Rhagovelia tenuipes Champion, 1898

Canejo, Rafael P. R., Melo, Alan Lane De & Rodrigues, Higor D. D., 2023, Gerromorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil, including a new synonymy, Zootaxa 5357 (2), pp. 151-185 : 176

Rhagovelia tenuipes Champion, 1898

( Figs. 16D–F , 18B )

Rhagovelia tenuipes Champion, 1898: 137–138 (original description).

Identification. Our specimens were identified based on the pronotum of the apterous form shorter than the dorsal length of the eye, not covering the mesonotum ( Figs. 16D, F ); the anterior trochanter without an apical spine; the middle coxae black; the hind femur of both sexes with at least seven spines; abdominal mediotergites V–VII of both sexes shining black centrally; the male hind femur slightly longer than half of the body length; and the female laterotergites not reflected over the mediotergites ( Figs. 16D–F ) ( Nieser & Melo 1997; Moreira & Ribeiro 2009).

Material examined. All specimens apterous. BRAZIL, Rio Grande do Norte: Natal, Rio Pitimbu - BR 101, 5°52’48.1”S, 35°13’32.6”W, 22-XII-2019, R .P. R. Canejo leg. (1♂ CEAAVF); Natal, “ Ponte no Rio Pitimbu , 5°55’00.7”S, 35°11’54.0”W, 21-IV-2022, R .P. R. Canejo leg. (2♂, 3♀ CEAAVF) .

Figures

FIGURE 16. Species of Rhagovelia from state of Rio Grande do Norte. (A–C) Rhagovelia brunae, (A) dorsal and (B) ventral views of apterous male, (C) dorsal view of apterous female. (D–F) Rhagovelia tenuipes, (D) dorsal and (E) ventral views of apterous male, (F) dorsal view of apterous female. Scale bars = 1.00 mm.

FIGURE 18. (A–B) Distribution records for species of Gerromorpha in state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil.