Pharceonus cianferonii Monte & Mascagni, 2012, sp. nov.

Pharceonus cianferonii sp. nov.

(Figs. 39–43)

Diagnosis. Head punctuated; area between punctures with erect golden hair-like setae. Pronotum with a sublateral depression on each side extending from an anterolateral fovea near the anterior margin towards the base, a transverse and bisinuate sub-basal depression, and a short medial longitudinal and superficial groove which joins the sub-basal and transverse depression with a superficial tranverse and bisinuate depression at apical third; surface similarly but more sparsely punctate than head. Ventrite 1 with carinae extending from each metacoxal cavity to its posterior margin. Ventrite 5 with apical margin slightly sub-truncate apicomedially; surface pubescent.

Description. Holotype: Male (Figs. 39–43). Total length 3.0 mm, greatest width 1.1 mm. Body elongate, with sub-parallel sides, moderately convex.

Color: Cuticle reddish-brown with mouthparts, two basal antennal articles, and tarsi paler brown. Dorsal surface with erect brownish hair-like setae and denser and finer hair-like setae that are golden under certain lights.

Head: Without distinct impressions. Surface punctuated; area between punctures with erect golden hair-like setae. Eyes protruding laterally; separated by a distance about thrice the eye-width; lateral and posterior margins around eyes with very long, stout, black setae that curve across eye and generally meet about middle of eye. Antennae 11-segmented; first two basal articles thicker than the remaining ones with several long brown setae; last six apical segments forming a club. Clypeus sub-rectangular, with anterior margin truncate; angle on each side broadly rounded; the front-clypeal suture deep and slightly straight, extending between bases of antennae; surface as rest of head. Labrum sub-rectangular, short; surface finely punctuated with anterolateral portions with some moderately long golden setae.

Thorax: Pronotum as wide as long (0.9 mm and 0.9 mm, respectively); widest at midlenght; anterior width less than posterior width; anterior margin moderately convex over base of head; base tri-sinuate. Pronotum with a sublateral depression on each side extending from an anterolateral fovea near the anterior margin towards the base, where it is joined to sub-basal, transverse and bisinuate depression; a short medial longitudinal and superficial groove joins the sub-basal and transverse depression with a very slightly tranverse and bisinuate depression at apical third; surface similarly but more sparsely punctate than head. Scutellum flat, broader than long, posteriorly slightly acute. Elytra more than two times as long as pronotum; nearly parallel-sided; humeri slightly gibbous; lateral margins smooth; apex rounded. Each elytra with 10 coarse striae formed by a row of large punctuations well separated from each other; striae slightly impressed becoming narrower and more shallow towards the apex; strial punctures coarse basally, becoming progressively finer towards apex; striae 3 and 4 converging sub-apically; intervals flat. Elytral surface with a dense pubescence which not obscured the elytral sculpture. Prosternum moderately short in front of anterior coxae, flat and about in same plane as prosternal process. Prosternal process slender and long with low broad carina in the middle; apex acute. Hypomera oblique. Mesoventrite with a deep broad depression on midline for reception of prosternal process. Metaventrite with a shiny, impressed, median, longitudinal groove on posterior two-thirds; discal surface adjacent to groove depressed. Legs thin and short. Pro-, meso- and metatibiae with a single lateral fringe of tomentum extending from about mid-tibia to nearly the tip. Surface of legs pubescent except mesotibiae with long golden setae only in the proximal portion.

Abdomen: Ventrite 1 with carinae extending from each metacoxal cavity to its posterior margin. Ventrite 5 (Fig. 40), with apical margin slightly sub-truncate apicomedially; surface pubescent.

Genitalia: Parameres slightly shorter than median lobe. Parameres in dorsal view (Fig. 41) wider at base then gradually slender towards acute apex; base truncate. Parameres in ventral view closed in the basal part. Parameres in lateral view (Fig. 42) wide and truncate at base, slender towards apex, which is bent downwards. Median lobe in dorsal view (Fig. 41) extending a little beyond apices of parameres; wider than parameres, slightly constricted in the basal portion; wide at halfway point then gradually narrower towards acute apex. Median lobe in lateral view (Fig. 42) almost straight with apex slightly bent downwards. Phallobase (Figs. 41, 42) nearly as long as parameres, totally closed except ventrally near the apical portion. Spiculum gastrale as figured (Fig. 43).

Female. All morphological characters as in male.

Intraspecific variation. The specimens examined did not have significant morphological variation.

Type locality. Ecuador: Cotopaxi, S. Francisco de Las Pampas, Bosque Integral Otonga.

Type series. Holotype: Male, Ecuador, Cotopaxi, S. Francisco de Las Pampas, Bosque Integral Otonga, Rio Esmeraldas, 1500–1600 m, F. Cianferoni, G. Mazza, C. Monte, M. Pazmiño, C. Tapia & F. Terzani leg., 26.VI.2009 (MZUF Collection number 15634).

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to our friend and colleague, the emipterologist Fabio Cianferoni (MZUF), for his precious help during the entomological research.

Comparative notes. Pharceonus cianferonii sp. nov. differs from the only species known in the genus, Pharceonus volcanus Spangler & Santiago-Fragoso, 1992, by having a superficial, transverse and bisinuate pronotal depression at apical third, which is distinctly impressed in Pharceonus volcanus and by its distinct aedeagus.