Tiridates rubrocinctus schaffneri, Eger, J. E., 1987

Eger, J. E., 1987, A Review of the Genus Tiridates Stal (Heteroptera: Pentatomoidea: Scutelleridae), The Florida Entomologist 70 (3), pp. 687-716 : 347-348

Tiridates rubrocinctus schaffneri n. ssp.

Length of body 10.8-14.6. Length of head 2.9-3.8, width 3.5-4.4. Length of antenna! segments 1-5: 0.8-1.0, 0.6-0.9, 0.6-1.0, 1.2- 1.6, 1.7-2.3. Pronotum 3.1-4.4 long, 6.0-8.2 wide. Scutellum 6.2-8.5 long, 5.8-8.3 wide. Mid-ventral length of visible abdominal sternites 2-6: males 0.7-0.8, 0.5-0.6, 0.5-0.6, 0.6-0.7, 2.4-3.0; female 0.8, 0.7-0.8, 0.7-0.9, 0.7-0.8, 2.5-3.0.

Coloration as in T. rubrocinctus rubrocinctus . Head: more commonly entirely dark brown to black, or red to yellow with dark markings restricted to small basal macula and apex.

Abdomen: parameres more robust than in nominate subspecies, shank shorter ( Fig. 14 ). Thecal lobes elongate apically, encircling vesica ( Fig. 13 ). Plates on floor of genital chamber moderately sclerotized; anterior margins curving ventrad, inner margins arcuate; mesial separation narrow ( Fig. 24 ).

TYPES.

H0L0TYPE: Male, labelled (a) " Valladolid , Yucatan. Gaumer." (b) "Distant Coll.; 1911- 383". Deposited in the British Museum of Natural History ( BMNH).

PARATYPES: 3 males and 4 females: (a) " Temax, N. Yucatan, Gaumer." (b) "Distant Coll.; 1911-383". (male, deposited in the BMNH); (a) " Chontales, Nicaragua, Janson " (b) "Distant Coll. 1911-383". (male, deposited in the BMNH); (a) " HONDURAS, Cop. 3 mi. NE. Cucuyagua 3000', VII-25-1974, C. W. & L. O'Brien & Marshall " (b) "B.M. 1975-493". (male, deposited in the BMNH); " MEXICO: Yucatan; 13.3 mi. s. Valladolid ; July 30, 1980; Schaffner, Weaver, Friedlander ". (female, deposited in the Texas A&M University collection); " MEXICO: Quintana Roo; Nueva , X-Can; 17-VIII-1978; E. C. Welling, coll." (female, deposited in the author's collection); "Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B.; Mexique; Merida; 27-VII-1959; H. J. Bredo ". (female, deposited in the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique); (a) " Chiquimula, Guatemala. Dec. 6, 1930, J. J. White " (b) "J. C. Lutz Collection 1961" (c) " Tiridates decemmaculata Kirkaldy " (female, deposited in the United States National Museum of Natural History).

Distribution: Mexican states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo south through Guatemala and Honduras to Nicaragua.

Comment: The distribution of this and the nominate subspecies appears to be distinct, being separated by the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Genitalic differences are relatively slight but consistent, suggesting that the two taxa may be distinct species. The lack of other characters for separating the two and the allopatric distribution suggest subspecific status, however.

This subspecies is dedicated to Dr. J. C. Schaffner of Texas A&M University for his contributions to the knowledge of Mexican Heteroptera and for the help and support he has given me.

Figures

Figs. 7-14. 7-12. Tiridates rubrocinctus rubrocinctus. 7.) Aedeagus, dorsal aspect; vesica (V); thecal process (TP); thecal lobe (TL). 8.) Aedeagus, lateral aspect. 9.) Proctiger, caudal aspect. 10.) Right paramere, lateral aspect. 11.) Genital cup, caudal aspect, omitting parameres and proctiger; anterior lobe of pygophoral process (A); posterior lobe of pygophoral process (P). 12.) Genital cup, caudal margin, lateral aspect. 13-14. Tiridates rubrocinctus schaffneri. 13.) Aedeagus, lateral aspect. 14.) Right paramere, lateral aspect. Dimensional lines equal 1.0 mm.

Figs. 23-26. 23-25. Sclerotized plates in floor of genital chamber. 23.) T. rubrocinctus rubrocinctus. 24.) T. rubrocinctus schaffneri. 25.) T. mexicanus. 26.) T. rubrocinctus rubrocinctus, spermatheca and related structures; sclerotized groove in floor of genital chamber (SG); dilation of spermathecal duct (D); proximal flange of spermathecal pump (PF); distal flange of spermathecal pump (DF); spermathecal bulb (B). Dimensional lines equal 1.0 mm.