Rheumatobates plumipes, Castro-Vargas, Maria I. & Morales-Castaño, Irina T., 2011

Castro-Vargas, Maria I. & Morales-Castaño, Irina T., 2011, The Rheumatobates Bergroth, 1892 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae) of Colombia, including the description of R. plumipes n. sp. and a key to represented species, Zootaxa 3040, pp. 1-18 : 2-3

Rheumatobates plumipes n. sp.

Type locality. COLOMBIA. RISARALDA: Pereira, Lago Natural El Samán, 2.IX.2004, M. Rojas leg.

Examined material. Holotype: 1 3 apt., COLOMBIA. RISARALDA: Pereira (1210 m), Lago Natural El Samán, 2.IX.2004, M. Rojas leg. (UPTC-MHN-ART 0002).

Paratypes: 1 3 apt. 3 Ƥ apt. RISARALDA: Pereira (1210 m), Lago Natural El Samán, 2.IX.2004, M. Rojas leg. (UPTC-MHN-ART 0003). 1 3 apt., QUINDIO: Quimbaya (1100 m), Lago 7, 24.IX.2005, SIAUQ leg. (UPTC-MHN-ART 0004). 93 4Ƥ apt., VALLE DEL CAUCA: Cali, Lago Univalle, 13.II.2005, J. Patiño leg. (UPTC-MHN-ART 0005). 23 2Ƥ apt., VALLE DEL CAUCA: Cali, Lago Univalle, 13.II.2005, J. Patiño leg. ( IAVH 3000001-3000002-3000003-3000004). 13 1Ƥ apt., VALLE DEL CAUCA: Cali, Lago Univalle, 13.II.2005, J. Patiño leg. ( DZRJ 3094).

Color. Head dark brown with an orange U-shaped spot. Antennal segment I with basal half yellow and distal half brown, with abundant pubescence of same color; antennal segments II, III, IV brown, with long pubescence of same color. Pronotum brown with yellow subtrapezoidal spot. Thorax in ventral view yellow. Mesonotum brown with yellow anterior rhomboid spot, and yellow spots on posterior margin that fuse with yellow spots of mesoacetabula; mesopleura with yellow spots. Metanotum dark brown. Fore femur yellow with distal region brown; tibiae and tarsi brown. Mid and hind legs brown, except coxae yellow, trochanters dark yellow. Connexiva yellow, mediotergites brown with yellow spots in middle region from of second segment; sternites pale brown.

3 Apterous ( Fig. 1 a). Body: total length, 2.41, head: total length, 0.5, maximum width, 0.47, interocular distance, 0.45. Length of antennal segments (I–IV): 0.72, 0.1, 0.21, 0.47; antennal segments unmodified; antennal segment I longest ( Fig. 2 a). Rostrum: total length, 0.76. Thorax: pronotum, total length, 0.25. Legs: fore and hind legs modified; length of leg segments (femur, tibia, tarsus I, tarsus II,): foreleg: 0.98, 0.48, 0.05, 0.23; femur with suboval cleft in apical part; anterior region of cleft with two short spines followed by two long, strong and erect setae directed toward thorax; distal region of cleft with strong truncated seta apically; tibia with four short spinelike setae on inner margin ( Fig. 1 a); midleg: 1.96, 1.93, 0.9, 0.36; femur with row of 13 basal strong setae on inner margin, and distal tuft of setae that bend apically; hindleg: 0.41, 0.85, 0.1, 0.42; coxa long, curved in outer margin, covered by decreasing setae from base to apex; with a short spine-like projection, followed by dense tuft of very long, curved setae that surpasses the trochanter; trochanter with long plume-like setae in outer margin, these widened at base, with inner margin slightly curved, ending in a group of very close setae directed toward apex; femur widened towards medially, covered by long setae; tibiae slightly curved, with a row of 20 to 25 long setae on dorsolateral outer margin; tarsomerus II long ( Fig. 3 a). Abdomen: total length, 1.45; tergite VII as long as V + VI; tergite VIII subtriangular, covered with setae, and with tuft of long setae laterally; metaesternun and sternites I and II concave; posterior margin of sternite VII with a cleft in medially; sternite VIII concave, with two strong setae on medially; pygophore with posterior margin rounded.

Ƥ Apterous ( Fig. 1 b). Body: total length, 2.8, head: total length, 0.43, maximum width, 0.41, interocular distance, 0.38. Length of antennal segments (I–IV): 0.33, 0.1, 0.28, 0.36; antennal segment III with four long setae. Rostrum: total length, 0.61. Thorax: pronotum, total length, 0.18; posterior margin with lateral projections rounded. Legs: length of leg segments (femur, tibia, tarsus I, tarsus II,): foreleg: 0.63, 0.31, 0.05, 0.17; femur with a row of 15 to 20 setae at inner margin; midleg: 1.66, 1.65, 0.76, 0.33; femur with a row of 10 to 15 short setae at outer margin; hindleg: 1.05, 0.73, 0.11, 0.35. Abdomen: total length, 1.51; connexiva acute at apex; tergite VIII subtrapezoidal; gonocoxae as long as preceding sternite; anterior margin of metaesternum and sternite I concave ( Fig. 1 c).

Etymology. The name plūmipēs (Latin) means “has plumes on the feet”. This name refers to the plume-like group of setae on the hind trochanter of the males of this species.

Diagnosis. Males of this species are differentiated from R. peculiaris Polhemus and Spangler, 1989 because the antennal segment IV is more than twice the length of the preceding antennal segment; the anterior region of the cleft of the fore femur has two short setae-like chitinous structures, followed by two very long, strong and erect spines directed toward the thorax; the hind coxae are long, curved, with a short spine-like projection on the distal region; and the hind trochanter has long plume-like setae at the outer margin, widened at the base, with the inner margin slightly curved. Females have connexiva acute at the apex; the tergite VIII is subtrapezoidal; the gonocoxae are as long as the preceding sternite; and the anterior margin of metasternum and sternite I are concave.

Distribution in Colombia. Quindío, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Rheumatobates plumipes n. sp. a. dorsal view of apterous male. b. dorsal view of apterous female. c. ventral view of apterous female.

FIGURE 2. Male antennae of Rheumatobates. a. R. plumipes n. sp. b. R. imitator. c. R. bergrothi. d. R. crassifemur crassifemur. e. R. crassifemur esakii. f. R. carvalhoi. g. R. probolicornis.

FIGURE 3. Hind legs of male of Rheumatobates. a. R. plumipes n. sp. b. R. imitator. c. R. bergrothi. d. R. crassifemur crassifemur. e. R. crassifemur esakii.