Ascra petersii Distant 1881, n. comb.

Ascra petersii (Distant, 1881) n. comb.

(Fig. 25−30, 55, 62, 66)

Edessa petersii Distant, 1881: 99; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 192; Kirkaldy, 1909: 157; Ramos-Elorduy et al, 1998: 74, 99, 103 (List of edible insects); De Foliart, 2002 (List of edible insects).

Lectotype: Male. San Geronimo, (Baja Verapaz), Guatemala, Champion (BMNH). Examined.

Paralectotypes: Two males and one female. Same data (BMNH). Examined.

Material examined (n: 6). MEXICO. Sinaloa: ♀ Concordia, 6−7km North de La Capilla de Taxte, 5−X −1990. R. Turnbow (JEE). Jalisco: ♂ ♀ 16 km, N Autlan, July 31−Aug. 2, 1978. Plitt & Schaffner (TAMU); Colima: ♀♂ 10 mi NE, Comala, July 17−19, 1983. Kovaric, Harrison, Schaffner (UFRG). Morelos: ♀ 4.4 mi. E Cuernavaca, July 27−29, 1976. Peigler. Gruetzmacher, R&M Murray, Schaffner (TAMU).

Additional material indicated by Joseph Eger (pers. Comm.): MEXICO. Jalisco: 13 mi N. Guadalajara, 1 sept. 197, W. Hanson, G. Bohart. Morelos: 4.4 mi. E Cuernavaca, July 6–8, 1974. Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner. Chiapas: Motoxintla, September, 7, 1980, H. R. Burke.

Measurements: Head length (1.5); head width (2.2–2.4); pronotal length (3.2–3.5); pronotal width (7.3–8.0); total length (11.4–12.0); abdominal width (7.9–8.0); length of antennal segments I − (0.5); II − (1.0); III − (1.0); IV − (1.5); V − (2.0).

Diagnosis. Body dorsally green on head, pronotum and scutellum; hemelytron dark due to transparency of the corium, embolium greenish. Venter greenish yellow with some green to dark green spots (Fig. 62); margin of body red. Punctures black on dorsal surface (Fig. 55); ventrally only pro and metapleura with dark punctures, abdomen with sparse concolorous punctures. Antennae and legs yellow.

Head. Dorsal surface with some dark deep sparse punctures. Margin of the mandibular plates yellow or red; sparsely punctate but with a basal dense row of punctures. Clypeous rugulose and with a few punctures. Bucculae with ventral margin rounded, punctures concolorous; enclosing more than 2/3 of the first rostral segment. Antennae not punctate or maculate.

Thorax. Pronotum with deep sparse, irregularly distributed punctures; anterolateral margin of pronotum red. Scutellum with large dark punctures on anterior half, posterior half and lateral margins with punctures small, fine dark brown to black. Hemelytron with punctures larger and deeper on embolium and clavus. Anterior margin of embolium red. Ventral surface with green spots; punctures deep and concentrated in a row on propleuron. Evaporatorium concolorous or a little bit darker and not punctate; sulci of the rugose part subparallel. Peritreme short not reaching half of the distance between ostiole and lateral margin of the metapleuron. Metasternal process green, anterior bifurcation with short and wide evanescent arms, each apex rounded (Figs. 25−26). Legs not punctate or maculate.

Abdomen. Dorsal surface black, medial region with sparse and concolorous punctures. Connexival segments with punctures dark or concolorous; central part of each segment yellowish (Fig. 55) not punctate or with concolorous punctures between two dark rounded spots. Ventral surface with medial part impunctate; large lateral irregular bands including spiracles plus three others more medial green to brown, sometimes indicated by suffused areas; intersegmental areas and pseudosutures dark brown (Fig. 62). Abdominal margin with a wide red band.

Female genitalia. Gonocoxites 8 setose; punctures black to concolorous; lateral part concave; distal margin acuminate reaching meson of gonocoxites 9; sutural margin dark. Laterotergites 8 barely convex with sparse punctures; distal margin slightly projected; apex black, clearly surpassing level of laterotergites 9. Gonocoxites 9 setose; not punctate; base with large tumid areas overlapping distal margin of gonocoxites 8. Laterotergites 9 setose and punctate, basal half strongly excavated and distal half slightly tumid; apex acute (Fig. 27).

Male genitalia. Pygophore. Dorsal rim with raised part brown, punctures large and dense. Posterolateral angles tumid (Figs. 28−29) with a few punctures on outer surface. Superior process of genital cup pedunculate, curved and almost flat on distal surface (Fig. 30). Parameres broad and lanceolate (Fig. 30), yellow with black margin; base globose. Proctiger with posterior face subtriangular (Fig. 30) and rugose; lateral excavations delimited posteriorly by slightly tumid and raised margins. Ventral surface rugose; punctures mostly small, sparse and concolorous, a few large and dark; bottom of central U −shaped excavation wide, rugulose, concave and delimited by two short carinae (Fig. 30); expansions of ventral rim rounded, tumid and developed, not reaching level of posterolateral angles in ventral view (Fig. 29).

Comments. Distant (1881) described Edessa petersii based in three males and one female from Guatemala, but did not designate a holotype, thus we are designating the male syntype as the lectotype of the species. Distant compared E. petersii with E. discors Erichson based exclusively on Erichson’s description and comparison with E. abdominalis. Also, Distant considered the possible synonymy between both species but they are considerably different– Edessa discors has flattened body; dorsal surface green, brown hemelytra with raised yellow veins, and yellowish red ventral surface; humeral angles dentiform and angle of abdominal segment VII developed posteriorly.

Distribution (Fig. 66): MEXICO: Sinaloa, Jalisco, Colima, Morelos, Chiapas; GUATEMALA: Baja Verapaz.