Archemezira nuoxichenae, HEISS & CHEN, 2023

HEISS, ERNST & CHEN, HUA-RONG, 2023, Archemezira nuoxichenae gen. et sp. nov. from Burmese amber (Heteroptera, Aradidae), Palaeoentomology 6 (1), pp. 17-21 : 19-20

Archemezira nuoxichenae sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Holotype. Male specimen, SC 2357 embedded in a honeycolored piece of Burmese amber (41 × 20 × 7 mm). Upper surface of thorax and abdomen excavated by scavengers, only their ventral parts are preserved. Ventral side partly obscured by mould, right legs cut at trochanters, left legs nearly preserved but obscured. This specimen is designated as holotype and labelled accordingly, deposited at SYJAE, Fuzhou , China.

Additional specimen. A macropterous specimen preserved in Burmese amber, SC 2124 was available for comparison. It is poorly visible and structural details are obscured by mould and detritus; it lacks antennae and apical segments of abdomen; thus, sex cannot be determined. Size, general habitus, recognizable structures of pronotum and head and particularly the characteristic dentate margins of connexival segments of right side support the assumption that this specimen belongs to A. nuoxichenae sp. nov. but is not recognized as paratype. It is deposited at SYJAE, Fuzhou , China .

Etymology. It is a pleasure to dedicate this conspicuous Burmese amber insect to the daughter of the second author Grace Nuoxi Chen.

Description. (Holotype). Male specimen of unknown alary condition and unusual large size (15.4 mm); coloration of ventral side reddish brown, pygophore darker. Except for the head, description is based on ventrally exposed characters.

Head. 1.7 times longer than wide (32.5 / 19); clypeus narrow, subparallel, apex and keel-like inflated dorsal side beset with tubercles; antenniferous lobes elongate and slightly diverging anteriorly, apex dentate; antennae long and slender, 2.84 times as long as width of head (54 / 19), segment I shortest and spindle-shaped, II–IV thinner and longer, length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 5 / 23 / 20 / 6; eyes subglobular inserted in head, postocular lobes subparallel, narrower than width of head (15 / 19); vertex depressed between eyes.

Sternum. Prosternum bout twice as wide as long (44 / 22), lateral margins subparallel at humeri, then dentate and angularly produced laterally, anterior lobe sinuately converging, its margins serrate; no trace of metathoracic scent gland visible; rostrum arising from an open atrium, rostral groove along head carinate, then forming a shallow groove on pro-, meso-, and metasternum, rostrum reaching posterior margin of mesosternum.

Abdomen. Wider than long (42 / 37) and widely rounded, lateral margins of vltg II–VII beset with 5–6 spine-like teeth increasing in size toward postero-lateral angles; sternites II+III fused at middle, III–VII separated by transverse sutures, the ventral laterotergites marked by a sinuate suture; apodemal impressions hardly traceable, pattern seemingly 2:2:1; the position of spiracles cannot be ascertained; surface striate along vltgs, smooth elsewhere; pygophore conical, paratergites VIII triangular, serrate at outer margin, shorter than pygophore.

Legs. Femora cylindrical with distinct trochanters, tibiae (as far as visible) thinner and cylindrical.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Archemezira nuoxichenae gen. et sp. nov. A, Holotype male, reconstruction of ventral view. B, Acantharadus quaternarius (Bergroth), original illustration of its description.clyp = elongated clypeus with open rostral atrium; ant = antenniferous lobes; eye = subglobular eyes; pron = pronotum; vltg II–VII = ventral laterotergites II–VII; ptg VIII = paratergite VIII; tVIII = tergite VIII. Scale bars = 3 mm.

FIGURE 2. Archemezira nuoxichenae gen. et sp. nov. A, Holotype male dorsal view. B, Ditto head dorsal view. C, Holotype ventral view. D, Ditto head ventral view. cl = clypeus with dorsal crest; ant = dentate apex of antenniferous lobe; ra = open rostral atrium; cr = carinate rostral groove; ap = apex of rostrum. Scale bars = 3 mm in A and C, 2 mm in B and D.

FIGURE 3. Archemezira nuoxichenae gen. et sp. nov. A, B, Holotype. A, Abdomen dorsal view. B, Abdomen ventral view, C, D, Damaged macropterous specimen. C, Dorsal view. D, ventral view, Scale bars = 2mm.