Mecosoma thoracata, (Mecosoma)

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 : 84-85

thoracata (Mecosoma) Distant 1901: 61–62. [ Figs 205 –209]

Original data: “ Hab. Mashonaland, near Salisbury (G. A. K. Marshall).” [syntype (s)]

SYNTYPE ♀: blue-margined syntype disc; red-margined type [H. T.] disc; “Salisbury (Marshall)”; “ thoracata Dist. [Distant’s handwriting]”; “Distant Coll. 1911–383.”; “NHMUK 010592415”. Antennae, second to fourth labial segments, and right anterior and posterior legs missing ( Fig. 205 ).

SYNTYPE ♀: blue-margined syntype disc; “Salisbury (Marshall)”; “Distant Coll. 1911–383.”; “NHMUK 010592416”. Antennae missing ( Fig. 206 ) .

SYNTYPE ♀: blue-margined syntype disc; “Salisbury (Marshall)”; “Distant Coll. 1911–383.”; “NHMUK 010592417”. Antennae, second to fourth labial segments, and left posterior leg missing ( Fig. 207 ).

SYNTYPE ♀: blue-margined syntype disc; “Salisbury Mashonaland (G A K Marshall)”; “Distant Coll. 1911– 383.”; “NHMUK 010592418”. Second to fifth right antennomeres, fourth and fifth left antennomeres, and left anterior and middle legs missing ( Fig. 208 ).

SYNTYPE ♁: blue-margined syntype disc; “Salisbury (Marshall)”; “Distant Coll. 1911–383.”; “NHMUK 010592419”. Antennae missing (Fig. 209).

Current status: Mecosoma mensor ( Germar, 1838) (synonymised by Schouteden 1905: 183, 185; see Schouteden 1907: 63; Kirkaldy 1909: 25).

Note: A proof, if ever one was needed, that “Antennae missing” in an original description does not obligatorily mean that the author of the species was facing a single specimen!

Figures

FIGURES 201–208. Type specimens deposited in NHMUK. 201–202, Platynopus tenellus; 203, Podisus thomasi, 204, Cantheconidea thomsoni; 205–208, Mecosoma thoracata. Scale bars: 4 mm.