Macroscytus comorensis, Lis, 2000

Lis, J. A., 2000, A revision of the burrower-bug genus Macroscytus Fieber, 1860 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae), Genus (Wrocław) 11 (3), pp. 359-509 : 405-408

Macroscytus comorensis sp. n.

(Figs 100­106)

DESCRIPTION

H e a d. Black, but lateral margins brownish in shade; dorsal surface slightly alutaceous, impunctate, bearing only a few punctures laterally; gular plate impunctate in anterior half, posterior part distinctly punctate; bucculae entirely coarsely punctate; clypeus free, as long as paraclypei, subapically without setigerous punctures, each paraclypeus submarginally with two setigerous punctures bearing hair­like setae (Fig. 101); eyes brown, ocular index 2.21; ocelli reddish brown, interocellar index 9.1, ocellar index 5.5; antennae brown; rostrum brown, reaching mid coxae.

P r o t h o r a x. Pronotum dark castaneous; pronotal disc with large punctures in its posterior half, calli impunctate and distinctly elevated; transverse discal impression shallow, with medially interrupted row of several coarse punctures behind calli; lateral margins of pronotum with 6­7 submarginal setigerous punctures bearing long hair­like setae (Fig. 100). Prosternal carinae low, weakly punctate; anterior and posterior convexities of propleuron punctate with large punctures, propleural depression with a band of coarse punctures.

M e s o t h o r a x. Scutellum dark castaneous, its disc weakly punctate, punctures as large as those on pronotum, irregularly scattered. Mesopleural evaporatorium with coarse longitudinal rugae, its posterior wedge­shaped polished band somewhat dulled, bearing a few large punctures.

M e t a t h o r a x. Hemelytra dark castaneous, punctate with almost colourless punctures; clavus with one complete and two incomplete rows of punctures; mesocorial disc almost evenly punctate, but puncturation in basal half weaker than in the apical; exocorium with puncturation more dense close to mesocorium; mesocorium and exocorium separated along their entire length; costa narrow, slightly convex and separated from exocorium only in its basal half, costal margin with two setigerous punctures bearing long hair­like setae (Fig. 100); membranal suture slightly bisinuate; membrane semihyaline, somewhat embrowned, its tip slightly surpassing the posterior extremity of abdomen. Metapleural evaporatorium with longitudinal rugae; lateral area of metapleuron impunctate, posterior area with a band of coarse punctures.

L e g s. Femora and tibiae castaneous, tarsi pale brown or brown; male hind femur (Fig. 102) with 2 subapical teeth on ventral margin, its dorsal margin with numerous denticles, and a single small subapical tooth; male hind tibia with a row of small tubercles (Fig. 102).

A b d o m e n. Sterna dark castaneous, distinctly punctate in lateral two thirds, punctures large and coarse. Ventral surface of male pygophore almost impunctate, bearing only single punctures laterally, its dorsal surface pilose, longitudinal sclerites on infolding of its dorsal rim well developed; opening of genital capsule as in Fig. 103, penis as in Fig. 105, second conjunctival appendage as in Fig. 106, paramere as in Fig. 104.

M e a s u r e m e n t s (in mm). Male only: body length 8.08; body width 4.31; head length 1.32; head width 1.97; pronotum length 2.27; pronotum width 3.91; scutellum length 3.07; scutellum width 2.47; antennal segments: 0.35: 0.55: 0.57, 4 th and 5 th segments missing.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED

Holotype male: Comoros: Grande Comore, 4/ 5 km E. de Nioumbadjou, Bandalamadji , 640m, 11/ 14­III­1980, P. Viette, Muséum Paris ( MNHN) .

COMPARATIVE NOTES

At first glance the species is similar to M. mayottensis . Nevertheles, it can easily be separated from the latter by its puncturation of abdominal sterna (punctures present in lateral third in M. myottensis , in lateral two thirds in M. comorensis ), and puncturation of gular plate (almost impunctate, punctures present only in its posterior third in M. myottensis , punctures in the posterior half in M. comorensis ). Moreover, both species differ also in their male genitalia and edentation of male hind femora.

DISTRIBUTION

Comoros.