New Species, New Records, and Updated Key to the Paravelia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Brazil

Simple Summary True bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of the infraorder Gerromorpha are known as semiaquatic bugs due to their ability to walk on the surface of water. Veliidae is the most diverse family of semiaquatic bugs, including six subfamilies, 61 genera, and more than 960 described species. The genus Paravelia Breddin, 1898 (Veliidae: Veliinae), or broad-shouldered water-striders, occurs in a wide variety of lentic and lotic freshwater habitats, and is represented in Brazil by 38 species. Although the diversity of Paravelia in the country is relatively well known, eight states remain with no records of the genus. Aiming to fill these gaps, several expeditions were carried out between 2018 and 2021. As a result, a new species is described from Pernambuco State, three species are recorded for the first time in Ceará, Pernambuco and Piauí states, and an updated key to the Brazilian species of the genus is provided. Abstract The broad-shouldered water-strider genus Paravelia Breddin, 1898 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae: Veliinae) is currently represented in Brazil by 38 species. Although the diversity of the genus in the country is relatively well known, eight states remain with no records of any species: Acre, Alagoas, Ceará (CE), Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco (PE), Piauí (PI), and Tocantins. Aiming to fill these gaps, several expeditions were carried out at conservation areas of the Caatinga biome between 2018 and 2021: Aiuaba Ecological Station (CE), Catimbau National Park (PE), and Serra das Confusões National Park (PI). Paravelia luisi sp. nov., a new species from PE, is described and illustrated. In addition, new records of P. bilobata Rodrigues, Moreira, Nieser, Chen & Melo, 2014, P. digitata Rodrigues & Moreira, 2016, and P. nieseri Moreira & Barbosa, 2012, and an updated key to the Brazilian species of Paravelia are provided. This study increases the number of species of Paravelia known in Brazil to 39 and provides the first records of the genus from three states: PE, with two species, and CE and PI, with one species each.

The broad-shouldered water-striders of the genus Paravelia can be recognized mainly by the absence of lateral tubercles on the mesoacetabulum and metasternum, the tarsomere II of the middle leg usually 4 to 5 times longer than the tarsomere I, the pretarsus of the middle and hind legs with setae-shaped arolia and two falcate claws, and the macropterous form usually with two maculae on each forewing [4]. General color dark-brown to black. Head dark-brown. Antenna dark-brown; antennomere I yellowish-brown with base and apex dark-brown. Labium with two basal segments brown, segment III yellow laterally and brown medially, distal segment blackish. Pronotum dark-brown with two horizontal brown maculae anteriorly. Thoracic sterna dark-brown, lighter centrally. Acetabulae dark-brown laterally, yellowish-brown mesally. Forewing dark-brown with basal ovate yellow macula not reaching humeral angle and ending before posterior margin of pronotum, at apex another rounded to oval yellowishwhite to yellow macula, smaller than basal one (Figures 1A,C and 2A,C); veins whitish. Abdominal laterotergites light-brown mesally, dark-brown laterally; intersegmental area with a yellowish macula. Coxae, trochanters, femora, tibiae and tarsi yellow; femora and tibiae dorsally dark-brown. Abdomen and terminalia light brown.
Head covered by fine golden pubescence intermixed with elongate dark-brown setae; dorsal midline impressed, shiny, posteriorly with pair of oblique, impressed, shiny lines and pair of indentations near mesal margins of eyes; buccula and jugum without black denticles. Ocular setae present. Antenniferous tubercle developed, shiny. Antenna covered by golden pubescence and elongate golden setae scattered on segments II-IV; antennomere I more robust, curved laterally; II thicker than III-IV.
Pronotum covered by fine golden pubescence, intermixed with elongate dark-brown setae; anterior lobe with row of rounded punctations adjacent to anterior margin; posterior lobe covered by rounded punctations, these larger towards apex; humeral angle slightly elevated; posterior angle slightly tapered, apex rounded. Forewing reaching tip of abdomen, leaving only posterior portion of terminalia exposed; with four closed cells; veins on basal half with elongate dark-brown setae. Proepimeron with rounded punctations. Meso-and metapleura with scattered rounded punctations. Prosternum with row of four rounded punctations anteriorly. Meso-and metasterna centrally with two pairs of small tubercles on intersegmental region. Legs densely covered with short, appressed, pale setae and elongate, brownish setae. Fore tibia with grasping comb (0.50 mm long) occupying 1/3 of its length. Hind femur without spines.
Abdominal laterotergites covered by golden pubescence; elevated, without black denticles. Abdominal sterna covered by fine golden pubescence and elongate dark brown setae, the latter concentrated on lateral margins; II compressed laterally and bearing weak longitudinal carina anteriorly; VII without projections or nodules, with posterior margin evenly concave and with robust black denticles ( Figure 1H). Abdominal segment VIII (=first genital segment in older literature) with fine golden pubescence on apical 2/3 intermixed with elongate dark-brown setae dorsolaterally; with black denticles on lateral areas ( Figure 3A). Proctiger with elongate golden setae on apical half, without spines, with a pair of lateral projections in dorsal view ( Figure 3C). Paramere, in lateral view, anteriorly notched on dorsal surface, sinuous, with elongate golden setae and rounded apex ( Figure 3E).
Female. Unknown. Intraspecific variation. Two paratypes collected in the same locality as the holotype have the apical macula of the forewing distinctly yellow and larger than in other specimens ( Figure 2A).
Etymology. The new species is named in honor of Luis Cavalcanti Ramos, an exceptional field guide who accompanied us during the expedition and indicated the place where we found the specimens.
Distribution and habitat (Figures 4 and 5). Paravelia luisi sp. nov. was collected in a spring located in the Catimbau National Park, a conservation area of the Caatinga biome. This is the first record of the genus Paravelia from Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil.
Comments. This new species differs from the others of the genus by the body length (5.30-5.60 mm); the dark-brown coloration contrasting with the light-brown color of the abdomen and legs; the anterior lobe of the pronotum without marked pruinosity or pubescence, with two horizontal brown maculae anteriorly; the posterior angle of the pronotum slightly tapered and the apex rounded; the maculae of the forewing yellowish- white to yellow, consisting of: a basal ovate macula not reaching the humeral angle and ending before the posterior margin of the pronotum, and an apical oval macula, smaller than the basal one; the absence of spines or teeth on the legs; the absence of rounded punctures on abdominal sterna; the absence of small black denticles on the body, except for those located on the apex of male abdominal segment VII and dorsolaterally on male abdominal segment VIII; and the male without lobes or projections on abdominal sternum VII.  General color dark-brown to black. Head dark-brown. Antenna dark-brown; antennomere I yellowish-brown with base and apex dark-brown. Labium with two basal segments brown, segment III yellow laterally and brown medially, distal segment black-  posterior lobe covered by rounded punctations, these larger towards apex; humeral angle slightly elevated; posterior angle slightly tapered, apex rounded. Forewing reaching tip of abdomen, leaving only posterior portion of terminalia exposed; with four closed cells; veins on basal half with elongate dark-brown setae. Proepimeron with rounded punctations. Meso-and metapleura with scattered rounded punctations. Prosternum with row of four rounded punctations anteriorly. Meso-and metasterna centrally with two pairs of small tubercles on intersegmental region. Legs densely covered with short, appressed, pale setae and elongate, brownish setae. Fore tibia with grasping comb (0.50 mm long) occupying 1/3 of its length. Hind femur without spines.   Abdominal laterotergites covered by golden pubescence; elevated, without black denticles. Abdominal sterna covered by fine golden pubescence and elongate dark brown setae, the latter concentrated on lateral margins; II compressed laterally and bearing weak longitudinal carina anteriorly; VII without projections or nodules, with posterior margin evenly concave and with robust black denticles ( Figure 1H). Abdominal segment VIII (=first genital segment in older literature) with fine golden pubescence on apical 2/3 intermixed with elongate dark-brown setae dorsolaterally; with black denticles on lateral areas ( Figure 3A). Proctiger with elongate golden setae on apical half, without spines, with a pair of lateral projections in dorsal view ( Figure 3C). Paramere, in lateral view, anteriorly notched on dorsal surface, sinuous, with elongate golden setae and rounded apex ( Figure 3E). Female. Unknown. Intraspecific variation. Two paratypes collected in the same locality as the holotype have the apical macula of the forewing distinctly yellow and larger than in other specimens ( Figure 2A).
Etymology. The new species is named in honor of Luis Cavalcanti Ramos, an exceptional field guide who accompanied us during the expedition and indicated the place where we found the specimens. Distribution and habitat (Figures 4 and 5). Paravelia luisi sp. nov. was collected in a spring located in the Catimbau National Park, a conservation area of the Caatinga biome. This is the first record of the genus Paravelia from Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil. Comments. This new species differs from the others of the genus by the body length (5.30-5.60 mm); the dark-brown coloration contrasting with the light-brown color of the abdomen and legs; the anterior lobe of the pronotum without marked pruinosity or pubescence, with two horizontal brown maculae anteriorly; the posterior angle of the pronotum slightly tapered and the apex rounded; the maculae of the forewing yellowish-white to yellow, consisting of: a basal ovate macula not reaching the humeral angle and ending before the posterior margin of the pronotum, and an apical oval macula, smaller than the basal one; the absence of spines or teeth on the legs; the absence of rounded punctures on abdominal sterna; the absence of small black denticles on the body, except for those located on the apex of male abdominal segment VII and dorsolaterally on male abdominal segment VIII; and the male without lobes or projections on abdominal sternum VII.

Key to the Species of Paravelia Recorded from Brazil
(Modified from [1,3]; distribution in Brazilian states presented next to each species) 1. Body length less than 3.40 mm ..

Key to the Species of Paravelia Recorded from Brazil
(Modified from [1,3]; distribution in Brazilian states presented next to each species) Head, pronotum, legs, and abdomen covered by small black denticles; anterior lobe of pronotum with a pair of pruinose areas laterally [1] (p. 34, Figure 18C

Discussion
Our collections at conservation areas in three of the eight Brazilian states with no previous occurrences of Paravelia (Ceará, Pernambuco and Piauí) [10] resulted in the description of a new species, P. luisi sp. nov., and new records of three species: P. bilobata, P. digitata, and P. nieseri. This increases the number of valid Paravelia species to 50 and the number of species recorded in Brazil to 39. Our report of P. bilobata constitutes the first record of the genus from Ceará (Aiuaba Ecological Station) and extends the known distribution of the species by about 1600 km to the northeast [1]. Paravelia digitata and P. luisi, sp. nov., in turn, represent the first records of the genus from Pernambuco (Catimbau National Park). The former species had been recorded in Rio Grande do Norte [3] (about 290 km to the north of our sampling site) and in Bahia [3,18] (the nearest record to ours was at about 600 km to the southwest). Likewise, P. nieseri is recorded for the first time in Piauí (Serra das Confusões National Park). It was previously known in Minas Gerais [1,3,14], with the nearest record to ours about 1000 km to the south.

Data Availability Statement:
The data presented in this study are available in the article.