Pelidnocoris paradisicola, López & Schwertner, 2024

Pelidnocoris paradisicola sp. nov.

( Figs 1–11 View Fig View Figs 2–6 View Figs 7–11 )

Type locality. Brazil, Minas Gerais,Viçosa, Mata do Paraíso, 20°48′00″S, 42°52′01.7″W.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( MZSP), ‘ Brasil, MG, Viçosa / Mata do Paraíso / 20°48’00’’ S, 42°52’01.7’’ W / 08.xii.2022 / EB Crispino & VM Ghirotto cols.// Pelidnocoris / paradisicola López & / Schwertner, 2024 / Holotype’. Right antennal segment V and left mesotarsal segments II and III are broken, but preserved with the specimen. The pygophore was removed for description and illustration, and is also stored with the holotype.

Diagnosis. Pelidnocoris paradisicola sp. nov. differs from the other species of the genus in the combination of the following characters: ligular preocular projections ( Fig. 2 View Figs 2–6 , pp), anterior pronotal ligular projections (ap), pronotum with anterior lobes rounded (al) and posterior lobes acutely projected (pl), absence of humeral notches ( Fig. 2 View Figs 2–6 , arrow), absence of elevations in the postfrenal lobe of the scutellum ( Fig. 4 View Figs 2–6 ), posterolateral angles of the pygophore not acuminate ( Fig. 7 View Figs 7–11 , pla), medial excavation of the ventral rim of the pygophore quadrangular and wide ( Fig. 8 View Figs 7–11 , vr), and the male segment X ( Fig. 7 View Figs 7–11 , X), wider and with lateral angles acute, exceeding the lateral margins of the pygophore ( Fig. 7 View Figs 7–11 , lm).

Description. Male. General morphology and coloration. Large size (13.5 mm). Body longer than wide, abdomen widely rounded with serrated aspect on lateral margins ( Figs 2–3 View Figs 2–6 ). General color when alive suffused greyish to pale green ( Fig. 1 View Fig ), with many small, dark brown to black punctures on head, pronotum, propleura, mesopleura, scutellum, hemelytra and connexiva; general color faded to pale yellow on dry preserved specimen ( Figs 2–4 View Figs 2–6 ). Mandibular plates with reddish pigmentation suffused on dorsal and ventral surfaces; strong red lines present on basal half of labrum and on segments II–IV of rostrum ( Fig. 3 View Figs 2–6 ). Antennal segment I yellow, with dark brown markings on lateral margins; segment II black; segment III mainly black, with basal and subapical yellow rings and apex reddish; segment IV black with yellow, red suffused band on second fourth of its length; segment V with basal half yellow, red suffused, and apical half black. Legs concolorous with body, presenting many dark brown spots on femora and tibiae. Lateral margins of abdominal sternites bearing black markings on anterior third and near middle portion, in dorsal view. Abdominal venter mostly immaculate mesially; pseudosutures and lateral portions of abdominal sutures with thick, dark brown lining. Abdominal spiracles dark brown.

Head longer than wide between eyes, declivous ( Fig. 4 View Figs 2–6 ). Ligular preocular projections present ( Fig. 2 View Figs 2–6 , pp), reaching approximately mid-width of eyes. Mandibular plates large, slightly convex and elevated laterally, rounded apically, overlapping in front of clypeus; small depression on head present before clypeus. Many small, dark brown to black punctures distributed all across dorsal surface of head, except for small, unpunctured patch in front of each ocellus. Eyes bearing interommatidial sensilla. Bucculae long, anterior margins evanescent and posterior margins very low, barely surrounding rostrum. Labrum recurved anteriorly ( Fig. 4 View Figs 2–6 , lr), extending to procoxae. Labium arising in line across midlength of eyes and reaching anterior margin of abdominal sternite VI (arched on Fig. 4 View Figs 2–6 ); proportion of labial segments: II> III> IV> I (measurements below). Antenniferous tubercles small, reaching midlength of preocular projections. Antennal segments cylindrical, segment I stouter than remaining segments, segment V acuminate at apex; proportion of antennal segments: IV> III> V> II> I; segment I not reaching apex of mandibular plates.

Thorax. Anterior pronotal margin concave behind head, almost straight behind eyes, ligular anterior projections present ( Fig. 2 View Figs 2–6 , ap), as well as two pairs of lobes (al, pl). Pronotum declivate anteriorly ( Fig. 4 View Figs 2–6 ). Anterior lobes projecting anterolaterally, rounded apically, posterior lobes projecting laterally, sharply acuminated at apex. Posterior lobes approximately attaining maximum width of abdomen, humeral notches absent ( Fig. 2 View Figs 2–6 , arrow). Posterior pronotal margin almost straight over scutellum. Mesosternum slightly sulcate mesially, inflated on both sides laterad of sulcus; metasternum flat, wide, hexagonal ( Fig. 3 View Figs 2–6 ). Metathoracic spiracle wide, curved ( Fig. 5 View Figs 2–6 , ms); peritreme spout-like, longer than half width of evaporatorium ( Fig. 5 View Figs 2–6 , per). Evaporatorium restricted to posterior margins of mesopleuron, bordering methatoracic spiracle, and occupying most of metapleuron ( Fig. 5 View Figs 2–6 ). Scutellum long, nearly attaining apex of abdomen, spatulate and mesially constricted. Two pairs of calli present at base of scutellum, one small pair almost at scutellar foveae, one large pair immediately mesad of smaller calli; one small pair of calli mesad of mesial constriction. Apex of scutellum slightly elevated on both sides.

Hemelytra long, posterior margin of membrane reaching transverse line adjacent to abdominal apex. Lateral margin of corium basally sinuate and elevated, then convex and flat until apex. Frena reaching median constriction of scutellum. Membrane almost completely covered by apex of scutellum.

Legs. Procoxae much closer to each other than meso- and metacoxae. Metacoxae closer to mesocoxae than to each other, these widely separated. Profemora slightly expanded mesially ( Fig. 4 View Figs 2–6 ); all three pairs of femora longer than respective tibiae; tibiae dorsally sulcate. Tarsi 3-segmented, proportion of tarsal segments: III> I> II, all segments yellow with dark ring on apex.

Abdomen wide, laterally serrated; connexiva exposed dorsally. Abdominal sternites flattened mesially, very slightly depressed. Spiracle of segment II completely exposed ( Fig. 5 View Figs 2–6 , sp); each spiracle anterior to pseudosuture of each abdominal segment. Trichobothria posterior to pseudosutures, laterad of line adjacent to outer margin of each spiracle.

Male genitalia. Pygophore ( Figs 7–11 View Figs 7–11 ) longer than wide, subrectangular, with many golden bristles on posterolateral angles (pla) and median excavation of ventral rim (vr). Dorsal rim (dr) slightly concave, with 1 + 1 posterolateral projections (drp) on each side of segment X (X). Ventral rim with large, quadrangular excavation, and pair of medial, dorsally directed projections (vrp). Posterolateral angles projected posteriorly, with rounded apex, and curved ventrally ( Fig. 9 View Figs 7–11 ). Lateral margins of pygophore almost rectilinear, except for sinuosity present on posterolateral angles. Segment X developed posteriorly into large lozenge expansion, acutely acuminated on all three apices; slightly exceeding lateral margins of pygophore (lm), posterior apex reaches same level as apex of posterolateral angles. Expansion of segment X curved ventrally ( Figs 9–11 View Figs 7–11 ).

Female. Unknown.

Measurements. Male (in mm, n = 1): total body length 13.50; width of abdomen 10.40; head length 2.65; head width across eyes 3.00; interocular distance 1.85; interocellar distance 0.85; length of antennal segments: I 0.90, II 2.05, III 2.55, IV 2.85, V 2.30; length of labial segments: I 1.50, II 3.00, III 1.90, IV 1.55; pronotum length along midline 3.00; pronotum width at humeral angles 10.20; scutellum length along midline 8.00; scutellum width at base 5.00.

Etymology. The epithet is the Latin noun paradisicola , meaning inhabitant of paradise. It refers to the Mata do Paraíso, where the holotype was collected; in Portuguese, ‘Mata do Paraíso’ means ‘Paradise Forest’. The area represents an important preserved natural fragment of the Atlantic Forest in a region highly impacted by past and present anthropogenic disturbances, e.g. logging, mining, and unregulated livestock and agriculture occupancy. The area includes a visitor center and a research station, maintained by the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV).

Comments. Although we used the shape of the pronotal lobes as a diagnostic character for the species, we note that this characteristic could, in fact, be variable among individuals of the same species. In P. paradisicola sp. nov. there is an asymmetry in the pronotal lobes ( Fig. 2 View Figs 2–6 ): the anterior lobes are slightly different from each other (acuminated on the left side, not acuminated on the right side), and the anterior and posterior lobes are contiguous on the right side, but not contiguous on the left side of the specimen. Such variation posed difficulties to identify the species based only on the external morphology of the body. The shape of the pygophore leaves no doubt about the identity of the species, with P. paradisicola ( Figs 7–11 View Figs 7–11 ) being remarkably different from its congeners ( Figs 15 View Figs 12–16 , 20–21 View Figs 17–22 ).