Cameronaptera, Heiss, 2010

Heiss, E., 2010, Cameronaptera glabrinotum n. gen., n. sp. from Malaysia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Zootaxa 2530 (1), pp. 65-68 : 65-66

Cameronaptera new genus

Type species: Cameronaptera glabrinotum n.sp.

Diagnosis: Medium-sized apterous species; body short and subparallel; surface of charcoal colouration, generally mat with smooth and glabrous areas which include apodemal impressions, lateral margins of body, and elevated structures partly with short dispersed yellowish setae. Characteristic is a polygonal glabrous concave median thoracal plate reaching from posterior margin of mesonotum to anterior margin of tergal plate. This particular structure is unique among Oriental Carventinae and Cameronaptera is therefore not closely related to any of these genera.

Description: Head. About as long as wide, genae shorter than clypeus, this reaching 2/3 of antennal segment I; antenniferous tubercles short and blunt; antennae short about 1 ¼ x as long as width of head, segment I thickest and longest, II–IV shorter and thinner and of equal length; eyes strongly protuberant and stalked; postocular part of head with a larger ovate tubercle anteriorly, then gradually narrowed to constricted collar; rostrum arising from a slitlike atrium, rostral groove wide, closed posteriorly, rostrum shorter than head.

Pronotum: About 3x as wide as long with a distinct ring like collar consisting of two carinate transverse carinae, anterior one with lateral tubercles at a lower level; lateral margins straight then sinuately converging anteriorly, deeply excavated before collar; posterior margin sinuate, disk with median sulcus and ovate sclerites laterally, lateral margins raised and rugose.

Mesonotum: Strongly transverse and wider than pronotum; lateral margins straight and converging anteriorly; surface with median longitudinal groove flanked by rugose ovate callosities; posterior margin sinuate and separated by a sulcus from metanotum lateral of median callosities, where this fused to metanotum; surface with irregular rugosities, this elevated along lateral margins.

Metanotum: Median sclerite of polygonal shape with smooth and glabrous concave surface, reaching from mesonotum to anterior margin of tergal plate; lateral sclerites rugose as in mesonotum, posteriorly separated from fused mtg I+II by a suture; these visible as rectangular plates, surface rugose on inner angles and smooth elsewhere.

Abdomen: Tergal plate consisting of fused mtg III–VI distinctly transverse, longitudinally raised along midline, highest on mtgV; lateral portions mat (male) or shiny (female), apodemal impressions glabrous; deltg I+II+III fused to a triangular sclerite anteriorly reaching to mesonotum; deltg IV–VI distinctly separated by sutures, their lateral margin with increasing angular projections bearing spiracles; tergite VII raised medially.

Venter: Pro-, meso- and metasternum fused to sternites I+II, surface smooth and mat; median parts of sternites III– VI glabrous, the vltg III–VI and sternites VII+VIII rugose; spiracles II–VII lateral and visible from above placed on triangular tubercles formed by reflexed vltg II–VII.

Legs: Unarmed, claws with thin curved pseudopulvilli.

Etymology: Referring to Cameron Highlands, the region where the material originates.

Discussion: The only Oriental Carventinae genus to which Cameronaptera resembles superficially is— judging from the very simplified illustration— Kiritshenkiana Kormilev 1976 (fig.7). This genus containing only one described species shows, however, a very elongate neck and differently fused thoracal structures.