Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911

Roell, Talita, Lemaître, Valérie A. & Webb, Michael D., 2019, Revision of the African shieldbug genus Afrius Stål, 1870 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 520, pp. 1-44 : 21-25

Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911

Figs 1 , 5–7

Afrius kolleri Schouteden, 1911: 180 ; lectotype herein designated.

Afrius kolleri – Schouteden 1963: 399 ; 1972: 106. — Gillon 1972: 352; 1974: 219. — Thomas 1994: 151. — Maldès & Pluot-Sigwalt 2004: 20. — Robertson 2009: 22 –23.

Types examined

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • Afrius kolleri Schouteden, 1911 ; lectotype ³ (here designated); labels: “ Holotypus ”, “ MUSÉE DU CONGO Galli-Koko Kasai R. CARLIER”, “ Afrius Stål kolleri Schout. ”, “ Afrius kolleri n. sp. ”; Fig. 5 A–B; RMCA • Paralectotype ♀; labels: “ Paratypus ”, “ MUSÉE DU CONGO LUKOMBE. 6.X.08 A. Koller ”; Fig. 5 C–D; RMCA .

Diagnosis

Scutellum longer than wide, postfrenal lobe narrow; humeral pronotal angles not emarginated; male abdomen with setose patches on segments V and VI, parameres triangular, without two distinct lobes.

Redescription

BODY. Pentagonal elongated, reddish to brown, usually with black stripes on head, pronotum, scutellum, and corium.

HEAD. Quadrate, as long as wide or slightly wider than long, uniformly punctured; mandibular plates equal or slightly longer than clypeus, and slightly wider than clypeus, with margins straight to slightly sinuous; clypeus black; ocelli surrounded by subquadrate black spots; antennomeres usually black, proportion of lengths of antennomeres: V> IV> III = II> I; labium robust, reaching metasternum; proportion of lengths of labiomeres: II> I> III> IV.

THORAX. Pronotum hexagonal, uniformly punctured, wider than long, with 1+1 black transversal stripes on cicatrices, 1+1 black vertical spots on humeral angles and 3 longitudinal stripes on disc; cicatrices flat, black, sometimes with a central red spot, demarcated by punctures; anterior margin concave; lateral margins sinuous, crenulated on anterior half; humeri triangular, not emarginated. Scutellum longer than wide, uniformly punctured, reaching an imaginary line connecting middle of connexival segments V, partially or entirely emarginated in black and with one triangular black central spot along frenal lobe; postfrenal lobe narrow, narrower than corium at same region. Corium longer than scutellum, reaching connexival segment VI. Protibiae slightly expanded ( Fig. 5 ).

MALE ABDOMEN. With setose patches on segments V and VI; parameres uniramous, triangular.

Male

MEASUREMENTS (n = 3). Head length 1.95 ± 0.20 (1.72–2.07); width 2.07 ± 0.06 (2.02–2.15); pronotum length 2.76 ± 0.23 (2.52–2.98); width 4.86 ± 0.40 (4.53–5.32); scutellum length 3.23 ± 0.13 (3.08– 3.33); width 2.90 ± 0.09 (2.80–2.96); length of antennomeres: I 0.31 ± 0.05 (0.27–0.37), II 1.05 ± 0.07 (0.97–1.12), III 1.08 ± 0.04 (1.05–1.12), IV 1.34 ± 0.06 (1.30–1.38); V 1.50 ± 0.00 (1.50–1.50); length of labiomeres: I 0.86 ± 0.03 (0.84–0.90), II 1.16 ± 0.03 (1.12–1.18), III 0.92 ± 0.02 (0.90–0.93), IV 0.92 ± 0.02 (0.90–0.93); length of abdomen 5.12 ± 0.17 (5.00–5.24); width 4.56 ± 0.15 (4.45–4.67); total length 10.11 ± 1.00 (9.00–10.97).

GENITALIA. Genital plates cylindrical ( Fig. 6A, D, I , gp). Parameres long, uniramous, head triangularly elongated, dorsally directed, extended beyond pygophore ( Fig. 6 A–H, par). Phallus. Thecal shield and basal theca subequal in length ( Fig. 6L , N–O, ts, bt). Vesica shield-shaped in dorsal view ( Fig. 6 P–R), golf club-shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 6 L–O, v), with apex rounded and a central elevated microsculptured portion ( Fig. 6 L–O, m), this central portion rounded in lateral view, subtriangular in dorsal view; ductus seminis with uniform diameter ( Fig. 6 L–R, ds). Apices of conjunctival lobes with inconspicuous sculptured process ( Fig. 6L , O–P, sp).

Female

MEASUREMENTS (n = 5). Head length 2.20 ± 0.09 (2.06–2.30); width 2.20 ± 0.12 (2.05–2.35); pronotum length 3.33 ± 0.24 (3.06–3.63); width 5.81 ± 0.31 (5.56–6.03); scutellum length 3.94 ± 0.27 (3.71– 4.30); width 3.34 ± 0.26 (3.07–3.75); length of antennomeres: I 0.35 ± 0.01 (0.33–0.37), II 1.18 ± 0.07 (1.12–1.25), III 1.18 ± 0.08 (1.12–1.27), IV 1.47 ± 0.13 (1.31–1.62); V 1.42 ± 0.0 (1.42–1.42); length of labiomeres: I 1.04 ± 0.13 (0.90–1.23), II 1.27 ± 0.07 (1.20–1.35), III 1.00 ± 0.08 (0.93–1.12), IV 0.98 ± 0.10 (0.83–1.08); length of abdomen 6.40 ± 0.45 (6.03–7.09); width 5.59 ± 0.34 (5.40–6.20); total length 11.98 ± 0.86 (11.12–13.22).

GENITALIA. Gonocoxites VIII slightly longer than wide, posterior margins sinuous ( Fig. 7 A–B, gcVIII). Median and inner ducts of vesicular area slightly widening to apex ( Fig. 7 C–D, md, id).

Distribution

Democratic Republic of the Congo ( Schouteden 1911), Ivory Coast ( Gillon 1972), Ethiopia, Uganda ( Thomas 1994), Cameroon ( Maldès & Pluot-Sigwalt 2004) ( Table 1 , Fig. 1 ).

Remarks

This species is apparently most similar to A. (Afrius) purpureus because they both present glandular patches on the abdominal venter of males, parameres that are not divided in two rami and vesica microsculptures.

The description of Afrius kolleri was based on an unspecified number of specimens of both sexes ( Schouteden 1911). We examined two specimens at RMCA: a male labelled as holotype and a female labelled as paratype. Since no holotype was designated in the original description, both of them must be considered as syntypes; accordingly, we hereby designate the male specimen as lectotype.

Figures

Fig. 1. Geographic distribution of the genus Afrius Stål, 1870 throughout Africa. The species points of occurrence and their dispersion in different countries are represented with colours: purple = A. (Subafrius) flavirostrum (Signoret, 1861); red = A. (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911; green = A. (Afrius) purpureus (Westwood, 1837). The countries highlighted for each species on the right part of the map are based on data from literature. The points marked for each species are from literature and labels information.

Fig. 5. Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911, types. A–B. Lectotype ³, labels and dorsal habitus (RMCA). C–D. Paralectotype ♀, labels and dorsal habitus (RMCA). Abbreviations: ac = corium adjacent to the scutellum constriction; sc = scutellum constriction. Scale bars: 4 mm.

Fig. 6. Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911, male genitalia. A–F. Pygophore in dorsal (A, D), ventral (B, E) and posterior (C, F) views. G–H. Right paramere in lateral views, internal and external respectively. I. Right genital plate, dorso-posterior view. J–L. Phallus in anterior, posterior and lateral views, respectively. M. Detail of the vesica in lateral view, also represented in O. N. Phallus in dorsolateral view. O. Drawing of the phallus. P–R. Phallus in dorsal view. Abbreviations: bf = basal foramen; bp = basal plates; bt = basal theca; cl = conjunctival lobes; db = dorsal border; ds = ductus seminis; er = ejaculatory reservoir; gp = genital plates; il = inferior layer; m = microsculptures; pa = posterolateral angles; par = parameres; ph = phallotheca; sg = secondary gonophore; sp = conjunctival process; ts = thecal shield; v = vesica; vb = ventral border; X = segment X. Scale bars: D–F, L, P = 0.5 mm; G–K, N, Q = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 7. Afrius (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911, female genitalia. A–B. Genital plates, ventroposterior view. C–D. Inner genitalia, ventral view. Abbreviations: cs = capsula seminalis; gcVIII = gonocoxites VIII; gcIX = gonocoxites IX; gpIX = gonapophyses IX; laVIII = laterotergites VIII; id = inner duct; laIX = laterotergites IX; md = median duct of vesicular area; od = outer duct of vesicular area; pi = pars intermedialis; tgIX = secondary thickening of gonapophyses IX; vi = thickening of vaginal intima; X = segment X. Scale bars: A–B = 1 mm; C–D = 0.5 mm.