Revision of Coptochilus (Heteroptera, Scutelleridae, Pachycorinae)

2020 DOI 10.1590/1678-4766e2020021 ABSTRACT. Coptochilus Amyot & Serville, 1843 is distinguishable from the other Neotropical Scutelleridae by the dorsally concave head, with lateral margins of mandibular plates elevated. Here we describe and revise the species of Coptochilus based on general and genital morphological traits. Coptochilus castaneus (Dallas, 1851), once synonymous with C. ferrugineus Amyot & Serville, 1843, is revalidated, and a new species, C. morrisi , is described from French Guiana. A key to the five species in the

genitalia. The specimens were photographed with a Samsung J5 Prime attached to a Nikon SMZ800 stereomicroscope and with a Leica Z16 APO microscope using a JVC KY-F75U digital camera and stacked with Syncroscopy Automontage software, version 5.01.005. The photographs were edited with Adobe Photoshop CS5 ® and drawings with Adobe Illustrator CS5 ® .
The terminology followed Tsai et al. (2011). Measurements (in mm) were taken as follows: total length, from head apex to posterior margin of scutellum; length and width of head across eyes; length of anteocular region, from the apex of mandibular plates to anterior margin of the eyes; mesial length of pronotum; width of pronotum across humeri; mesial length of scutellum; greatest width of scutellum; length of abdominal segments medially. The distribution map was based on the biogeographical dominions by Morrone (2013) and the shape file made available by Löwenberg (2014).
General shape and color . Body oval and somewhat rectangular, length 6.35-9.0 mm. Color variable, usually shades of yellow or red with darker markings; thin impunctate line usually present mesially on pronotum and scutellum. Pronotum and scutellum forming an evenly convex profile, in lateral view. Ventral and dorsal surfaces regularly punctuate, except mesially on venter. Males are usually darker ventrally than females.
Head subquadrangular, mandibular plates concave dorsally, elevated laterally and anteriorly, surpassing to slightly shorter than clypeus . Rostrum reaching or slightly surpassing metacoxae, segment II longer than III and IV together, segment I, almost the same size as segment II (Figs 2,5,11,14). Antennal segment I longer than segment II; segment III 1.5x longer than segment II; segments IV and V subequal in length, fusiform and flattened, each one about twice as long as III; segments I-II cylindrical and III slightly flattened; segments III-V setose (Fig. 14).
Thorax. Pronotum almost twice as wide as it is long. Humeri not or slightly produced. Cicatrices slightly elevated and partially impunctate. Anterior margin of pronotum slightly sinuous, shallowly concave mesially. Anterolateral margins straight or slightly convex or concave. Posterolateral margins sinuous; posterior margin rectilinear (Figs 1,4,7,10,13). Scutellum extending to the end of the abdomen in males, sometimes almost reaching the end of the abdomen in females; small fovea present, usually black. Coria exposed, reaching onto abdominal segment VI. Ostiole of metathoracic scent gland closer to metacoxa than to the lateral margin of metapleura. Ostiolar peritreme short, spout-like, directed laterally (Weiler et al., 2017). Sterna shallowly concave, prosternum more concave than meso-and metasternum, metasternum almost flat. Tibiae and ventral surface of femora with fine setae; coxae, trochanters, and basal half of femora usually lighter than the remaining leg segments, all segments uniformly light yellow in C. morrisi.
Abdomen (Figs 2,5,8,11,14). Posterolateral angles of sternites III-VI projected into small spines. Spiracles and trichobothria separated by a transverse depression on segments IV-VI, which is vestigial on VII. Sternite VII usually at least twice longer than VI mesially, almost twice longer in males of C. morrisi. Spiracles slightly darker than the surrounding surface, except in C. ferrugineus (Fig. 5) and C. morrisi (Fig. 11), in which they are hardly distinguishable from punctations.
Male genitalia (Figs 31-68). Pygophore globose, genital cup broadly open, dorsal and ventral rim both slightly concave, sinuous or subrectilinear , apical third of ventral surface depressed (Fig. 76), proctiger rounded, poorly sclerotized. Parameres (pr) hook-like, apex turned laterad . Phallus . Basal plate poorly sclerotized, U-shaped; phallotheca barrel-shaped, mostly transparent, and poorly sclerotized; conjunctiva with three pairs of sclerotized processes. Conjunctival processes II and III (cpII, cpIII, respectively) mostly sclerotized except in C. neotropicalis (Figs 66-68); conjunctival processes III smaller than conjunctival processes II and the most lateral, even in expanded aedeagus, conjunctival processes II located laterally to aedeagus sensu stricto (aed = vesica). Conjunctival processes I (cpI) positioned behind aedeagus sensu stricto (vesica), wrinkled, entirely or mostly membranous, can be branched. Aedeagus sensu stricto large and subtrapezoidal, sclerotized except on apex, ventral margin of apex concave. When the phallus is expanded, the dorsal part of conjunctival process I, if present, is projected dorsally and the vesica ventrally  Comments. Coptochilus is distinguished from other genera of Pachycorinae by the dorsally concave head, with lateral margins of mandibular plates elevated (Eger et al., 2015). The genus is restricted to the Neotropical region, and most of the species are related to one or two dominions proposed by Morrone (2013). Coptochilus castaneus is the most broadly distributed, ranging from Mexico to Bolivia.  (Fig. 4); abdominal sternite VII less than three times longer medially than VI in females, venter also reddish, darker laterally (Fig. 5); distribution restricted to Atlantic rainforest (Paraná Dominion sensu stricto) (Fig. 80)  Medium-sized, color ferruginous to reddish with black punctuations uniformly distributed dorsally and laterally on venter. Pronotum with two large impunctate elongate yellow to red macules submarginally on anterolateral margins (Figs 1-3).

Key to the species of Coptochilus
Head (Figs 16-18) dark yellow to red, clypeus, posterior, and lateral margins darker. Mandibular plates subequal in length to clypeus, rounded and slightly converging, but apices separated by more than the diameter of the second antennal segment, moderately elevated anteriorly (Fig. 16). Antenniferous tubercules and intersegments of antennal segments I-III concolorous with or lighter yellow than the remaining segments. Rostrum segment I, proximal portion of II, and joints of III and IV lighter yellow than or concolorous with the remaining segments.
Pronotum uniformly dark yellow to dark red, with darker, uniformly distributed punctation, longitudinal stripes not present or vague; impunctate macules usually lighter in color than surrounding surface; anterolateral margins of pronotum straight to slightly concave. Scutellum relatively uniformly dark yellow to dark red, immaculate, punctation generally dark red to black. Pleura mostly castaneus to yellowish, usually lighter along mesial and lateral margins and sterna. Legs. Coxa and adjacent surfaces of pleura, trochanter, and basal half of femur yellowish, remaining segments dark red to black.
Connexiva dark red to black, densely and concolorously punctate. Abdominal venter mostly red to yellowish, with darker areas on intersegmental sutures and pseudosutures (Fig. 2). Sternite VII in females more than three times longer than VI medially, more than 2.5 times longer than VI in males (Fig. 2).
Comments. This species, previously considered a junior synonym of C. ferrugineus, is here revalidated based on the longitudinal impunctate yellow to red macules along each lateral margin of pronotum, the different proportion of the median length of sternites VI and VII (males and females), the shape of the conjunctival processes and also the distribution pattern. Medium-sized, dorsally ferruginous to red with relatively uniform black punctuations, venter dark red to black, punctation mostly concolorous with surrounding surfaces (Figs 4-6).
Head (Figs 19-21) dark yellow to red. Apex of mandibular plates rounded, subequal to or slightly surpassing clypeus, moderately elevated, clypeus and lateral margins of head darker than the remainder of head. Antennae dark red to black, first segment not usually lighter than remaining segments. Rostrum with segments light yellow to red, distal half or more of IV darker.
Pronotum with 2+2 longitudinal darker stripes, these sometimes faded or unclear, anterolateral margins darker, straight to slightly concave. Scutellum uniformly dark yellow to red, punctation darker, lacking stripes or macules. Pleura mostly dark yellow or red or fully darker, lighter along inner and lateral margins, and pleural surfaces in the vicinity of the coxae and sterna. Legs. Dark yellow to light red on coxae, trochanters, and half or more of femora, remaining segments darker red to black.

Coptochilus lentiginosus
Head  light brown to dark yellow with dark punctations, posterior and lateral margins of head and sometimes clypeus darker than the remaining surface of head. Mandibular plates acute to broadly rounded, surpassing but not converging in front of clypeus, apices moderately elevated (Fig. 22). Antenniferous tubercles and antennal segment I pale, segments II-V uniformly dark. Rostrum with segments light yellow, distal half or more of segment IV dark.
Pronotum yellowish with irregular circular black macules, punctation uniformly distributed, dark. Anterolateral margins straight to slightly concave or convex. Scutellum yellow with irregular circular black spots and uniformly distributed dark punctation. Pleura light to dark yellow or fully darker; middle of pleural segments and punctation usually darker; sterna yellow, punctation mostly darker than surrounding surfaces. Legs light yellow except for half or more of tibiae and tarsi dark.
Connexiva yellow with dense, darker punctation. Abdominal venter ranging from light yellow with almost concolorous punctation laterally to dark yellow with much darker areas along intersegmental sutures, and around spiracles; punctures in these areas, if present, usually darker brown. Sternite VII in females more than twice as long as sternite VI medially (Fig. 8); sternite VII in males about twice as long as sternite VI medially (1.92-2.18).
Comments. Collected on Cecropia sp. (Urticaceae). Some specimens can be fully, or partially castaneous in the ventral or dorsal view. Coscarón et al. (2015) provided dorsal and lateral illustrations of the type specimen. However, figure 73L (p. 93) appears to be a lateral view of Tetyra poecila Berg and figure 73N (p. 93) more closely resembles C. lentiginosus.
Type locality. French Guiana.
Relatively small compared with its congeners, yellowish-brown to orange, with six darker longitudinal stripes distributed on pronotum and scutellum; punctation moderately dense and mostly darker than surrounding surfaces. Venter uniformly light yellowish-brown to red, punctation less dense, unicolorous to clearly darker than the surrounding area (Figs 10-12).
Head . Pale yellow to red, with concolorous to dark brown punctation, clypeus and base of head darker than the remainder of head. Clypeus and mandibular plates strongly elevated anteriorly, mandibular plates converging at apex, their apices separated by about the width of second antennal segment or less (Fig. 25). Antennae pale basally, becoming darker apically, particularly segments IV and V. Rostrum light yellow or red, segment IV and sometimes part of segment III darker.
Pronotum yellow to red with dark to concolorous punctation and six longitudinal stripes. Each lateral stripe extending onto cicatrices anteriorly (not reaching anterior margin of pronotum), reaching posterior margin of pronotum and expanding laterally onto humeri; each intermediate stripe reaching from posterior to anterior margin of pronotum; middle pair of stripes narrower than the other two, also not reaching anterior pronotal margin and separated from each other by pale impunctate line. Anterolateral margins of pronotum straight to shallowly convex. Scutellum similar in color to pronotum, six stripes originating at the anterior margin and extending posteriad for about 2/3 length of scutellum, then coalescing into a broad dark area on about posterior 1/3 of scutellum. Legs immaculate, concolorous with the remainder of venter.
Connexiva pale and uniformly colored, with shallow moderately dense punctation laterally, this usually darker than the rest of connexiva. Venter light yellow to red with unicolorous to slightly darker punctation. Sternite VII in females twice as long as sternite VI, almost twice as long in males.
Etymology. This species is named for Roy Morris, a friend and colleague who collected the holotype and three of the five paratypes.
General color yellow to red, with six darker longitudinal stripes distributed on pronotum and scutellum, punctation dark brown to black. Venter dark yellow to castaneus, punctation concolorous to darker than surrounding surfaces (Figs 13-15).
Head (Figs 28-30). Yellow to red, darker along posterior margin and clypeus, and sometimes laterally on mandibular plates. Mandibular plates subequal in length to clypeus, slightly elevated, apices acute to narrowly rounded, not converging in front of clypeus, separated by much more than the diameter of second antennal segment (Fig. 28).
Pronotum yellow to red, punctation dark, anterolateral margins straight to slightly convex. Each lateral stripe extending onto cicatrices anteriorly but not reaching anterior margin of pronotum, reaching posterior margin of pronotum but not extending laterally on to humeri which are generally provided with small black macule; each intermediate stripe extending from posterior to anterior margin of pronotum; middle pair of stripes narrower than and shorter than other two pairs, also not reaching anterior margin of pronotum and separated by a thin impunctate line. Scutellum yellow to red with six darker lines extending from anterior margin to about 2/3 of distance to posterior margin, not coalescing posteriorly. Pleura dark red to black mesially, lateral margins and area around coxae lighter colored. Legs pale basally becoming darker distally on femora, and on tibiae and tarsi.
Abdomen dark yellow to black, punctation dark, concolorous on darker surfaces; connexiva pale, densely and darkly punctate. Sternite VII in females slightly more than twice as long as sternite VI medially, sternite VII in males less than or equal to twice as long as sternite VI (Fig. 14).