Rheumatobates imitator (Uhler, 1894)

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 : 5-6

Rheumatobates imitator (Uhler, 1894)

Examined material. COLOMBIA. TOLIMA: 13 1Ƥ apt., Ambalema (400 m), Laguna La Violanta, 4.IV.2000, C. Serrato leg. ( LEUQ). VALLE DEL CAUCA: 1Ƥ apt., Cartago (940 m), río La Vieja, 23.X.1985, H. Aristizábal leg. (HA). CESAR: 13 apt., El Paso, Ciénaga Mata de palma, 26.X.2006, I. Morales leg. ( ICN). CÓRDOBA: 73 13Ƥ apt., Pueblo Nuevo, Caño Karate, 18.07.2006, I. Morales leg. ( ICN). CASANARE: 23 3Ƥ apt., Yopal (360 m), Caño Canacavare, 12.V.1988, H. Aristizábal leg. (HA). 3Ƥ apt., Yopal (360 m), Caño Chiveche, 13.V.1988, H. Aristizábal leg. ( CIAB).

Color. Head brown with a small pale spot on posterior margin. Antennae covered by brown pubescence; antennal segment I with basal half pale yellow and with distal half brown; antennal segments II, III and IV brown. Pronotum with square yellow spot, wider than long. Ventral side of thorax yellow. Mesonotum with long yellow octagonal spot, and with yellow spots on the posterior margin, which are fused with the yellow spots of the mesopleura. Mesoacetabula with yellow spots. Metanotum of male brown; in the female brown with yellow stain. Fore femur pale yellow; tibia and tarsomerus brown. Mid and hind legs brown; hind trochanter with yellow spots. Abdominal segments with pale yellow connexiva and brown tergites; sternites dark yellow.

3 Apterous ( Fig. 4 a). Head: total length, 0.42; maximum width, 0.4; interocular distance, 0.38. Length of antennal segments (I–IV): 0.42, 0.11, 0.28, 0.14; Antennal segments modified; segment I thickened, with basal 2/3 with group of setae on ventral margin; segment II with strong dorsolateral seta; segment III bowed, with small medioventral projection; segment IV shorter than preceding ( Fig. 2 b). Rostrum: total length, 0.5. Thorax: pronotum, total length, 0.18. Legs: hind legs modified; length of leg segments (femur, tibia, tarsus I, tarsus II,): foreleg: 0.63, 0.25, 0.05, 0.17; femur with ten to eleven short setae on inner lateral margin; mid: 1.58, 1.52, 0.82, 0.3; femur with row of five to six long setae on basal margin. Tibia strongly curved, with row of lateral setae; hind: 0.61, 0.92, 0.31, 0.22. Trochanter widened. Femur slightly widened and curved, with tuft of erect apical setae and a pedunculate T-shaped structure on dorsomedial region. Tibia dorsoventrally flattened, widened on medially, with spiral row of setae surrounding this area ( Fig. 3 b). Abdomen: total length, 0.97; tergite VII longer than preceding; tergite VII clearly separated from pygophore, with posterior margin concave and irregular row of setae dorsally; pygophore small, rounded on apical margin.

Ƥ Apterous ( Fig. 4 b). Head: total length, 0.4; maximum width, 0.37; interocular distance, 0.36. Length of antennal segments (I–IV): 0.22, 0.08, 0.27, 0.23; segment III longest, with four long setae. Rostrum: total length, 0.56. Thorax: pronotum, total length, 0.13; posterior margin with acute lateral projections. Legs: length of leg segments (femur, tibia, tarsus I, tarsus II,): foreleg: 0.51, 0.26, 0.05, 0.17; femur with row of ten setae on inner margin and three short erect setae on dorsolateral margin; midleg: 1.23, 1.3, 0.7, 0.3; hindleg: 0.86, 0.6, 0.13, 0.31; Abdomen: total length, 1.33; connexiva rounded toward apex with short setae; tergite VIII subtriangular, as long as the sum of two preceding tergites; gonocoxae as long as preceding sternite.

Diagnosis. Males of this species are differentiated from R. bergrothi because the antennal segment I has a group of setae on ventral margin; the mid tibia is strongly curved; the hind trochanter is slightly widened. Females have the tergite VIII subtriangular.

Distribution in Colombia. La Guajira, Cesar, Córdoba (first record), Antioquia, Santander, Casanare, Tolima and Valle del Cauca.

Figures

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.

FIGURE 4. Rheumatobates imitator. a. dorsal view of apterous male. b. dorsal view of apterous female.