Sirthenea (Monogmus) picescens Reuter, 1887

Chłond, Dominik, 2018, A taxonomic revision of the genus Sirthenea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) of the Old World, Zootaxa 4520 (1), pp. 1-85 : 19-23

Sirthenea (Monogmus) picescens Reuter, 1887

( Figs. 28–40, 153 , 171 , 184 , 196 , Map 3)

Sirthenea picescens Reuter , 8: 109. Syntype (♂): Madagascar, Nosibé.

Sirthenea (Monogmus) picescens: Horváth (1909: 367) .

Sirthenea (Monogmus) atrocyanea Horváth, 1909: 366 . Syntypes (♂, ♀): Madagascar: Antongil Bay; HNHM. Syn. nov.

Type material examined: Sirthenea (Monogmus) picescens Reuter, 1887 . Neotype (present designation), ♀: Madagascar / Nossi-Bè [printed on]; Coll. / Brancsik [printed on]; Sirthenea (Mono- / gmus) picescens / REUTER, 1887 [handwritten] / det Rédei D., 2007 [printed, recent label]; Hung. Nat. Hist. Mus. / Budapest / coll. Hemiptera [printed on recent label] (HNHM). Sirthenea (Monogmus) atrocyanea Horváth, 1909 . Syntype, Ƌ: Madagascar /

Antongil B. / Mocquerys [printed]; Syntypus [printed]/ Sirthenea atro- / cyanea Horv., 1911 / labelled Rédei, 2007. [handwritten, recent label]; Hung. Nat. Hist. Mus. / Budapest / coll. Hemiptera (HNHM). Syntype, Ƌ: Madagascar / Antongil B. / Mocquerys [printed]; Sirthenea / atrocyanea Horv. [handwritten]; Syntypus [printed]/ Sirthenea atro- / cyanea Hv., 1911 / labelled Rédei, 2007. [handwritten, recent label]; Hung. Nat. Hist. Mus. / Budapest / coll. Hemiptera (HNHM). Syntype, Ƌ: Madagascar / Antongil B. / Mocquerys [printed]; Syntypus [printed]/ Sirthenea atro- / cyanea Hv., 1911 / labeled Rédei, 2007. [handwritten, recent label]; Hung. Nat. Hist. Mus. / Budapest / coll. Hemiptera (HNHM).

Other material examined: ♀: Mada- / gascar. [printed]; Sikora. [printed] ( NHRS) . Male: Madagascar-Est / Dist. Mananara-N / Serenambe / Vadon-Peyrieras [printed] / VIII. 1965 [handwritten]; Museum Paris / Coll. Generale [printed] ( MNHN) . ♀: Environs de / Rogez / Madagascar; Museum Paris / Coll. Generale ( MNHN) . Ƌ: Madagascar Est / Perinet / A. Peyrieras X-1972 [printed]; Museum Paris [printed] ( MNHN) . ♀: Madagascar Est / Perinet / A. Peyrieras X-1972 [printed]; Museum Paris [printed] ( MNHN) .

MAP 3. Distribution of Sirthenea picescens Reuter, 1887 .

Diagnosis. This species is recognized among other taxa in the Afrotropical Region by its dark body (in some specimens with a distinct metallic violet brilliance), corrugated dorsal surface of antennifers, elongated scape surpassing the apex of head, distinctly separated collar of anterior pronotal lobe, reduces sulci on posterior pronotal lobe ( Figs. 28, 196 ), two distinct and complete ridges on metapleura, spiracles III–VI placed very near of ventral connexival suture as well as the distinctly enlarged median process of pygophore ( Figs 32, 37 ).

Redescription: Color: Body dark (black and dark brown) ( Figs. 28, 196 ) with more or less intense violet, metallic brilliance and dark setae. Apex of clypeus, ventral part of head and intercalar segments of antenna paler.

Antennifer with brown setae. Visible labial segments dark brown with darker first visible segment. Ventral side of thorax and abdomen dark brown (males) or brown (females).

Structure: Body slender, relatively small. Head, pronotum, scutellum, and costal margin shiny. Head with shallow apodeme depression, covered with various-sized setae (among them visible 3 pairs trichobothrial setae) ( Fig. 153 ).Transversal furrow of head shallow. Posterior margin of eyes with a visible group of three trichobothrial setae. Dorsal surface of antennifers corrugated ( Fig. 28). Area from base of clypeus to anterior part of transversal furrow glabrous. Hairless area forked at basal part of clypeus. Anteocular part of head 2.38–2.62 times longer than postocular part in females and 2.13–2.36 times in males. Eyes and ocelli small. Eyes narrower than synthlipsis, Scurved at their posterior margin in lateral view. Scape thin and elongated, surpassing apex of head, covered by different sized, adherent setae and a few erect setae. Pedicel with dense, adherent, short setae and a 4 very long trichobothrial setae ( Fig. 171 ). Basiflagellum with short adherent setae and a few, regularly arranged, erect setae. Second visible labial segment reaching anterior margin of ocelli, enlarged basally. Anterior pronotal lobe sculptured with very delicate (almost imperceptible) sulci and distinctly separated collar ( Fig. 184 ). Ridges of proepisternum and proepimeron connected in entire length. Transversal suture of pronotum with delicate curvature. Posterior part of anterior pronotal lobe delicately depressed in middle, medial sulcus visible only in its basal part.Posterior pronotal lobe smooth with long and thin apodeme depression. Metapleura with two complete ridges. Margins of scutellum with dense medium-sized setae and a few long setae. Marginal parts of scutellum thick, apex elongate, rounded. Central part of scutellum distinctly depressed and sculptured (visible longitudinal depressed line). Tibia and tarsus with spine-like setae (mostly on inner side). Spine-like setae forming distinct band on apical part of middle tibia. Fore femur and tibia with few very long setae. Middle femur and tibia with a few long setae. Outer side of apical part of middle tibia with one very long trichobothrial seta. Hind femur and tibia with several trichobothrial setae, three of them on outer side very long. Corium dull with shining costal margin and dark setae (dense on costal margin). Hemelytron surpassing apex of abdomen. Abdomen ventrally with setae of various length, spiracles III–VI placed very near of ventral connexival suture. Number of long setae increasing towards pygophore.

Genitalia: Male—Pygophore covered by relatively long setae. Median process of pygophore very long, Sshaped, with a small, rounded indentation ( Figs. 32, 37 ). Both parameres robust with relatively long setae on outer side and shorter setae on inner side ( Figs. 33–36 ). Right paramere with sharp apical process ( Fig. 35 ). Left paramere subtriangular with a tubercular process ( Figs. 33, 34 ). Pedicel bent laterally, with robust basal plates ( Figs. 38–40 ). Dorsal endosomal sclerite tongue-shaped with rounded margins and smooth surface ( Fig. 40 ).

Female—Valvifer I ovoid, with straight flat area on basal margin ( Fig. 31 ). Outer side with a medium number of different-sized setae and a few distinctly longer and thick setae. Styloids with dense, short and thick setae and with sharp apical part ( Fig. 29 ). Area with setae in ventral margins of styloids occupying over half of their lenghth. Basal part of valvula II with process convolute inwards, basal part not forked. Apical part of valvula II forked on two sharp processes and apexes ( Fig. 30 ). On ventral side visible a group of several, long, thick setae.

Measurements (in mm, male in parentheses): Body length: 17.8–18.4 (16.5–17.4); maximum width of abdomen: 3.7–4.0 (4.0–4.3); head length: 3.2–3.4 (2.7–3.1); head width: 1.7–1.9 (1.6–1.7); length of anteocular part: 1.7–1.9 (1.3–1.6); length of postocular part: 0.7–0.8 (0.6–0.8); length of synthlipsis: 0.8–0.9 (0.7–0.9); interocellar distance: 0.3 (0.3–0.4); length of antennal segments I:II:III:IV: 1.4–1.5 (1.4–1.5): 2.3–2.5 (2.0–2.4): 2.0 (1.5–1.9): 2.2 (2.1); length of visible labial segments I:II:III: 1.0 (0.7–0.9): 2.05–2.6 (2.1–2.3): 1.4–1.5 (1.4–1.9); maximum length of anterior pronotal lobe: 2.2–2.5 (2.1–2.8); maximum length of posterior pronotal lobe: 1.4–1.5 (1.3–1.5); maximum width of anterior pronotal lobe: 3.0 (2.6–2.9); maximum width of posterior pronotal lobe: 3.8–4.0 (3.5–3.7); length of scutellum: 1.7 (1.2–1.7); length of hemelytron: 11.2–11.5 (10.9–11.7).

Distribution: Madagascar (vicinity of Antongil Bay, Nossi-Be, Perinet, Serenambe) (Map 3).

Comments: According to its original description, S. picescens has been described based on a single male. This specimen (the holotype) is supposed to be deposited in the Museum für Natur und Umwelt, Lübeck. Unfortunately, this museum was destroyed in 1942 during World War II. Big parts of the former scientific collections, among them the syntype of Sirthenea picescens , were lost (Dr Susanne Füting, personal communication). For fixing the identity of this species, designation of a neotype is necessary, and it is done in the present paper under Article 75.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (4th edition, 1999). A female from the original type locality ( Madagascar, Nosy Be), matching the original description, deposited in HNHM, is hereby designated as a neotype of S. picescens according Articles 75.3.5 and 75.3.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (4th edition, 1999). I recognize this species as the same biological species as the syntypes of S. atrocyanea , therefore the synonymy of the two species is proposed.

Figures

FIGURES 153–155. Head in lateral view: 153—Sirthenea picescens Reuter, 1887; 154—S. kali sp. nov.; 155—S. nigronitens (Miller, 1958).

FIGURES 169–182. Trichobothrial setae on pedicel: 169—Sirthenea africana Distant, 1903; 170—S. flaviceps (Signoret, 1860); 171—S. picescens Reuter, 1887; 172—S. rodhaini Schouteden, 1913; 173—S. caiana Chłond, 2008; 174—S. dimidiata Horváth, 1911; 175—S. flavipes (Stål, 1855); 176—S. kali sp. nov.; 177—S. nigronitens (Miller, 1958); 178—S. nitida Chłond, 2008; 179—S. nigra Cai & Tomokuni, 2004; 180—S. setosa sp. nov.; 181—S. laevicollis Horváth, 1909; 182—S. obscura (Stål, 1866).

FIGURES 183–187. 183—Apical part of anterior pronotal lobe of Sirthenea flavipes (Stål, 1855); 184—Apical part of anterior pronotal lobe of S. picescens Reuter, 1887; 185—Spiracles of S. flavipes (Stål, 1855); 186—Spiracles of S. laevicollis Horváth, 1909; 187—Spiracles of S. nitida Chłond, 2008.

FIGURES 193–196. Color figures of habitus: 193—Sirthenea africana Distant, 1903; 194—S. flaviceps var. adelpha Horváth, 1909; 195—S. flaviceps var lugubris Horváth, 1909; 196—S. picescens Reuter, 1887.

FIGURES 29–40. Sirthenea picescens Reuter, 1887: 29—styloids, outer view; 30—gonapophysis of VIII segment, inner view; 31—gonocoxite of VIII segment, inner view; 32—pygophore, dorsal view; 33—left paramere, inner view; 34—left paramere, outer view; 35—right paramere, inner view; 36—right paramere, outer view; 37—median process of pygophore, lateral view; 38—phallus, right lateral view; 39—phallus, left lateral view; 40—phallus, dorsal view.