Aphelocheirus (s.str.) aschalewi, Zettel, 2021

Zettel, Herbert, 2021, Aphelocheirus aschalewi nov. sp., first record of Aphelocheiridae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) from Ethiopia, Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 1139-1143 : 1140-1142

Aphelocheirus (s.str.) aschalewi nov.sp. ( Figs 1-8 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype (brachypterous male) and paratypes (2 brachypterous males) from Ethiopia, Afar Province, Kalle Alli, Mille River , N 11°25’00", E 40°45’51", 490 m a.s.l., 12.III. 2019, leg. W. Graf, deposited in the Natural History Museum Vienna.

D e s c r i p t i o n o f b r a c h y p t e r o u s m a l e: Measurements: Body length 5.8-5.9; body width 3.8-4.0. Head length 1.20-1.26; head width (across eyes) 1.45- 1.48. Pronotum length (at midline) 0.74-0.80; pronotum width 3.19-3.20. Rostrum length 2.03. Profemur length 1.49.

Colour: Body and appendages chiefly pale yellow. Dorsal colour pattern as in Figure 1 : Pronotum anteriorly with a wide, blurred, M-shaped mark, posteriorly with a narrow transverse blackish brown stripe. Forewing remnants dark brown, sides yellow.

Abdominal tergites chiefly medium brown, sides of tergites anteriorly dark brown, posteriorly yellow.

Structures: Head 0.84 times as long as broad; anterior part (in front of anterior eye margin) very short, 0.38 times eye length ( Fig. 1 ). Head dorsally with very few large and numerous small punctures, shiny. Sides of pronotum, forewings and tergites coriaceous, matt. Disc of pronotum and middle of mesoscutellum rugulous-punctate, shiny. Anterior and posterior margin of pronotum transversely rugulose. Pronotum strongly transverse, 4.15 times as broad as median length, without demarcated lateral areas; hind margin laterally almost straight ( Fig. 1 ). Mesoscutellum 2.5 times as broad as long. Forewings clearly distant from each other, caudally almost reaching hind margin of tergite 2 ( Fig. 1 ), with obtuse angle at embolar margin; forewing width about one third longer than length (1.81: 1.35). Connexival margins of abdominal segment 2 and 3 nearly rectangular, of segments 4–6 with small, acute tip, of segment 7 acutely protruded.

Rostrum of medium length, 1.36 times as long as profemur, slightly surpassing posterior margin of mesosternum. Legs relatively short and stout; femora slightly thickened and hardly surpassing body sides. Propleuron mesally with an acuminate process ( Fig. 3 ). Mesosternum with blunt median carina, steadily raised from anterior to posterior margin, its outline only slightly convex in lateral aspect ( Fig. 2 ). Abdomen weakly asymmetrical. Tergite 5 roundly protruded in middle ( Fig. 1 ). Sternites medially without posteriad direct- ed processes, sternites 4–6 each with one pair of peg-like, standing setae near middle of hind margin (lacking on sternite 6 in one specimen).

Genitalia of male: Genital capsule posteriorly slightly acuminate ( Fig. 4 ), apex narrowly rounded. Parandria ( Fig. 4 ) strongly developed, left one surpassing right one; left paramere wide, apex rounded and slightly curved mesally; right parandrium distally with a roundish swelling. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4 ) consisting of a narrow, basally slightly widened sclerotised strap and wide membraneous dilatations on both sides. Right paramere ( Figs. 5, 6 ) slightly longer than left one, apex narrower; on lateral side with a subbasal strongly furrowed process; pilosity on ventral side extremely long. Left paramere ( Figs. 7, 8 ) broadly subtriangular, with a widely rounded apex; pilosity on ventral side short.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Aphelocheirus aschalewi nov.sp. can be easily distinguished from its African congeners by small size and a highly contrasting colour pattern ( Fig. 1 ). Aphelocheirus debilis and A. kumbanus, both only known in the macropterous female, possess a more strongly produced forehead (see LINNAVUORI 1975: figs 2a, 3a). Experience with Asian species of Aphelocheirus has shown that the head shape does not vary among wing morphs of the same species. The forewing remnants of A. schoudeteni are very small, elongate and widely distant from each other ( LINNAVUORI 1975: fig. 1a), while those of A. corbeti meet each other at body midline ( POISSON 1955: fig. 13). The size of the forewings is intermediate in A. aschalewi nov.sp. The genitalia of A. aschalewi nov.sp., most of all the parameres, resemble those of A. corbeti, suggesting a close relationship, however, the apices of both parameres are broader in A. aschalewi nov.sp. than in A. corbeti (comp. Figs 5–8 with POISSON 1955: figs 13B, C).

E t y m o l o g y: The species name honours Aschalew Haile Lakew for his important role in establishing and conducting the LARIMA Project.

Figures

Fig. 1: Aphelocheirus aschalewi nov.sp., habitus of brachypterous male (holotype); legs omitted.

Figs 2-8: Aphelocheirus aschalewi nov.sp.: (2) mesosternum, lateral view; (3) apex of propleuron, ventral view; (4) parandria and aedeagus, dorsal view; (5, 6) right paramere in dorsal (5) and approximately ventral view (6); (7, 8) left paramere in dorsal (7) and ventral view (8).