Heraeus nicaraguensis

HERAEUS NICARAGUENSIS SP. NOV.

(FIGS 36 D, 38, 39A, 40A–D)

Diagnosis

Labium extending to mesocoxae. Distiflagellomere with a pale band. Membrane with an apical pale spot. Metafemur with a subapical dark band. Apex of pygophore pointed dorsally in lateral view.

The diagnostic characters relate H. nicaraguensis sp. nov. to H. bahiensis sp. nov. They can be distinguished by the darker general colouration of H. nicaraguensis sp. nov., with a blackish head and a dark posterior pronotal lobe with four longitudinal pale stripes, whereas in H. bahiensis sp. nov., the head is dark reddish brown and the posterior pronotal lobe is brown, with diffuse longitudinal stripes.

Description (Fig. 36 D)

Total length 5.32. Dark brown species.

Head: Dark brown, shiny, coriaceous, with short recumbent and long erect setae dorsally. Head length 1.10, width 0.83, postocular length 0.43. Eyes not surpassing the dorsal margin of head in lateral view. Ocelli at level of an imaginary line passing the posterior border of eyes. Interocular width 0.40, interocellar width 0.24. Labium pale brown, with erect setae; extending to mesocoxae. Labial segment lengths: I 0.70, II 0.75, III 0.48, and IV 0.29. Antennae brown, basal half of basiflagellomere and base of distiflagellomere darkened, distiflagellomere with a wide sub-basal yellowish band; setae abundant, short, and recumbent. Antennal lengths: scape 0.42, pedicel 0.99, basiflagellomere 0.80, and distiflagellomere 1.04. Length of pale band on distiflagellomere 0.40.

Thorax: Pronotum dark brown, posterior pronotal lobe slightly paler, with four longitudinal pale bands and a pale spot on each humeral angle. Anterior and posterior lobes with short recumbent setae and long erect setae, longer on anterior lobe. Collar length 0.08, anterior lobe length 0.54, posterior lobe length 0.46; anterior lobe width 0.86, posterior lobe width 1.28. Scutellum dark brown, apex paler, pruinose, punctate, with short recumbent and erect setae, as on anterior lobe. Pleurae dark brown, punctate, with short recumbent setae. Evaporative area extended. Hemelytra dark brown, with a pale inner corial spot and a subapical corial spot; costal margin pale on proximal three-quarters; membrane brown, with veins paler and an elongate apical pale spot (Fig. 36 D). Legs: Coxae, protrochanter, and profemur dark brown, at most with apices paler, meso- and metafemur with a subapical dark band; remain- der of legs pale brown, apex of tibiae, tarsi, and pretarsi darker (Fig. 39 A); setae long and erect, longest on profemur.

Abdomen: Dark brown, with abundant short recumbent setae. Male genitalia: Pygophore (Fig. 40 A, B) rounded, apex with a dorsally directed protuberance, anterior margin of dorsal aperture slightly rounded. Parameres: Figure 40 (C, D). Aedeagus: spinose; conjunctiva with spines laterally beneath the ejaculatory reservoir; vesica with spines laterally and sclerotized lobes with spines distally; processus gonopori long and slender.

Distribution

Costa Rica and Nicaragua (Fig. 38).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ nicaraguensis ’ is an adjective referring to Nicaragua, the Central American country where the holotype was collected.

Type material

Holotype: ♂, NICARAGUA, Puerto Cabezas, VII- 1971, J. Maldonado C. (USNM).

Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀, same data as for holotype (USNM); COSTA RICA: Heredia: 1♀, La Selva OTS Station, 22/23-V-1988, blacklight, J. O’Donnell (UCMS); 1♀, 24/25-V-1988, blacklight, J. O’Donnell (UCMS).