Baptista curvicornis, Ye & Polhemus & Bu, 2014

Ye, Zhen, Polhemus, Dan A. & Bu, Wenjun, 2014, First record of the genus Baptista Distant, 1903 (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3811 (3), pp. 301-315 : 306-310

Baptista curvicornis sp. n.

( Figs. 6 , 12 , 16 , 19, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 46)

Type material. Holotype: macropterous male, CHINA, Yunnan Prov., Xishuangbanna, Jinghong city, Mengla county , Menglun town , Manzhang village , (21°91'N, 101°20'E), alt. 625 m, 18.VIII.2010, coll. Zhen Ye. Paratype: CHINA, Yunnan Prov.: 1 macropterous male, same data as holotype ;

Diagnosis. The male of this species can be easily distinguished from all described species of Baptista by having the abdominal segment VIII strongly modified ventrally and laterally, with the medial part bearing a prominent, half-rounded process, and with a pair of curved projections laterally ( Figs 24, 25 ); further differences are found in the shape of the paramere (Figs 33, 34), and in the structure of the abdominal ventrite VII, the posterior margin of which bears a deep, angular incision medially, flanked by a pair (1+1) of lateral depression that extend posteriorly to meet a similar pair of anteriorly curving projections arising on abdominal ventrite VIII ( Fig 12 ).

Description. Macropterous male ( Fig 6 ). Colour: ground colour orange, head yellow, clypeus and labrum shining black, pseudocellar spots and median line of head blackish, rostrum yellowish with black apex; buccula yellowish; antennal segments I–II yellowish, III–IV brown; pronotum mainly dull orange, area behind head along anterior margin with a narrow pruinose mark, covered by silvery patches (except medially), posterior portion of pronotum with numerous black punctures; legs mainly yellowish, basal parts of femora almost white, with apices of tarsi weakly infuscated; abdomen dorsally and laterally brown, ventrally dull yellow, laterosternites orange; forewing dark brown with six white spots; segment VIII, pygophore and proctiger yellowish, each strongly infuscated apically. Structural characteristics: body length: 2.88; medium-sized, body elongate, bearing short, grayish or silvery appressed pubescence. Head about 1.36 times as wide as long, posteriorly inserted in medially concave anterior margin of pronotum, head along inner eye margin with slightly silvery pubescence, labrum triangular, buccula clearly visible; antennae long and slender, about 0.58 times as long as body, lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.39, 0.22, 0.46, 0.64; pronotum width: 1.01, length: 0.84, about 1.2 times as wide as long, pentagonal in outline, with anterior margin deeply emarginated, area behind anterior margin with paired patches of dense silvery pilosity; pronotal collar angularly widened behind eyes, ventrally narrowed, numerous dark punctures scattered across pronotal lobe. Legs bearing mainly decumbent or suberect setae, ventral part of fore femur with distinct patch of long, erect setae, fore femur simple, incrassate, not curved, without special modifications ( Fig 16 ); fore tibia moderately curved ( Fig 16 ), with conspicuous row of small, stout, black protuberances ventrally (Fig 19), grasping comb short, about 0.18 times tibia length; lengths of leg segments (femur, tibia, and tarsi): fore leg: 0.7, 0.64, and 0.27, middle leg: 0.78, 0.81, and 0.34 (0.11+0.23), hind leg: 0.92, 0.97, and 0.41 (0.17+0.24); forewing with relatively long, suberect setae along basal longitudinal veins, with some golden, decumbent setae on transverse veins delimiting basal cells; abdomen pleurally and ventrally without special modifications, except posterior margin of sternite VII with a deep, angular incision medially, flanked by a pair (1+1) lateral depression that extend posteriorly to meet a similar pair of anteriorly curving projections arising on abdominal ventrite VIII ( Fig 12 ), segment VIII about 1.75 times as long as wide, distinctly protruding behind segment VII, strongly modified ventrally, medial part with a prominent half-rounded process, laterally with a pair of curved projections ( Figs 24, 25 ). Genital segments: pygophore rectangular; proctiger small, narrow, and elongate, with apex acute (Fig 32); paramere long, symmetrical, strongly widened distally, with convergent apex (Figs 33, 34).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan) ( Fig 46 ).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin curvicornis (meaning angular projection), referring to the male abdominal segment VIII with its pair of distinctly curved lateral projections as seen in ventral view.

Note. Baptista curvicornis sp. n. is a rare species; only two specimens were collected together with a relatively large number of B. obtusa sp. n. (see below). The general appearance except for the special structure of segment VIII indicates that this new species belongs to the Baptista collaris species group.

Figures

FIGURE 46. Geographical distribution of Baptista of the world.

FIGURES 6–9. Habitus of Baptista spp.. 6. B. curvicornis sp. n., male; 7. B. obtusa sp. n., male; 8. B. obtusa sp. n., female; 9. B. obtusa sp. n., apterous male. Scale 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 10–13. Abdominal sternites of Baptista spp. (males). 10. B. digitata; 11. B. hoedli; 12. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 13. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 14–17. Fore legs of Baptista spp. (males). 14. B. digitata; 15. B. hoedli; 16. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 17. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.2 mm. FIGURES 18–20. Details of fore tibial venter of Baptista spp. (males). 18. B. hoedli; 19. B. curvicornis sp. n.; 20. B. obtusa sp. n.. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 21–25. Photographs of abdominal segment VIII of Baptista spp. (males); 21–24 ventral view, 25 lateral view. 21. B. digitata; 22. B. hoedli; 23. B. obtusa sp. n.; 24–25. B. curvicornis sp. n.; Scale 0.2 mm.