Hypogeocoris violaceus ( Signoret, 1881 )

Tang, Jin, Zhang, Gongaote, Guo, Junqi, Luo, Lingxuan, Jiang, Jiamei & Pan, Hongbo, 2023, Big-Eyed Bugs Of The Malagasy Region (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Geocoridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 69 (3), pp. 247-264 : 259-260

Hypogeocoris violaceus ( Signoret, 1881)

( Fig. 20 )

Material studied: m, MNHN: “Maroantsetra / Ambodivoangy // INSTITUT / SCIEN-

TIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR ”.

Diagnosis. Colouration mostly dark brown or black. Clypeus, surroundings of antenniferous tubercles, antennomeres, prothoracic, and legs collar infuscate ochraceous. Margin of exocorium narrowly semi-hyaline ochraceous. Integument of dorsum shiny with dense, fine pubescence. Punctuation of pronotum and scutellum fine and dense. Only submacropterous morph of this species is known; hemelytron with claval fold of hemelytron developed, clavus and corium distinct; membrane reaching genital plate, but not surpassing it. Peritreme vesiculiform auricle with dorsal margin of terminal lobe slightly indented.

Distribution. The species is known to be endemic to Madagascar ( Slater, 1964; present study).

Remarks. The species greatly resembles H. alluaudi in general facies and colouration. Especially, because the extent of ochraceous of decoration of H. violaceus is variable. However, there are three characters which provide secure basis for separation of the two species: integument of vertex and thoracic dorsum with fine, dense pubescence in H. violaceus (pubescence missing in H. alluaudi ); pronotum with fine, dense punctuation in H. violaceus (punctuation of pronotum is rather coarse and sparse in H. alluaudi ); terminal lobe of peritreme indented dorsally in H. violaceus (terminal lobe indented anteriad in H. alluaudi ).

Figures

Figs 15–20. Geocorine true bugs of the Malagasy region (dorsal habitus): 15 = Geocoris pallidipennis mauritii Stål, 1854 (male, MNHN); 16 = Germalus banari Kondorosy et Kóbor, 2016 (paratype, male, MNHN); 17 = Germalus benyovszkyi Kondorosy et Kóbor, 2016 (holotype, male, MNHN); 18 = Germalus kinbergi Stål, 1860 (lectotype, female, NHRS); 19 = Hypogeocoris alluaudi (Montandon, 1908) (male, MNHN); 20 = Hypogeocoris violaceus (Signoret, 1881)