Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002

de Barros, Lurdiana Dayse, Barão, Kim Ribeiro & Grazia, Jocelia, 2022, Taxonomic updates on the Mecocephala group (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): redescription of Mecocephala Dallas and Paramecocephala Benvegnú, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 55 (43 - 44), pp. 2691-2747 : 2734-2736

Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002 ( Figures 11c , 12c , 13f , 16 , 17 , 27a–f , 28b , 29 ; Table 2)

Mecocephala rubripes Pirán 1967: 21 (non Berg 1894: 18; Schwertner et al. 2002: 169–170, 181, 183).

Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva et al. 2002a: 216–220, figs 1, 2, 5, 13, 20, 27, 34, 44, 48, 53, 60; Ruschel et al. 2013: 555, fig. 2e; Barros et al. 2020b: 330, fig. 3B.

Material examined. BRAZIL: RIO GRANDE DO SUL: Holotype, f*, Pelotas , 5 May 1961, C.M. Biezanko leg. ( MCNZ –182381) <illustrated specimen> . Paratypes, BRAZIL: PARANÁ: m*m* f*f*f*, Curitiba , September 1961, S. Laroca leg. ( UFRG) ; m*, Barigui, 15 Octuber 1944/ guarda-chuva // Mecocephala acuminata Dallas ( UFRG) ; RIO GRANDE DO SUL: Imbé, m*, Albatroz , 6 November 1973, R. Wagner Hanisch leg. ( UFRG), <illustrated specimen> ; Porto Alegre, f*, 18 Octuber 1948 ( MCNZ –002804) ; Pelotas , m*, April 1990, M.H. Tedesco leg. ( MCNZ) ; m*, 6 Octuber 1990, C. Antonelli leg. ( UFRG) ; m*, 20 June 1990, V. Pontes leg. ( UFRG) ; m*, April 1985 ( UFRG) ; m*, 10 Octuber 1960, Irigon leg. ( UFRG) ; m*, 15 June 1951, C.M. Biezanko leg. ( MECB) ; m*, 12 June 1957, C. Biezanko leg. ( MACN), <photo examined> ; f*, 10 Octuber 1984, W. Treviso leg. ( UFRG), <illustrated specimen> ; f*, 4 May, M.S. Souza leg. ( UFRG) ; f*, 2 Octuber 1993, P. Timm leg. ( UFRG) ; f*, 15 Octuber 1985, J. Vargas leg. ( UFRG) .

No data: 1 m *, geni.[talia] prep.[arada] ( UFRG), <illustrated specimen>.

Omitted type material. BRAZIL: RIO GRANDE DO SUL: m*, Pelotas, 11.024, I.A.S // Coll. MRCN–002803 // Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002 / Paratype ( UFRG) ; f*, 10 Octuber 1949, Biezanko leg. // Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002 / Paratype ( UFRG), [without abdomen], <illustrated specimen> .

Diagnosis. Body colour dark brown to reddish-dark brown ( Figures 16a–c , 17a–c ). Apex of mandibular plates convex. Clypeus uniformly wider ( Figure 11c ). Anterolateral margins of pronotum straight to slight concave; outline crenulate, punctate ( Figure 11c ). Each peritreme of ESES reaching about 2/3 of the distance to lateral margin of evaporatorium, median furrow of each peritreme short, reaching less than half of peritreme; outer margins of metapleural evaporatorium straight to slight convex; evaporatorium on mesopleuron reaching the posterolateral angles and outer margin ( Figure 13f ). Foveae equal to the diameter of a compound eye ( Figures 16a , 17a ). Legs not concolourous with body ventral colour ( Figures 16b , 17b ). Hemelytra surpassing apex of the body ( Figures 16a , 17a ). Trichobothria separated by the imaginary longitudinal line tangent to the spiracles.

Male genitalia. Pygophore trapezoidal, posterolateral angles rounded to quadrate ( Figures 16d–f , 17d–f ). Genital cup narrow, occupying less than half the length of pygophore. Medial region of dorsal rim notched, and extension of dorsal rim well developed ( Figures 16d , 17d ). Area between layers of ventral rim excavated. Superior layer of ventral rim covering parameres, with two pairs of processes ( Figures 16e , 17f ). Inferior layer of ventral rim without processes ( Figure 16f ). Phallus ( Figure 27a–f ): Dorsal connectives longer, surpassing the distal half of phallotheca. Processus capitati long, surpassing the phallotheca distal margin. Conjunctiva with two pairs of processes, each acute apically, and three pairs of lobes: median sclerotised apically and lateral and ventral lobes, membranous.

Female genitalia. Posterior margins of valvifers 8 sinuous. Laterotergites 8 with posterior margins straight to slightly obtusely projected, and with a process on each anterior angle. Anterior margins of valvifers 9 straight and posterior margins straight to convex ( Figure 16g –h ). Laterotergites 9 surpassing the abdominal tergite 8. Diameter of proximal ductus receptaculi as large as the diameter of the inner ductus of vesicular area. Annular flanges convergent related to each other. Capsula seminalis smaller than the pars intermedialis ( Figure 28b ).

Measurements. See Table 2.

Distribution. Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul) ( Figure 29 ).

Remarks. This species shows chromatic variation, regarding its cuticle colour, presenting dark brown to black specimens and reddish specimens ( Figures 16–17 ).

The melanic and reddish specimens also present small differences in the size and shape of some structures (i.e. outline of dorsal rim of pygophore and posterolateral angles of pygophore). The extension of the dorsal rim is well developed, in a biconvex projection, in all specimens and presents variation in the width of the apical projections, and in the colour. The phallus is variable in outline and degree of sclerotisation. The articulatory apparatus of the phallus is variable in width, and with dorsal connective and processus capitati of variable length. The projections and processes of phallotheca and conjunctiva also present small variations in length and width ( Figure 27a–f ). Lateral and posterior margins of valvifers 8 and 9 with slightly variable outline.

Despite these variations, the distributional overlap of the two forms and the interchanging combinations of characteristics do not allow the reliable separation of these forms into different taxonomic entities.

Comments. Frey-da-Silva et al. (2002a) examined the male specimen designated as the allotype of Mecocephala rubripes by Pirán (1967). The M. rubripes holotype is a female and was not found in museums in Argentina. According to Berg̍s original description (1894), Frey-da-Silva et al. (2002a) concluded that it was not the same species, proposing a new species.

Ruschel et al. (2013), on the types of Hemiptera deposited in the collection of the Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, listed three species of Paramecocephala and made the following observations: for P. bergrothi , the holotype, with the following labels: ‘[Pelotas, 5 May 1961, RG do Sul, CM Biezanko leg.] [ Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, Holotype] [ MCNZ 182381]̍, it is a female specimen and not a male as mentioned in the original description ( Frey-da-Silva et al. 2002a, p. 220). A male paratype with the labels: ‘[Pelotas, April 90, Tedesco, M.H. leg.] [Genit. Prep.] [ Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002, Paratype]̍ is missing the genital capsule and has a collection number [2803].

Of the total type material available for the species, only one female paratype from Santa Catarina, Brazil ‘[Breddin Coll., Dallas acuminata] [ DEIC]̍ was not examined. We examined the paratype with the missing pygophore and associated it with one specimen of prepared genitalia available at the Laboratório de Entomologia Sistemática – LES, matching the respective illustration presented by Frey-da-Silva et al. (2002a). This prepared pygophore is very similar to that of another male specimen, without data on the collection label, but with a paratype label and another label numbered [43], deposited at UFRG. However, this specimen, together with three more specimens, was not included in the list of standard material available in the publication.

We believe that this specimen may be the male holotype, designated by the authors; probably an exchange of labels was made when the specimens were returned to MCNZ. This is likely since the original description matches the morphological and genitalic characters for such a specimen and because among the omitted paratypes, a female was found with the following labels: 10 Octuber 1949, C.M. Biezanko leg. // UFRG. Another female, listed in the original description with the label ‘10 Octuber 949 ( UFRG)̍, was not found.

In addition, when examining the female specimen deposited as a holotype and the prepared genitalia described and illustrated for the species, we found that the female associated with the prepared genitalia has somewhat different morphological and genital characters.

Figures

Figure 11. Head and pronotum of Paramecocephala in dorsal view. (a) Paramecocephala australis; (b) Paramecocephala bachmanni; (c) Paramecocephala bergrothi; (d) Paramecocephala foveata; (e) Paramecocephala fusca; (f) Paramecocephala guianensis; (g) Paramecocephala subsolana; (h) Paramecocephala uruguayensis; (i) Paramecocephala helenae sp. nov. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figure 12. Head and prothorax of Paramecocephala in lateral view. (a) Paramecocephala australis; (b) Paramecocephala bachmanni; (c) Paramecocephala bergrothi; (d) Paramecocephala foveata; (e) Paramecocephala fusca; (f) Paramecocephala guianensis; (g) Paramecocephala subsolana; (h) Paramecocephala uruguayensis; (i) Paramecocephala helenae sp. nov. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figure 13. Thoracic external scent efferent system (ESES) of metasternal glands of Paramecocephala. (a–d) Paramecocephala australis; (e) Paramecocephala bachmanni; (f) Paramecocephala bergrothi; (g) Paramecocephala foveata; (h–j) Paramecocephala fusca; (k) Paramecocephala guianensis; (l) Paramecocephala subsolana; (m) Paramecocephala uruguayensis; (n) Paramecocephala helenae sp. nov. (a, e–g, k–n) meso- and metapleural in ventral view; (b–d, h–j) scanning electron microscopy images of characters of ESES of metasternal glands. Abbreviations: cx2 – mesocoxae; cx3 – metacoxae; ev – evaporatorium; ms – mesopleuron; mt – metapleuron; mts – metathoracic spiracle; o – ostiole; om – outer margin; pod – periostiolar depression. Scale bars: a, e–g, k–n = 0.5 mm; b, h = 500 µm; c–d, i–j = 200 µm.

Figure 16. Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002. (a–c) Habitus of holotype in dorsal, ventral and lateral view; (d–f) pygophore of reddish variation in dorsal, posterior and ventral view; (g–h) genital plates in posteroventral and lateral view. Abbreviations: edr – extension of dorsal rim of pygophore; ilvr – inferior layer of ventral rim of pygophore; mpdr – marginal process of dorsal rim of pygophore; slvr – superior layer of ventral rim of pygophore. Scale bars: a–c = 2.0 mm; d–f = 1.0 mm; g–h = 0.5 mm. (Parameres and segment X not shown).

Figure 17. Paramecocephala bergrothi Frey-da-Silva and Grazia, 2002, melanic variation. (a–c) Habitus in dorsal, ventral and lateral view; (d–e) pygophore in dorsal view; (f) pygophore in superior view. Abbreviations: edr – extension of dorsal rim of pygophore; par – paramere; slvr – superior layer of ventral rim of pygophore; x – segment X. Scale bars: a–c = 2.0 mm; d, f = 1.0 mm. (Parameres and segment X not shown).

Figure 27. Phallus of Paramecocephala species in dorsal (left column), lateral (center column) and ventral (right column) view. Conjunctiva with two pairs of processes. (a–f) Paramecocephala bergrothi: (a–c) reddish variation; (d–f) melanic variation; (g–i) Paramecocephala fusca; (j–l) Paramecocephala uruguayensis. Abbreviations: aa – articulatory apparatus; cj – conjunctiva; dc – dorsal connective; dpph – dorsal process of phallotheca; dsd – ductus seminis distalis; mlcj – median lobe of conjunctiva; pcj – process of conjunctiva; pdpph – posterodorsal projection of phallotheca; ph – phallotheca; plpph – posterolateral projection of phallotheca; pve – process of vesica; vbpph – ventrobasal projection of phallotheca; vlcj – ventral lobe of conjunctiva. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Figure 28. Female receptaculum seminis and aussenwand of Paramecocephala species. (a) Paramecocephala australis; (b) Paramecocephala bergrothi; (c) Paramecocephala foveata; (d) Paramecocephala fusca; (e) Paramecocephala subsolana; (f) Paramecocephala uruguayensis. Abbreviations: aaf – anterior annular flanges; cs – capsula seminalis; ddr – distal ductus receptaculi; paf – posterior annular flange; pdr – proximal ductus receptaculi; pi – pars intermedialis; rs – ring sclerites; tvi – thickening of vaginal intima; va – vesicular area. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Figure 29. Map showing the geographical distribution of Mecocephala and Paramecocephala species. Yellow star = new record of P. subsolana.