Chilocoris elongatus, Krüger & Lis, 2019

Krüger, Andreas & Lis, Jerzy A., 2019, Notes on Afrotropical Cydnidae (Heteroptera) with emphasis on vehicle-mounted net samples and description of a new species from Liberia, West Africa, Zootaxa 4559 (3), pp. 559-567 : 560-561

Chilocoris elongatus sp. nov.

( Figure 1 )

Etymology. The new species is named after the elongate body shape.

Diagnosis. With a body length/width ratio of about 2.3 the new species differs from all other Afrotropical Chilocoris species ( Fig. 1A ). Also the dorsal pubescence is unique amongst Afrotropical species of the genus ( Fig. 1B ). The stout marginal pegs on head (terminology of cephalic chaetotaxy follows Lis J.A. & Pluot-Sigwalt, 2002) and the insinuated lateral margins of the pronotum in combination with the uniformly brown body color place the new species close to C. iborum Linnavuori , which however has a body ratio of about 1.9 and different parameres. Chilocoris serratus J.A. Lis & B. Lis also has stout marginal pegs on head and somewhat insinuated lateral margins of the pronotum. However, the lack of serrated margins of pronotum and hemelytra, and a very different ocular index differentiate it easily from the new species. Ignoring the body color, the closest relative appears to be C. quadraticollis Linnavuori , as the quadrangular shape of pronotum (also insinuated) and the parameres are very similar. However, quadraticollis has much smaller eyes and a broader body shape. Regarding the stout marginal pegs on head the new species also resembles C. somalicus Mancini, but the latter also has a broader body and different parameres.

Description. Body. Small, markedly elongate, parallel-sided, reddish-brown, dorsally polished, almost concolorous ( Fig. 1A ); corium slightly translucent, a little paler than pro- and mesothorax. Head ( Fig. 1C ). Shiny, impunctate, except for 1 or 2 minute punctures on vertex; anterior margin evenly semicircular; clypeus broad and as long as paraclypei, almost parallel-sided and hardly narrowed basally or apically; clypeal submargin with a pair of dark brown, long and stout pegs; paraclypei each with a submarginal row of 5 pegs, with the lateral two much smaller than the anterior three; eyes very large, brown or dark brown, ocular index 1.75; ocelli pale to reddishbrown, ocellar index 2.6, interocellar distance about six times larger than the distance between ocellus and eye; antennae ( Fig. 1D ) brownish, segments III–V apically yellow, densely covered with pale, semi-erect hairs, which are as long as basal width of segment III; segment II minute, about four times shorter than III, the latter equals IV, segment V longest; rostrum pale brown, reaching midcoxae.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Fig. 1E ) almost quadrangular, only slightly tapering anterad; pronotal disc with a distinct anterior, evenly curvate, submarginal impression and, behind the callal areas, a blackish, straight, transverse impression demarcated by rather shallow punctures; this impression does not reach the lateral margins, the latter of which are carinated and insinuated across the impression and with one long and strong hair-like seta at about midlength of posterior lobe; anterior lobe with few fine punctures medially and along anterior impression and laterally, punctures bearing fine, short hairs visible only from an antero-diagonal angle, impunctate on calli; one very strong seta present on the lateral part of the anterior impression on each side; posterior lobe with scarce but evenly distributed punctures, these also bearing fine, short hairs ( Fig. 1B ); pronotal umbones slightly swollen, impunctate. Propleuron concolorous with dorsum, polished, impunctate except for a few inconspicuous punctures in median depression. Scutellum with basal and lateral rows of punctures, disc sparsely but coarsely punctured; punctures at most as large as those on pronotum, bearing fine, short hairs like on pronotum. Clavus with a single row of fine punctures. Mesocorium with one complete row of inconspicuous punctures paralleling the clavo-corial suture, and a second incomplete and hardly visible row next to it; apically with scattered punctures; exocorium with an inconspicuous row of punctures along exo-mesocorial suture, apically as mesocorium; membrane translucent, slightly embrowned, significantly surpassing the tip of the abdomen. Mesopleuron with genus-typical evaporatorium. Legs yellowish brown, tibial spines brown.

Abdomen. Sterna reddish brown, slightly paler than pleura; impunctate except for evenly distributed, tiny pores bearing short, recumbent setae. Male pygofer as in Fig. 1F ; genital opening small, oval ( Fig. 1G ); paramere ( Fig. 1H ) sparsely pilose, stem rather straight, hypophysis sharply bent in an almost right angle.

Measurements (in mm, male/female, respectively): body length 2.71/2.58; body width 1.16/1.12; head length 0.46; head width 0.64/0.6; pronotum length 0.82/0.74; pronotum width 1.18/1.12; scutellum length 0.63/0.64; scutellum width 0.7/0.66; antennal segments: (I) 0.14; (II) 0.04/0.06, (III) 0.22/0.2; (IV) 0.22; (V) 0.3/0.28.

Type material. Holotype ♂, LIBERIA: Bong county, trip Weadea—LRU, N06°52’ W10°22’, 11.iv.1989, 6:15–6:30 pm, leg. Garms. Paratype: 1♀, LIBERIA: Bong county, trip Fahn Gbolo—LRU, N06°51’ W10°20’, 23.v.1989, 6:30–6:52 pm, leg. Garms.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chilocoris elongatus sp. nov. A—habitus, male; B—pronotum in antero-diagonal view with pubescence, female; C—head in dorsal view, female; D—antenna, male; E—pronotum in dorsal view, male; F—male pygofer in ventral view; Gmale genital opening; H—male parameres. Scales: A = 2 mm; C+D = 0.5 mm; H = 0.1 mm.