Cervinotaptera guilberti, 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 : 86-88

Cervinotaptera guilberti n.sp.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Material examined. Holotype female labelled: Madagascar, Antsiranana, 13°15’18’’ S, 49°39’00’’ E, NP 50A, BLF 9558, 1 XII 2003, Californian Academy of Sciences leg., deposited in CAS; paratype female collected with holotype, deposited in MNHN. Both types were designated and labelled accordingly.

Description. Apterous female, body of charcoal coloration, surface glabrous with deep punctures, depressions, and elevations.

Head. As long (including collar) as wide across eyes (30/30); clypeus short reaching ¼ antennal segment I; genae thin slightly produced over clypeus and contiguous in front of clypeal apex at a lower level; antenniferous lobes acute, longer than clypeus, diverging anterolaterally; antennae 1.97x as long as width of head (59/30), segment I thickest, club shape with round tubercles beset with stiff bristles on anterior 2/3, II thinner and shortest, III thinnest, cylindrical and longest, IV fusiform with pilose apex; length of segments I/II/III/IV = 14/8/23 /14; eyes globular slightly stalked, postocular lobes straightly converging toward distinct ring-like collar, with 2 lateral larger round tubercles on posterior 2/3 followed by a smaller one at a lower level; vertex with longitudinal ridges and furrows. Rostrum arising from a slit-like atrium, shorter than head, rostral groove deep with carinate lateral borders, closed posteriorly.

Pronotum. About 3x as wide across lateral processes as long (56/18), anterior lobe narrow and ring-like, beset with 4(2+2) round tubercles, posteriorly delimited by a transverse furrow; posterior lobe smooth at middle, lateral lobes raised and projecting anteriorly each beset with 4 finger-like processes resembling the horns of a stag; posterior margin convex, a deep furrow separates it from mesonotum.

Mesonotum. Median elevation posteriorly with 2 round tubercles, lateral sclerites glabrous with depressions and rugosities, their lateral margins elevated with a long finger-like dorsally directed process; posterior margin with two deep pits laterally of median elevation which are connected by a deep furrow; mesonotum is fused to metanotum, however the fusion lines are indistinct and only partly traceable.

Metanotum. Fused to mtg I+II, deeply depressed at middle, lateral sclerites roundedly projecting toward median elevation of mesonotum, sloping anteriorly to deep depression, lateral margins raised with a finger-like process; mtg I+II with a deep pit at median saddle-like plate followed posteriorly by a round elevation, lateral parts raised with 2 (1+1) round elevations then depressed with several oval pits; posterior margin nearly straight, separated by a distinct suture from tergal plate.

Abdomen. Tergal plate shorter than wide (40/50) with a feeble median elevation bearing scent gland scars on posterior margin of mtg III–V, lateral parts with shallow oval depressions; deltg II+III fused to a triangular sclerite, deltg III–VII separated by sutures; lateral half of deltg II–VI raised each with 2 finger-like processes; deltg VII triangular with one process, a single process also placed on anterolateral margin of deltg II; mtg VII with a triangular elevation posteriorly, deeply depressed at base; terminal segments triangularly projecting posteriorly.

Venter. Median parts smooth and glabrous, lateral 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 this reaching anterolateral angle of metanotum and there visible from above; an additional ovate evaporatorium showing the 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, unarmed, femora increasingly clavate toward apex, tibiae cylindrical and slightly curved, claws with thin pulvilli.

Measurements. Holotype: Length 3.85mm; width of abdomen across tergite III = 1.1mm; length of antennae 1.475 mm; ratio length of antennal segment II/III = 2.87. Paratype: Length 4.0mm, length/width of head 28/30; length of antennae 1.57mm, length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 14/9/26 /14, ratio length of antennal segment II/III = 2.88; width of abdomen across tergite III = 1.07mm.

Etymology. It is a pleasure to dedicate this interesting taxon to Dr. Eric Guilbert (Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris) for his support, assistance, and guidance to the second author during her university studies.

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.