NEW NEOTROPICAL WATEH-S')'HlDEHS (Hcmiptcrn-Vcliidac)

CARL J. DRAKE
Ames, Iowa
This prlpcr is bascd UpOIl matcrial in thc U, S, Natiollal \ )uspum
nml thc privnte collcction of the nuthor, It includcs tbe dcscription
of Olle JlCW spccies from Costa Bien am} thrce from the VYcst Imlies.
Notcs nrc nlso gi"cn on SOlllC ncw synonymy, and a ncw nHmc is
proposcd for a prcoccupied OIlC. Unless othcrwisc stnted undcr tbe
description, thc typcs nre in the collection of the author. The uJlits
of mcnsure l1wy bc cOllYertcd into millimeters by dividing by 80,
MICROVELIA SIGNATA Uhler
Mic1'Ovelia signata Uhler, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 2,4:288, 1894.
Microvelia setipes Champion, BioI. Centr, Amcr" Rhynch., 2: 130, PI. 8,
fig, 19, 1898 (N. sym,)
Microvelia oreades Drake and Harris, Ohio Jr, Sct, 28(5) :274. 1928
(N, syn,).

M. setipes champion and M. oreades Drake and Harris are both

npterous forms of 111. signata Uhler, nnd are herc suppressed as syn-
onyms of the lntter. Severnl hundred specimens (apterous and mac-
ropterous) haye been eXrlmined from United Strltes (Calif., Ariz,.
N. ~Iex. and Utah) and l\1exico. The type of 111. sigl/ata was taken
in LO\yer Califomia. The aptcrous form vary collSidcra ble in size.
MICROVELIA INTONSA, new name
Micr01;elia crinata Drake, Proc, BioI. Soc., Wash., 64:76, 1951.
r'.S a rcsult ot a typograp111cal error, wluch 1 tmled to correeL
in manuscl-ipt rlnd proof, the name "cril/ata" was wrongly used for
"crinita." As .11. cril/ita (llobedrlndt, DIA?\IANTER DE ANGOLA.
.:\ ruSEU DO DUi'\DO, p. 36. figs. 103-113, 1950) is preoccupied. Ihe
name intonsa is hcrc proposcd for 111. crillata Drake. The extremely
long lwirs on the legs separate illlol/sa from rlll of the described
species of American ,1Iicrou('Zia 'Vestwood.
MICROVELIA OAXACANA Drake, n. sp.
APTEROUS FOR;\IS: Elollgate, modemlely broad, dark browll-lu-
scous wIth a fcw small bluish spots on ahdomen: body bcneath dnrk
fuscous-brown with bluish tinge, thc Yf'nt('r somctimcs mostly browIl-
ish.
SIZE: Lcngth, 2.00-2.20 1Il1ll.; width, 0.75 111111.

HEAD: 'Vidth ncross eyes, 0.62 nlll], Convex with medin line
distinct. a sll1nll patch of long brown lwirs hf'hind each <'ye; rostrulll

37
 The Great Basin Naturalist
38 CARL J. DRAKE Vol. XI, Nos. 1-2

yellowish brown with terminal segment dark fuscous. Antennae

long, slender, dark brown with basal segment paler, shortly pilose
with a few slightly longer hairs on last three segments; segmenL 1
modemtely stput, a little bowed, stouter than t'm; III and IV long.
slender, equal in thickness: formula-I, 22; II, 15; III. 32; IV, 32.
THOHAX: Pronotulll very large, covering rest of thorils, pitted,
wider than long (55:34), slowly hroildly rounded behind, moderately
clothed with very short yellowish pubescence. Legs long, slender,
clothed with short hairs, the bilsal part of femora above. entire coxae
and trochilnters and all of femora beneath pale. I find fcmora scnr-
cel)' Lhicker tlliln middle piliI', without spines.
ABDOMEN: Length, 1.28 mm. Pubescence slightly longer thilI!
on pronotum. Posterior part of each connexivill segment nnd lasL
tergite testaceous; connexivil beneath testaceous. Female with lilst
tergite scarcely longer thiln preceding segment, with moderately long
hairs on hind margin; last ventrite distinctly longer thilI! the pre-
ceding segmen t.
;\IALE: Lilst tergite' nearly one-half longpr than the preceding
segment; last ventrite illso longer thiln the preceding segment. Geni-
Lal segments very large, above densl)' clothed with rather short
brO\\'n hilirs. with lateral sides rounded; first genital segment beneilth
deeply widely roundly excavated leaving only a short base; second
segment large. wide, without lateral spines. Venter without tubercle.
TYPE: (mille), Oaxaca, l\1ex., intercepted on Bromeliaceous
planL, by federal qUill'illltine plant iuspectors, New York City, New
York. :\larch 27. 1937. Allotype (female). and 3 parat)'pes. Ciudad
Victoria, :\ Texico, intercepted on 1001g moss (Tillanrlsia). by federal
plaut inspectors ilL Loredo. Texas. March 20, 19L~5. YVinged from
unknown. T)'pe in U.S. National MUS0l11l1.
This spf'cies is a bout the same size as 111. albonotata Champ.,
but lilcks the' lilrge ventrite spine ilnd has much larger and longe~'
pronotum. which cCJIlceills the entire thorax in the ilptcrous form ilS
in 111. austrina Bucno.H. lzidalgoi ;\TcKiustry ilnd ,H. rostaiwJ({
Drilke.

MICROVELIA TATEIAXA Drake, n. sp.

APTEHOUS FOlll\1: lVloderately lilrge, elongate, testaceOllS or
brownish with second Lo sixth visible tergites dilrk fuscous. Head
testaceOtlS or brownish ,,,itll two broad testaccous stripes on each
side of media line llnitillg posteriorly. Tergites with some bluish
Sept. 29. 1951 NEW NEOTHOPIC..\L \\·..\TEn-STlU))EH~ 39

Clreas. Sides of heCld and pronot LillI behind eyes with silvery pubes-
cence.
SIZE: Length, 1.90-2.10 nun.; wid th, 0.75 JIIm.
HEAD: ,\Vidth Clcross pyes, 0.56 1l1111. ~\Iedi,lIl line distinct, hut
not conspicuous, sometillles indis tinct posteriorly. RostUlll pClle
testClceous with Clpical segment hIClck-fuscous. Antennae long, slen-
der, hrown-fuscous with hClse testClceous, shortly pilose with very
few slightly longer hairs; segment I moderately stOllt, a little bowed,
nlOsth· testClceous; II much slenderer, a little thicker than next two;
III m;d IV slender; formuICl-I. 20; II. 14; III. 27; IV, 30.
THon..\\:: Pronotum rather large, covering most of mesonotllm,
more than twice as wide as long (50: 19), pitted with pits arranged
IClrgely in two transverse rows; mesonotum pale testaceous, with
exposed part approximately one-hCllf as long as proJlotum. Legs
long. slender, clothed with short pale hairs, testaceous with apical
hCllf of femora and entire dorsal surface of tibiae brown to dark
browJl; tarsi fuscous. segment one and two of both middle and hind
legs practicall.\' equal in length. Hind femora ullanned ill male,
sligh tl y stouter thall middle pair.
AHDo:-'1EK: Length, 1.1'5 lllm. DorsClI surface of hoth abdomen
allCI pronotum with a few scattered long fille hairs. Ilot nearly as
Iwir.\' as in -"\1. portoriCcllsis. Connexiva testaceous with the outer
margill alld sutures between segments fuscous. wider in male than
in fenmle, strongly reflexed apicCllly in female. Last three tergites
flClVOllS with slight bluish bloom. Abdomen beneath testClceous to
dClrk fuscous with somp bluish plumbeous, clothed with pubescence
and some short hairs; last ventrite in femClle narrowed posteriorly,
long. less than lwire tl](' IPngth of precPding segment.
:\fALE: LClsl ventrite ahout one-fourth longer them preceding
segment, not clS strongly nClrrowed postpriorly as in femClle; first
genitClI segment \'Cry IClrge, heneath very widely deeply roundly
excavatecl bphind le'l\'ing only cl short SlllOOth hClse; second spgment
very wide. distillctly ClsymmetricClI. strongly wid ply produced IClteral-
lyon ldt sidp, Clml on other side behind with a transversp, somewhat
cylindrical protuberence. Venter without tubercle. Felllora Llll-
armC'cl. Spcond genital segment without lilteral spines.
~VL\CI\OPTEI\OUS FOlC\I: PrOllOtlll1l browllish wi th a llalTOW trans-
ycrse ballcllleClr front mClrgin aud a broCld stripe extcuding on ll1ediCln
line fro III anterior margin posteriorly to heyond the disc, wicl(']' than
long, deeply pitted \\'itb pits arrallged largely ill t\\'o tl'ClllSye]'se ro\\'s,
 The Great Basin Naturalist
40 C:\RL J. DRAKE Vol. XI, Nos. 1-2

transversI)' cOl1\'ex on disc: humerill ilngles prominent. TIemelytril

covering npex of abdomen, brown with small bilsal nrea and two or
three indistinct spots beyond the middle pale, without silvery white
spots in cells; veins distinct, not prominen t. Length, 2.15 mm.,
0.90 Illm.
TYPE: (n pterous male), allotype (apterolls female) and 17 Rp-
terollS and one n1Clcropterous pRratypes, :c\ raricao, Porto Bico, I I. D.
Tate. Nilmed in honor of Dr. Tate, who has collected numerous
\\'R ter-striders for me in Porto Hico.
The asymmetrical male genitalia is very striking and peculinr
to this species. The hairs on the antennae are not nearly as long nor
as numerous and the vesture on dorsal surfnce not as shaggy as in
,11. parloricellsis. The mnle genital segments of the latter species nre
small. The lack of silvery white llwrkings in the cells of the heme-
lytra also serve to separate :\1. laleiana from other species of similnr
size and nppearance in InsulRr fmd CentrRl Americn.

MICROVELIA PORTORICENSIS Drake. n. sp.

APTEROUS FORl\I: ~Ioderately lRrge, testaceous to brownish with

silvery hairs on side of head and fore part of pronotum behind eyes.
Ahdomen above largely fuscous with lRst three tergites flavous or
bluish flavous and a quadrate spot on eRch side of second and thinl
visible tergites; beneath dark fuscous with a bluish bloom, the venter
becoming brownish tesaceous apically; sometimes venter largely
testaceous; underside of connexiva testaceous. Length, 1.90-2.10 mm.
width, 0.75 111m.
HEAD: Width across eyes, 0.51 mm. Testaceous or dnrk brown
\vith two broad testaceous stripes on each side of median line coal-
escing behind eyes. JVledian line not very distinct posteriorly. Ros-
trum testaceous with last segment piceous. Antennae moderately
long, slender, brown with basal pRrt of first segment testaceous. short-
ly pilose with long hairs on last three segments; segment I stout,
slightly bowed; II slender, quite slender at base; III amI IV slender;
formula-I, 14; n, 12; III, 20; IV, 23. fIead testaceous beneath.
TnORAX: Pronoltll11 large, produced posteriorly, covering R little
more than half of mesonotum, more than twice as wide as long
(55:21), the hind margin feebly concave. Entire dorsal surface of
thorax abel nbdomen sparsly covered with long brownish hairs. Legs
moderntely long, dark brown or fllSCOUS, clothed with short hairs,
the coxae, trochanters, base of femora above and most of femora be-
nf,ath testaceous. rlind femora a little stouter than middle pair, un-
Sept. 29. 19-51 NE\Y J'"EOTHOPICAL W,\TEH-:>THIDEHS 41

armed. Tibiae of middle ami hilld legs with rilther long dilrk hairs
on outer stll·filce. First tilrsill segmellt of middle a III I hind legs feebly
longer thilll secolld.
ABDO:-'IEJ'": Length. 1.35 IIIIll. ConIlexiYil il littlP wider ilnd
IIIore arched in fenlillf', not reflexed postC'riorly. Last tergite of fe-
male with seyeml long hairs on hind margin. IVlale gC'nital segments
moderately large, brownish, lwiry ahoye; first segJIlent belleilth rath-
er broad. smooth. \yidely deeply roundly excavated behind leaving
oIlly a short smooth hase: second segment small. \yithout lateral
spines. Venter without Illbercle.
:\L\CROI'TER01'5 FOIL\I: Length. 1.9 l1lnI.: \yidth, 0.92 mm. Pro-
Ilotum dark yeh'et)' rl.lfo-fuscol.1s \yith a transverse balld near an-
terior margin and a median basal stripe orange-yellow. clothed with
short. yello\Ylsh pubescence; humeral angles prominent. AbdomeII
distinctly IIarrowed posteriorly. 1 [emelytra covering apex of ab-
domen. dark brown-fuscous with silyery white markings in cells
(t\yO long basal stripes. tbree or four mediiln spots and median sub-
apical spot sihery \ybite). Other characters as in wingless form.
TYPE: (macroperous male) and allotypl' (mncropterous, fe-
male). l\Iilyaguez, Porto Rico. April 4. 1936. II. D. Tilte. Pnratypes:
26 specimens. taken with type: 1 specimen, Laiza, P.R., :\ larch 31,
1930; I specimen. :\'Iaricao. P.R.. ~\Iay 10; 1936, ] 1. D. Tate: 2 speci-
mens, :\Iayaguez. P.R., ;\Iay 28, 1937, Pedro Lopez.
Distinguishable from .11. albollotala Champion hy the long hairs
on antennae and shorter last antennal segment; male genital seg-
ments 111l1ch smaller, the Yenter \yithollt tubercle. The long antennal
hairs and abdomen (narrO\wd posteriorly) also separate it from
Ill. peruviellsis ;\1cKinstry. .11. tateirl17a n. sp. lws yery different
second genitnl segment in the male. All four of the aboye species
have similar markings on the proIlOtUl1l. ,11. laleiana is the oIlly one
of the four without silyery white marks on the hemelytra.

MICROVELIA CUBAXA Drake, n. sp.

APTEROUS FORM: lVloderately large, testaceous or brownish tes-
taceous \\'ith some fuscolls areas and a fe,,- bluish patches OIl a b-
domen; sided of head behind eyes alld jlronotulll in front with sih-ery
pubescence or short silyery hairs; a quadrate spot on each side of
second, third and fourth visible tergites aud usually last three ter-
gites hluish; body heneath testaceOllS OJ' hrownish \\'ith bluish bloOJII,
the sides of nbdomen darker.
SIZE: Length, 1.80-2.10 lllm., width, 0.80-0.90 mm.
 The Great Basin Naturalist
42 CAI\L J. DI\AKE Vol. Xl, Nos. 1-2

HEAD: vVidth across eyes, 0.50 mm. Dark brown with a broeld
or brownish stripe on each side of mediml line coalescing behind
eyes. Rostrum leslaceous wilh last segment piceous. Antennae long,
slender, brown C?r fuscous brown, shortly pilose, without long hairs;
formula-I, 14; II, 11; III, 16; IV, 26.
THORAX: Pronotum testaceous, with a narrow part in front of
transverse row of pits raised and usually darkened towards the sides,
produced posteriorly covering more than half of mesonotum, twice
as wide as long (50: 22), the posterior margin feebly concave; mes-
anatum testaceous, the exposed part nearly half as long as pronotum.
Legs ralher long. slender, dark brown or fuscous with coxae, troch-
antprs, hase of femora above (most of dorsal surface on anterior
femora) and entire ventral surface of femora testaceOl1s. Hind fem-
ora scarcely thicker thau middle pair, unarmed in both sexes.
ABDOMEN: Length, 1.25 mm. Color somewhat velriable, often
with a few basal segments darkened; connexiva testaceous with outer
margin and sutures between segment fuscous, wider in female than
male, not reflexed behind middle. Dorsal surface of both thorax and
abdomen without long hairs.
IVIALE: Venter without tubercle. Last tergite and ventrite dis-
tinctly longer than the preceding segmellt. Femora without spines.
Genitell segments moderately broad, brown, with short hairs on dor-
sal surface, heneath testaceous; first segment beneelth broadly deeply
\videly excavated so as to leave only a small smooth basal pelrt.
l\lACROPTEROUS FORM: Length, 1.90-2.20 mm.; width. 0.88 11Ull.
Pronotum dark rufo-fuscous with a transverse hand near front mar-
gin ilnd fl short mcdiHn stripe in front orallge-yellow. clothed with
short yellowish pubescence and some silvery pubescence, the mcdian
ridge fairly distincI; humeral angles moderately prominent. Heme-
lytra hrown-fllscoUS with silYery white spots in the cells (two longi-
tudinal basal stripes, three spots nearly middle and n subnJlical ovate
spot silver~r whitp; veins distinct, not conspicuous.
TYPE: (npterolls male). allotype (npterous fpmalc) and 22
pamfypes (winged allCI wingless specimens). Ilavana, Cuba, Feb. 24,
1941, S. C. Bruner. PARATYPES: 5 specimens, Baracoa, Cuba, Sept.,
1901. U.S. Nat. :'VIuseum.
This pretty littlc species is closcly allied to ,11. portoricellsis
Drnke, but lacks the extremely long hairs on the last three antennal
segments flnd the dorsfll surface is also without long hflirs. The
brand nsymnwtrical second geni tnl of male segment of ,11. tatei{[ll{[
Drake distinguishes it at once from hath of the above species.