Peggicoris grenadensis, Heiss, 2021

Heiss, Ernst, 2021, New genus and species of apterous Carventinae from Costa Rica and Grenada (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Aradidae), Zootaxa 4958 (1), pp. 678-689 : 684-688

Peggicoris grenadensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 25, 27 )

Type material. Holotype. Male , labelled: Grenada, Antillen / Grand Etang rain forest / 24.6.96 Heiss //; 1 female, reared from a L5 nymph collected with holotype. CEHI. They are designated and labelled accordingly.

Diagnosis. Peggicoris grenadensis sp. nov. is recognized by the small, parallel sided thoracic ridge, not elevated and widening posteriorly.

Description. As given for the genus.

Compared to the congeners the median elevation of tergal plate is also less developed and the finger—like triangular projection of male is shorter than in P. zeteki and P. cahuitanus sp.nov.; ratio of antennae to width of head is the smallest of the three species but the female has the widest body of all.

Measurements. Male: Length 3.50; head length / width 0.75 / 0.80; pronotum length / width 0.30 / 1.10; mesonotum with 1.15; metanotum width 1.60; ratio length of antennae / width of head 2.13; length of antennal segments I / II / III / IV = 0.70 / 0.30 / 0.40 / 0.35; width of abdomen across tergites III–VII = 1.65 / 1.65 / 1.61 / 1.61 / 1.35.

Paratype female: Length 3.80; head length / width 0.85 / 0.85; pronotum length / width 0.35 / 1.20; mesonotum with 1.25; metanotum width 1.85; ratio length of antennae / width of head 2.17; length of antennal segments I / II / III / IV = 0.75 / 0.35 / 0.40 / 0.35; width of abdomen across tergites III–VII = 2.05 / 2.10 / 2.30 / 2.35 / 1.75.

Etymology. Is named after the island of Grenada belonging to the Lesser Antilles.

Ecology. Grenada is intensively cultivated by spice and nutmeg plantations and most of the present day forests are secondary, grown after the original tropical vegetation was cut off or burned causing the extinction of native soil- and litter fauna. Only few remnants as in the Grand Etang National Park persisted, where a search for apterous Aradidae was successful. This new taxon is the second Aradidae (after Grenadaptera ursulae Heiss, 2019 ) reported to date from Grenada.

Distribution. Due to the limited range of movement, Peggicoris grenadensis sp. nov. is considered endemic to Grenada.

Figures

FIGURES 24–27. 24, 26 Peggicoris cahuitanus sp.nov; 25, 27 Peggicoris grenadensis sp.nov; 24, P. cahuitanus sp.nov. holotype dorsal; 25, P. grenadensis sp.nov. holotype dorsal (setae of legs not cleaned); 26, holotype P. cahuitanus sp.nov. male ventral; 27, P. grenadensis sp.nov. paratype female, dorsal (setae of legs not cleaned). Scale: Figs. 24–27 = 1mm.