Edessa (Edessa) alces Erichson 1848

Edessa (E.) alces Erichson, 1848

(Figs. 1, 24 A,B, 31 A)

Edessa alces Erichson, 1848: 610; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 188; Kirkaldy, 1909: 154; Silva et al., 2018: 417.

Edessa suturata Dallas, 1851: 324; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 195; Kirkaldy, 1909: 165 syn. nov.

Edessa alces. Lectotype female. Br. Guy. Schomb. [British Guina Schomburgk] (MNKB). Examined. Here designated.

Edessa alces. Paralectotypes. 3 females, same data (MNKB).

Edessa suturata. Lectotype male. B. Guiana (BMNH). Examined.

Edessa suturata. Paralectotypes. 2 females same data (BMNH). Here designated.

Material examined. PANAMA, Panama: 1 ♀, Panama City, Pq. Natural Metropolitano, 23-VII-1995, C. W. & L. B. O’Brien (JEE). TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: 1♀, Trinidad, Mt. Harris, 1924, C. L. Withycombe (BMNH). VENEZUELA, Aragua: 1♀, El Limon, 8 - IX - 1955, F. Fernandez (MIZA); 1♀, El Limon, 27-I-1966, F. Fernandez & E. Osuna (MIZA); 1♁, El Limon, 27-IV-1966, M. Gelbes (MIZA); 1♀, Carret, Maracay, Choroni AR, 30-XI-1951, Fernandez Y. & C. J. Rosales cols. (MIZA); 1♀, Carret, Maracay, Choroni AR, 11-X-1951, Fernandez Y. cols. (MIZA); 1♀, Cagua, 30-IX-1966, D. Villasmil & J. C. Marin (MIZA); 1♀, Pozo Diablo, Maracay, 13-IV-1962, M. Gelbes (MIZA); Carabobo: 3♀ 1♁, Yuma, 21-XI-1952, F. Fernandez Y. (MIZA); Bolívar: 1♀, El Dorado, 25-VIII-1951, Fernandez Y. & Rosales cols. (MIZA); Zulia: 3♀ 1♁, Sierra de Perija, Cajmera, 12-IV-1960 (MHNS); 1♀, Sierra de Perija, Cajmera, 13-IV-1960 (MHNS); 1♀, Kasmera, 19-IX-1961, Fernandez Y. & C. J. Rosales (MIZA); 1♁, Kasmera, 22-IX-1961, Fernandez Y. & C. J. Rosales (MIZA); 2♁ 1♀, Kasmera, Rio Yaza, Sierra de Perijo, 22- IX-1961, Fernandez Y. & C. J. Rosales (MIZA); 2♀, Kasmera, Rio Yaza, Sierra de Perijo, 19-IX-1961, Fernandez Y. & C. J. Rosales (MIZA); 1♀, Machiques Colón, Mayino, 9-X-1966, C. J. Rosales & A. D’Ascoli (MIZA); 1♀, Maturaca, 6-IV-1964, J. Bechynne col. (MIZA); 1♁, No date, Demerara Harper, 1905, Sharp coll. (E. suturata Dallas, 1851 comp. W. type Fernandes, JAM 2019) (BMNH).

Measurements (n= 29). Total length: 17.6–21.4; head length: 1.5–2.2; head width: 3.0–3.6; pronotum length: 3.5–4.5; pronotum width: 11.3–15.1; scutellum length: 7.7–10.0; scutellum width: 6.0–7.7; abdominal width: 10.0– 12.0; length antennomers: I: 1.0–1.2; II: 1.5–2.0; III: 2.0–2.3; IV: 4.3–5.0; V: 4.9.

Diagnosis. Specimens large (17.6–21.4 mm). Dorsal surface of the body olive green (Fig. 24 A). Ventral surface brown with transversal black lines on thorax and abdomen (Fig. 24 B). Head with black punctures. Antennae reddish brown (Fig. 24 A). Pronotum with punctures brown to black (Fig. 24 A); anterolateral margin and cicatrices with black punctures. Humeral angles short (1,33 times wider than long) (Fig. 24 A); apices concolorous with surface (Fig. 24 A). Scutellum with punctures brown (Fig. 24 A); apex not reach end of corium (Fig. 24 A). Corium with all veins concolorous with surface (Fig. 24 A). Posterolateral angles of connexivum with apices black (Fig. 24 A); connexival segments concavities entirely covered by subrectangular black spots and separated by a large yellow median spot (Fig. 24 A), dark spots extending ventrally, subrectangular (Fig. 24 B). Ventral surface. Thorax with black stripes (Fig. 24 B); dark stripe of the propleuron covering 2/3 of the width of the sclerite (Fig. 24 B). Evaporatorium concolorous with thorax (Fig. 24 B). Metasternal process (Fig. 1 G) with anterior apex straight and laterally well expanded, margin acuminated; anterior face somewhat excavated; anterior bifurcation receiving fourth rostral segment. Legs brown (24 B). Abdomen with spine of third segment acuminated (Fig. 25 B). Intersegmental areas black, not reaching ventral spots of connexivum (Fig. 24 B). Pseudosutures solid black, margin well defined (Fig. 24 B). Median longitudinal brown band incomplete and restricted to the last segment (Fig. 24 B). Trichobotria one in line with spiracle and the other laterad. Posterolateral angles of segment VII not reaching level of the apices of laterotergites IX in females (Fig. 1 F). Male genitalia, posterolateral angle of the pygophore developed (Fig. 1 A). Superior process of genital cup laminar, thick, rectangular; flattened and coarse in posterior view, continuing ventrally in a crenulated high carina ending in a small dentiform projection (Fig. 1 B,E). Diaphragma with contrastingly yellow spot (Fig. 1 B). Ventral rim setose with medial tuft (Fig. 1 C). Female genitalia, laterotergites VIII with two small dark spots on outer lateral margins (Fig. 1 F).

Male genitalia (Fig. 1 A–E): Parameres with black margin, rounded anterior lobe slightly developed; dorsal lobe large and subrectangular; posterior lobe rounded and rectangular with curved apex (Figs. 1 D,E). Proctiger with bottle-shaped posterior face (Fig. 1 D,E). Ventral rim with expansions slightly developed and concolorous with surface (Fig. 1 C).

Female genitalia: Valvifers VIII with dark punctures; inner margins contiguous brown and not divergent; distal margin brown and arched. Laterotergites IX with apices acuminate passing the sclerite uniting laterotergites VIII (Fig. 1 F).

Comments. The Edessa (E.) alces shares with E. (E.) congrua, E. (E.) sexdens and E. (E.) urus the humeral angle concolorous with pronotum (Fig. 24 A), little developed and not globose (Fig. 24 A); and connexivum with dark spots on each segment (Fig. 24 A). Edessa (E.) alces and Edessa (E.) sexdens have black punctures on anterolateral margins of pronotum, but in E. (E.) sexdens this punctures are more conspicuous than in E. (E.) alces (Fig. 29 C). Additionally, both species can be separated by the humeral angle more robust and curved backwards in E. (E.) alces (straight and smaller in E. (E.) sexdens — Fig. 29 C) (Fig. 24 A). E. (E.) alces (Fig. 24 A) can be easily separated form E. (E.) congrua (Fig. 24 E) by the humeral angle curved backwards and less developed than in E. (E.) congrua who has the angle more robust and directed laterally. E. (E.) alces (Fig. 24 A) can be separated from E. (E.) urus (Fig. 29 E) also by the shape and size of the humeral angles more developed in E. (E.) alces than in E. (E.) urus.

Distribution (Fig. 31 A): PANAMA: Panama; TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO; VENEZUELA: Zulia, Carabobo, Aragua, Bolívar; GUYANA.