Mesovelia bispinosa, Jehamalar & Chandra & Polhemus, 2019

Jehamalar, E. Eyarin, Chandra, Kailash & Polhemus, Dan A., 2019, Review of the Mesovelia horvathi species complex (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha: Mesoveliidae), with the description of seven new species from India, Zootaxa 4651 (3), pp. 471-496 : 486-488

Mesovelia bispinosa sp. nov.

( Figs. 6 A–H)

Material examined. Holotype (apterous male): INDIA, MEGHALAYA, East Garo Hills District, Ningpachi Village, Ronghu River , 335 m a.s.l., 25.60343 0 N, 90.75036 0 E, 23.vi.2016, Coll. E.E. Jehamalar. Paratypes: West Jaintia Hills District, 1 apt. ♀, Changpung Village, Umyurem River , 1245 m a.s.l., 25.48244 0 N, 92.33867 0 E, 13.iii.2016, Coll. E.E. Jehamalar. West Garo Hills District, 1 apt. ♀, Rom Village, Rom River , 199 m a.s.l., 25.71478 0 N, 90.1299 0 E, 17.vi.2016, Coll. E.E. Jehamalar.

Repository. The type specimens are deposited in the CEL, ZSI, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Holotype Reg. No. 8336/H15 and Paratypes Reg. No. 8337/H15 to 8338/H15.

Etymology. Mesovelia bispinosa sp. nov. is named for the presence of two spines on the flexor region of the mid femur.

Diagnosis. Mesovelia bispinosa sp. nov. can be identified by the presence of two spines on the flexor region of the mid femur, the slightly broad male paramere with a constriction near the dorsolateral subapex ( Fig. 6H ), and the presence of a wide gap between setal tufts on male abdominal sternum VIII ( Fig. 6C ).

Description. Apterous male (holotype): ( Figs. 6A , C–H). Body length 2.09; body width at metanotum 0.55, body width at tergum IV 0.56.

Colour. Brown; body covered with minute brown setae; dorsum of body lacks distinct brown marks; antenna brown; legs yellowish brown; femora of all legs subapically with brown hue; apices of tibiae and apices of last tarsomere and whole first tarsomere of all legs brown to black; claws, setiform spines on appendages black, spiniform setal tufts on abdominal sternum VIII dark brown.

Structural characters. Frontoclypeal region with 8 thick setae. Head length 0.26, head width across eyes 0.48; synthlipsis 0.21; eye length 0.19, eye width 0.11. Lengths of antennomeres I–IV 0.40, 0.32, 0.65, 0.69.

Pronotal length 0.19, width 0.51; mesonotal length 0.21, width 0.54; metanotal length 0.13, width 0.55.Anterior and posterior margin of pronotum straight, mesonotum posteromedially produced, posterior margin of metanotum straight ( Fig. 6A ). Lengths of leg segments: foreleg: femur 0.66, tibia 0.55, tarsomeres I–III 0.03, 0.06, 0.09; mid leg: femur 0.85, tibia 0.78, tarsomeres I–III 0.04, 0.14, 0.12; hind leg: femur 1.09, tibia 1.36, tarsomeres I–III 0.04, 0.23, 0.16. Widths of fore, mid, hind femora 0.11, 0.12, 0.13. Flexor region of fore femur both right and left legs subapically with single seta and mid femora subapically with two spines both right and left legs; flexor region of mid tibia apically with 4 swimming setae, length gradually decreased towards apex; hind tibia sparsely clothed with medium sized spines; flexor region of second hind tarsomere right leg with three short thin setae and left leg with two short thin spaced setae.

Dorsal abdominal length 1.24; intersegmental suture between terga I–III indistinct medially, terga I–VIII 0.12, 0.14, 0.12, 0.13, 0.11, 0.14, 0.20, 0.22; sterna VI–VIII 0.15, 0.16, 0.14. Combined length of abdominal sterna VI–VII 0.31. Basal region of sternum VIII sublaterally with pair of dark brown spiniform setal tufts, each setal tuft with 9–10 spiniform setae arranged irregularly ( Figs. 6C, D ); sternum VIII posterolaterally excavated, midlaterally at the level of posterior margin with very small tubercle (more evident in alcohol after dissection); inner length of spiniform setal tuft on sternum VIII 0.08, basal width 0.03, width between two tufts 0.15; between posterior margin of abdominal sternum VII and anterior margin of spiniform setal tuft with very little space, setal tufts arranged obliquely. Terminalia: length of pygophore 0.21, anterior part of proctiger slightly longer than bowl-shaped posterior part, clothed with long setae posteriorly, median lateral process long with acute tip, posterior part ventromedially not excavated ( Fig. 6G ); paramere slightly broad basally, medially not twisted, apical part slender, medium sized, slightly curved and dorsolateral margin slightly angulated near base ( Fig. 6H ), paramere when attached to pygophore apical part slightly curved and slightly directed laterad in lateral view ( Fig. 6E ) and in dorsal view tip directed anterad ( Fig. 6F ).

Apterous female (paratype): ( Fig. 6B ). Colour: similar to apterous male. Body length 2.29 (2.25–2.29, n=2), width across metanotum 0.67 (0.67–0.69, n=2), width across tergum V 0.91 (0.88–0.91, n=2), head length 0.28, head width 0.49, eye length 0.17, eye width 0.11, synthlipsis 0.23; lengths of antennomeres I–IV 0.31, 0.28, 0.58, 0.64; pronotal length 0.16, width 0.56, mesonotal length 0.19, width 0.61, metanotal length 0.13, width 0.67. Lengths of leg segments: foreleg: femur 0.61, tibia 0.51, tarsomeres I–III 0.03, 0.05, 0.09; mid leg: femur 0.75, tibia 0.77, tarsomeres I–III 0.05, 0.13, 0.12; hind leg: femur 1.03, tibia 1.30, tarsomeres I–III 0.05, 0.21, 0.14. Widths of fore, mid, hind femora 0.10, 0.13, 0.13. Flexor region of fore femur mostly with single subapical spine and sometimes with two spines, and mid femora subapically with two spines on both legs.

Dorsal abdominal length 1.47, lengths of abdominal terga I–VIII, 0.13, 0.20, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.18, 0.21, 0.17; proctiger 0.09, dorsal gonoplac length 0.05, abdominal sterna V–VII, 0.10, 0.09, 0.18, abdominal length from sternum VIII to abdominal tip 0.60; combined length of abdominal sterna V–VII 0.37; maximum connexivum width at tergum V 0.19, length from sternum V to abdominal tip 0.97.

Distribution. Presently known only from Meghalaya, India ( Fig. 9B ).

Comparative notes. See under comparative notes of M. andamana .

Figures

FIGURES 6A–H. Mesovelia bispinosa sp. nov. (A, C–H holotype; B, paratype): A, apterous male, dorsal view; B, apterous female, dorsal view; C, abdominal tip of apterous male, ventral view; D, eighth abdominal segment of apterous male, lateral view; E, genital capsule of apterous male, lateral view; F, same, dorsal view; G, proctiger of apterous male, ventral view; H, paramere of apterous male, lateral view (dmp—dorsomedian projection of pygophore; lex—lateral excavation; lp—lateral process; pa—paramere; pr—proctiger; py—pygophore).

FIGURES 9A–H. Distribution of Mesovelia horvathi species complex in India: A, Map of India; B, Meghalaya with M. bispinosa sp. nov. in red triangles, M. brevia sp. nov. in green square, M. isiasi sp. nov. in green cross; C, Meghalaya with M. dilatata sp. nov. in blue circles; D, Tamil Nadu with M. occulta sp. nov. in green circles, M. tenuia sp. nov. in pink square, M. brevia sp. nov. in green squares; E, Tamil Nadu with M. dilatata sp. nov. in blue circles; F, Andaman and Nicobar Islands with M. andamana sp. nov. in red circles.