Alitocoris, SAILER, 1950

Garbelotto, Thereza De A., Campos, Luiz A. & Grazia, Jocelia, 2013, Cladistics and revision of Alitocoris with considerations on the phylogeny of the Herrichella clade (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, Discocephalinae, Ochlerini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 168, pp. 452-472 : 456-458

GENUS ALITOCORIS SAILER, 1950

Alitocoris Sailer, 1950: 69 , figures 1–19; Schrader, 1960a: 105–124; Schrader, 1960b: 499–505, figure 4; Rolston, 1981: 41; Rolston, 1992: 23, figures 44–46; Campos & Grazia, 2006: 153; Garbelotto et al., 2011.

Type species: Alitocoris schraderi Sailer , by original designation.

Diagnosis: Oval body, general colour brown to black with yellow spots in some species. Punctures black, deep, and confluent, forming wrinkles on the dorsum of head, pronotum, and scutellum. Antennae fivesegmented, with sexual dimorphism.

Head wider than long, declivous; punctures confluent, forming wrinkles at least from base of tylus to vertex. Juga longer than tylus by a distance not greater than the diameter of ocellus; apices of juga obtuse, not touching each other. Lateral margins of juga sinuous, deflected. Vertex flat to slightly tumid. Anteocular processes reduced to an obtuse tubercle, not projected. Posterior margin of head impunctate. Antennal tubercles partially visible from above, with lateral spine. Antennae five-segmented, second segment the shortest. Ocelli posterior to hind margin of eyes, interocellar distance about 1.5 times the width of eye. Area between ocelli and eyes impunctate. Ventrally with 1 + 1 longitudinal carina posterior to the eyes, concolorous with the surface, delimiting the base of eyes and gula. Gula slightly depressed, width equivalent to the diameter of eye; punctures evenly distributed. Bucculae elevated, evanescent and divergent posteriorly, not attaining posterior margin of head, with triangular anterior tooth in some species. Rostrum attaining or surpassing the posterior margin of urosternite IV; first segment reaching prosternum, second segment is the longest attaining mesocoxae; insertion of first segment of labium on head posterior to anterior limit of eyes.

Pronotum wider than long, anterior half declivous; punctures confluent, forming wrinkles posterior to cicatrices. Cicatrices flat to slightly tumid. Anterior margin deeply concave in the middle third. Anterolateral angles with small acute projection, exceeding lateral limit of eyes for twice the diameter of ocellus or less. Anterolateral margins sinuous to subrectilinear; posterolateral margins slightly convex; posterior margin subrectilinear. Scutellum longer than wide, reaching connexival segment V; punctures confluent, wrinkles more dense on anterior half. Foveae at basal angles black, shallow, and punctured. Corium longer than scutellum, reaching connexival segment VI; punctures not confluent; 1 + 1 yellowish spot at apex of radial vein, equivalent to the diameter of ocellus or less. Membrane attaining or little surpassing apex of abdomen, bearing nine to 13 veins not forming cells. Pro-, meso-, and metapleura with punctures evenly distributed. Prosternum sulcate, meso- and metasternum with median carina along entire length. Mesopleural evaporatorium narrow, occupying a thin area along the posterior margin of mesopleura; metapleural evaporatorium black, occupying half the width of metapleura, lateral margin subrectilinear. Peritreme spout reaching at least half the width of evaporatorium. Tibiae shallowly sulcate dorsally; third segment of metatarsi of males and females depressed dorsally.

Connexivum exposed from segments III to VII, narrow lateral strip impunctate, sometimes with light central spot. Abdomen with punctures more dense on lateral thirds, inconspicuous on central disc; longitudinal furrow inconspicuous on median third of sternites III to V. Trichobothria lateral to the line tangent to spiracles. Spiracles black; anteromedian margin elevated or flat, concolorous with abdomen or yellowish.

Male. Antennae: segment III the widest, about twice the width of segment IV; also wider than segment III in females. Articular membrane along the posterior margin of urotergite VII expanded medially.

Pygophore subrectangular. Posterolateral angles acuminate, apices obtuse. Dorsal rim concave with obtuse or spiniform projections. Inferior layer of ventral rim with 1 + 1 projection lateral to segment X and directed dorsoanteriorly over genital cup ( Fig. 4A, C ). Superior layer of ventral rim bearing lighter, lobular areas beneath the projection of inferior layer ( Fig. 7B ). Inferior layer of ventral rim continued laterally in low carina directed to posterolateral angles of pygophore. Median third of ventral rim concave ( Fig. 4B, D ). Segment X subrectangular, exceeding the posterior limit of inferior layer of ventral rim, flattened dorsoventrally at apex, basal half membranous; fringe of setae at apex; anal opening apical; ventral genital opening ina longitudinal slit ( Fig. 4A, C ). Parameres ventral to segment X, with apical setae; head of paramere projecting over ventral rim ( Figs 4B, D , 5E–G ).

Phallus. Phallotheca globose, narrowing at apex, and with a pair of ample processes. Vesica bent; ductus seminis distalis sinuous, apex in gutter ( Fig. 5A–D ).

Female. Antennae segments uniformly wide.

Genitalia. Genital plates convex, velvety. Gonocoxites 8 subrectangular, disc elevated; posterior margins sinuous, projecting over the base of laterotergites 9 or subrectilinear with posterolateral angles as small tooth over the base of laterotergites 8; callus present or not; disc tumid, bent or not toward head near the posterior margin, forming a flap; sutural margins juxtaposed. Laterotergites 8 triangular, wider than long; posterior margins subrectilinear; spiracles placed posterior to or lateral to lateral angle of gonocoxites 8. Gonocoxites 9 partially exposed, triangular. Laterotergites 9 digitiform, reaching the band connecting laterotergites 8; mesial margins juxtaposed. Segment X hidden by laterotergites 9 ( Fig. 6A–D ). Pars comunis with conical microsculptures. Gonapophyses 8 and 9 with folds bearing conical microsculptures ( Figs 6E, F , 7A ). Thickenings of gonapophyses 9 present. Thickening of vaginal intima subrectangular ( Fig. 6E, F ). Chitinellipsen ring-like. Median duct of KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ALITOCORIS

1. Abdomen with ventral light maculae beside mesial margin of spiracles III- VII ( Fig. 6A, B )............................2 - Abdomen lacking ventral maculae beside mesial margin of spiracles III- VII ( Fig. 6C, D )...............................3

2. Anterolateral angle of pronotum projecting anteriorly; ventral surface glabrous ............................................. ............................................................................................. Alitocoris grandis sp. nov. ( Figs 3B , 6B ).

- Anterolateral angle of pronotum projecting laterally; ventral surface with sparse pubescence........................... ................................................................. Alitocoris schraderi Sailer ( Figs 3A , 4A, B , 5A–G , 6A, E , 7A, B ).

3. Pronotum with irregular, transversal, yellowish macula between humeri; corium with small, yellowish spots; bucculae without anterior tooth..................................... Alitocoris ornatus sp. nov. ( Figs 3D , 4C, D , 6D, F ).

- Pronotum black, lacking maculae; corium dark brown except for a single, yellowish spot at apex of radial vein; bucculae with anterior tooth...................................................... Alitocoris lateralis sp. nov. ( Figs 3C , 6C ) vesicular area of ductus reseptaculi enlarged at base. Pars intermedialis longer than wide. Capsula seminalis with long, slender processes ( Fig. 6E, F ).

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Comments: Alitocoris is in a polytomy in clade A ( Fig. 1 ), so its relationships with the other genera in this clade are uncertain. Alitocoris species are recognized by the colour pattern, deep and confluent punctures, five antennal segments, and especially the morphology of female genitalia owing to the lack of knowledge about males of the genus. Alitocoris is distributed in Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panamá).

Figures

Figure 1. Strict consensus cladogram of the Alitocoris group resulting from analyses under implied weighting (K = 3.702). ( = nonhomoplasious transformations; ᴑ = homoplasious transformations; capital letters inside circles indicate the target clades; for these, numbers in parentheses above and below branches indicate absolute and relative Bremer support, respectively).

Figure 3. Species of Alitocoris, dorsal view. A, Alitocoris schraderi (male). B, Alitocoris grandis sp. nov. (holotype female). C, Alitocoris lateralis sp. nov. (holotype female). D, Alitocoris ornatus sp. nov. (holotype male). Scale bars = 1 mm

Figure 4. Species of Alitocoris, pygophores. A, B, Alitocoris schraderi. C, D, Alitocoris ornatus sp. nov. A, C. dorsal view. B, D. ventral view. Abbreviations: dr, dorsal rim; pa, posterolateral angle; par, paramere; pil, projection of inferior layer of ventral rim; vr, ventral rim; X, segment X. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 5. Alitocoris schraderi, phallus and right paramere. A–D, phallus: A, dorsal; B, anterior; C, posterior; D, lateral views. E–G, paramere: E, dorsal; F, ventral; G, lateral views. Abbreviations: bv, bend of vesica; dp, dorsal process of phallotheca; ds, ductus seminis distalis; lph, lateral projection of phallotheca; ph, phallotheca; v, vesica. Scale bars = 0.5 mm

Figure 6. Species of Alitocoris, female. A–D, genital plates, ventroposterior view. E, F, receptaculum seminis and ausenwand, ventral view. A, E, Alitocoris schraderi. B, Alitocoris grandis sp. nov. C, Alitocoris lateralis sp. nov. D, F, Alitocoris ornatus sp. nov. Abbreviations: ch, chitinellipsen; cm, conical microsculptures; cs, capsula seminalis; d9, basal depression of laterotergites 9; dr, ductus receptaculi; gc8, gonocoxites 8; gc9, gonocoxites 9; id, inner duct of vesicular area; la8, laterotergites 8; la9, laterotergites 9; md, median duct of vesicular area; od, outer duct of vesicular area; pi, pars intermedialis; tg9, thickening of gonapophyses 9; vi, thickening of vaginal intima; VII, urosternite VII. Scale bars = 1 mm

Figure 7. Scanning electron microscopy of genitalia of Alitocoris schraderi. A, female, arrow indicates conical microsculptures of gonapophyses 9. B, male, superior layer of pygophore ventral rim, detail of lobular expansion (arrow).