Heissothignus baitetus, Brailovsky, Harry, 2011

Brailovsky, Harry, 2011, Two new species of Heissothignus from New Guinea (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Heterogastridae), Zootaxa 3130, pp. 63-68 : 64-67

Heissothignus baitetus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 2 )

Description. Holotype male. Dorsal color. General coloration dull yellow but marked with dark brown as follows: ocellar tubercle, four irregular spots at posterior margin of pronotum, humeral angles, depressed area of scutellar disk, and punctures; antennal segment I pale castaneous orange, II to IV missing; hemelytral membrane hyaline with contrasting dark brown veins; connexival segments II to VI pale brown with anterior third yellow, and VII pale reddish orange with anterior third pale yellow; dorsal abdominal segments II to VI yellow with lateral margins pale reddish orange, and VII dark brown with anterior margin pale reddish orange. Ventral color. Dull yellow with punctures reddish brown; rostral segment I dull yellow (II to IV covered by glue); coxae, trochanter and femora dull yellow; tibiae dull yellow with granules and apical third pale reddish brown; tarsi castaneous orange, suffused with yellow; pleural abdominal margin III to VII pale castaneous orange, with anterior third yellow; abdominal sterna III to IV with double row of black discoidal spots, one near midline the other close to anterior third, and sterna V to VII with one row of black discoidal spots near midline.

Structure. Head including the stalks wider than long, elongate, acuminate, non-declivent; tylus weakly raised, attaining middle third of antennal segment I; jugum with carina paralleling to tylus; antenniferous tubercle scarcely attaining the base of antennal segment I, with apex rounded; ocelli located near base of eye stalks; eyes set far out on distal end of thick, elongate, dorso-lateral stalks; vertex nearly flat; buccular grove reaching base of head; bucculae tiny raised, extending to level of base of eye stalk; rostrum elongate, reaching posterior border of sternite VI; rostral segments covered by glue. Pronotum wider than long, declivent; anterior margin slightly convex, with an upturned barely flared collar; anterior pronotal lobe much shorter, separated from prominent posterior lobe by complete transverse impression; anterolateral margin of anterior lobe remarkably carinate, crenate, and convex, and posterior lobe almost straight, crenate, with anterior half clearly carinate, and posterior half non-carinate; humeral angles rounded; posterior margin straight; pro-, meso-, and metasternum not visible; metathoracic scent gland auricle elongate-oval; evaporative area reduced, occupying ventral third of metapleura ( Fig. 1 ). Femora slender, unarmed. Scutellum wider than long; anterior half swollen, distal half depressed on either side of low raised median ridge; apex truncated. Hemelytra macropterous, extending beyond apex of abdomen; apical margin of corium straight; membrane with distinct basal cell. Abdomen. Posterior angle of connexival segments II to VI projected as small acute spine; all abdominal spiracles on ventral position; sternite II and III fused, IV not; spiracles on abdominal segments III and IV far from lateral edge of abdomen.

Integument. Similar to Heissothignus slateri .

Male. Unknown.

Measurements (in mm). Head length 1.40; width across eyes including stalks 2.26; interocellar distance 0.48; space between bases of stalks 0.88; antennal segment length I, 0.76, II to IV missing; pronotum length 1.68; width across humeral angles 2.76; total length of claval commissure 0.40; scutellar length 1.48; width 1.52; total body length 7.05.

Type. Holotype female. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Madang Prov., Baiteta, 30-VI-1995, Fogging AR22, Canopy Mission Papua New Guinea ( IRNB).

Diagnosis. This new species is related to Heissothignus slateri here described by having the humeral angles of pronotum rounded, lacking acute projections, pronotal disk non-uniformly yellowish brown, and pronotal disk without dark reddish brown central band.

Heissothignus baitetus sp. nov. is distinguished by having the antenniferous tubercle scarcely attaining the base of antennal segment I, with the apex rounded; the anterolateral margin of anterior pronotal lobe remarkably carinate, and the posterior lobe clearly carinate at anterior half, and non-carinate at posterior half; posterior angles of connexival segments II to VI projected like small acute spine; and abdominal spiracle III and IV located far from lateral edge of abdomen. In H. slateri the antenniferous tubercle is clearly extending forward, over base of antennae, and apically curved around the base of antennal segment I; the anterolateral margin of anterior pronotal lobe narrowly carinate, and posterior lobe non-carinate; posterior angles of connexival segments II to VI tiny exposed; and abdominal spiracles III and IV located directly on lateral edge of abdomen.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Etymology. Patronymic named after Baiteta area.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Heissothignus baitetus sp. nov. 1, head and pronotum. 2, male, habitus.