Phthiarella Brailovsky, 2009

Brailovsky, Harry & Barrera, Ernesto, 2025, Revision of the genus Phthiarella Brailovsky, description of 21 new species, new distributional records, and a key to the known species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Anisoscelini), Zootaxa 5693 (4), pp. 451-481 : 452-454

Phthiarella Brailovsky

Phthiarella Brailovsky, 2009: 70–71

Type species: Phthia decorata Stål, 1865: 184 .

Redescription. Previously given by Brailovsky (2009) and with additional information.

Structure. Head. Longer than wide or about as long as wide; flat, not declivent; preocular distance longer than eye diameter; tylus in lateral view weakly lower than juga; posttylar depression forming a single sulcus; antennal segment I slightly thicker than following segments, thickening gradually from base to apex; rostrum usually reaching posterior third of abdominal sternite IV. Thorax. Pronotum. Wider than long; strongly declivent anteriorly in dorsal view; collar distinct, placed between the anterior pronotal angles; anterolateral borders obliquely straight, finely dentate; humeral angles robust at base, tapering into short to large, and acute to subacute spine, directed outward; posterolateral borders barely sinuate, outer third dentate, inner third smooth; posterior border gently convex, smooth; calli rounded, slightly raised, posteriorly with two deep pits, each lateral to midline; callosities not reaching the lateral margins; triangular process absent; pronotal disk without longitudinal medial carinae; posterior margin with low transverse ridge. Scutellum. Wider than long; flat, with minute wrinkles. Thoracic pleura. Mesosternum with shallow sulcus; metathoracic peritreme bilobate. Legs. Fore femora ventrally armed with one large subdistal acute spine and behind them without or with one tiny spine; middle femora ventrally armed with two large subdistal acute spines following by one row of shorter acute spines; hind femora slightly incrassate, ventrally armed with two large subdistal acute spines, following by two rows of shorter acute spines; hind femur gradually incrassate in both sexes; fore and middle tibiae slender, unarmed, sulcate; hind tibiae ventrally armed with one row of stout and tiny denticles, sulcate. Abdomen. Abdominal sterna without medial furrow. Male genitalia. Posteroventral edge of genital capsule sinuate to straight, lateral angles rounded and slightly folded inward ( Figs. 59‒67). Paremeres. Figs. 68‒105. Female genitalia. Abdominal sternite VII with fissura short, covering one third of length of sternite; plica subtriangular, apically truncate; gonocoxa I short, subquadrate, medially concave, inner margin open, raised and clearly exposed; upper and outer margins rounded and continuous.

Integument. Head dorsal and ventrally bearing minute, pale, erect setae, except the area close to rostral segment I with abundant and longer setae; antennal segments I–IV bearing minute, pale, setae, shorter than diameter of each segment; rostral segment I with abundant, short, pale, decumbent setae; segments II–III with abundant, pale, erect setae usually equal to the diameter of each segment; IV with isolated, tiny, setae; pronotal and scutellar disk, and clavus and corium with relatively abundant, short, pale, erect setae; pro-, meso-, and metapleura, pro-, meso, and metasternum and acetabulae, bearing abundant, short, pale, semidecumbent setae; coxae, trochanter and femora clothed with short, pale, erect setae; tibiae bearing abundant, large, semidecumbent to erect rather long, pale setae, some of them longer than the diameter of the segment; tarsi with abundant, large, pale semideclivent to erect setae; abdominal sterna bearing abundant and large, pale setae, mixed between shorter decumbent setae; middle third and posterior of male genital capsule bearing large, abundant, pale setae; lateral margins with abundant, short, pale, erect setae. Punctuation. Head dorsal and ventrally with few isolated punctures; pronotal disk with small and abundant punctures; scutellar disk with some isolated punctures; clavus and corium conspicuously punctate with abundant small punctures; propleura with deep compact punctuation; meso-, and metapleura almost impunctate, except the posterior margin deeply punctate; abdominal sterna almost impunctate.

Note. A relatively low number of specimens were examined, approximately 106, which leads us to speculate that their habitat is the crown or tree canopies, and only occasionally specimens descend to bushes and lower herbs. This idea is corroborated because considerable numbers were captured using fish carrion butterfly traps, baited with either putrefied fish or shrimp and fogging ( Eger et al. 2015). Males and females of Phthiarella spp . were either attracted, with a slight bias to males.

Phthiarella species groups

However the differences to defining those species are based on color; such as the presence or absence of yellow or yellowish orange rectangular fascia at the anterior lobe of pronotal disk, and if is present reaching or not the anterolateral borders; the midline of corium behind the claval commissure with or without yellow to yellowish orange rectangular fascia reaching or not the costal border; the abdominal sterna III and IV yellow to yellowish orange or entirely green with bluish or purple iridescence, etc. Some structural characters useful to recognize the species are the length of the humeral spine of the pronotum; the shape of parameres; and the allometrics length of antennal segments I–IV.

The genus Phthiarella can be divided into three chromatic groups, as detailed below.

1- The “ decorata ” group characterized by having the coxae and trochanters yellow to yellowish orange; the femora black with green, bluish or purple metallic reflections and always with basal joint yellow to yellowish orange. Species included: P. caliginosa new species, P. decens new species, P. decorata (Stål) , P. flebilisa new species, P. glarea new species, P. ignota new species, P. lanterna new species, P. morsa new species, P. privata new species, P. sponsa (Breddin) , and P. viridiventris (Blöte) new combination ( Figs. 1‒22).

2- The “ femorata ” group characterized by having the coxae and trochanters yellow to yellowish orange; femora entirely yellow to yellowish orange. Species included: P. affinis (Distant) , P. durena new species, P. femorata (Breddin) , P. guanaya new species, P. procera new species, P. rondonia new species, P. saphisa new species, P. serrulata new species, P. sucumbiosa new species, and P. xantha new species ( Figs. 23‒42).

3- The “ dedita ” group is characterized by having the coxae and trochanters black with or without green, bluish or purple metallic reflections. Species included: P. dedita new species, P. interula new species, P. lancea new species, P. nubecula new species, and P. scintilla new species ( Figs. 43‒58).

KEY TO SPECIES OF PHTHIARELLA

1 Coxae and trochanters yellow to yellowish orange........................................................... 2

- Coxae and trochanters black with or without green, bluish or purple metallic reflections ( Figs. 43‒58)………….. “ Dedita” group............................................................................................. 22

2 Femora black with green, bluish or purple metallic reflections and always with basal joint yellow to yellowish orange ( Figs. 1‒22)……… “ Decorata ” group.......................................................................... 3

- Femora entirely yellow to yellowish orange…… “Femorata ” group ( Figs. 23‒42)................................ 13

3 Clavus entirely yellow; corium yellow with apical third black ( Figs. 19‒20)........................ P. sponsa (Breddin)

- Clavus metallic green or black with green or bluish or purple metallic reflections; corium metallic green or black with green, or bluish or purple metallic reflections and with or without wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia.............. 4

4 Corium black with green or bluish or purple metallic reflections and without wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia............................................................................................... 5

- Corium metallic green or black with green or bluish or purple metallic reflections and always with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia................................................................................ 7

5 Pronotum black with bluish metallic reflections and without wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia..................................................................................... P. caliginosa , sp. nov. ( Figs. 3‒4)

- Pronotum black with green or bluish metallic reflections and always with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia. ................................................................................................... 6

6 Large species, longer than 18.50 mm; antennal segment II longer than 4.95 mm; posterior lobe of pronotal disk, scutellum, clavus, and corium black with bluish and purple reflections; hemelytral membrane dark brown with bluish reflections................................................................................ P. lanterna , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1‒2)

- Shorter species, less than 17.00 mm; antennal segment II shorter than 4.75 mm; posterior lobe of pronotal disk, scutellum, clavus and corium black with metallic green reflections................................ P. ignota , sp. nov. ( Figs. 5‒6)

7 Pronotum black with bluish metallic reflections and without wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia; abdominal sternite III-IV yellow........................................................... P. decens , sp. nov. ( Figs. 7‒8)

- Pronotum black with green or bluish or purple metallic reflections and always with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia; abdominal sternite with another condition.............................................................8

8 Abdominal sterna III-VII metallic green with wide yellow longitudinal stripe running across midline; humeral angles with large acute spine directed outward and upward......................................... P. glarea , sp. nov. ( Figs. 21‒22)

- Abdominal sterna III-VII without yellow longitudinal stripe running across midline; humeral angles with short to medium size spine directed outward and usually backward............................................................... 9

9 Abdominal sterna III-VII entirely metallic green............................................................ 10

- Abdominal sternite III or III-IV yellow to yellowish orange and V-VII including male genital capsule and female genital plates metallic green....................................................................................... 11

10 Corium black with metallic bluish reflections and incomplete wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia, not reaching the costal borders; pronotal disk with wide and complete yellow to yellowish orange fascia reaching the anterolateral borders; humeral angles elongate, acute, directed outward and gently backward…............... P. flebilisa , sp. nov. ( Figs. 15‒16)

- Corium black with bluish reflections and wide complete yellow to yellowish orange fascia reaching the costal borders; pronotal disk with wide, incomplete yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia not reaching the anterolateral borders; humeral angles short, directed outward........................................... P. viridiventris, Blöte ( nov. comb) ( Figs. 13‒14)

11 Abdominal sternite III yellow and IV metallic green................................. P. privata , sp. nov. ( Figs. 11‒12)

- Abdominal sterna III-IV yellow..........................................................................12

12 Pronotal disk metallic green with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia; humeral angles acute, basally robust; clavus metallic green; corium metallic green with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia; dorsal abdominal segments III-IV orange, V-VII black........................................................ P. morsa , sp. nov. ( Figs. 17‒18)

- Anterior lobe of pronotal disk with collar and calli metallic green, with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia; posterior lobe black, scattered with bluish metallic reflections; clavus black scattered with bluish metallic reflections; corium black scattered with bluish metallic reflections with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia; dorsal abdominal segments III-VI orange, VII orange with posterior margin black…........................ P. decorata Stål ( Figs. 9‒10)

13 Corium with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia behind claval commissure.......................... 14

- Corium entirely metallic without yellow transverse fascia behind claval commissure............................... 20

14 Propleura with wide yellow subtriangular spot; humeral angles large and acute........... P. affinis (Distant) ( Figs. 29‒30)

- Propleura almost entirely metallic green, without yellow subtriangular spot; humeral angles shorter ( Fig. 32)........... 15

15 Abdominal sternite III metallic green........................................... P. guanaya , sp. nov. ( Figs. 31‒32)

- Abdominal sternite III yellow to yellowish orange...........................................................16

16 Abdominal sternite IV yellow to yellowish orange.......................................................... 17

- Abdominal sternite IV metallic green with anterior half of pleural margin yellow to yellowish orange.................. 19

17 Pronotal disk with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia............................................18

- Pronotal disk without yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia……................. P. saphisa , sp. nov. ( Figs. 37‒38)

18 Antennal segment I dark orange with basal and apical joint black with metallic iridescence; propleura without yellow spot near upper margin; humeral angles short, acute, directed outward........................ P. rondonia , sp. nov. ( Figs. 35‒36)

- Antennal segment I black with metallic iridescence; propleura with small yellow spot near upper margin; humeral angles short, directed backward.......................................................... P. serrulata , sp. nov. ( Figs. 39‒40)

19 Pronotal disk with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia…............. P. sucumbiosa , sp. nov. ( Figs. 41‒42)

- Pronotal disk without yellow to yellowish transverse fascia.......................... P. procera , sp. nov. ( Figs. 33‒34)

20 Pronotal disk with wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia.................... P. xantha , sp. nov. ( Figs. 27‒28)

- Pronotal disk without yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia..............................................21

21 Abdominal sternite III metallic green.......................................... P. femorata (Breddin) ( Figs. 23‒24)

- Abdominal sternite III yellowish orange.......................................... P. durena , sp. nov. ( Figs. 25‒26)

22 Pronotal disk entirely metallic with bluish green reflections....................................................23

- Pronotal disk metallic with bluish green reflections and wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia.............. 25

23 Corium entirely metallic with bluish green reflections............................. … P. lancea , sp. nov. ( Figs. 49‒50)

- Corium metallic with bluish green reflections and wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia.................. 24

24 Abdominal sterna III-IV entirely metallic green.................................... P. dedita , sp. nov. ( Figs. 43‒46)

- Abdominal sternite III yellowish orange and IV yellowish orange with posterior margin metallic green........................................................................................... P. scintilla , sp. nov. ( Figs. 47‒48)

25 Corium entirely metallic with bluish green reflections.............................. P. interula , sp. nov. ( Figs. 51‒54)

- Corium metallic with bluish green reflections and wide yellow to yellowish orange transverse fascia............................................................................................ P. nubecula , sp. nov. ( Figs. 55‒58)