Germalus pulchellus, Kóbor & Kondorosy, 2022

Kóbor, Péter & Kondorosy, Előd, 2022, The big-eyed bug genus Germalus Stål, 1862 in New Guinea (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Geocoridae), Zootaxa 5182 (3), pp. 265-278 : 267-270

Germalus pulchellus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1B , 3B , 4 )

Holotype: ♂ ( NHMW): “Diuremna / 1900–2100m / 9–11. IX. // IRIAN JAYA / Jayawijaya-Prov. / leg. A. Riedel, 1992.”

Paratype: ♀ ( NHMW): “Diuremna / 1900–2100m / 9–11. IX. // IRIAN JAYA / Jayawijaya-Prov. / leg. A. Riedel, 1992.”

Description.

Colouration. Head generally ochraceous, vertex and clypeus with blackish decoration of variable extent ( Fig. 2A ). Eyestalk with blackish irregular spots posteriad reaching nearly the midline of eyestalk dorsally. Ocelli hyaline. Antennomere I ochraceous with apical half strongly infuscate dorsally; antennomeres II–III narrowly infuscate at base and apex; antennomere IV mostly dark fuscous with narrow ochraceous annulation basally. Mandibular plates with three irregular brownish spots between apex and ocular sulcus. Labiomeres ochraceous, extreme apex of labiomere IV black. Thorax. Pronotum ochraceous with blackish punctuation and black longitudinal band medially. Humeral angles with a blackish ovoid spot and a tooth-shaped irregular brownish spots on posterior margin. Scutellum blackish with small ovoid ochraceous spots at basal and apical edges of median trifurcate carina. Clavus of hemelytron blackish with an irregular, elongate ochraceous spots at base of claval furrow and corial margin of clavus. Corium mostly ochraceous, punctuation along veins blackish; apical third of Cu and adjoining part of margin of corium with irregular infuscate area. Exocorium narrowly marginated with dark brown. Thoracic pleurites and sternites ochraceous with blackish punctuation; meso- and metathorax with an extended irregular blackish spot interrupted by the peritreme. Femora and tibiae with small brownish maculae. Abdominal tergites blackish; abdominal sternites ochraceous with dorsal margins brownish posteriad; sternites IV and VI with irregular brownish spots of variable extent laterad.

Structure. Integument of head dull, impunctate. Eyes moderately stylate; eye stalks moderately projected; ocular sulcus complete, distinct. Ocelli situated near ocular sulcus at basal part of vertex; ocellus-eye distance to interocellar distance: 1: 1.39. Clypeus rounded exceeding the mandibular plates, margins of clypeus converging towards base, constricted medially. Antenniferous tubercles well-developed, rounded, but not visible in dorsal view. Antennomere I shortest, granuliform with two short, erect setae basally; antennomere II longest, cylindrical; antennomere III somewhat shorter than IV subequal in length; antennomere III cylindrical, antennomere IV fusiform. Ratio of antennomeres: 1: 2.41: 1.69: 2.00. Mandibular and maxillar plates clearly separated; ventral margin of bucculae forming a U-shaped labial trough. Labiomere I surpassing base of head; labiomeres I–III subequal; labiomere IV somewhat shorter, apex of labiomere IV reaching line of metacoxae. Ratio of labiomeres: 1: 1.0: 1.0: 0.75. Thorax. Pronotum trapeziform with lateral margin slightly carinate and constricted medially; pronotum ratio: 1: 1.55. Integument of pronotum deeply punctate except collar-like spot at anterior margin, pronotal callosities and humeral angles. Scutellum triangular, subequilateral; scutellum length to width: 1: 1.21. Scutellum strongly punctate except well-developed, elevated, median trifurcate carina. Hemelytron macropterous. Clavus well-developed, margins parallel; claval commissure complete with a line of punctures at full length. Margins densely punctate at almost full length of both scutellar and corial margins; punctuation at corial margin continues at basal part of posterior edge of corium. Length of claval commissure to median length of scutellum: 1: 1.74. Corium punctate along venation as follows: Cu punctate at apical half of length, M-R punctate at full length. Exocorium widening towards apex. Membrane well developed, surpassing apex of abdomen, without conspicuous venation. Thoracic pleurites and sternites densely punctate except collar of prosternite, supracoxal lobes, peritreme and posterior lobe of metapleurite. Peritreme auricular with an elongate, crescent-shaped dorsal supporting process ( Fig. 3B ); peritremal surface distinct. Femora fusiform, fore femora with minute tooth-like processes apically on dorsal and ventral side. Fore tibiae clubshaped, middle and hind tibiae rather cylindrical. Tarsal claws evenly curved with well-defined blunt spur basally. Unguitractor plate with conspicuous, ovoid parempodia-like pads. Abdomen impunctate, integument covered with fine silvery pubescence, genital segments setose. Female ovipositor elongate, bisecting abdominal sternites V–VII.

Measurements (holotype). Total body length: 5.81; length of head: 0.76, width of head: 1.68; distance of ocelli: 0.43; labiomeres: 0.67–0.67–0.67–0.50; length of antennomeres: 0.39–0.94–0.66–0.78; length of pronotum: 1.20, width of pronotum: 1.86; length of scutellum: 0.82; width of scutellum: 0.99; length of claval commissure: 0.47.

Diagnosis. G. pulchellus sp. nov. resembles G. pappi sp. nov. from New Guinea, G. scabrus Kóbor & Kondorosy, 2022 from the Solomon Islands and the Australian species, G. coloratus Distant, 1918 in general features. In G. pappi pronotum with broad blackish transverse band across pronotal callosities (in G. pulchellus pronotum with narrow longitudinal band medially) and the supportive process of peritreme almost straight (in G. pulchellus the supportive process strongly curved, crescent-shaped). In G. scabrus pronotum with both longitudinal and transversal bands (in G. pulchellus pronotum with only median longitudinal band) and no collar-like impunctate spot present at anterior margin of pronotum (in G. pulchellus pronotum with distinct collar-like impunctate spot at anterior margin). In G. coloratus decoration of pronotum consists of spots at humeral angles (in G. pulchellus decoration of pronotum consists of median longitudinal band and spots at humeral angles) and median trifurcate carina of scutellum entirely ochraceous (in G. pulchellus only apices of trifurcate carina are ochraceous).

Etymology. Species epithet Latin, meaning “beautiful, pretty” and refers to the decorative appearance of this insect, especially the pattern of vertex.

Distribution. Holotype and paratype were collected near Irian Jaya, New Guinea (fig. 4), habitat: Central Range montane rain forests.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of New Guinean Germalus species. A. G. fuscovittatus Malipatil, 2013 (BMNH), B. G. pulchellus sp. nov. (Holotype, NHMW), C. G. kontschani sp. nov. (Holotype, ZSM), D G. cucullatus sp. nov. (Holotype, RBINS), E. G. pappi sp. nov. (holotype, ZSM), F. G. sellatus sp. nov. (Holotype, MFNB). (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 2. Detail pictures of New Guinean Germalus species: A. variability of vertex pattern in G. pulchellus (holotype and paratype, NHMW); B. labial trough (indicated with arrow) of G. fuscovittatus, C. sutures of abdominal tergites 4/5–5/6 (indicated with arrow) of G. fuscovittatus, D. venation of metathoracic wing in G. fuscovittatus (abbreviations: h—hamus, iv—intervannals, M—media, R—radius) (images not to scale).

FIGURE 3. Peritreme of metathoracic scent efferent apparatus (indicated by arrows) of New Guinean Germalus species. A. G. fuscovittatus Malipatil, 2013, B. G. pulchellus sp. nov., C. G. kontschani sp. nov., D. G. cucullatus sp. nov., E. G. pappi sp. nov., F. G. sellatus sp. nov. (images not to scale).

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of New Guinean Germalus species.