Papagona Ball 1935

Papagona — Ball 1935: (Original description). Doering 1939: 449 (Key). Doering 1940: 145 (Redescription, key to species).

Type species. Papagona papoosa Ball, 1935.

Amended diagnosis. Vertex (Figs 2B, E, H, 5A, 6B) sub-hexagonal with anterior margin short. Frons (Figs 2A, D, C, F, G, I, 5B, C, 6A, C) with pair of sublateral carinae converging toward fastigium, approximately parallel approaching frontoclypeal suture, enclosing subtriangular median region (central plate of frons), longer than wide at widest portion, with one sensory pit on each side near frontoclypeal suture; in lateral view, not extending anteriorly beyond sublateral carinae; sides of frons (Figs 2C, F, I, 5C, 6C) extremely wide above, with sensory pits in a triangle-like distribution, and not fused above clypeus (Figs 2A, D, G, 5B, 6A). Clypeus without carina. Ocelli absent. Eyes oblong. Antennae short. Pronotum (Figs 2B, E, H, 5A, 6B) subrectangular; longer than half of width; posterior margin almost straight; with median carina; median portion of disc, depressed and without sensory pits; with sensory pits bordering lateral margins of disc and a group of inner ones at posterior half; lateral lobe (Figs 2C, F, I, 5C, 6C) with only one sensory pit and longitudinal carina. Mesonotum (Figs 2B, E, H, 5A, 6B) with lateral carinae; region in between lateral carinae, depressed and without sensory pits; region outerad of each lateral carina with sensory pits. Brachypterous; with reduced venation. Legs simple; with carinae and setose; tibia III with single lateral spine; apex of tibia III with five apical spines; basitarsus III and second tarsomere III with two apical spines. Abdominal tergites (Figs 2B, 5A, 6B) conspicuously elevated medially in males; in lateral view, abdominal tergite III with sensory pits (Figs 2C, F, 5C, 6C, 7); tergites IV to VII (Figs 2C, F, 5C, 6C, 7) with one to three sensory pits followed by isolated ventral pair aligned vertically; tergite VIII (Fig. 7) with one to two sensory pit. Phallus (Figs 3E–H, 5G, H, 6E, F) with endosoma formed by two asymmetrical sides, of which the longer side is apically developed in a comma-like structure and shorter side of endosoma is connected ventrally to longer side by a subtriangular ventral expansion; phallobase shorter than endosoma; aedeagus narrowing apically and with two long and thinner aedeagal hooks.

Remarks. Papagona is easily distinguishable from other New World caliscelid genera because it is the only one with sensory pits on abdominal tergite III (Figs 2C, F, 5C, 6C, 7). Other characters, as the central plate of frons with ventral pair of sensory pits within (Figs 2A, D, G, 5B, 6A) and sides of frons with sensory pits in a triangle-like distribution are also very characteristic of this genus (Figs 2C, F, I, 5C, 6C). In other New World genera, such as Aphelonema, Bruchomorpha, or Fitchiella, the central plate of frons never contains sensory pits within and sensory pits at sides of frons are mainly distributed as two well-defined rows (especially in Bruchomorpha and Fitchiella). Ball (1935) pointed out that Aphelonema was allied to Papagona, however, based on our ongoing studies of New World Caliscelidae, these genera do not share diagnoseable similarities except from the presence of sensory pits on body of adults, which characterize Peltonotellini.A phylogenetic analysis based on combined morphology and DNA sequences (de Freitas et al., in prep.) places Papagona as the sister to all other 11 Peltonotellini genera (including five undescribed genera) sampled.

Sexual dimorphism is common in the genus, as in other caliscelids, where the coloration of males is more conspicuous than of females, which are usually brownish yellow and larger than males (Figs 1, 2A–F). Additionally, abdominal tergites of males are medially elevated (Fig. 2B, E).