Montina gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero, 2022

Mejía-Soto, Andrés, Forero, Dimitri & Wolff, Marta, 2022, Taxonomic revision of Montina (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Colombia with description of three new species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 62 (2), pp. 325-381 : 345-347

Montina gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero , sp. nov.

( Figs 13 ; 14 ; 25A ; 27A ; 29A ; 41 )

Type locality. Colombia: Chocó: Riosucio, Sautatá.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: COLOMBIA: CHOCṒ: 1 ♂, Riosucio, Sautatá ; [07.4431°N, 77.1014°W]; Jul 1978; H. Echeverri leg., ICN 029956 / (red label) HOLOTYPE Montina gladiator A. Mejía-Soto & D. Forero , sp. nov. ( ICN) . PARATYPES: COLOMBIA: CHOCṒ: 1 ♀, Riosucio, Tilupo ; [07.4383°N, 77.1151°W]; Abr 1978; H. Echeverri leg.; ICN 036201 ( ICN) ; 2 ♀♀, same data; 12 Jun 1978; ICN 029954, ICN 029953 ( ICN); 1 ♀, same data; 27 Jul 1978; ICN 029955 ( ICN); 1 ♀, Quibdó, Yuto; [05.5340°N, 76.6308°W]; 90 m; 1 Nov 1983; F. Serna leg.; en maleza; MEFLG No.7279 ( MEFLG). SANTANDER: 1♂, Guapotá, Carare; [06.3335°N, 73.3360°W]; 800 m; 3 May 1939; L. Richter; CTNI: No. 2539 ( CTNI); 1 ♀, Landázuri; [06.2194°N, 73.8092°W]; 1000 m; 3 Ene 1938; L. Richter; CTNI: No. 2539 ( CTNI). TOLIMA: 1♀, Mariquita; [05.1995°N, 74.8868°W]; 29 Ago 1987; MPUJ _ENT0058602 ( MPUJ).

Diagnosis. Total length, females 23.5–24.0 mm (n = 3), males 16.3–19.0 mm (n = 2). General coloration red, with legs, scutellum, and abdomen black ( Figs 13B, D ); membrane translucent yellow; tubercle of the anterior pronotal lobe subconical with rounded apex, posterior pronotal lobe elevation of the carina truncated with its posterior margin slightly rounded ( Figs 13E–F ); connexivum dark brown to black with a red narrow band on its margin, sometimes a little diffuse ( Figs 13A–D ), segments 4–5 lobed, 6 straight, segments 2–4 with an acute posterior process on each segment, in males the processes are more conspicuous and also present in segment 5 ( Figs 13A, C ).

Description. Male. Total length 16.3–19.0 mm, head length, 3.6–3.8 mm, anterior pronotal length, 1.0– 1.1 mm, posterior pronotal lobe length 2.2–2.9 mm, abdomen width 4.9–7.6 mm (n = 2). COLORATION. Head red to light red; scape and pedicel dark brown, flagellomeres reddish; labium brown, first visible segment dark red. Thorax: Anterior and posterior pronotal lobes red; pro-, mesoand metasternum brown. Legs: Coxae reddish, remaining segments of legs from dark brown to black. Hemelytron: Corium red, anterior margin of corium (R+M) dark red; membrane translucent yellow. Abdomen: Sternites dark brown with darker bands on segments 2–6; connexival segments dark brown to black with a narrow red band on its margin; pygophore bright yellow. VESTITURE. Body moderately setose. Head covered mainly by medium sized and short sized setae, and few longer setae on the postocular area and clypeus. Thorax: Anterior pronotal lobe with glabrous areas; posterior lobe less setose than anterior lobe, posterior margin with long setae; fore leg ventrally covered by dense, medium sized setae. Abdomen: Sternites and ventral laterotergites covered by decumbent golden setae; ventrolateral area of abdominal sternites with erect black setae near the posterior margin. STRUCTURE. Head: Eyes globular, prominent in dorsal view, about half the width of postocular area, ovoid in lateral view with posterior margin nearly straight; first visible labial segment shorter than second. Thorax: Tubercles of anterolateral angles slightly prominent, apically acute; discal tubercles of anterior pronotal lobe subconical, apically rounded; elevation of the carina of the posterior pronotal lobe truncated, posterior margin slightly rounded; pronotal posterolateral process broadly triangular, apically rounded; scutellum short, apex slightly rounded but ends at a small tip. Membrane extends beyond the abdomen. Abdomen: Margin of connexival segments 2–3 straight, 3 with sharp posterior projection, 4–5 lobed each with subangular process posteriorly, more conspicuous on 4, 6–7 straight. Genitalia: Pygophore ovoid in lateral view, in dorsal view wider posteriorly ( Fig. 14A ); medial process (mpp) with parallel margins, cylindrical, in lateral view, straight, directed at about 45 degrees ( Figs 14A–C ); paramere slightly curved, body narrow on basal half, distal portion widened and rounded, apically with long setae ( Figs 14A, C ); articulatory apparatus (apt) with basal plate arms about as wide as basal plate bridge, lumen about as wide as one arm width ( Fig. 14F ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite (dps) narrowing apically, apex truncated and slightly emarginated, in lateral view dps concave; endosoma with distal ventral lobe (dvl) with numerous sclerotized microtrichia ( Fig. 14D ); distal dorsal lobe (ddl) oval; distal lateral lobes (dll) strongly sclerotized at margin; lateral lobes (ll) tear-shaped ( Fig. 14D ).

Female. Similar to male but larger, except in the following: total length 23.3–23.5 mm, head length 4.2–4.3 mm, anterior pronotal lobe length 1.2–1.4 mm, posterior pronotal lobe length 3.8–3.9 mm, abdomen width 7.7–10.0 mm (n = 3). COLORATION. Similar to the male, usually darker; pronotal lobes uniform in coloration. STRUCTURE. Thorax: Discal tubercles of anterior pronotal lobe larger, apex of equal width; elevation of carina of posterior pronotal lobe truncated ( Fig. 13F ). Abdomen: Connexival margin of segment 3 subtriangular, 5 less lobed than in male with smaller subangular process ( Fig. 13C ). Genitalia: Gonocoxa 8 subquadrangular, anterior margin (am) straight; gonoplac (gpl) apically slightly projected beyond joining area, obtuse, thick, glabrous; syntergite 9/10 with distal portion (dp) curved, in ventral view concave ( Fig. 25A ); bursa copulatrix trapezoidal, anterior margin straight; lateral protruding lobes (lbs) very wide, exceeding margin of anterior portion ( Fig. 27A ); U-shaped structure of dorsal area of bursa strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 29A ).

Variation. The examined specimens from Chocó and Tolima have a darker coloration than those from Santander, although they all share the same coloration pattern. No other variation was observed.

Differential diagnosis. Montina gladiator sp. nov. resembles M. calarca sp. nov., M. nigripes , and M. scutellaris because of the reddish coloration of the thorax and the margin of the connexivum, but easily distinguishable by the red coloration of the head ( Figs 13B, D, G ), which is either black or dark brown in the other species. Both M. gladiator sp. nov. and M. nigripes have the connexival margin of segment 6 nearly straight ( Figs 13A, C ; 35A ) in both sexes, in contrast to having it lobed in M. calarca sp. nov. and M. scutellaris ( Figs 5A, C ; 19A, C ), although in the latter it is more conspicuous in males.

Etymology. The name is taken from the Latin gladiator , referring to the gladiators of ancient Rome because of the red coloration of their cape and tunica, similar to the coloration of the new species. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Only known from Chocó, Santander, and Tolima in Colombia, with records ranging between 90–1000 m. ( Fig. 41 ).

It is noteworthy that many of the known localities of M. gladiator sp. nov. are the same as those of M. scutellaris ( Figs 41 ; 42 ), although the new species was found restricted to lowland areas (below 1,000 m), whereas M. scutellaris can reach areas up to 1,600 m. Other species of Montina are apparently also sympatric, as in the case of M. confusa , M. distincta , and M. testacea ( Figs 40 ; 42 ). Given the paucity of specimens of M. gladiator sp. nov. found among the examined material, it is unknown if M. gladiator sp. nov. is locally rare or if it is occupying a different habitat from that of M. scutellaris , thus being harder to collect in the field. Future fieldwork is required to explore these ideas.

Figures

Fig. 13. Montina gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov. A – male holotype, lateral view; B – male holotype, dorsal view; C – female paratype, lateral view; D – female paratype, dorsal view; E – pronotum, female paratype, lateral left view; F – pronotum, male paratype, lateral left view; G, head, male paratype, dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 14. Montina gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov., male genitalia, holotype. A – pygophore, dorsal view; B – pygophore, lateral right view; C – pygophore, caudal view; D – phallus, ventral view; E – phallus, lateral right view; F – phallus, dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 25. Montina spp., external female genitalia, ventral view.A – M. gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov.; B – M. lobata Stål, 1859; C – M. ruficornis (Fabricius, 1803); D – M. scutellaris Stål, 1859; E – M. testacea (Stål, 1859); F – M. tikuna Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 27.Montina spp., bursa copulatrix, dorsal view.A – M. gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov.; B – M. lobata Stål, 1859; C – M. ruficornis (Fabricius, 1803); D – M. scutellaris Stål, 1859; E – M. testacea (Stål, 1859); F – M. tikuna Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 29. Montina spp., detail of the anterior portion of the bursa copulatrix, dorsal view. A – M. gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov.; B – M. lobata Stål, 1859; C – M. ruficornis (Fabricius, 1803); D – M. scutellaris Stål, 1859; E – M. testacea (Stål, 1859); F – M. tikuna Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 41. Distribution map of Montina fumosa (Stål, 1867), M. gladiator Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov., and M. lobata Stål, 1859 in Colombia.

Fig. 35. Female holotype of Montina nigripes Stål, 1859, deposited at ZMHB. A – lateral left view; B – dorsal view; C – labels. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Fig. 5. Montina calarca Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov. A – male holotype, lateral view; B – male holotype, dorsal view; C – female paratype, lateral view; D – female paratype, dorsal view; E – pronotum, female paratype, lateral left view; F – pronotum, male paratype, lateral left view; G – head, male paratype, dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 19. Montina scutellaris Stål, 1859. A – male, lateral view. B – female, dorsal view. C – female, lateral view. D – male, dorsal view. E – pronotum, female, lateral left view. F – pronotum, male, lateral left view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 42. Distribution map of Montina ruficornis (Fabricius, 1803), M. scutellaris Stål, 1859, M. testacea (Stål, 1859), and M. tikuna Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov. in Colombia.

Fig. 40. Distribution map of Montina calarca Mejía-Soto & Forero sp. nov., M. confusa (Stål, 1859), and M. distincta (Stål, 1859) in Colombia.