Isometopus praetermissum, Akingbohungbe, 2012

Akingbohungbe, A. E., 2012, Two new species of Isometopus Fieber (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Isometopinae) and a key to all known species of the genus in Europe and the Middle-East, Zootaxa 3175 (1), pp. 45-53 : 49-51

Isometopus praetermissum sp. nov.

Description. Male. Length 2.24; maximum width across hemelytra 1.36. Head width across vertex 0.50; dorsal length 0.12; facial width 0.68; facial length 0.46. Anterior inter-ocular space 0.20; posterior space 0.48. Dorsal width of eye 0.14; maximum width 0.24; height 0.30. Height of gena 0.06. Ocellus width 0.06; inter-occellar space 0.08. Maximum width of pronotum 1.10; median length 0.40. Scutellum length 0.62; width 0.60. Cuneus length 0.48; width 0.30. Rostrum 1.06. Antennae missing.

Oval and strongly macropterous ( figure 6 ). Head from above sub-rectangular to semi-lunar in outline, about 4.17x as broad as long; in front somewhat ovoid ( figure 7 ), about 1.48x as broad as high. Vertex and frons dense with dark-red punctures, generally dark reddish-brown interspersed with some pale testaceous to ivory-white rugosities; latter coalescing to form three distinct transverse stripes towards apex of frons at the level of ventral eye margin, and a fourth on apical frontal margin. Post occipital margin contrasting ivory-white. Apical fontal margin convex, slightly indented medially, occluding only base of tylus and juga. Tylus strongly deflexed, depressed along middle so its base together with juga appear as three tubercle-like prominences at apex of head in frontal view ( figure 6 ). Entire head disk strongly shining, glabrous. Gena low, 0.2x as high as eye. Eyes apparently dark-red (large patches bleached in specimen), glabrous; very weakly emarginated caudomesally behind ocelli. Latter large, colourless with surrounding annuli dark-red; rather strongly protuberant, 1.33x width of each apart.

Pronotum subcampanulate, about 2.75x as broad as long; distinctly explanate laterally with margins arcuate; posterior margin bisinuate. Disk tumid convex, rather strongly raised at base and inclined forwards. Mesoscutum with lateral prominences strongly carinate; scutellum tumidly raised along central axis.

Dorsum generally shiny dark reddish-brown shading to dark-red to black on pronotal disk, mesoscutum and scutellum disk; tip of scutellum pale whitish, posterior humeral angles of pronotum somewhat pale reddish-brown. Generally transversely rugose punctuate, more strongly so on pronotum and scutellum; embolium impunctate, cuneus rather shallowly and sparsely punctuate. Apparently distinctly pubescent (specimen somewhat rubbed) with reclining to recumbent golden yellow hairs; these much shorter on cuneus, and intermixed with dark-red bristlelike hairs on embolium. Membrane dark reddish-brown, uniareolate.

Venter generally red to dark-red shading to black on some bands on abdominal sternites. Propleura densely punctuate, remainder of pleura and second abdominal sternite sparsely punctuate. Femora dark reddish-brown to dark-red, tips somewhat pale with reddish tinge; fore-tibiae, mesotibiae, tarsi, largely yellow-brown; metatibiae dark reddish-brown. Rostrum largely dark-red, basal band on segment IV pale; extending as far back as third abdominal sternite.

Genitalia illustrated in figures 10–12.

Female. Length 2.28(2.20–2.32); maximum width across hemelytra 1.67(1.60–1.72).

Head width across vertex 0.51(0.50–0.52); dorsal length 0.25(0.22–0.28); facial length 0.55(0.52–0.58); facial width 0.75(0.72–0.76). Anterior inter-ocular space 0.22; posterior space 0.62. Dorsal width of eye 0.13(0.12–0.14); maximum width 0.25(0.24–0.26); height 0.37(0.36–0.38). Height of gena 0.17(0.16–0.18). Ocellus width 0.04; interocellar space 0.12. Maximum width of pronotum 1.29(1.26–1.36); median length 0.45(0.44–0.46). Scutellum length 0.82(0.80–0.84); width 0.73(0.68–0.76). Cuneus length 0.51(0.48–0.52); width 0.40. Rostrum 1.12. Antennae I 0.12; others missing.

Strongly ovate and macropterous ( figure 8 ). Head strongly appressed, inclined forwards, about 1.79–2.27x as broad as long from above; in front quadrate ( figure 9 ), about 1.31–1.38x as broad as high. Frons tumid convex apically, elongated ventrad, virtually occluding tylus and juga; apical margin weakly indented medially, outlined with somewhat interrupted ivory-white rugosity. Genae high, distinctly produced ventrad beyond frontal margin, about 0.44–0.47x as high as eyes. Entire head disk apparently glabrous, thickset with dark reddish-brown punctures interspersed with pale to ivory-white coalescing rugosities; these forming rather distinct transverse stripes at apex of frons as follows: two running from side to side immediately beneath eyes with the distal one connected to a third considerably shorter and less discrete one ( figure 9 ). Eyes dark-red to blackish (extensively bleached in two specimens), glabrous and not emarginate behind ocelli. Latter 3x width of each apart, dark-red to black with distinct concolourous surrounding annuli.

Pronotum about 2.86–2.96x as broad as long, inclined forwards; strongly explanate laterally with margins distinctly arcuate, forming with anterior margin a deep concavity around the head; posterior margin bisinuate.

Dorsum generally tumid convex with sides sloping laterad; cuneus and membrane distinctly declivous. Transversely rugose punctate (including embolium and cuneus), more strongly so on pronotal disk and scutellum. Apparently densely pubescent with reclining whitish sericeous hairs intermixed with finer semi-erect hairs (specimens rather extensively rubbed). General colouration dark reddish-brown, tip of scutellum pale whitish. Hemelytra with costal margin strongly arcuate, forming open angles anteriorly with pronotal margin and posteriorly with cuneus; membrane distinctly biareolate, rippled.

Venter dark reddish to black with pronotal flanges, broad lateral areas of abdominal sternites, and broad median band along ovipositor shaft, yellow-brown with reddish tinge. Pleura distinctly punctate, abdominal sternites finely so laterally. Legs with coxae and femora largely dark-red, tips of femora and trochanters pale reddishbrown. Tibiae dark reddish-brown at base, pale brownish apically; hind tarsi pale with tip dark reddish-brown. Rostrum with segment II pale brownish suffused with reddish and IV pale brownish at base, otherwise dark-red; extending as far back as sixth abdominal sternite.

Comments. This new species belongs in the nominotypic subgenus Isometopus Fieber and it is the tenth known species of the subgenus in Europe and the Middle East. It is closest to I. nigritulus Akingbohungbe , and can be readily separated from it and other species as indicated in the accompanying Keys to the species.

HOLOTYPE: male, S. Europe, 1974, H. M. Harris. ( USNM)

PARATYPES: Two females, same data as holotype. One female, Akzotizi Bay , Cyprus, 26 June, 1946, G. A. Mavromoustakis ( USNM) .

Figures

FIGURES 6–7. Isometopus praetermissum sp. nov. male habitus; dorsal view of head.

FIGURES 8–9. Isometopus pretermissum sp. nov. female habitus; dorsal view of head.