Germalus kontschani, 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 : 270-271

Germalus kontschani sp. nov.

( Fig. 1C , 3C , 4 )

Holotype: ♂ ( SDEI): “ 17.–19.IX.1991 / Irian Jaya, Wamena / Jayawijaya Prov. / Pronggoli , 2100–2400m / leg. A. Riedel ”.

Description.

Colouration. Body mostly ochraceous with brownish to blackish punctuation on thoracic dorsum and blackish decorations. Eyes and ocelli colourless, shiny; surroundings of ocelli slightly infuscate. Blackish, drop-shaped spot at base of clypeus. Surroundings of antenniferous tubercles infuscate.Antennomeres I–III generally dark ochraceous with decoration as follows: antennomere I dorsally infuscate, antennomere II–III apically fuscous; antennomere IV uniformly fuscous. Labiomeres uniformly ochraceous. Thorax. Pronotum with blackish, median longitudinal band and one blackish, rounded spot at each humeral angle. Pronotal callosities somewhat darker in hue than base colour. Scutellum blackish anteriad encompassed by the trifurcate carina. Costal margin of corium finely emarginated with black, ending in small blackish spots at apex of corium. Membrane hyaline. Thoracic pleurites. slightly infused with red medially. Metapleurites with brownish spot at posterior margin medially. Legs ochraceous; femora with brownish maculae. Abdomen. Tergites II–VI with irregular blackish transverse bands of various extent posteriad; tergite VII with slight elongate infuscate spot medially. Abdominal sternites with black spots around spiracles and brownish spots at dorsal apices; abdominal sternites II–IV with extended blackish spots basally.

Structure. Head pentagonal; integument dull, impunctate. Eyes moderately stylate, eye stalks moderately projected; ocular sulcus complete, distinct. Ocelli situated near ocular sulcus at basal part of vertex; interocellar distance to eye–ocellus distance: 1: 1.55. Clypeus rounded, exceeding mandibular plates; margins of clypeus slightly constricted medially. Antenniferous tubercle well-developed, apex visible in dorsal view. Antennomeres covered with sparse, decumbent pubescence, antennomere I with short setae basally. Antennomere I shortest, antennomere II longest; antennomeres III–IV subequal. Ratio of antennomeres: 1: 2.24: 1.53: 1.97. Mandibular and maxillar plates clearly separated; ventral margin of bucculae forming a U-shaped labial trough. Labiomere I reaching anterior margin of prosternum; labiomere II–III subequal, somewhat shorter than labiomere I; labiomere IV shortest. Ratio of labiomeres I–IV: 1: 0.89: 0.85: 0.77. Thorax. Pronotum trapeziform with lateral margin slightly carinate and constricted medially; pronotum length: width ratio: 1: 1.43. Integument of pronotum deeply punctate except collar-like spot at anterior margin, pronotal callosities, posterior margin and humeral angles. Scutellum triangular, subequilateral; scutellum length: width ratio: 1: 1.21. Integument of scutellum strongly punctate except well-developed, elevated and slightly flared median trifurcate carina. Hemelytron macropterous. Clavus well-developed, margins subparallel; claval commissure complete with a line of punctures at full length. Scutellar margin with 2–3 punctures basally, corial margin densely punctate at almost full length; punctuation continues at basal part of apical edge of corium. Length of claval commissure to median length of scutellum: 1: 1.40. Corium punctate along venation as follows: along Cu at apical half of length, along M-R almost at full length, but not reaching apical margin of corium. 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. 3C ); peritremal surface distinct. Femora fusiform, fore femora with minute tooth-like processes apically on dorsal and ventral side. Fore tibiae club-shaped, middle and hind tibiae rather cylindrical. Tarsal claws evenly curved with slight, 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: 5.32; length of head: 0.64, width of head: 1.52; interocellar distance: 0.36; labiomeres: 0.61–0.54–0.52–0.47; length of antennomeres: 0.34–0.76–0.52–0.67; length of pronotum: 1.18, width of pronotum: 1.69; length of scutellum: 0.73; width of scutellum: 0.79; length of claval commissure: 0.52.

Diagnosis. The species is readily recognized among other Germalus species of New Guinea by its generally ochraceous colouration with moderate dark pattern (other species are with more extended fuscous, brownish or blackish pattern).

Etymology. Patronym. The species is named after Jenő Kontschán (1975 –), excellent Hungarian acarologist in the honour of his efforts to accelerate the taxonomic research activities in Hungary.

Distribution. The single known specimen was collected in Pronggoli district, Papua , Indonesia (fig. 4), habitat: Central Range montane rain forest.

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 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.