Macrorhaphis (Megarhaphis) acuta Dallas, 1851

Roell, Talita, Lemaître, Valérie A., Webb, Michael D. & Campos, Luiz A., 2023, An annotated and illustrated Type Catalogue of the predacious Shieldbugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae) in the Collection of the Natural History Museum, London, Zootaxa 5232 (1), pp. 1-105 : 19

acuta (Macrorhaphis?) Dallas 1851: 88 . [ Fig. 1 ]

Original data: “ ♁”. “a. Congo. Presented by Sir John Richardson, M.D.” [syntype (s)] .

SYNTYPE ♁: blue-margined syntype disc; red-margined type disc; rectangular orange label “ HOLOTYPUS ♁”; “ Congo / 43 56”; “2. MACRORHAPHIS ACUTA ,”; “NHMUK 010592174”. Carded specimen; third to fifth left antennomeres, and fourth and fifth right antennomeres missing ( Fig. 1 ) .

Current status: Macrorhaphis (Megarhaphis) acuta Dallas, 1851 (see Schouteden 1907: 39, for the subgeneric placement.).

Note: Walker (1867a: 129) listed a unique specimen of Dallas’s species and it is likely that Dallas just had one (especially as Dallas had stated only one measurement and noted: “Antennae pale brown, with the apex of the third and fourth joints pitchy (fifth wanting).” [emphasis ours]. Still, we cannot be certain and therefore consider the specimen a syntype, although G. Schmitz had placed a holotype male label on the specimen. Thomas (1994: 185) did not mention having seen the type under the material he examined.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Type specimens deposited in NHMUK. 1, Macrorhaphis acuta; 2–6, Podisus affinis; 7, Rhaphigaster aggressor; 8, Arma ampla. Scale bars: 4 mm.