Megalofaciatus gibbosus Taszakowski, Kim & Herczek, 2021

Taszakowski, Artur, Kim, Junggon, Damken, Claas, Wahab, Rodzay A., Herczek, Aleksander & Jung, Sunghoon, 2021, A remarkable new genus and two new species of the Gigantometopini (Hemiptera Heteroptera, Miridae, Isometopinae) from Brunei, Zootaxa 4970 (1), pp. 171-181 : 177-180

Megalofaciatus gibbosus Taszakowski, Kim & Herczek sp. nov. ( Figs 4–6 )

Diagnosis. Recognised by head height two times width; vertex two times minimal distance between eyes (in frontal view), frons mostly dark brown, the area near vertex and compound eye brown; antennal segment II mostly dark, with basolateral part brown, and length 0.94 times segment III.

Description. Male. Dorsum mostly dark brown, glossy, covered by erect, shiny, semi-transparent, silvery setae ( Figs 4A, B ). Head: partly dark brown and yellowish-brown with reddish compound eyes, ocelli dark, height two times width; vertex brown, reddish brown near ocelli, slightly concave between ocelli, two times as wide as minimal distance between eyes (in frontal view) ( Fig. 4C ); frons partly dark and yellowish-brown, the area near vertex and compound eyes yellowish-brown, others dark brown except for margin of gena; gena dark brown ( Figs 4B, C ); antennae partly dark brown and yellow brown, cylindrical; segment I mostly yellowish-brown with dark margins; segment II mostly dark brown, basolateral part yellowish-brown; segment III brownish, with basal part pale; segment IV yellowish. Labium shiny, segments I to III pale brown; basal part of segment IV pale, apical part dark brown ( Figs 4A, B ); the proportion of labial segments 0.72: 0.73: 0.62: 0.70. Thorax: pronotum entirely dark brown with silvery setae, anterior part mostly overlapping with calli region, separated by depressed punctures, posterior part deeply punctate; calli region glossy, laterally covered with silvery setae and a few small punctures; mesoscutum dark brown; scutellum dark brown, with apex pale and a few small punctures ( Fig. 4A ); pleura mostly dark brown and glossy ( Fig. 4B ); ostiolar peritreme pale, evaporative area dark brown ( Fig. 4B ). Hemelytron: mostly hyaline with dark punctures and brownish veins, embolium whitish; corium covered with dark setae arising from punctures; claval and R+M veins densely dark punctures; embolial clear, inner and outer margin with tiny dark punctures posteriorly; cuneus semitransparent, brownish; membrane transparent with two dark cells. Legs: forecoxae brown; forefemur pale brown with a dark base and subapical annulation, tinged with reddish apically, foretibia mostly yellowish-brown with lateral spines, foretarsus yellowish-brown ( Fig. 4B ); middle and hind legs missing. Abdomen: brown, covered with golden setae ( Fig. 4B ). Genitalia: left paramere scythe-shaped, with a long, roundly curved hypophysis and broad sensory lobe, hypophysis tapered to apex, thicker than neck diameter, sensory lobe with long, sparse setae; right paramere scythe-shaped, hypophysis rounded apically, sensory lobe knee-shaped, thinner than two times neck diameter ( Figs. 6C, D ); endosoma membranous with one sclerite near secondary gonopore, membrane with small spinules ( Figs. 6E, F ).

Female: Unknown.

Measurements: given in Table 1 and 2.

Remarks. Megalofaciatus gibbosus is similar to M. foliotibialis ; however, the set of characteristics given in the diagnosis makes it easy to distinguish these species. Unfortunately, the hind legs of the M. gibbosus are missing, and it is uncertain whether they are modified as with the previous species.

Etymology. Adjective derived from Latin gibbosus—“humped”.

Biology. The described specimen was collected using canopy fogging of Shorea macrophylla (Dipterocarpaceae) by Stork (1991). The gigantometopine species Gigantometopus schuhi Akingbohungbe, 2012 was also collected on Shorea trees during this survey, but it is unknown whether the two species are ecologically linked.

Material examined. Holotype (♂): ’ BRUNEI: / Bukit Sulang / nr Lamunin // N.E. Stork, fogging / 20.viii- 10.ix.82 / B.M. 1982-388 // Tree 18: Shorea / macrophylla / Dipterocarp.’. The holotype is deposited in the NHM.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Megalofaciatus gibbosus: dorsal (A) and lateral view (B), head in frontal view (C).

FIGURE 5. Megalofaciatus gibbosus: front part of the body in lateral view (A), scent gland, (B) male genitalia (C), pretarsus of foreleg (D), pretarsus of foreleg, dorso-lateral view (E).

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of Megalofaciatus gibbosus: genital capsule in ventral (A) and caudal (B) views, left paramere (C), right paramere (D), aedeagus in lateral (E) and dorsal (F) views.