Electromyiomma herczeki Kim & Jung, 2021

Kim, Junggon & Jung, Sunghoon, 2021, A new species of extinct genus Electromyiomma Popov & Herczek (Hemiptera Miridae: Isometopinae) from Eocene Baltic amber, with the key to Electromyiomma species, Zootaxa 4927 (2), pp. 289-293 : 291-292

Electromyiomma herczeki Kim & Jung , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Type material: [ CNU] Holotype: Holotype male in a 41x46x 38 mm piece of Baltic amber ( Fig. 1 ), with the curatorial museum code (CNUHHMF004) .

Diagnosis: Differs from other congeners by the following combination of characters: body concolorous, approximately 3 mm; compound eye slightly prominent; antennae linear; second antennal segment cylindrical, as long as 2 times third segment; third antennal segment longer than the fourth segment; posterior margin of pronotum weakly concave, lateral margin of pronotum constricted; hemelytra with tiny punctures.

Description: Male: Body elongate-oval, length 3.00 mm. Coloration. Entirely brownish, concolorous. Surface and Vestiture. Body generally rugous, distinctly punctate, covered with densely short pubescence; head densely punctate; antennae with short erect setae; pronotum (except for calli region) rugous with deep punctures and dense short pubescence; calli region with sparse punctures and pubescence; mesoscutum and scutellum punctate, covered with short pubescence, scutellum rugous; hemelytra with weak and small punctures, covered with short erect setae; cuneus with small punctures. Structure. Head: hypognathous, elongate in lateral view, anterior margin rounded in dorsal view, as high as pronotum height in lateral view; vertex relatively wide, 0.64 times as wide as single compound eye; compound eye prominent, reaching anterior margin of pronotum; ocelli large, close to each other; fovea antennalis positioned below compound eyes; antennae shorter than the body, linear; first segment shorter than the fourth segment; second segment longest, longer than the combination of the third and fourth segment; third segment longer than the fourth; proportion of first to fourth antennal segments 0.19: 0.73: 0.35: 0.28; frontal-clypeal part rather elongate; labium reaching hind coxae. Thorax: pronotum trapezoid, midline length shorter than anterior width and posterior width respectively, posterior margin concave, a mid-transverse line straight, lateral margin constricted medially, posterior angles rounded; pronotal collar thin; calli region distinctly swollen, inverted triangle shaped, with mesial dimple-like structure; scutellum large, midline more than pronotal midline length, scutellum width more than anterior pronotal width; mesoscutum largely developed, midline as long as 1/3 total scutellum midline length; lateral margin of hemelytra straight; commissure more than scutellum length; cuneus broad, inner margin straight; membrane with two cells; legs relatively short, hindfemur not reaching the apex of abdomen. Abdomen: elongate, exceeding apex of cuneus. Genitalia: not examined.

Measurements (in mm): body length: 3.00; head length 0.36; head width including compound eyes: 0.67; vertex width: 0.16; interocular width: 0.02; first antennal segment: 0.19; second antennal segment: 0.73; third antennal segment: 0.35; fourth antennal segment: 0.28; pronotal midline length: 0.40; basal pronotal maximal width (straight): 0.97; anterior scutellar width: 0.68; scutellar midline length: 0.51; commissure length: 0.55; outer embolial margin length (straight): 1.40; maximal width across hemelytron: 0.60.

Type locality and stratum. Baltic amber from Baltic Sea Coast, further detailed information unknown; mid-Eocene (ca. 44.1 ± 1.1 Ma) ( Wappler 2005).

Etymology: Named after A. Herczek, a taxonomist for Miridae , especially a specialist of fossil taxa and the author of the genus Electromyiomma ; a noun in the genitive case.

Remarks: This new taxon is most similar to the congener, E. schultzi , but it can be distinguished by body smaller; head brownish; vertex wider comparing to compound eye width; antennae linear, first and second segments as thick as third and fourth; and hemelytra with weak and tiny punctures. This fossil is also similar to the individual as the female paratype of E. weitschati with remarks (see details in Popov & Herczek (1992)), but can be easily distinguished by antennae linear, first and second segment as thick as third and fourth; and third antennal segment longer than the fourth segment. E. herczeki sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from the other congeners, E. weitschati and E. polonicum by antennae linear; second segment cylindrical; and third antennal segment clearly longer than the fourth segment.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Baltic amber with insect (A) and amber with scale (B).

FIGURE 2. Electromyiomma herczeki sp. nov. A: dorsal view; B: lateral view; C: head and pronotum; D: antenna. Scale bar: A–B: 1 mm; B–C: 0.2 mm.