Joceliaptera, Heiss, 2021

Heiss, Ernst, 2021, New genus and species of apterous Carventinae from Costa Rica and Grenada (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Aradidae), Zootaxa 4958 (1), pp. 678-689 : 679-680

Joceliaptera gen. nov.

Type species: Joceliaptera graziana sp. nov.

Etymology. It is a great pleasure to dedicate this new genus to Jocelia Grazia in honour of her 70 th birthday and recognizing her important excellent systematic, taxonomic and faunistical contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical Heteroptera .

Diagnosis. Joceliaptera gen. nov. is recognized by the following combination of characters: apterous, eyes not stalked, deltg II–III fused, spiracles II–VII lateral and visible from above, male vltg VII with a knob-like glandular tubercle directed posterolaterally which is visible from above.

From the listed Neotropical Carventinae ( Coscaron & Contreras, 2012) and later additions published by Heiss (2013, 2018, 2019) only four following genera share the abovementioned set of characters except the position and structure of glandular tubercles, but differ by additional other features as indicated below.

Kolpodaptera Usinger & Matsuda, 1959 (recorded from Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico) differs by oval outline of habitus (vs subparallel) with angular anterolateral angles of pronotum (vs widely rounded in Joceliaptera ), posteriorly angulate vltg VII of male with a polished apex (vs lobulate vltg VII and knob like glandular tubercle), ptg VIII of male spine-like directed upward (straight rounded lobes).

Pokoldaptera Grillo, 1988 (endemic to Cuba) differs by egg shaped habitus (vs subparallel), genae distinctly produced over clypeus (vs slightly produced), antennal segments I, III, IV of equal length (vs. I longest, IV shorter than III); vltg VII of male rounded with polished apex (vs. knob like glandular tubercle).

Puertoricaptera Heiss, 2019 (only known from Puerto Rico) differs by lateral tubercles of neck (vs. without tubercles), wide oval habitus (vs subparallel) with angularly produced anterolateral angles of pronotum (vs. widely rounded), terminal position of glandular tubercle on vltg VII of male (vs knob like tubercle directed posterolaterally).

Zettelaptera Heiss, 2019 (endemic to Puerto Rico) differs by wider oval habitus (vs subparallel), angularly truncate anterolateral angles of pronotum (vs widely rounded), sternite VII of male medially raised with two sublateral glandular tubercles (vs knob-like and apical position).

All other apterous genera of Neotropical Carventinae recorded to date lack one or more of these specific characters of Joceliaptera gen. nov. supporting and rectifying the creation of this new genus.

Description. Small sized, body subparallel attenuated anteriorly; coloration yellowish brown, head, antennae, legs and lateral margins of thorax and abdomen ochraceous; surface of body glabrous.

Head. About as long as wide, genae slightly produced over clypeus; antennae about twice as long as width of head; eyes inserted in head; postocular lobes without distinct tubercles; rostrum arising from a slit-like atrium.

Thorax. Pro- meso and metanotum consisting of transverse and oval sclerites lateral of the median triangular ridge reaching from pronotum to tergal plate; this usually posteriorly widening structure includes the fused mtg I and mtg II, its surface longitudinally striate.

Abdomen. Subparallel, lateral margins of deltg increasingly produced posteriorly, deltg II + III fused; tergal plate consisting of mtg III–VI medially raised, spiracles II–VII lateral; male pygophore large with a longitudinal ridge on posterior face.

Venter. Apex of triangularly produced vltg VII of male with a distinct glandular tubercle at apex.

Legs. Unarmed and slender, beset with dispersed small setigerous tubercles, claws with pulvilli.