Aradus africanus Hoberlandt, 2023

Heiss, Ernst, 2023, A new species, a new synonymy, a revised generic assignment and new records in some African and Palaearctic Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Zootaxa 5315 (5), pp. 469-478 : 470

‘ Aradus africanus Hoberlandt n. sp. ’

= A. gracilipes Linnavuori, 1978

( Figs 1, 2 )

Material examined. ‘ Aradus africanus n. sp. ’: CHAD: 2♁ 3♀, ‘ COLL. MUS. CONGO / Tchad : Iles du lac Tchad / VII-1958 / P. Renaud [p] // Paratypus [p] ♁ [hw] / Aradus / africanus n.sp. [hw] / Det. L. Hoberlandt 19[p]67[hw, red label] // A r a d u s / gracilipes / Linnavuori / det. E. HEISS 2022’ ( MRAC, NMPC) ( Fig. 1 ); 1♀, ‘ COLL. MUS. CONGO / Tchad: Iles du lac Tchad / VII-1958 / P. Renaud [p] // Allotypus [p] ♀ [hw] / Aradus / africanus n.sp. [hw] / Det. L. Hoberlandt 19[p]67[hw, pink label] // A r a d u s / gracilipes / Linnavuori / det. E. HEISS 2022’ ( MRAC) .

Aradus gracilipes : CHAD: Tschadsee, Ile / (illegible) AEF. / lg. H.Franz [p] // 1970 [hw] (on back side) ( Fig. 2 ) ( CEHI).

Comment. All the examined specimens lack antennal segments II–IV, their colouration being essential for distinguishing African species of Aradus . A male from the author’s collection ( Fig. 2 ), also from Chad, matches well the intended types of ‘ A. africanus ’, but its complete antennal segments allow its identification as Aradus gracilipes Linnavouri, 1978 , described from Equatoria Province in South Sudan. The examined specimens of A. gracilipes corresponds in size, slender habitus, colouration and male genitalic structures to the available specimens of ‘ A. africanus ’, and accordingly the latter are recognized as conspecific with A. gracilipes Linnavuori, 1978 .

Distribution. South Sudan ( Linnavuori 1978), Chad (new record).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. 1—‘Aradus africanus’ (unavailable) (= A. gracilipes Linnavuori, 1978), intended paratype from Chad, male; 2—Aradus gracilipes from Chad, male; 3—‘Aradus interpositus’ (unavailable) (= A. congoensis sp. nov.), intended holotype from Democratic Republic of the Congo, male; 4—‘Aradus nuristanicus’ (unavailable) (= A. betulae (Linnaeus, 1758)), intended holotype from Afghanistan, male; 5—‘Carventus machadoi’ (unavailable), intended paratype from Angola, female; 6—‘Neuroctenus arnoldi’ (unavailable), intended holotype from Zimbabwe, male. Scales: 1 mm.