Hainanmezira Bai, Heiss & Cai

Bai, Xiaoshuan, Heiss, Ernst & Cai, Wanzhi, 2011, New taxa and records of flat bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) from Hainan of China, Zootaxa 3012, pp. 48-58 : 55

Hainanmezira Bai, Heiss & Cai , n. gen.

Type species: Hainanmezira latiscutellata Bai, Heiss & Cai , n.sp.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized brachypterous species, body oval its surface of reddish dark brown colouration, mat and granulate on head thorax and mtg I+II; mesonotum with distinct wide scutellum and polygonal wing pads fused to metanotum and mtg I+II, these fused to tergal plate separated by indistinct sutures.

Aradidae taxa showing similar body structures belong to the genera Bengalaria Heiss 1982 from Nepal and northern India and Parapictinus Kormilev 1956 from Sri Lanka and India; however, in Bengalaria, the head is wider than long, shows a subrectangular pronotum and ventral spiracles II–VII; Parapictinus has antennae 2x as long as width of head, postocular lobes rounded and no bulbous elevations on thorax and abdomen; besides it is unlikely that such flightless genera are distributed across the continent and reach Hainan Island. Therefore, we consider Hainanmezira a new genus, which is described below.

Description. Head. About as wide as long; genae longer than clypeus and as long as antenniferous lobes reaching basal 1/3 of antennal segment I; antennae about 1.75x as long as width of head, segment I thickest, II shortest, III longest, IV fusiform; eyes inserted in head; postocular lobes straight; rostrum as long as head.

Prontum. Trapezoidal, collar ring-like; lateral margins convex converging anteriorly; disk with two ovate median callosities and lateral ridges, posterior margin sinuate.

Mesonotum. Scutellum about 6x as wide as long; lateral wing pads with anterolateral carinae; surface of scutellum roundly elevated at middle.

Metanotum., mtg I+II. Fused to each other and to tergal plate, shallow sinuate sutures indicating fusion lines, a rounded median elevation on metanotum and mtg II as high as on mesonotum together forming a longitudinal ridge sloping laterally.

Abdomen. Tergal plate with aroundish elevation on mtg III–IV; lateral margins subparallel or evenly rounded (Ƥ); deltg II–VII laterally reflexed and separated by sutures.

Venter. Prosternum with a an inverted T-shaped median carina, meso- and metasternum smooth and flattened at middle, rugose and granulate laterally; spiracles II–VI ventral and not visible from above, VII + VIII lateral and visible.

Legs. Unarmed, femora and tibiae straight, preapical comb on fore tibiae present.

Etymology. Refers to Hainan Island where this interesting new genus occurs.