Cervinotaptera, Heiss, Ernst & Marchal, Lorène, 2012

Heiss, Ernst & Marchal, Lorène, 2012, Cervinotaptera guilberti n. gen., n. sp. a conspicuous apterous Mezirinae from Madagascar (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Zootaxa 3591, pp. 84-88 : 85-86

Cervinotaptera new genus

( Figs. 1–3 )

Type species: Cervinotaptera guilberti n. sp.

Diagnosis. Apterous, body short and oval in outline, surface of charcoal coloration with deep punctures, depressions, and tubercle-like processes; legs and antennae brown with fine granulations. Differs from all known apterous Mezirinae genera ( Antsirabenus Heiss 2008 , Chlonocoris Usinger & Matsuda 1959, Cimicomanes Kiritshenko 1959, Classeyana Hoberlandt 1963, Paulianum Hoberlandt 1957; Pericartaptera Heiss 2009 , Ribesaptera Heiss 2011 , Robertiessa Hoberlandt 1963, Tananarivea Drake 1957) by the presence of an elongate evaporatorium lateral of the middle coxae and a smaller ovate one lateral to the anterior coxae; furthermore the stag-horn-like processes of the pronotum are also unique.

Description. Head. About as long as wide across eyes; genae as long as clypeus, this reaching about ¼ of antennal segment I; antenniferous lobes acute longer than clypeus, antennae about twice as long as width of head, segment I thickest, II thinner and shortest, III thinnest and longest, IV fusiform as long as I; eyes globular, slightly stalked; postocular lobes with 2 larger and smaller tubercles, constricted posteriorly to ring-like collar. Rostrum arising from a slit-like atrium, shorter than head.

Pronotum. About 3x as long as wide, consisting of a narrower anterior lobe, its anterior margin laterally beset with round tubercles, posteriorly delimited by a transverse furrow; posterior lobe with a median impression and smooth lateral plates followed by an elevate anterolateral structure with 4 finger-like processes directed upward and laterally, posterior margin separated from mesonotum by a deep convex furrow; apices of lateral prosternal evaporatoria visible from above.

Mesonotum. Strongly transverse, fused to metanotum; anterior margin with a deep medial cavity from which a dorsal bilobate elevation arises posteriorly; adjacent lateral plates smooth, sloping posteriorly to deep ovate cavities, then laterally raised with a finger-like inclined process at their margins; posterior margin separated by a furrow from metanotum which extends from oval cavity to lateral margin.

Metanotum. Fused to mediotergites I+II, anteriorly with a deep median cavity this connected with that of mesonotum; sclerites lateral of cavity roundedly pointed anteriorly to mesonotal elevation, posteriorly with a large conical vertical tubercle; surface of adjacent lateral parts with pits and furrows, an erect finger-like tubercle occurs on lateral margin; apices of metasternal evaporatoria visible from above; surface of fused mtg I+II between conical tubercles with a deep median pit, posteriorly roundedly elevated, a thin suture separating mtg I+II from tergal plate.

Abdomen. Tergal plate depressed, slightly elevated along midline, lateral parts with shallow impressions marking the apodemal pattern; deltg II–VI elevated along lateral margins each with 2 (1+1) finger-like vertical tubercles on posterior margin, inner one larger; deltg II+III fused to a triangular sclerite anteriorly reaching metanotum and also bearing a smaller finger-like tubercle anterolaterally; deltg III–VII rectangular, separated by a suture; deltg VII transversely depressed anteriorly with granulate median elevation posteriorly; terminal segments forming triangular projection.

Venter. Median parts smooth and glabrous, vltg II–VII and lateral thoracic parts granulate; mesosternum separated from pro- and metasternum by deep transverse furrows; metasternum fused to sternites I+II+III, its surface with deep oval pits; sternites IV–VI separated by furrows, surface of sternite VI with two elongate impressions; metathoracic scent glands placed lateral of mesocoxae with a long curved evaporatorium, reaching anterolateral angle of metanotum and is there visible from above; an additional ovate evaporatorium showing same surface structure present laterally of anterior coxae, projects laterally and also distinctly visible from above; spiracles II–VII placed on protruding tubercles, VIII terminal on paratergites VIII, all visible from above.

Legs. Long and slender, claws with thin pulvilli.

Etymology. Refers to the conspicuous pronotal structures, from “cervus” <Latin> stag, to “notum” and the apterous condition.

Discussion. Besides the conspicuous stag-horn-like processes of the pronotum, unknown in other Aradidae , the presence of two distinct evaporative structures lateral of the middle and anterior coxae is surprising and not yet observed in this family. As such evaporatoria are part of the metathoracic scent gland complex usually developed only along the metepisternal margin of the middle coxal cavity or between middle and hind coxae, only the assumption of a prothoracic scent gland might explain the presence of this second evaporatoria. A groove or channel connecting the two evaporatoria, where the secretion of the metathoracic scent gland could flow, is not discernible.

At present the importance of this unique structure and its implications for the taxonomic position of this new genus are unclear. Further material and molecular analysis might show that this genus deserves possibly a higher taxonomic status.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Cervinotaptera n. gen., guilberti n. sp. 1 — Holotype female, dorsal view; 2 — paratype female, ventral view; 3 — paratype female, lateral view of head and thorax.