Phthiarella affinis (Distant)

Phthiarella affinis (Distant) View in CoL

( Figs. 29‒30)

Phthia affinis Distant, 1901: 419 View in CoL (original description).

Phthia affinis View in CoL : Bergroth, 1913: 143.

Phthiarella affinis View in CoL : Brailovsky, 2009: 71.

Phthia affinis View in CoL : Packauskas, 2010: 77.

Phthiarella affinis View in CoL : Serna and Wolff, 2024: 19, 70.

Diagnosis. Like P. femorata (Breddin) with coxae, trochanters and femora yellow. Phthiarella affinis (Distant) is clearly distinguished by having at the anterior lobe of pronotal disk a wide, arcuate, yellowish transverse fascia; the corium behind the claval commissure with a broad yellowish transverse fascia; and the humeral angles conspicuously large and acute ( Figs. 29‒30). In P. femorata the humeral angles are hardly prominent, and the pronotal disk and corium without yellowish transverse fascia ( Figs. 23‒24). Phthiarella affinis is also recognized by having large yellow subtriangular spot at upper half of propleura; and abdominal sterna III–IV yellow and V–VII and genital plates metallic green.

Redescription. Female. Measurements. Not available to be taken.

Dorsal coloration. Head black with metallic green reflections, and short yellow spot below each ocelli; antennal segments I to IV black; pronotum black with metallic green punctures; anterior lobe with narrow, arcuate, yellowish transverse fascia, reaching the anterolateral borders; scutellum and clavus black; apex of claval commissure yellow; corium black with wide transverse fascia behind claval commissure reaching the costal borders; hemelytral membrane black with metallic bluish veins; connexival segments II–V yellow, VI–IX black with metallic green reflections; dorsal abdominal segments II–V yellowish orange, VI–IX black with metallic green reflections. Ventral coloration. Head metallic green with short yellow spot at each side of midline near collar; rostral segment I metallic green, II–IV yellow (apex of IV black with metallic green reflections); propleura with large yellow subtriangular spot, and inner half and posterior margin metallic green; meso-, and metapleura metallic green; pro-, meso-, and metasternum, inner border of fore-, meso-, and meta-acetabulae, and anterior and posterior lobe of metathoracic peritreme yellow; coxae, trochanters, and femora yellow; tibiae and tarsi black with metallic green reflections; abdominal sterna II–IV yellow, V–VII and genital plates metallic green.

Structure. Head. Rostrum reaching middle third of abdominal sternite IV. Thorax. Humeral angles exposed into large and acute spine ( Figs. 29‒30).

Male. Unknown.

Type locality. Ecuador .

Distribution. Colombia ( Boyaca, Caqueta, Meta) and Ecuador ( Distant 1901, Serna and Wolff 2024).

Material examined. Type material. LECTOTYPE female, ECUADOR, Cachabé , Rosenberg. Type examined and housed at BMNH.