Macrocoris laticollis Montandon, 1909

Mbogho, Aaron Y. & Sites, Robert W., 2013, Naucoridae Leach, 1815 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Tanzania, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 513-513 : 529

Macrocoris laticollis Montandon, 1909

Figs 21 , 30

Macrocoris laticollis: Montandon 1909: 59–61 .

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from M. flavicollis by the profusion of small, dark punctation on the pronotum and by the dark posterolateral corners of the connexiva ( Fig. 21 ).

Material examined: TANZANIA: Kagera Region: ca 5 km E of Bhiaramulo, 2°38.159'S 31°20.789'E, 1427 m, 26.vii.2010, R.W. Sites & A. Mbogho, roadside pool with grasses, algae, lily pads, L-1154 ( UMC; 1 nymph); Benako Reservoir, 2°28.081'S 30°51.355'E, 1492 m, 26.vii.2010, R.W. Sites & A. Mbogho, marginal vegetation on dam, L-1156 ( UMC; 7♂, 4♀, 45 nymphs) .

Extralimital material examined: [ DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO]: Musée du Congo, Sandoa, IX 1930 F. G. Overlaet / R. Poisson det., 1945, Macrocoris laticollis Mont. mongai nov. subsp. ( UMC; 1♀) ; Musée du Congo , Katanga: Kazenze, 20-VIII-1931, G. F. de Witte / R. Poisson det., 1945, Macrocoris laticollis Mont. mongai nov. subsp. / R. det. 5305 ( UMC; 1♂) ; Musée du Congo , Katanga: Nyonga, V-1925, G. F. de Witte / Macrocoris laticollis Mont., Det. R. Poisson 1958 ( UMC; 1♂) .

Distribution: This species is known from Angola (Montandon 1909), Cameroon (Poisson 1948 a), Central African Republic (Linnavuori 1981), the Republic of Congo (Poisson 1967), and Democratic Republic of Congo (Poisson 1948 b). It was reported among vegetation in a brook (Linnavuori 1981). In Tanzania, we found this species in only two localities; most specimens were collected among dense marginal vegetation on a dam in Kagera Region. This is the first report of this species from Tanzania.

Discussion: Species in this genus are distinguished based on characteristics of pronotum punctation and maculation, connexiva coloration, and characters related to male genitalia and medial lobes of the 8 th abdominal tergum. Poisson (1959) presented a key to the species of Macrocoris in which the first couplet divided the taxa based on connexival colour pattern; one group was concolorous or nearly so, and the other had the posterolateral corners black or densely maculated. We have found this distinction to be ambiguous and not reliable. Many specimens in the RMCA identified by Poisson himself as M. laticollis and M. laticollis mongai have variously darkened posterolateral corners of the connexiva, although his key requires that they be considered concolorous or nearly so. Our specimens agree with specimens identified by Poisson rather than his key in this feature. Further, the right medial lobe of abdominal segment 8 in our specimens appears similar to that of M. laticollis in Poisson slides in the Drake Collection at the USNM; although the digitate medial extension is gently arcuate, it does not taper to a point but is broadly rounded apically. Pending taxonomic revision, we provisionally identify our specimens as M. laticollis .

The subspecies M. laticollis mongai was referenced by Poisson (1948 b) and later described (Poisson 1949) from Monga, Uele District in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Males can be distinguished from those of the nominate subspecies by the shape of the parameres and denticulation of the right medial lobe of the 8 th tergum.

Figures

Figs 20–22. (20) Macrocoris flavicollis female from L-1260, (21) Macrocoris laticollis male from L-1156, (22) Naucoris obscuratus female from Lake Rukwa,Tanzania.Sizes are proportionate among figures.

Fig.30.Distribution maps of13 speciesof Naucoridae known from Tanzania.Notincluded is Neomacrocoris usambaricus, which was recorded from West Usambara. (Map for N. bondelaufa and N. vuga is reproduced from Sites & Mbogho (2012), with permission by Magnolia Press.)