Malipatilius macrops Kondorosy & Schmidt, 2024

Kondorosy, Előd, Kovács, Szilvia & Schmidt, Péter, 2024, A review of Malipatilius (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae), with a checklist of Lygaeoidea occurring in the Papuan Subregion, Zootaxa 5477 (2), pp. 147-170 : 163-164

Malipatilius macrops Kondorosy & Schmidt , sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 17 )

Type material. Holotype: New-Guinea (NE) / Angoram / 13-16. VIII. 1969. // NGA-U. 11. / leg. Dr. J. Balogh (♀, HNHM).

Description. Colour: Hemelytra and especially membrane less contrasted. Scape and femora dark reddishbrown. Eyes shiny brown. Rest of antennae, rest of legs yellowish-brown ( Fig. 5 ).

Structure: Antennae relatively short (especially basi- and distiflagellum) and wide, basiflagellum rounded; pedicel much longer than basiflagellum. Eye large, antenniferous tubercle short.

Measurements: Total body length: 3.95; head: length 0.65, width 0.75, interocular distance 0.34, eye length 0.29, length of antenniferous tubercle 0.11; length of antennomeres: I 0.41, II 0.70, III 0.51, IV 0.54, diameter of basiflagellum 0.13; pronotum: length 0.85, maximum width 1.21, width at transversal furrow 0.90, width at anterior margin 0.55; scutellum: length 0.74, width 0.69; length of claval commissure 0.38.

Diagnosis. M. macrops sp. nov. is very similar to the previously described species. The main diagnostic characters of this species are the short and fusiform last antennomeres (the basiflagellum is about 4.1 times as long as thick, while in all previously treated species except M. forticornis the basiflagellum is subcylindrical and at least 5.7 times as long as thick), the short basiflagellum (pedicel 1.37 times longer than the basiflagellum, while in all other Malipatilius species at most 1.27 times longer) and the large eye (vertex only 1.64 times wider than the eye, while in all other species this ratio is 1.87–3.50). The shape of the antenna is somewhat similar to the condition seen in M. forticornis , however, the basiflagellum of M. forticornis is conical and even more strongly incrassate (only 2.91–3.38 as long as wide). The new species can also be easily differentiated from M. forticornis by its much larger eye (vertex 2.75–3.50 times wider than eye in M. forticornis ) and its pronotum being more strongly narrowed anteriad (1.35 wider basally than at transverse furrow, while only 1.13–1.19 times wider in M. forticornis ).

Etymology. The name of the species is a latinized Greek noun formed from the prefix macr(o)- (μακρο-) and the noun ops (oψ), meaning ‘large eye’, referring to its relatively large eye.

Distribution. M. macrops sp. nov. is known from the northeastern part of New Guinea, near the Sepik River only ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Distribution of Malipatilius species in New Guinea.

FIGURES 5–8. Dorsal view of Malipatilius spp. 5 M. macrops Kondorosy & Schmidt, sp. nov.; 6 M. pilosus Kondorosy & Schmidt, sp. nov.; 7 M. minutus Kondorosy & Schmidt, sp. nov.; 8 M. szentivanyi Kondorosy & Schmidt, sp. nov.