Nanniella, REUTER, 1904

Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2012, The Halticini of the world (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae): generic reclassification, phylogeny, and host plant associations, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (3), pp. 558-658 : 620-622

NANNIELLA REUTER ( FIGS 4 , 43–44 )

Nanniella Reuter, 1904: 5 (gen. nov.; type species: Nanniella chalybea Reuter, 1904 by monotypy); Kirkaldy, 1906: 131 (cat.); Reuter, 1910: 148 (cat.); Carvalho, 1952: 76 (syn.); Carvalho, 1958: 61 (cat.); Schuh, 1974: 28 (diag., disc. of tribal placement); Linnavuori, 1975: 48 (disc. of tribal placement, key); Linnavuori, 1994: 9 (descr., key); Schuh, 1995: 62 (world cat.).

Diagnosis: Nanniella is distinguished from other Halticini by the following combination of characters: metallic black coloration; uniformly coarsely punctate; left paramere with twisted, somewhat serrate apophysis; right paramere apicolaterally recurved with finger-like apical apophysis. Nanniella is most similar to Acratheus , but can be separated by the presence of deep punctures on the frons and vertex and the shape of the parameres.

Redescription: Length: 2.5– 4 mm. Colouration ( Fig. 4 ): mostly black with yellow-brown or yellow markings. Surface and vestiture ( Figs 4 , 43A–G ): body with metallic lustre; densely covered with small, slit-like punctures, becoming less dense on abdomen, venter impunctate; frons with deep punctures. Body covered with long, greyish, semidecumbent, simple setae; legs with semi-erect, short spine-like setae. Structure: both sexes macropterous, body elongate and slightly ovate. Head ( Figs 4 , 43A–D ): transverse, slightly broader than tall, broader than anterior of pronotum, height approximately twice eye height; vertex with shallow transverse sulcus, posterior margin slightly upturned and weakly carinate, straight with eyes not touching pronotum; frons almost flat, steeply declivent; clypeus vertical, not projecting forward; buccula small and narrow. Antennae ( Figs 4 , 43A–B, D ): insertion in front and slightly below midpoint of eye, nearly touching eye; long and thin; AI only slightly thicker than AII, slightly longer than eye height. Thorax ( Figs 4 , 43A, B, D–F ): pronotum trapezoidal, elongate and bulging, collar broad and flat, callosite region poorly defined, lateral margins rounded, posterior of humeral angles weakly depressed, posterior margin wider than head, medially concave; mesoscutum not visible; scutellum flat; metathoracic spiracle elongate and exposed, without evaporative bodies; MTG efferent system narrow, angled caudally, ostiole nearly ventral, peritreme a thin strip along posteroventral margin of tergite, bordered dorsally by evaporative bodies. Hemelytra ( Fig. 4 ): elongate, lateral margins subparallel, membrane extends beyond abdomen. Legs ( Fig. 4 ): long and thin; metafemur not incrassate; pretarsi without fleshy pulvilli. Abdomen ( Fig. 43H ): parallel-sided, slightly broader at anterior of genital capsule. Male genitalia ( Figs 43G, H , 44A–E ): pygophore basally broad, short and conical; both parameres long, subequal in length; left paramere elongate, sensory lobe rounded, apical apophysis angled upwards, twisted, dorsally dentate, apically bifid; right paramere projecting slightly out of pygophore, broad, laterally recurved, with curved finger-like apical apophysis; phallotheca simple and elongate; ductus seminis and secondary gonopore broad and dorsoventrally compressed; ductus seminis attenuate, weakly sclerotized, without flexible ribbing; secondary gonopore indistinct, weakly sclerotized, opening into ill-defined sclerotized channel within endosoma. Female genitalia ( Fig. 44F–G ): DVP and VLP membranous; sclerotized rings small, thin, and weakly sclerotized, weakly upturned at lateral margins; posterior wall of bursa copulatrix membranous, covered with dense field of minute setae or spines, with very faint lateral swellings; margins of vestibulum weakly swollen, symmetrical, with four small sclerotized patches.

Diversity and distribution: All six species of Nanniella share an Afrotropical distribution.

Included species: Nanniella alkithoe Linnavuori, 1994 Nigeria

Figures

Figure 4. Photographs of Halticini genera: Labops–Strongylocoris. Abbreviations: F, female; M, male.

Figure 43. Scanning electron micrograph images of Nanniella chalybea (male). A, head and thorax, dorsal view; B, head and pronotum, anterior view; C, head and prothorax, ventral view; D, thorax, lateral view; F, external efferent system of the metathoracic scent gland; G, pygophore, ventral view; H, pygophore, lateral view.

Figure 44. Male and female genitalia of Nanniella chalybea. A-B, aedeagus; C, left paramere; D-E, right paramere; F, bursa copulatrix, dorsal view; G, first gonapophyses, ventral view; H, posterior wall.