Rhagovelia yela, Polhemus, 2024

Polhemus, Dan A., 2024, Thirty-four new species of Rhagovelia (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from the East Papua Composite Terrane, far eastern New Guinea, Zootaxa 5400 (1), pp. 1-214 : 131-132

Rhagovelia yela subgroup

The R. yela subgroup is a distinctive set of species occurring in the Louisiade Archipelago to the east of New Guinea proper and contains three species: R. tagula , R. yela and R. bwagabwaga . The most salient character states defining this group are the presence of a transverse fold across the middle portion of the female abdominal connexiva adjacent to tergites III–V ( Figs. 202 , 221 , 228 , 235 ), with the connexival margins immediately anterior to this fold bearing thick, stiff black setae. This fold, which is seen in no other species in the region, allows an upward flexure of the posterior abdomen, which is angled up at 45° in R. tagula when viewed laterally, and is vertically oriented in R. yela . In R. bwagabwaga the thick fringe of dark setae is present on the basal connexiva, but the transverse connexival fold is incipient, with this portion of the connexiva being narrowed and glabrous, and the abdomen is not reflexed. It therefore appears that there is a west to east morphocline running from the least modified abdominal character state in R. bwagabwaga on Misima Island through R. tagula on Tagula Island to the highly modified abdomen in R. yela on Rossel Island.

The male body form and genitalia in the three above species are similar to other members of the R. papuensis group ( Figs. 220 , 227 , 234 ), except that the male proctiger in R. yela has the basal section broad and roughly parallel-sided, with the basolateral and distolateral lobes weakly developed and confluent ( Fig. 225 ). All the members of this subgroup inhabit rocky upland streams, occurring in riffle tailraces and on flowing pools ( Figs. 226 , 233 , 239 ).

Figures

FIG 202. Rhagovelia yela, wingless female, dorsal habitus; specimen from Rossel Is., Woa River, CL 7196. Young Sohn illustration.

FIGS. 220–225. Rhagovelia yela n. sp., structural details; specimens from Rossel Is., Woa River, CL 7196. 220. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 221. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 222. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 223. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 224. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 225. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIGS. 227–232. Rhagovelia tagula n. sp., structural details; specimens from Tagula Is. 227. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 228. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 229. Male right hind leg, posterior view. 230. Male right hind leg, dorsal view; 227–230 from Kolukolu Creek, CL 7194. 231. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 232. Male proctiger, dorsal view; 231 and 232 from Kalitau Creek, CL 7190.

FIGS. 234–238. Rhagovelia bwagabwaga n. sp., structural details; specimens from Misima Is., Keyana Creek, CL 7206. 234. Wingless male, dorsal habitus. 235. Wingless female, dorsal habitus. 236. Male right hind leg, dorsal view. 237. Male left paramere, outer lateral view. 238. Male proctiger, dorsal view.

FIG. 226. Woa River, Rossel Is., Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7196, type-locality for R. yela n. sp., and habitat for R. woa n. sp. and R. mbo n. sp.

FIG. 233. Kolukolu Creek, Tagula Is., Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7194, habitat for R. tagula n. sp.

FIG. 239. Keyana Creek, Misima Is., Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, CL 7206, type-locality for R. bwagabwaga n. sp.