Namaquaropus niger, Akingbohungbe, E., 2004

Akingbohungbe, E., 2004, A new genus and four new species of Isometopinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 728, pp. 1-14 : 2-4

Namaquaropus niger sp. nov.

Female. Length 2.14. Maximum width across hemelytra 1.40. Head width across vertex 0.34; dorsal length 0.28; facial length 0.67; facial width 0.58. Minimum frontal interocular space 0.10; anterior space 0.12; posterior space 0.48. Maximum width of eye 0.24; dorsal width 0.09; height 0.38. Height of gena 0.16. Ocellus width 0.03; interocellar space 0.08. Maximum width of pronotum 1.10; median length 0.32. Scutellum length 0.40; width 0.44. Commissure length 0.50. Cuneus length 0.36; width 0.40. Rostrum 1.30. Antennal segments I 0.12; II 0.88; III 0.22; IV 0.14.

FIGURES.1–2. Namaquaropus niger sp. nov. female, habitus; dorsal view of head.

Broadly oval (figure 1). Head inclined forwards with frons broadly visible from above, about 0.8x as long as pronotum; basal two­fifths considerably reflexed, occluding anterior pronotal margin; in front subglobose (figure 2), broadest across postgenae, about 1.16x as broad as high. Disk tumid convex, finely granulate, pubescent with short, obscure, dark brown, semi­reclining to semi­erect hairs arising from fine aciculate punctures; those beneath eyes laterally intermixed with more elongate, prominent, semi­reclining, golden to yellow­brown hairs; interocular frontal space transversely rugose with broad shallow punctures, distinctly longitudinally sulcate along midline. General colouration dark­red shading to black laterally beneath eyes and on tylus. Eyes somewhat pyriform, moderately appressed, emarginate mesally near ocelli; black with broad marginal reddish band that apparently has been bleached; sparse with very short obscure hairs. Ocelli translucent, about 2.67x width of each apart. Tylus at base broadly depressed, strongly tumid and deflexed ventrad apically. Jugum pale reddish­brown, moderately compressed; lorum distinctly depressed, forming concavity beneath gena. Gena subexcavated, about 0.42x as high as eye; postgena tuberculate to bluntly carinate, pale whitish with base hyaline. Antennophore far removed from ventral eye margin to apex of gena. Antennal segment I blackish, conical, about 0.67x as broad as long; pubescent with semi­erect reddish­brown hairs. II dark­red to black, broadly pale dorsally towards base, distinctly inflated and fusiform; about 2.5x as thick along the middle as segment 1, dense with semi­erect to semireclining reddish­brown hairs intermixed with dark­red bristles; all much shorter than segment is thick and arising from fine aciculate punctures. III linear, slightly less than half as thick as I; pale whitish with apex infuscated; pubescent with golden yellow erect hairs, distinctly longer than segment is thick. IV dark reddish­brown with basal annulus pale; fusiform, slightly thicker than III, pubescent with semi­reclining and erect golden yellow hairs about as long as segment is thick.

Pronotum trapeziform, about 3x as broad as long; sharply carinate laterally; posterior margin weakly convex to straight. Disk moderately convex, calli weakly delimited and much occluded from apical view by head; densely rugose punctate, clothed with abundant recumbent dark reddish­brown hairs arising from aciculate punctures. Mesoscutum much narrowed, inclined backwards. Scutellum disk tumidly raised, distinctly finely punctate (somewhat rubbed); punctures apparently bearing golden yellow somewhat sericeous reclining hairs intermixed with reddish­brown semi­reclining ones.

Hemelytra broadly arcuate laterally; disk strongly tumid convex with radial vein distinctly raised. Embolium impunctate, distinctly explanate at base, tapering towards apex; corium and clavus punctate, densely pubescent with reclining golden yellow hairs arising from aciculate punctures; these intermixed on corium with semi­erect, fine, reddish­brown hairs. Cuneus impunctate, broader than long; pubescence semi­erect with colour matching background, arising from fine aciculate punctures. Membrane dark reddish­brown to black, somewhat abbreviated; distinctly bi­areolate.

Dorsum generally shiny, dark­red to black; rather broad blotch on basal mesal angle of cuneus contrasting whitish hyaline.

Venter dark­red to black, propleura distinctly punctate. Generally pubescent with reddish­brown reclining hairs arising from aciculate punctures. Coxae largely dark­red, somewhat pale at tip; remainder of legs missing. Rostrum dark­red to black, extending as far back as seventh abdominal sternite.

Male. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: female, South Africa: Namaq. Coast, Buffelsrivier, 29.55°S – 17.30°E, groundtraps, 28 August, 1977. Endrody­Younga (TM).