0.10–0.11, TAR III 0.32–0.37; MIDLEG: FEM 1.25, TIB 1.36–1.37, TAR I 0.07, TAR II 0.16–0.18, TAR III 0.36–0.37; HINDLEG: FEM 1.46–1.50, TIB 1.62–1.65, TAR I 0.07, TAR II 0.17, TAR III 0.36–0.38. Macropterous female. BL 3.95; HL 0.50; HW 0.72–0.75; ANT I 0.67, ANT II 0.47–0.50, ANT III 0.43–0.45, ANT IV 0.50; EYE 0.23–0.25; PL 1.42; PW 1.61–1.65; FORELEG: FEM 0.87–0.92, TIB 0.90–0.92, TAR I 0.07, TAR II 0.10–0.11, TAR III 0.32–0.35; MIDLEG: FEM 1.25–1.32, TIB 1.35–1.37, TAR I 0.08, TAR II 0.17–0.18, TAR III 0.37; HINDLEG: FEM 1.50, TIB 1.75, TAR I 0.07–0.08, TAR II 0.20, TAR III 0.37–0.40.

Diagnosis. General body color brown to orange brown; posterior margin of pronotum orange; pronotum with small slight pruinose areas posteriorly. Humeral angles spinose. Forewing brownish, with a narrow basal whitish macula starting from humeral angle and ending adjacent to posterior margin of pronotum; centrally with small pruinose areas between cells; at apex another pale yellow macula on central region, with slightly whitish areas surrounding it (Fig. 19 B). Legs without spines. Male proctiger with a small median elevation. Paramere narrow at base, with rounded apex (Fig. 20 E).

Discussion. This species is easily identified for being the only of the genus with spinose humeral angles (Fig. 20 B). Another Veliinae with similar shape is Stridulivelia alia (Drake, 1957), which possesses stridulatory devices on hind femur, absent in P. spinifera . The species of the genus Steinovelia Polhemus & Polhemus, 1993 generally also bear well-developed humeri, similar to obtuse spines; however they have lateral tubercles on metasternum, absent in Paravelia . A wide variation was observed on the degree of development of the humeral spines of P. spinifera, with some specimens presenting spines much smaller than those illustrated by Polhemus & Polhemus (1984a).

Material examined. Brazil, Maranhão: 90 macropterous males, 77 macropterous females (MZUSP), Yavaruhu Village, Rio Gurupi, about 30 km west of Canindé, isolated trail, forest stream with mud, gravel and leaf litter, 14.II.1966, (B. Malkin) [first record from Brazil].