Mesoveloidea williamsi Hungerford, 1929

Moreira, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo, Ribeiro, José Ricardo Inacio & Nessimian, Jorge Luiz, 2006, Description of the male and the southernmost record of Mesoveloidea williamsi Hungerford, 1929 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Mesoveliidae), Zootaxa 1269, pp. 51-56 : 52-55

Mesoveloidea williamsi Hungerford, 1929

Description of the male

Measurements: Body length: 2.88 mm; head length in lateral view: 0.22 mm; head width across the eyes: 0.61 mm; interocular distance: 0.32 mm; eye length: 0.10 mm; eye width: 0.14 mm; length of antennal segments: I 0.58 mm, II 0.48 mm, III 0.58 mm, IV 0.67 mm; pronotum width: 0.99 mm; length of fore leg: femur 0.64 mm, tibia 0.61 mm, tarsus 0.29 mm; length of mid leg: femur 0.96 mm, tibia 1.02 mm, tarsus 0.58; length of hind leg: femur 1.31 mm, tibia 1.82 mm, tarsus 0.70 mm.

Color: Body mainly yellow. Scutellum and most of pronotum copper brown. Abdomen light brown. Genital segments lighter than remainder of body.

Head ( Figs. 1–2 ): Short apex, sloping anteriad. Base of antenna near eye margin. First antennal segment wider than others, slightly curved and extending slightly beyond margin of pronotum. Eyes small, roughly facetted. Rostrum extending to base of posterior coxa.

Thorax ( Figs. 3–8 ): Pronotum flat, with small depression near each lateral margin. Lateral margins of pronotum rounded, divergent. Humerus slightly elevated. Scutellum triangular, flat, 1.8x wider at base than its length. Pronotum slightly more than twice as long as scutellum. Legs without spines, covered by many small setae and some scattered long setae. Fore legs short, distal segment of fore tarsus longer than two basal segments together. Fore wing with three closed cells defined by main veins, two anterior cells long and thin and posterior cell short and nearly triangular. Main veins covered by setae from anterior margin of wing to anterior margin of posterior cell.

Abdomen ( Figs. 3–4 , 9 ): Dorsum covered by numerous small setae, longer ones placed alongside posterior margin of segments VI and VII and their connexiva and also on posterior margin of genital segments. Connexiva horizontal, margins regularly curved. Posterior margin of segment VI concave. Segment VII large, its posterior margin truncated. Male claspers symmetrical, wide at base and curving inward up to rounded apex.

Material examined. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro State: municipality of Japeri: Rio D’Ouro, 14­VIII­2003, Erick Frota Almeida leg., 1 female (DZRJ 1472); Rio Santo Antônio, 14­VIII­2003, Erick Frota Almeida leg., 1 male and 1 female (DZRJ 1858); Rio Santo Antônio, 07­I­2004, Erick Frota Almeida leg., 1 male (DZRJ 1465).

Distribution: From Mexico south to Rio de Janeiro ( Brazil).

Comments: According to Drake (1948), this species can be distinguished from M. peruviana by its shorter second and third antennal segments and smaller and differently shaped male claspers. However, the above cited author did not illustrate the clasper of M. peruviana . The new record from Rio de Janeiro extends the known distribution of the genus to the east coast of Brazil ( Fig. 10 ). Future surveys in the central region of Brazil may reveal additional records for M. williamsi as that area represents a great gap in its distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Map of Brazil showing the known distribution of Mesoveloidea williamsi in Southeastern Region (ES: Espírito Santo State; MG: Minas Gerais State; RJ: Rio de Janeiro State; SP: São Paulo State). Records are represented by solid squares.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Mesoveloidea williamsi, male. 1. Head, dorsal view; 2. Head, ventral view; 3. Male, dorsal view with head, wings, and legs removed; 4. Male, ventral view with head removed.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Mesoveloidea williamsi, male. 5. Right fore leg, ventral view; 6. Right mid leg, ventral view; 7. Right hind leg, ventral view; 8. Left fore wing; 9. Left clasper, lateral view.