Mormoschema Breddin, 1909

Kment, Petr & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2023, Rehabilitation of Mormoschema (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae): generic status restituted and tribal placement revised, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63 (2), pp. 397-412 : 399-402

Mormoschema Breddin, 1909 , stat. restit.

Mormoschema Breddin, 1909: 269–270 (original description). Type species: Tolumnia immaculata Distant, 1900 , by monotypy.

Mormoschema : KIRKALDY (1909): 365 (catalogue); DISTANT (1918):130 (listed as synonym of Tolumnia ).

Redescription. Colouration, integument and vestiture. Dorsum as in Figs 1 and 5 , with broad median stripe ventrally dark brown to black ( Figs 2 , 7 ), lateral margins of body venter, antennae in part, and legs whitish to ochraceous (for details see species redescription).

Body above including head, pronotum, scutellum, and hemelytra (except membrane) with dense, small but coarse, black punctures, uniformly distributed ( Figs 1–4 , 8–10 ). Head ventrally and propleuron ( Fig. 9 ) with dense, coarse, black punctures; punctures on meso- and metapleuron ( Fig. 13 ), and on abdomen ( Fig. 2 ) sparse, black.All femora with sparsely distributed coarse, round, black spots ( Fig. 2 ); all tibiae with dense, round, fine punctures. Posterior one third of genital capsule, including posterolateral projections, with uniformly distributed, moderately large, round, dark brown punctures ( Figs 22–24 ).

Dorsum of body glabrous except the following: punctures on dorsum of head possess very short setae, few longer setae near apex of clypeus ( Fig. 8 ), antennomeres I–IV with sparse, short, semi-erect setae, golden yellow. Legs and abdomen ventrally possessing very fine, short, golden setae. External male genitalia with median emargination of dorsal rim of genital capsule possessing moderately elongate sparse, golden-brown setae; ventral rim and infoldings of ventral rim with short golden setae; posterior half of genital capsule ventrally with moderately elongate, and anterior half with short, sparse, golden setae ( Figs 16–18 ). External female genitalia (valvifers VIII–IX, laterotergites VIII–IX) dorsally with golden setae.

Structure. Head ( Figs 3 , 8 ) gradually narrowed towards apex; mandibular plates slightly concave in front of eyes, as long as clypeus; clypeus apically free. Antenniferous tubercles visible in dorsal view. Antennae pentamerous, slender. Antennomeres from shortest to longest: I <IIb <IIa <III <IV; scape (I) cylindrical, shortest and stoutest; antennomeres IIa, IIb and III cylindrical, slender; distiflagellum (IV) spindle-shaped ( Figs 1–2 ). Bucculae ( Fig. 9 ) short, low, rounded anteriorly, rectangular posteriorly. Labiomere I short, apical fourth surpassing posterior margin of bucculae and slightly surpassing anterior pronotal margin; apex of labium reaching ventrite III ( Fig. 2 ).

Pronotum ( Figs 4 , 10 ). Anterolateral angles rectangular with minute laterally directed denticle; anterolateral margins slightly and broadly concave in middle; anterior half of anterolateral margins slightly granulated. Humeral angles narrowly rounded, more-or-less conspicuously notched apically, bent slightly downwards; posterolateral angles broadly rounded, posterior margin of pronotum nearly straight. Pronotal disc with anterior half flat, inclined, in same plane with dorsum of head; posterior half of pronotal disc horizontal. Pronotum submedially on anterior half with pair of calli, bearing conspicuous black unpunctured cicatrices ( Fig. 4 : c).

Scutellum ( Fig. 1 ). Lateral margins slightly concave in frenal portion; apex of scutellum narrowly rounded. Disc of scutellum slightly gibbose prefrenally, postfrenal portion nearly flat.

Hemelytra. Membrane translucent, broadly rounded apically, distinctly surpassing apex of abdomen, bearing 6 prominent, simple, brown veins, without reticulate venation.

Thoracic sterna and pleura. Mesosternum with low median longitudinal carina, mesosternum flat ( Figs 12–13 : mc). Ostioles small, oval, each directed laterad, accompanied by deep periostiolar depression ( Fig. 14 ). Peritremes short, spout-shaped, each with apex distinctly elevated above surrounding metapleuron ( Figs 13–14 , 34 : p). Evaporatoria ( Figs 13 , 34 ) well-developed on metapleura, each forming a broad triangular patch, emarginated by sharp ridge sublaterally, extendeding onto mesopleuron, forming only a narrow band along anterior margin of metathoracic spiracle, not reaching lateral margin of mesopleuron ( Fig. 13 ). Metathoracic spiracle long, protected by reticulate filter processes ( Figs 13 : s, 15).

Legs. Outer (dorsal) surface of tibiae with narrow, indistinct longitudinal groove. All tarsi with tarsomere II shortest and tarsomere I longer than III.

Pregenital abdomen. Abdominal ventrites medially rounded, neither keeled or grooved ( Fig. 2 ), ventrite III only slightly produced anteromedially, not surpassing over metapleuron ( Fig. 12 ). Posterolateral angles of each connexival segment III–VII, angular, without denticle ( Fig. 2 ). Spiracles on ventrites III–VII whitish, surrounded by narrow brown circle, without any adjacent callosities ( Fig. 11 ). A pair of trichobothria present on each side of ventrites III–VII posteriad of spiracle ( Fig. 11 : t).

Male genitalia ( Figs 16–31 ). Genital capsule ( Figs 16–19 , 22–24 ) slightly longer than wide, subquadrate with well-developed posterolateral (= caudal) lobes. Dorsal rim ( Figs 16 , 22 : dr) deeply, concavely excavated, with narrow median emargination. Ventral rim ( Figs 17 , 23 : vr) with narrow medial rectangular notch as wide as posterolateral lobes ( Figs 17 , 23 : pl); infoldings of ventral rim moderately developed with narrow, short, V-shaped notch medially. Paramere ( Figs 20–21 , 25–27 ) with large bilobed crown, one lobe slightly smaller with apex twisted mesad, other lobe larger, with short, triangular projection directed mesad, stem broad, short. Phallus ( Figs 28–31 ). Phallotheca nearly of uniform width in ventral view with base slightly constricted, hinges not well-developed, dorsal wall convex basally, ventral wall concave medially, slightly convex basally. Three conjunctival processes, a short one dorsally ( Figs 30, 31 : cpd) and a pair of obovate ventral conjunctival processes ( Fig. 30 : cpv). Processes of aedeagus absent. Aedeagus ( Figs 29 – 30, 31 : ad) elongate tube-like.

Female genitalia ( Figs 32–33 ). Terminalia ( Fig. 33 ). Valvifers VIII (vlf8) rectangular, with mesial margins slightly concave medially. Valvifers IX (vlf9) nearly trapezoidal. Laterotergites IX (lt9) elongate subtriangular, each with posterior apex arcuately rounded. Laterotergites (lt8) triangular. Gynatrium with inverted U-shaped sclerite surrounding spermathecal opening ( Fig. 32 : us), ring sclerites absent. Spermatheca ( Fig. 32 ). Spermathecal dilation long with proximal one third opaque, at its base twisted upwards; intermediate portion of spermatheca short, proximal flange narrower than distal flange; apical receptacle orbicular without any ductules ( Fig. 32 : ar).

Differential diagnosis. This genus resembles members of Eysarcoris Hahn, 1834 , or Carbula Stål, 1865 , in the shape and size of the body, the short, spout-shaped peritremes, which do not reach the middle of the metapleuron, the bilobed crown of the parameres, and the absence of finger-like processes on the apical receptacle of the spermatheca. Mormoschema is distinct in possessing the following characters: humeral angles slightly depressed or bending downwards, medially notched or incised, forming anterior and posterior lobes ( Figs 1, 4–5 , 10 ); anterior half of anterolateral pronotal margins with granulation; spermathecal dilation long with proximal one-third golden brown coloured, and the proximal end opaque, twisted upwards; ring sclerites absent; and the posterolateral lobes of the genital capsule arcuately rounded. Etymology. BREDDIN (1909) created the name combining the generic name Mormidea and the latinized Greek word schema (σχημα), meaning shape, figure, form, manner, or posture. The word schema could be treated as feminine in Latin or neuter in Greek. As BREDDIN (1909) combined this generic name with a species epithet using a neuter ending (immaculat-um), the gender of Mormoschema should therefore be considered as neuter (Article 30.1.2 of the ICZN 1999).

Included species. Monotypic.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat. restit., India: Karnataka: 1–2 – habitus (1 – dorsal view, 2 –ventral view); 3 – head (dorsal view); 4 – pronotum. Lettering: c – cicatrix. Scale bars: 1 mm (1–2), 0.5 mm (3–4). Photo: Salini.

Figs 5–7. Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat.restit., syntype from India:Kotagiri. 5 – habitus (dorsal view); 6 – labels; 7 – habitus (ventral view). Scale bars: 1 mm (5, 7). Photo: Salini.

Figs 8–11.Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat.restit.,Sri Lanka:Nuwara Eliya:8–9 – head (8 – dorsal view, 9–ventralview);10 – head and thorax (dorsal view); 11 – trichobothria on abdominal ventrite VII. Lettering: t – trichobothrium. Scale bars: 1 mm (8–9), 2 mm (10), 200 μm (11). Photo: P. Kment.

Figs 12–15. Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat. restit., Sri Lanka: Nuwara Eliya: 12 – meso-, metathorax and abdominal ventrite III; 13 – external scent efferent system of the metathoracic scent gland; 14 – detail of peritreme; 15 – detail of metathoracic spiracle with filter processes. Lettering: mc – mesosternal carina, p – peritreme, s – metathoracic spiracle. Scale bars: 1 mm (12–13), 100 μm (14), 50 μm (15). Photo: P. Kment.

Figs 22–27. Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat. restit., India: Karnataka, male genitalia: 22–24 – genital capsule (22 – dorsal, 23 – ventral, 24 – caudal view); 25–27 – paramere (three different planes). Lettering: dr – dorsal rim, pl – posterolateral (= caudal (lobes), vr – ventral rim. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Photo: Salini.

Figs 16–21. Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat. restit., Sri Lanka: Nuwara Eliya, male genitalia: 16–19 – genital capsule (16 – dorsal, 17 –ventral, 18 – caudal, 19 –lateral view); 20–21 – paramere (two different planes). Scale bars: 500 μm (16–19), 300 μm (20–21). Photo: P. Kment.

Figs 28–34. Mormoschema immaculatum (Distant, 1900), stat. restit., India: Karnataka, male and female genitalia, external scent efferent system. 28 – articulatory apparatus; 29–31 – phallus (29 – dorsal, 30 – ventral, 31 – lateral view); 32 – spermatheca attached to ventral side of terminalia; 33 – terminalia (dorsal view); 34 – external scent efferent system. Lettering: ad – aedeagus, ar – apical receptacle, cpd – dorsal conjunctival process, cpv – ventral conjunctival processes, lt8–lt9 – laterotergites VIII or IX, p – peritreme, us – inverted U-shaped sclerite, vlf8–9 – valvifers VIII or IX. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (28–31), 0.5 mm (32–34). Photo: Salini.