Atracodes Melichar 1902
Creators: name: Levia, Nathaniel N.
name: Bartlett, Charles R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Flatidae
Atracodes

description: Genus Atracodes Melichar, 1902
= Pseudoflatoides Metcalf, 1938
(Type species Flata (Phalaenomorpha) tortrix Guerin-Meneville, 1856), new synonymy.
Type species. Atracodes indutus Melichar, 1902 (by subsequent designation of Melichar 1923: 118).
Amended description. Head and eyes much narrower than pronotum at caudal margin. Vertex in dorsal view longer than broad bearing median carina, lateral carinae weakly foliate, subparallel proximally, curved medially near head apex. Head apex in dorsal view roundly produced, in lateral view projected for length greater than maximum width of eye (subequal in length to prothorax at midline). Frons elongated, much longer at midline than wide at widest point (near lower margin of eyes), narrowed dorsally, apex with callosity. Frontoclypeal suture nearly linear (weakly sinuate). Eye round in lateral view (or nearly so), lateral ocelli below eye (just in front of eye midline and above level of antennae). Antennae short, scape cylindrical in cross-section, about as tall as wide, pedicle distally enlarged, taller than wide; flagellum bristle-like with bulbous base.
Pronotum roughly trapezoidal from dorsal view (with anterior apex truncate), about as long at midline as vertex, broadest posteriorly, strongly narrowing cephalad to less than width of head with eyes; anterior margin strongly arched (may be medially truncate or notched), posterior margin broadly concave, disc tricarinate (may be obscured by wax), carinae obsolete anteriorly; lateral margins of dorsal disc carinate, disc bearing pair of variably distinct depressions (one on either side of midline); paradiscal region broad, extending ventrad below level of antennae. Mesonotum broad and about as long at midline as vertex and pronotum combined, tricarinate (may be obscured by wax). Forewings broad, held broadly tent-like (a subfamily feature), costal margin undulating and expanded to form very broad postcostal cell, humeral region bearing lobe projecting anteriad of tegulae; a small bulla bearing a cluster of pustules in proximal portion of Sc+RA; nodal line just distad of midlength (forewing often slightly inflected or curved downward near level of nodus); distal portion of forewing more reticulate than proximal; forewing apex with two irregular subapical lines (defining two irregular rows of cells, proximal band poorly defined in some species); in lateral view, forewings often inflected ventrally near nodal line. The number of lateral spines on the hind tibia differ between species, and range from 2–4 spines. The apical spinulation differs between species and ranges from 6–8 spines on the first and second tarsal segments, with the third segment always having 2 spines.
Pygofer of male terminalia lacking lateral or medioventral projections. Gonostyli in lateral view elongate and bearing prominent capitulum (simple and elongate hooked). Aedeagal complex (Fig. 6; aedeagus + phallotheca) bilaterally symmetrical, stout, apically bifurcate and ornamented with varied processes; approximately subequal in length to gonostyli in lateral view, shaft straight to weakly upcurved, bearing varied apical and lateral processes; aedeagus simple, usually distinguishable medioventrally from phallotheca. Anal tube (lateral view) narrow and elongated, usually exceeding gonostyli, distally down curved.
Plant associations. Atracodes indutus: Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. (seagrape, Polygonaceae; label information); Atracodes albus comb. nov.: Inga vera Willd. (Fabaceae), Lantana sp. (Verbenaceae; label information).
Remarks. The American Flatoidinae comprises seven genera (excluding species misplaced in the Old World genus Flatoides) and about 70 species. Three genera are reported only from the continental mainland (Flataloides Metcalf, Metcracis Medler, and Phalaenomorpha Amyot & Serville), one is widespread in both the mainland and the Caribbean (Flatoidinus Melichar), and three are reported only in the Caribbean region (Atracodes, Flatarina Metcalf & Bruner, and Flatarissa Metcalf & Bruner). Of the Caribbean genera, two (Flatarissa and Flatarina) are Cuban endemics. Keys that include American Flatoidinae can be found in Melichar (1901), Metcalf (1938), Metcalf & Bruner (1948), Caldwell & Martorell (1951), and Bartlett et al. (2014), although none of these include all American genera.
Among the genera of Flatoidinae in the Caribbean region, Atracodes can be most readily diagnosed by the projected head (vertex much longer than broad, or in lateral view, head projected in front of eye for a distance equal or greater than the greatest width of the eye), and the presence of an undulating costal margin of the forewing. The Cuban endemic Flatarissa has an undulating costal margin, but the vertex is broader than wide. The Cuban endemic Flatarina does not have either feature. The genus Flatoidinus is widespread and diverse. Flatoidinus bears a pointed head, but the head is generally broader than long (or as broad as long), and the costal margin of the forewings is not undulate.
We have found the number of lateral spines on the hind tibiae to be an unreliable feature. Within Atracodes, the number of lateral spines on the hind tibiae varies from 2–4. Atracodes was originally described by Melichar (1902) as having three lateral spines and subsequently as having two by Melichar (1923). We have found that Atracodes indutus Melichar, 1902 often has four lateral spines, with one very small.
Similarly, the waxy pruinosity that covers the wings and body of many flatids may bear helpful diagnostic patterns, but at the same time obscure coloration and surface morphological features (such as carinae and wing venation). Coloration may vary geographically and possibly by the age of the individual resulting in considerable variation within a species. From a diagnostic standpoint, the pruinosity can be problematic, and removing it (perhaps by brushing with ammonia) may be desirable to review obscured features.
Within Atracodes, there appear to be two species groups based on the male terminalia, the tortrix- group, and the indutus- group. The tortrix- group contains A. tortrix, comb. nov., A. fasciculosus, comb. nov., A. fasciatus comb. nov. & stat. nov., A. insularis comb. nov., A. vittatus comb. nov. & stat. nov. and A. lichenoides comb. nov. This group is characterized by: anal tube (dorsal view) broad and of uniform width, aedeagal complex (lateral view) straight or downcurved, phallotheca (dorsal or ventral view) deeply bifurcated (to about half length), bearing 2–4 processes (Fig. 11), with aedeagus extending from the dorsal side of the phallotheca, between the bifurcations; tapered to a convex apex. The indutus- group contains A. indutus, A. longifrons, A. sanctaeluciae, and A. albus comb. nov. This group is characterized by: anal tube (dorsal view) narrowed in proximal half (broader distally); aedeagal complex curved upward distally, phallotheca (dorsal or ventral view) less deeply bifurcated (to about three quarters length), bearing three pairs of processes (Fig. 6), with aedeagus extending ventrodorsally, apex upcurved.
Key to the species of Atracodes (males, excluding A. insularis comb. nov.)
1. Phallotheca in lateral view curved upward (Fig. 6A), anal tube (dorsal view) narrow in proximal half.................. 2
–. Phallotheca in lateral view straight or downcurved (Fig. 10B), anal tube (dorsal view) uniformly broad................. 5
2. Dark lateral line present before and behind the eye (Fig. 2B)................................................... 3
–. No dark lateral line present before and behind the eye...................................... Atracodes sanctaeluciae
3. Ventral margin of anal tube (lateral view) with a large lateral lobe near midlength (Caldwell & Martorell 1951, fig. 48a)................................................................................. Atracodes albus comb. nov.
–. Ventral margin of anal tube (lateral view) with a small lateral lobe, or lobe absent, near midlength (Fig. 2D)............. 4
4. Anal tube without ventral median lobe on ental surface, anal tube with subapical lateral margin angled (Fennah 1965, fig. 93), apical dorsal processes of aedeagus slender (Fennah 1965, fig. 94); Dominica ..................... Atracodes longifrons
–. Anal tube bearing ventral median lobe on ventral surface (Fig. 2D), anal tube with subapical lateral margin rounded, aedeagus with pair of bladelike dorsal apical processes (Fig. 6A); Virgin Islands ............................ .. Atracodes indutus
5. Phallotheca with two pairs of processes......................................... Atracodes lichenoides comb. nov.
–. Phallotheca with three pairs of processes (Figs 11A–B)....................................................... 6
6. Gonostyli in lateral view with ventral margin concave, ventroapical margin of apex smoothly rounded (Medler 1993b, fig. 7); dorsal apical and subapical processes very elongated, all reaching pygofer................ .. Atracodes tortrix comb. nov.
–. Gonostyli with ventral margin nearly linear, ventroapical margin of apex angulate (Figs 10D, 14D); dorsal apical and subapical processes elongated but not all reaching pygofer (Figs 11A, 15A)............................................... 7
7. Aedeagal processes A3 and A4 (i.e., subapical dorsal processes) blade-like, A1 and A2 (apical dorsal processes) reaching pygofer (Figs 10A, B, 11A) ……………………………………………………. Atracodes fasciatus comb. nov. & stat. nov.
–. Aedeagal processes A3 and A4 slender, apical dorsal processes not reaching pygofer (Figs 14A, B, 15A)............... 8
8. Apical dorsal processes of aedeagus exceeding length of subapical dorsal processes (Metcalf & Bruner 1948, plate XVI, fig. 5), ventral aedeagal process short and curved...................................... Atracodes fasciculosus comb. nov.
–. Apical dorsal processes of aedeagus are shorter and more slender than subapical dorsal processes (Figs 14A, 14B, 15A), ventral aedeagal process originating from ventroapical aedeagal lobe (Fig. 15A)........ Atracodes vittatus comb. nov. & stat. nov.
description: Published as part of Levia, Nathaniel N. & Bartlett, Charles R., 2025, A review of the genera Atracodes Melichar and Pseudoflatoides Metcalf (Hemiptera: Flatidae: Flatoidinae) from the Caribbean region, pp. 231-255 in Zootaxa 5590 (2) on pages 236-237, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5590.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14953032