Caulotops Bergroth. Prior 1898

Caulotops Bergroth

Type Species: Caulotops puncticollis Bergroth, 1898, a junior synonym of Eccritotarsus platensis Berg, 1883. Monotypic.

Caulotops Bergroth 1898: 33 (original description); Kirkaldy 1906: 135 (list); Carvalho 1957: 94 (catalog, in part); Henry and Wheeler 1988: 265 (catalog, in part); Schuh 1995: 540 (catalog, in part), 2002–2013 (online catalog, in part).

INCLUDED SPECIES. C. platensi s (Berg).

DIAGNOSIS. Recognized by the small size, substylate eyes, pale coloration, the large deep pronotal punctures, males possessing nearly equal-sized right and left parameres, and the highly modified genital capsule possessing three large ventral processes, and only a small, slender, apically acute tubercle on the upper left corner of the genital capsule that does not serve as an anchor for the right paramere, a condition much different than the interactive tubercles present in all the other genera described in this work.

REDESCRIPTION. Macropterous, relatively small, elongate oval (Figs. 8–10); length from apex of head to cuneal fracture 2.50 mm in neotype male, 2.56–2.72 mm in females; length from apex of head to membrane 3.14 mm in neotype male, 3.04–3.65 mm in females; widest point across hemelytra 1.86 mm in neotype male, 1.80–1.96 mm in females; general color pale yellowish orange with darker brown hemelytra. SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Head: Smooth, shiny, with short, erect simple setae; all antennal segments with short, dense, simple setae. Thorax: Pronotum deeply and evenly punctate, except for shiny, impunctate calli; setae relatively short and erect on disc, longer anteriorly around calli, remainder of thorax with short, sparse, reclining setae. Abdomen: Shiny, with relatively dense and semierect setae, longer on genital capsule. Hemelytron: Impunctate, shiny, with numerous, reclining, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Head: As wide as long, greater than one half total height below eyes in lateral view, eyes substylate and relatively small, interocular distance greater than twice the width of one eye, vertex and frons convex, clypeus not visible in dorsal view, posterior margin of vertex declining toward anterior margin of pronotum; length of antennal segment I less than half the width of interocular distance, length of antennal segment II 1.2 times length of segment I; labium extending to metacoxae or abdominal segment II. Thorax: Collarlike area of pronotum anterior to calli wide, flat and punctate, anterior margin adjacent to head medially concave, calli well developed, separated by a deep median, inverse, V-shaped invagination, disc expanded and convex, lateral margins weakly concave medially, posterior margin weakly convex, partially covering mesoscutum. Scutellum equilateral, produced along lateral edges forming a weakly raised V-shaped ridge. Metathoracic scent gland opening narrow, occupying lower margin of metasternum. Legs: Relatively short, stout; claws with large fleshy pulvilli broadly attached to the inner claw surface and distinctive pulvillar combs.

Male genitalia: Genital capsule aperture broadly rounded, with three large processes arising from ventral margin and a small indistinct tubercle on upper left margin (Fig. 67). Left paramere slender, strongly recurved apically (Fig. 68). Right paramere slender, somewhat S-shaped, with apex sharply curved (Fig. 69).

Female g enitalia: Vestibulum with two enlarged plates protruding anteriorly into abdomen, invaginated in on themselves, without spines, areas closest to vestibular opening more sclerotized, with two knob-shaped structures surrounding presumed entrance to vestibulum. Ventral surface of ovipositor smooth, lacking visible serrations. Dorsal sac with barely visible, weakly sclerotized ring structures. Posterior wall membranous, with base of ovipositor possessing a dorsal projection that attaches to wall membrane.

DISCUSSION. Caulotops has several unique characters that separate it from the other genera in our study: the deeply punctate pronotum, including the broad area anterior to calli, the smooth base of the ovipositor, the lack of a large lateral tubercle on the genital capsule, and the similar-sized male parameres. These characters are present in other genera of Eccritotarsini, especially those that lack the hook-and-latch type of genitalia (Figs. 6, 7), with an elongate right paramere hooking around a large genital tubercle and, therefore, it will be critical to include Caulotops in a larger-scale analysis of the Eccritotarsini to help determine its phylogenetic placement in a broader context.

As already noted, the Central and North American taxa previously placed in Caulotops, most of which are restricted to feeding on species of the plant genus Agave (Asparagaceae [The Plant List 2013]; previously Agavaceae [USDA, NRC 2016], which is now considered a subfamily), are not congeneric with the type species, C. platensis, which is not surprising, given that Agavaceae is not native to Argentina and the disjunction between these taxa is more than 6,000 km (4,000 mi).