Cheronella stuberi Miller, 1955

Zhao, Ping, Constant, Jerome & Cai, Wanzhi, 2009, Notes on the Papua New Guinea genus Cheronella Miller (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Reduviinae), with a redescription of its little known type species, Zootaxa 2117 (1), pp. 31-36 : 32-36

Cheronella stuberi Miller, 1955

( Figs. 1–15 )

Cheronella stuberi Miller, 1955: 434 ; Maldonado-Capriles 1990: 394.

Redescription. Color. Body dark reddish brown. Posterior lobe of head, two markings before synthlipsis, posterior pronotal lobe (except basal portion dark), total scutellum or posterior lateral margins and apex of scutellum, basal 3/5 of femora, coxae, and trochanters orange; third and fourth antennal segments, base of corium, rostrum, apical portion of tibiae, tarsi yellowish; base of tibiae light brown; veins of corium and clavus pale yellowish brown; first and second antennal segments, anterior lobe of head (except markings before synthlipsis), anterior pronotal lobe, two markings of basal portion of posterior pronotal lobe, pleuron of thorax, scutellum (except apical portion), apical 2/5 of femur, tibia (except base and apical portion), ventral surface of abdomen dark reddish brown; eyes and ocelli silvery white, slightly shiny; membranous areas between veins of corium and clavus brown, feebly hyaline; membrane of hemelytron dark fuliginous.

Structure. Body clothed with dense pale setae (except membrane of hemelytron); first and second antennal segments with oblique, short setae and abundant, suberect, long setae, third and fourth segments with short setae and sparse, long setae; eyes with bent, short setae; veins of corium with abundant, moderately long setae. Head oval, subequal in length to first and second segments combined; anteocular area anteriorly produced and distinctly longer than postocular; postocular area strongly globose, then constricted posteriorly, neck very short; eyes large, reniform; ocelli large, interocellar space somewhat wider than diameter of ocellus; first antennal segment subequal in length to anteocular area, remaining segments nearly of even length; first and second antennal segments thick, third and fourth segments slender, basal portion of third segment somewhat incrassate; first rostral segment straight and slender, extending to posterior margin of eyes, distinctly longer than remaining segments combined. Anterior pronotal lobe subequal in length to half of posterior lobe; anterior lobe feebly bulged, shallowly medially sulcate and with obscure, diagonal, arcuate and glabrous sulcus; disk of posterior pronotal lobe medially broadly deeply sulcate, and depression not extending to posterior margin; lateral pronotal angle rounded; posterior margin feebly convex; apex of scutellum produced horizontally and rounded, basal portion deeply excavated. Femur slightly incrassate, apical portion feebly inflexed; venters of mid and hind femora spinose, venter of fore femur with a spine; third tarsal segment subequal in length to first and second segments combined. Abdomen somewhat dilated posteriorly laterally; external apical angle of second connexival segment produced. Hemelytron just extending to abdomen. Pygophore oblong, median pygophore process small and horned ( Figs. 11, 12 ); paramere clavate, somewhat compressed, bent in middle, apical half with short setae on inner surface and several long setae on exterior surface ( Figs. 7–10 ); basal plate of phallus short and broad, basal plate bridge thin and longer than basal plate; pedicel of phallus relatively long ( Fig. 13 ); phallosoma oblong ( Figs. 13–15 ); struts mostly fused, apical portion bifurcate and base feebly separated.

Measurements [in mm, 1♂]. Body length 8.04; maximal width of abdomen 2.90. Length head 1.38; length anteocular part 0.52; length postocular part 0.35; length synthlipsis 0.45; interocellar space 0.21; length antennal segments I–IV=0.52, 0.97, 1.07, 1.14; length rostral segments I–III=1.07, 0.48, 0.24; length anterior pronotal lobe 0.55; length posterior pronotal lobe 1.10; maximal width thorax 2.66; length scutellum 0.93; length hemelytron 5.35.

Material examined. 1♂, Papua New Guinea, Madang Province, Baiteta ; 30-IV-1996; light trap AR42; Olivier Missa leg.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Papua New Guinea (Madang).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cheronella stuberi Miller, ♂. Habitus. Scale bar of 1 = 1.11 mm.

FIGURES 2–8. Cheronella stuberi Miller, ♂. 2, Head, pronotum, and scutellum, antennae removed; 3, head; 4. fore leg; 5. mid leg; 6. hind leg; 7–8, paramere. 2, 4–6, lateral view; 3, dorsal view. Scale bar of 2, 4–6 = 0.5 mm; of 3 = 1.00 mm; of 7–8 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 9–15. Cheronella stuberi Miller, ♂. 9–10, Paramere; 11–12, pygophore; 13–15, phallus; 12, 15, lateral view; 11, 14, ventral view; 13, dorsal view. Scale bar of 11, 12 = 0.50 mm; of 9, 10, 13–15 = 0.25 mm.