Limnocoris moapensis La Rivers
Creators: name: Rodrigues, Higor D. D.
name: Sites, Robert W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Naucoridae
Limnocoris
Limnocoris moapensis

description: Limnocoris moapensis (La Rivers)
(Figs. 1E, 2G, 11, 14 A–B, 20B)
Usingerina moapensis La Rivers, 1950: 368–373 (original description).
Usingerina moapensis: La Rivers 1971: 77 (catalog); Polhemus & Polhemus 1988: 526 (catalog).
Limnocoris moapensis: Sites & Willig 1994: 810 (new combination); Sites & Nichols 1999: 19–20 (egg description); Nieser & López-Ruf 2001: 319 (catalog).
Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other species of Limnocoris by the condition of the embolium, which is posteriorly projected at its posterolateral angle (Fig. 11A). Also, the mesosternal carina has a deep fossa which ranges from rounded to subtriangular (Figs. 11C). The hemelytra have the membrane reduced (Fig. 11A).
Measurements (n = 5 males / 5 females). Body length 5.73–5.90/ 6.01–6.30, body width 5.10–5.41/ 5.37–5.70, synthlipsis 1.18–1.20/ 1.19–1.25, head length 1.00–1.10/ 1.10–1.15, head width 2.00–2.12/ 2.10–2.20, pronotum length on midline 1.00–1.05/ 1.05–1.10, pronotum width 4.15–4.30/ 4.30–4.60, scutellum length 1.00–1.05/ 1.00– 1.05, scutellum width 2.00–2.20/ 2.10–2.30, hemelytra length 4.10–4.40/ 4.40–4.61.
Supplemental description. Maxillary plate tumescent anteriorly. Antenna not exceeding lateral margin of eye; flagellomeres slender, partially fused, with long setae. Pubescent area of propleuron distinctly extended posteriorly on lateral margin; posterior margin almost straight at mid-length; posteromesal corner near prosternellum deflexed ventrally. Region between mesobasisternum and mesoepisternum without longitudinal row of elongate golden setae. Metasternal carina with fossa teardrop-shaped (Fig. 11C), slightly depressed medially (Figs. 11C, E); posterior margin slightly excavated in lateral view (Fig. 11E). Lateral margin of abdomen with minute serration; posterolateral corners of II–V narrowly rounded to right angled, not spinose; sternum II without row or patch of elongate golden setae (Fig. 1E); sterna without generally dispersed elongate setae (Fig. 2G). Male: mediotergite VI with accessory genitalic process poorly developed; posterior margin of mediotergite VII shallowly convex; lateral and mesal margins of laterotergite VII subparallel, posterior margin rounded to truncated (Fig. 14A); lateral lobe of tergum VIII straight in anterior half of lateral margin; left medial lobe slightly angled posterolaterad at apex, with distal margin rounded; right medial lobe twisted in distal third (Fig. 14B). Female: subgenital plate with posterior margin broadly to narrowly rounded; lateral margin without tuft of elongate golden setae (Fig. 11D).
Comparative notes. Limnocoris moapensis, despite being easily differentiated from congeners by the embolium condition, shares some characters with L. insularis, L. lutzi, L. nanus n. sp., and L. zacki n. sp.: the pubescent area of the propleuron is distinctly extended posteriorly along the lateral margin, the posterior margin of the propleuron is straight at mid-length, the mesosternum lacks a longitudinal row of elongate golden setae, the abdominal sterna lack generally dispersed elongate setae, and the lateral margin of the female subgenital plate lacks a tuft of elongate setae.
Discussion. The genus Usingerina was described by La Rivers (1950) to accommodate a single species inhabitant of thermal waters, U. moapensis. This species was included in the tribe Usingerinini La Rivers, which was proposed at that time. This tribe was not mentioned again in the literature, not even in the catalog published by the same author (La Rivers 1971). The status of Usingerina was questioned one year after its publication, when De Carlo (1951) gave the reasons that led him to be skeptical, and later by Štys & Jansson (1988). However, formalization of the synonymy was proposed only by Sites & Willig (1994), who studied the efficacy of morphometric characters in the differentiation of eight species of Naucoridae, and found no support to maintain Usingerina as a distinct genus of Limnocoris.
Distribution. This species is endemic to warm springs in southern Nevada, in the United States (Fig. 20B). Field collections at other localities of this region were conducted by RWS and the species was not found, suggesting that it is restricted to the spring-fed river system near Moapa, Clark County, Nevada.
Published records. United States: Nevada (La Rivers 1950, Sites & Willig 1994).
Type material examined. All specimens brachypterous. HOLOTYPE ♂, UNITED STATES, Nevada, Warm Sprs., Clark Co., 26–27.XII.1948, LaR, Type No. 7179 (CAS). PARATYPES: same data as holotype (13♂, 13♀, including allotype, CAS; 1♀, EMEC).
Additional material examined. All specimens brachypterous. UNITED STATES, Nevada, same data as holotype (2♂, EMEC); Coburn’s Warm Springs nr. Moapa, Clark Co., 28.Jan.1956, Menke & Stange (3♂, 2♀, EMEC); Clark Co., Warm Springs, N. of Glendale, 01.Sep.1984, C. Riley Nelson (2♂, 2♀, BYUC); Clark Co., Warm Springs, N. of Glendale, 28.Sep.1984, M.F. Whiting (13♂, 7♀, BYUC); Clark Co., Warm Springs, 29.Mar.1985, Baumann (6♂, 5♀, BYUC); same data, except 11.IX.1987, B. Sargent (2♂, 1♀, BYUC); same data, except 11.IX.1987, D. Beazer (1♂, BYUC); same data, except Gunther (2♂, BYUC); same data, except 30.IX.1987 (2♂, BYUC); same data, except Moapa R., 15.May.1987, Baumann-Hardy (1♂, 1♀, BYUC); Clark Co., Moapa Warm Spring, 8 November 1998, coll R.W. Sites, gravel stream bed (5♂, 5♀, MZUSP); Clark Co., Muddy River, Warm Springs, 36°44’N / 114°42’W, 18.XII.1995, Baumann & Huntsman (7♂, 6♀, BYUC).
description: Published as part of Rodrigues, Higor D. D. & Sites, Robert W., 2019, Revision of Limnocoris (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Naucoridae) of North America, pp. 451-497 in Zootaxa 4629 (4) on pages 474-476, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4629.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3274050