Unusual looking pentatomids: reassessing the taxonomy of Braunus Distant and Lojus McDonald (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)
Creators: name: Barão, Kim Ribeiro
name: Garbelotto, Thereza De Almeida
name: Campos, Luiz Alexandre
name: Grazia, Jocelia
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy

description: Braunus Distant, 1899
Braunus Distant, 1899: 422–423; Kirkaldy, 1909: 220. Lojus McDonald, 1982: 327. syn. nov.
Type species. Braunus: Coriplatus sciocorinus Walker, 1867, by monotypy. Lojus: Lojus asperus McDonald, 1982, by original designation.
Diagnosis. Mandibular plates widely triangular apically, at least as long as clypeus. Costal margin of each forewing with a basal process. Peritreme of the metathoracic gland obsolete; mesial margin of each ostiole bordered by a globoid tubercle. Abdominal sternite III projected over abdominal sternite IV ventro-medially. Male genitalia: dorsal rim of pygophore concave with 1+1 trapezoidal expansions laterad to segment X; segment X rectangular. Female genitalia: sutural margin of each gonocoxite 8 parallel basally, usually juxtaposed, and divergent apically.
Description. Brown to dark-brown or mottled brown and ivory; legs dark-brown or yellowish with brown, circular spots; dorsal and ventral surfaces of connexivum light brown medially. Integument strongly corrugated dorsally. Head longer than wide; mandibular plates equal to or longer than clypeus, but usually not meeting anterior to clypeus, widely triangular apically; anterior margin of each bucculae triangular, each posterior margin tapering towards base of head; ocelli from rudimentary to well-developed; antennae five-segmented; labium arising before anterior margin of eyes, attaining from hind coxae to abdominal sternite III. Anterior angles of pronotum obtuse or acutely projected; anterolateral margins smooth or with spine-like tubercles; humeral angles strongly projected laterad or anteriad, each with a single process or quadrate with two or more processes marginally; posterolateral margin each with or without a median tubercle and indentation; posterior margin straight to strongly concave; cicatrices swollen (Figs 1–11). Scutellum foveate in basal angles. Costal margin of each forewing with an obtuse process basally; radial vein calloused or not apically; membranal veins coarse and reticulated; length of corium and membrane variable (Figs 14–15, 56–57). Peritreme of metasternal gland obsolete; mesial margin of ostiole bordered by a rounded process; evaporatorium concolorous with pleural color pattern, reaching halfway to lateral metapleural margin and to the posterior margin of mesopleura (Figs 17, 51, 59). Posterolateral angles of abdominal sternites each projected posterolaterally, obtuse apically. Median portion of abdominal sternite III projected onto base of abdominal sternite IV.
Male genitalia. Pygophore sub-quadrate (Figs 18–23, 38–43, 60–65). Dorsal rim concave with 1+1 trapezoidal projections laterally to segment X. Segment X rectangular (Figs 25, 67). Parameres F-shaped (Figs 24, 66), placed laterad to segment X. Inferior layer of ventral rim uniformly excavated or emarginated; superior layer of ventral rim depressed medially. Apical margin of phallotheca with a membranous thecal shield (Figs 26–31, 68–73; ts). Ventral and laterodorsal conjunctival processes present, ventral hatchet-like.
Female genitalia (Figs 32–33, 46–47, 52–53, 74–75). S utural margins of gonocoxites 8 each parallel basally, usually juxtaposed, and divergent apically. Gonapophyses 8 visible, usually carinated medially. Spiracle of laterotergites 8 visible, placed posterior to lateral angle of each gonocoxite 8. Gonocoxites 9 rectangular or trapezoidal. Laterotergites 9 basally depressed, rounded apically. Segment X rectangular.
Distribution. Central America: Costa Rica. South America: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia (Figs 78–82).
Remarks. McDonald (1982) related Braunus [sic Lojus] to Berecynthus Stål, 1862, Padaeus Stål, 1862, and Proxys Spinola, 1837 based on the shape of metasternal gland (MG) peritreme and projections on the anterolateral margins of pronotum. However, while the MG peritreme is obsolete in Braunus, it is fully developed, spout-shaped on Berecynthus, Padaeus and Proxys. Similarly, the anterolateral margins of the pronotum are armed with fingerlike process in Braunus and Berecynthus, whereas smooth in Padaeus and Proxys. The corrugate dorsal appearance, brachyptery, obsolete MG peritreme, and genitalia structure of Braunus is similar to Pentatomiana Grazia & Barcellos, 2004, as noted by Grazia & Barcellos (2004).
Key to species of Braunus Distant, 1899
1. Lateral margin of each mandibular plate denticulate (Fig. 50); humeral angles of pronotum projected anteriad, each with multiple processes (Figs 6, 48); apex of scutellum explanate (Fig. 48)................ B. prionotus Barão & Garbelotto sp. nov.
1’. Lateral margin of each mandibular plate smooth; humeral angles of pronotum projected laterad, each with 1–4 processes (Figs 1–5, 7–11); apex of scutellum smooth..................................................................... 2
2(1). Anterolateral margins of pronotum smooth, except for a weak tubercle at each anterior angle; humeral angles of pronotum each with single digitoid process at apex (Fig. 8)....................................... B. ateuchus (Thomas) comb. nov.
2’. Anterolateral margins of pronotum each with spine-like tubercles; humeral angles of pronotum each with two or more processes apically (Figs 1–5, 7, 9–11)........................................................................ 3
3(2’). Anterior angles of pronotum each with a spine-like tubercle surpassing the lateral margin of each compound eye in dorsal view (Figs 1–4, 7)......................................................................................... 4
3’. Anterior angles of pronotum each with a spine-like tubercle not surpassing the lateral margin of each compound eye in dorsal view (Figs 5, 9–11).................................................................................... 6
4(3). Head uniformly dark brown dorsally; posterolateral margins of pronotum sinuated, each with median indentation (Figs 1–3); internal margin of each pronotal cicatrix with white spot.......................... B. sciocorinus (Walker) (Figs 12–13)
4’. Head uniformly castaneous dorsally; posterolateral margins of pronotum sinuated, each with tubercle and indentation medially (Figs 4, 7); internal margin of each pronotal cicatrix concolorous with remainder of pronotum......................... 5
5(4’). Outline of each mandibular plate black dorsally; anterolateral margins of pronotum each with stout tubercles; each humeral angle trilobed apically; posterior margin of pronotum slightly concave (Fig. 4); abdomen dark brown ventrally with 1+1 yellowish bands mediolaterally.................................. B. machadoi Barão & Garbelotto sp. nov. (Figs 36–37)
5’. Outline of each mandibular plate concolorous with remainder of head; anterolateral margins of pronotum each with small tubercles; each humeral angle singled lobed apically; posterior margin of pronotum straight (Fig. 7); abdomen uniformly reddish-brown ventrally....................................................... B. asperus (McDonald) comb. nov.
6(3’). Tubercles on each anterolateral margin of pronotum obtuse; humeral angles of pronotum each with two processes apically, one anteriorly and one posteriorly (Fig. 10)....................................... B. brettlizorum (Thomas) comb. nov.
6’. Tubercles on each anterolateral margin of pronotum acute; humeral angles of pronotum each with three processes apically, two anterior and one posterior (Figs 5, 9, 11)................................................................... 7
7(6’). Ocelli absent; apex of each hemelytral radial vein not calloused; inferior layer of ventral rim of pygophore smooth........................................................................ B. bordoni (Brailovsky & Rolston) comb. nov.
7’. Ocelli present; apex of each hemelytral radial vein calloused; inferior layer of ventral rim of pygophore projected medially (except B. gibbus Garbelotto & Barão sp. nov., male unknown)................................................. 8
8(7’). Dark brown dorsally; abdomen uniformly dark brown ventrally; anterior lobe of pronotum as long as posterior lobe of pronotum (Fig. 11).................................................... B. ocellatus (Thomas) comb. nov. (Figs 54–55)
8’. Light brown to yellowish dorsally; abdomen dark brown ventrally with 1+1 yellowish bands mediolaterally; anterior lobe of pronotum shorter than posterior lobe of pronotum (Fig. 5)............ B. gibbus Garbelotto & Barão sp. nov. (Figs 44–45)
description: Published as part of Barão, Kim Ribeiro, Garbelotto, Thereza De Almeida, Campos, Luiz Alexandre & Grazia, Jocelia, 2016, Unusual looking pentatomids: reassessing the taxonomy of Braunus Distant and Lojus McDonald (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), pp. 168-186 in Zootaxa 4078 (1) on pages 169-171, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4078.1.16, http://zenodo.org/record/261493