Limnocoris surinamensis Nieser 1975, NEW STATUS
Creators: name: Rodrigues, Higor D. D.
name: Sites, Robert W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Naucoridae
Limnocoris
Limnocoris surinamensis

description: Limnocoris surinamensis Nieser, 1975 NEW STATUS
(Figs. 1B, 10, 13A)
Limnocoris fittkaui surinamensis Nieser, 1975: 70–72 (original description).
Limnocoris fittkaui surinamensis: Nieser & López-Ruf 2001: 318 (catalog).
Diagnosis. Body length 7.35–8.10, body width 5.60–6.00. The shagreened area of the propleuron extends halfway along the entire length of lateral margin (Fig. 10C). The mesosternal carina has the fossa deflexed ventrally, oval, shallow (Fig. 10C) and excavated posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 10F).Abdominal sterna III–V have small, rounded, black spots near the lateral margins (Fig. 10B). The lateral margin of the abdomen is distinctly serrate (Fig. 10D). The female subgenital plate posterior margin is narrowed medially (Fig. 10E).
Supplemental description. Antenna not exceeding lateral margin of eye; pedicel quadrate; flagellomeres slender, not partially fused. Maxillary plate tumescent anteriorly. Labrum pentagonal, with lateral margin shallowly concave and distal margin acuminate. Posteroventral margin of head swollen on midline, but without postgenal tubercle. Propleuron with shagreened area extending posteriorly halfway along length of lateral margin; posterior margin convex at mid-length (Fig. 10C); posteromesal corner near prosternellum deflexed ventrally as a papilla. Region between mesobasisternum and mesoepisternum with longitudinal row of elongate golden setae. Mesosternal carina with fossa deflexed ventrally, oval, shallow (Fig. 10C), and excavated posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 10F). Metasternal carina with fossa teardrop-shaped, slightly depressed medially (Fig. 10F). Lateral margin of abdomen distinctly serrate; posterolateral corner of segments II–IV right-angled, segments V in males and V–VI in females produced posteriorly, spinose; sternum II with sinuous row of elongate golden setae; sterna with elongate golden setae generally dispersed, concentrated near midline of segments III–VI.
Comparative notes. This species has the shape of the mesosternal carina and the serrated lateral margin of the abdomen similar to those of L. burmeisteri, L. fittkaui, L. inflatus, L. menkei, L. minutus, and L. moreirai. In L. burmeisteri and L. inflatus, the rounded dark-brown spots of abdominal sterna III–V are absent (Figs. 3B, 7B), whereas in the other five species this feature is present (e.g., Fig. 10B). Also, the number of teeth of the serrated abdominal lateral margin varies among them (Table 2). In L. burmeisteri, L. inflatus, and L. moreirai, abdominal tergum V of the males and females has 19 teeth or more (Figs. 3E, 7E), whereas in the other species the number of teeth reaches at most 19, usually with fewer than 18 (Figs. 4E, 8F, 10D).
Limnocoris fittkaui can be distinguished from L. menkei, L. minutus, and L. surinamensis by the posterolateral corner of abdominal segment V yellowish (Fig. 4F), lateral margin of abdominal segment V with 17–19 teeth (Fig. 4E), and posterior margin of male abdominal mediotergite VII distinctly projected medially (Fig. 6E), whereas in the other three species, L. menkei, L. minutus, and L. surinamensis, the posterolateral corner of abdominal segment V is dark-brown (e.g., Fig. 8E), the lateral margin of abdominal segment V has 11–16 teeth (Figs. 8F, 10D), and the posterior margin of male mediotergite VII is not distinctly projected medially (this structure remains undescribed for L. surinamensis). Limnocoris menkei can be distinguished from L. minutus and L. surinamensis by the dark-brown posterolateral corner of the abdominal segment III (Fig. 8E), and the rounded posterior margin of the female subgenital plate (Fig. 8F), whereas in the other two species the posterolateral corner of abdominal segment III is yellowish (Figs. 10A) and the posterior margin of the subgenital plate is projected medially (Figs. 10E), sometimes weakly projected (Fig. 1L). Lastly, L. surinamensis and L. minutus are distinguished by body length, number of teeth of the abdominal lateral margin, and geographic distribution: L. surinamensis measures 7.80–8.50, has 13–16 teeth on the lateral margin of abdominal tergum V, and has been recorded from Suriname and northern Brazil (Amapá), whereas L. minutus measures 6.75–6.80, has 11–12 teeth on lateral margin of abdominal tergum V, and has been recorded from Paraguay and central-western Brazil (Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul).
Discussion. This taxon was described as a subspecies of L. fittkaui.According to Nieser (1975), L. f.surinamensis differs from the nominal species by the longer body length (7.80–8.50 in L. f. surinamensis / 7.00– 7.30 in L. f. fittkaui), lateral abdominal margins roughly serrate and the posterolateral corners of abdominal terga V in males and V–VI in females more pronounced. After examining type specimens of these two subspecies and additional material, we observe that these differences given by Nieser (1975) are constant within the populations of both taxa. Also, in L. f. surinamensis, the posterolateral corners of abdominal terga V–VI are black, and the lateral margin of abdominal segment V has 13–16 teeth, whereas in L. fittkaui fittkaui these corners are yellowish, and the lateral margin of abdominal segment V has 17–19 teeth. Although we did not have access to the male genitalia of L. f. surinamensis, we believe that such differences between these two subspecies are sufficient to consider both as distinct species. Thus, we here elevate L. f. surinamensis to full species status.
Distribution. This species is distributed in Suriname and northern Brazil (state of Amapá) (Fig. 13A).
Published records. Suriname: Marowijne and Saramacca (Nieser 1975).
Type material examined. All specimens brachypterous. PARATYPES: SURINAME, Marowijne, Mooi Wanna-kreek, 1 & 2.XII.1969, SN261, lgt. N. Nieser, Limnocoris fittkaui surinamensis Nsr., det. N. Nieser 71, Paratype (1♁, 1♀ USNM); Saramacca, SN236, second tributary of Troelikreek-system, 18.XI.1969, N. Nieser col. (1♁ MACN); SN221, first tributary of Troelikreek-system, 04.XI.1969, N. Nieser col. (1♀ MACN).
Additional material examined. BRAZIL, Amapá, BR-201, Igarapé Munguba, 23.III.1991, V. Py-Daniel & U. Barbosa col. (2♀ brachypterous MZUSP).
description: Published as part of Rodrigues, Higor D. D. & Sites, Robert W., 2023, Revision of Limnocoris Stål (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Naucoridae) of the Guiana Shield and Amazon regions, pp. 44-76 in Zootaxa 5284 (1) on pages 68-70, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5284.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7918947