Chilocoris elongatus sp. nov.

(Figure 1)

Etymology. The new species is named after the elongate body shape.

Diagnosis. With a body length/width ratio of about 2.3 the new species differs from all other Afrotropical Chilocoris species (Fig. 1A). Also the dorsal pubescence is unique amongst Afrotropical species of the genus (Fig. 1B). The stout marginal pegs on head (terminology of cephalic chaetotaxy follows Lis J.A. & Pluot-Sigwalt, 2002) and the insinuated lateral margins of the pronotum in combination with the uniformly brown body color place the new species close to C. iborum Linnavuori, which however has a body ratio of about 1.9 and different parameres. Chilocoris serratus J.A. Lis & B. Lis also has stout marginal pegs on head and somewhat insinuated lateral margins of the pronotum. However, the lack of serrated margins of pronotum and hemelytra, and a very different ocular index differentiate it easily from the new species. Ignoring the body color, the closest relative appears to be C. quadraticollis Linnavuori, as the quadrangular shape of pronotum (also insinuated) and the parameres are very similar. However, quadraticollis has much smaller eyes and a broader body shape. Regarding the stout marginal pegs on head the new species also resembles C. somalicus Mancini, but the latter also has a broader body and different parameres.

Description. Body. Small, markedly elongate, parallel-sided, reddish-brown, dorsally polished, almost concolorous (Fig. 1A); corium slightly translucent, a little paler than pro- and mesothorax. Head (Fig. 1C). Shiny, impunctate, except for 1 or 2 minute punctures on vertex; anterior margin evenly semicircular; clypeus broad and as long as paraclypei, almost parallel-sided and hardly narrowed basally or apically; clypeal submargin with a pair of dark brown, long and stout pegs; paraclypei each with a submarginal row of 5 pegs, with the lateral two much smaller than the anterior three; eyes very large, brown or dark brown, ocular index 1.75; ocelli pale to reddishbrown, ocellar index 2.6, interocellar distance about six times larger than the distance between ocellus and eye; antennae (Fig. 1D) brownish, segments III–V apically yellow, densely covered with pale, semi-erect hairs, which are as long as basal width of segment III; segment II minute, about four times shorter than III, the latter equals IV, segment V longest; rostrum pale brown, reaching midcoxae.

Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 1E) almost quadrangular, only slightly tapering anterad; pronotal disc with a distinct anterior, evenly curvate, submarginal impression and, behind the callal areas, a blackish, straight, transverse impression demarcated by rather shallow punctures; this impression does not reach the lateral margins, the latter of which are carinated and insinuated across the impression and with one long and strong hair-like seta at about midlength of posterior lobe; anterior lobe with few fine punctures medially and along anterior impression and laterally, punctures bearing fine, short hairs visible only from an antero-diagonal angle, impunctate on calli; one very strong seta present on the lateral part of the anterior impression on each side; posterior lobe with scarce but evenly distributed punctures, these also bearing fine, short hairs (Fig. 1B); pronotal umbones slightly swollen, impunctate. Propleuron concolorous with dorsum, polished, impunctate except for a few inconspicuous punctures in median depression. Scutellum with basal and lateral rows of punctures, disc sparsely but coarsely punctured; punctures at most as large as those on pronotum, bearing fine, short hairs like on pronotum. Clavus with a single row of fine punctures. Mesocorium with one complete row of inconspicuous punctures paralleling the clavo-corial suture, and a second incomplete and hardly visible row next to it; apically with scattered punctures; exocorium with an inconspicuous row of punctures along exo-mesocorial suture, apically as mesocorium; membrane translucent, slightly embrowned, significantly surpassing the tip of the abdomen. Mesopleuron with genus-typical evaporatorium. Legs yellowish brown, tibial spines brown.

Abdomen. Sterna reddish brown, slightly paler than pleura; impunctate except for evenly distributed, tiny pores bearing short, recumbent setae. Male pygofer as in Fig. 1F; genital opening small, oval (Fig. 1G); paramere (Fig. 1H) sparsely pilose, stem rather straight, hypophysis sharply bent in an almost right angle.

Measurements (in mm, male/female, respectively): body length 2.71/2.58; body width 1.16/1.12; head length 0.46; head width 0.64/0.6; pronotum length 0.82/0.74; pronotum width 1.18/1.12; scutellum length 0.63/0.64; scutellum width 0.7/0.66; antennal segments: (I) 0.14; (II) 0.04/0.06, (III) 0.22/0.2; (IV) 0.22; (V) 0.3/0.28.

Type material. Holotype ♂, LIBERIA: Bong county, trip Weadea—LRU, N06°52’ W10°22’, 11.iv.1989, 6:15–6:30 pm, leg. Garms. Paratype: 1♀, LIBERIA: Bong county, trip Fahn Gbolo—LRU, N06°51’ W10°20’, 23.v.1989, 6:30–6:52 pm, leg. Garms.