Porcelloderes impenetrabilis, Rédei, 2012

Rédei, Dávid, 2012, Porcelloderes impenetrabilis gen. & sp. n. from Tanzania, an assassin bug camouflaging in the adult stage (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Physoderinae), African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 601-613 : 603-607

Porcelloderes impenetrabilis sp. n.

Figs 1–29

Etymology: From Latin impenetrabilis (impenetrable), referring to the firm soil layer covering the body of all specimens examined.

Description:

Apterous male and female.

Colour: General body colour rather uniformly dark brown, head somewhat lighter. Antennal segment I light yellowish brown, segments II–III same colour as head, apical half of segment IV stramineous. Labial segment I and base of segment II light yellowish brown, apical 2/7 of segment II and entire segment III dark brown. Leg colouration the same as overall body colour, base of tibiae and apical tarsal segment light brown.

Body structure: General aspect as in Figs 1–3; body about 2.2 (♂) / 2.1 (♀) times longer than greatest width of abdomen.

Head: About 1.7 (♂) / 1.6 (♀) times longer than its width across eyes, preocular part about 1.85 (♂) / 1.95 (♀) times longer than postocular part, head across eyes about 1.5 (♂) / 1.45 (♀) times wider than interocular distance.

Thorax: Pronotum about 1.75 (♂) / 1.6 (♀) times wider than its medial length (♀, Fig. 10); mesonotum broadly convex posteriorly, with 1+1 large tumescences bearing setigerous tubercles laterally; metanotum extremely short along midline.

Abdomen: Almost circular in dorsal view (♂, Fig. 15), about 1.05 (♂) / 1.0 (♀) as long as its greatest width.

Male genitalia: Genital capsule as in Figs 16, 17, short, oval, dorso-apical part with short, stout, apically rounded process ( Fig. 18). Paramere ( Figs 19–21) short, apical half relatively narrow, angularly bent around middle, apical half thick, nearly straight, apically truncate, external margin with a series of tubercles, each having hair sensilla apically ( Fig. 22). Articulatory apparatus of phallus ( Figs 23, 24) stout, support bridge complex with narrow ponticulus transversalis, with 2+2 capitate processes, basal foramen transverse, oval, with thick ductifer; support bridge complex continued in 1+1 relatively short and thick support bridge prolongations fused along their whole length; phallotheca short and broad, oval, with tongue-shaped dorsal sclerotized plate ( Figs 23, 24: dsp) and 1+1 broad, nearly triangular, ventral sclerotized plates ( Fig. 23: vsp); endosoma with several minute, tooth-like sclerotized processes forming distinct fields; struts fused, spoon-shaped in dorsal view ( Fig. 24: str), apical portion fused with dorsal sclerotized plate of phallotheca.

Female genitalia: Terminalia in resting position as in Fig. 25, tergite IX ( Figs 25, 27:t 9) declivous, broadly truncate posteriorly, valvifer VIII ( Figs 25, 26, 29: vf 8) broadly elongate, articulated with the small, oval, dorsally broadly truncate valvula VIII ( Figs 25, 26, 29: va 8), with distinct spiracle at base ( Fig. 29: sp 8), valvifer IX ( Fig. 27: vf 9) narrow, associated with the greatly membranous, lobe-like valvula IX ( Fig. 27: va 9).

Measurements (cleaned paratype ♂ / cleaned paratype ♀): Body length 4.6/4.9. Length of head 1.16/1.15, preocular part 0.70/0.66, postocular part 0.38/0.34, width across eyes 0.68/0.71, interocular distance 0.46/0.49.Antennal segments I:II:III:IV as 0.25/0.25:0.28/ 0.32:0.27/0.34:0.39/?.Apparent labial segments I:II:III as 0.31/0.35:0.84/0.98:0.25/0.24. Medial length of pronotum 0.63/0.73, greatest width 1.11/1.18; medial length of mesonotum 0.28/0.25; medial length of metanotum 0.01/0.05. Length of abdomen to posterior border of tergite VII 2.21/2.33, greatest width of abdomen 2.10/2.31.

Last instar (?) larva.

Colour: Similar to adult. Body structure: General aspect as in Fig. 4; integument with wart-like setigerous tubercles similar to those of adult but shorter. Head and thorax relatively strongly sclerotized, abdomen greatly membranous. Head ( Fig. 8): Similar to that of adult, about 1.55 times longer across eyes than its width, preocular part about 2.15 times longer than postocular part; head across eyes about 1.2 times wider than interocular distance; eyes small, weakly protruding laterally. Thorax: Pronotum about 1.4 times longer than its greatest width, lateral margin broadly rounded, posterior margin projecting posteriorly along midline; meso- and metanota weakly sclerotized, short, incompletely separated from each other, their lateral margins rounded. Legs: Short and stout, similar to those of adult. Abdomen: Weakly sclerotized, elongate oval, lateral margins of each segment rounded, lateral margin of abdomen therefore lobate; dorsum with regularly arranged sclerotized plates (attachment surfaces of abdominal muscles).

Measurements (in mm; N =1): Body length 3.7. Length of head 1.05, preocular part 0.60, postocular part 0.28, width across eyes 0.67, interocular distance 0.56. Antennal segments I:II:III:IV as 0.22:0.24:0.25:0.38. Apparent labial segments I:II:III as 0.29:0.78:0.29. Medial length of pronotum 0.71, greatest width 1.02. Greatest width of abdomen 1.75.

Holotype: ♀ “ Tanzania \ Amani , \ Tanga Region ” [handwritten], “No. 135. \ 15. II. 1987. \ leg. S. Mahunka ” [handwritten]. The holotype is intact, covered by soil, and mounted on card ( Fig. 1).

Paratypes: 2♀ same labels as holotype; 1♂ (cleaned and dissected, genital capsule removed and dissected, preserved in plastic microvial with glycerol, pinned with the specimen; Figs 15–24), 1♂ (intact) “ Tanzania \ Kwamgumi \ Tanga region ” [handwritten], “ No. 146. \ 17. II. 1987. \ leg. S. Mahunka ” [handwritten] ; 1♂ (genital capsule removed and dissected, preserved in plastic microvial with glycerol, pinned with the specimen) “ Tanzania \ Kimboza \ forest reserve” [handwritten], “ No. 44. \ 4. II. 1987 \ leg. S. Mahunka ” [handwritten] ; 1♀ (intact, mounted on card), 1♀ (cleaned and dissected, mounted on card; Figs 25–29) “ Tanzania \ Matombo \ Morogoro region ” [handwritten], “ No. 34. \ 4. II. 1987. \ leg. S. Mahunka ” [handwritten] .

Other material examined: TANZANIA: Tanga region, Kwamgumi, No. 146, 17.ii.1987, S. Mahunka (1 larva) ; Kimboza forest reserve, No. 44, 4.ii.1984, S. Mahunka (1 larva) ; Morogoro region, Matombo, No. 34, 4.ii.1987, S. Mahunka (2 larvae, one of them cleaned and dissected; Figs 4–6) .

Type locality: Tanzania, East Usambara Mountains , Amani (5.1°S 38.6°E). Paratypes from Tanzania, Kwamgumi (4.9°S 38.7°E) , Kimboza Forest Reserve (7.0°S 37.8°E) and Matombo (7.1°S 37.8°E) .

Habitat and biology: The specimens examined during the present study were collected in February 1987 from four localities in north-eastern Tanzania; the longest distance between two localities is approximately 250 km. Additional data on the localities were provided by Mahunka et al. (1987). Specimens from Matombo were extracted with a Moczarsky–Winkler bag from material sifted from accumulated debris near the entrance of a cave. Specimens from Kimboza Forest Reserve were captured on the same day from a locality of a few kilometres away from the previous one, at about 250–300 m a.s.l.; they were extracted with Berlese funnel from litter taken in the gallery forest surrounding the river Ruvu. Specimens from Kwamgumi were extracted about two weeks later with Berlese funnel from litter and soil collected in a primary rainforest in Segoma Forest Reserve. According to Mahunka et al. (1987), specimens from Amani were collected at light, which statement might be erroneous. However, specimens of several apterous hemipterans are known to approach light sources by walking. There was yellow, orange or red lateritic soil in all the localities.