Hebrus (Hebrus) atlas, Kment, Petr, Jindra, Zdeněk & Berchi, Gavril Marius, 2016

Kment, Petr, Jindra, Zdeněk & Berchi, Gavril Marius, 2016, Review of West-Palaearctic Hebridae with description of a new species and redescription of Hebrus fulvinervis (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Zootaxa 4147 (3), pp. 201-239 : 204-209

Hebrus (Hebrus) atlas sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–22 , 65 )

Type locality. Morocco, Middle Atlas Mts., Tazzeka National Park, Bab-Bou-Idir env., 34°04′N 4°07′W.

Type material. Holotype: Ƌ (micropterous), ‘ MOROCCO, 28.v.-3.vi. / 1999. Tazzeka N.P., Bab- / Bou-Idir env., 34°04′N, / 4°07′W, P. Průdek leg. [p, white label] // EX COLLECTIO / Z. JINDRA, PRAGUE [p, white label] // Ƌ [p, white label] // HOLOTYPUS / HEBRUS / ATLAS sp . nov. / det. P. KMENT, Z. JINDRA / & G. M. BERCHI 2016 ’ (ZJPC, to be deposited in NMPC). Holotype card-mounted, complete.

Paratypes: 1 Ƌ (micropterous), ‘ MOROCCO, 28.v.–3.vi. / 1999. Tazzeka N.P., Bab- / Bou-Idir env., 34°04′N, / 4°07′W, P. Průdek leg. [p, white label] // EX COLLECTIO / Z. JINDRA, PRAGUE [p, white label] // Ƌ [p, white label] // ( ZJPC) ; 1 ♀ (micropterous), ‘ MOROCCO, 28.v.–3.vi. / 1999. Tazzeka N.P., Bab- / Bou-Idir env., 34°04′N, / 4°07′W, P. Průdek leg. [p, white label] // EX COLLECTIO / Z. JINDRA, PRAGUE [p, white label] // COLLECTIO / NATIONAL MUSEUM / Praha , Czech Republic [p, white label] // ♀ [p, white label]’ ( NMPC) ; 1 Ƌ (micropterous), ‘ MAROCCO, 10 October 1993 / Ifrane env., cca 1600 m / 60 km S of Fes / P. Bílek lgt. [p, white label] // EX COLLECTIO / Z. JINDRA, PRAGUE [p, white label] // COLLECTIO / NATIONAL MUSEUM / Praha , Czech Republic [p, white label] // Ƌ [p, white label]’ ( NMPC) ; 1 ♀ (micropterous), ‘ MAROCCO, 10 October 1993 / Ifrane env., cca 1600 m / 60 km S of Fes / P. Bílek lgt. [p, white label] // EX COLLECTIO / Z. JINDRA, PRAGUE [p, white label] // ♀ [p, white label]’ ( ZJPC) . All the paratypes bear the following labels: ‘ PARATYPUS / HEBRUS / ATLAS sp . nov. / det. P. KMENT, Z. JINDRA / & G. M. BERCHI 2016 ’.

Description. Known only in micropterous form. Colouration ( Figs. 1–3 ). Head and thorax reddish (with metanotal elevation somewhat darker) in males ( Figs. 1–2 ), blackish brown (with head and pronotum posteriorly with reddish tinge) in females ( Fig. 3 ). Remaining body parts with same colouration in both sexes. Eyes dark reddish. Bucculae yellowish. Legs and antennal segments I and II yellowish with apices somewhat infuscated; antennal segments III–IVb brownish. Corium blackish brown, concolorous with disc of pronotum; clavus with small white spot basally, rest of corium and entire membrane dark brown. Abdomen black, only apically somewhat reddish.

Vestiture. Pubescence on head, pronotum, sides of thorax, mesoscutellum and metanotal elevation (‘scutellum’) very short, in optical microscope indistinct (see Figs. 4–9 ). Mandibular plates ( Fig. 7 ), corium, clavus posteriorly ( Fig. 10 ), abdomen dorsally and ventrally ( Figs. 4, 10 ), apical thirds of femora ( Fig. 11 ), tibiae ( Fig. 11 ), tarsi ( Fig. 12 ), and antennal segments ( Figs. 13–14 ) with longer pale hairs appearing silver or gold.

Structure. Body elongate ( Figs. 1–4 ), 2.63–2.70 times longer than wide across humeral angles, but body widest across gibbose metapleura (see Measurements). Vertex with median sulcus shallow, hardly visible in optical microscope ( Figs. 4, 6 ). Bucculae low, ventrally straight, posteriorly conically produced ( Fig. 7 ); head laterally with prominent oblique ridge running from base of antenniferous tubercle to postero-ventral margin of eye ( Fig. 7 ). Labium not observed on card-mounted specimens. Antennal segment I stoutest, cylindrical, slightly curved ( Fig. 13 ); segment II clavate ( Fig. 13 ); segments III, IVa and IVb terete ( Figs. 1 3–14 ). Antennal segments from longest to shortest ( Figs. 13–14 ): I> III> IVb> II> IVa; segment I 1.3 3–1.50× longer than II as well as maximum width of compound eye; segment IV divided by membranous junction into IVa and IVb ( Figs. 15–16 ). Pronotum ( Figs. 1–4, 8 ) transversely hexagonal, anterior collar not delimited posteriorly, middle transverse constriction well developed, especially laterally. Metanotal elevation shortly trapezoid, about 2.9× wider than long, posteriorly widely obtusely arcuate, without any incision ( Figs. 8–9 ); disc of metanotal elevation with low median carina accompanied by two shallow submedian depressions ( Figs. 8–9 ), not turned upwards posteriorly ( Fig. 5 ). Metapleuron strongly gibbose, therefore metathorax slightly wider than pronotum across humeral angles ( Figs. 1, 3 , 8 ). Hemelytra ( Fig. 10 ) reaching posterior margin of mediotergite II ( Figs. 1–4 ). Metafemur of male strongly curved ( Figs. 1–2 , 11 ), only indistinctly curved in female ( Fig. 3 ), metatibiae of both sexes straight, without long hairs ( Figs. 1–3 , 11 ). Mediotergites I and II with two thin, submedian, posteriad slightly diverging longitudinal keels ( Figs. 3–4 ). Male genitalia: Pygophore elliptic in dorsal view ( Figs. 17–18 ); proctiger large, posteriorly oval ( Figs. 19–20 ), distinctly protruding posteriad ( Figs. 17–18 ); paramere with group of long setae apically ( Fig. 21 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 22 .

Measurements (mm). Micropterous form. Male / female (n = 2; holotype, paratype / 3 (for antennal segments III–IVb n = 2); median (minimum–maximum)). Body length: 1.62, 1.74 / 1.82 (1.76–1.92). Pronotum: anterior width: 0.38, 0.40 / 0.40 (0.40–0.42), humeral width: 0.61, 0.65 / 0.69 (0.67–0.71). Metathorax: maximum width across metapleura: 0.63, 0.71 / 0.71 (0.71–0.75). Lengths of antennal segments: I: 0.24, 0.24 / 0.24 (0.24–0.26), II: 0.16, 0.18 / 0.18 (no span), III: 0.24, 0.24 / 0.26–0.28, IVa: 0.14, 0.14 / 0.12–0.14, IVb: 0.20, 0.20 / 0.20–0.22). Length of metafemur: 0.52, 0.48 / 0.52 (0.50–0.53), metatibia: 0.61, 0.65 / 0.67 (0.61–0.67), metatarsus: 0.22, 0.26 / 0.24 (0.24–0.26).

Variation. There is remarkable sexual dimorphism in colouration (head and thorax reddish in males, blackish brown in females) and shape of the metafemora (curved strongly in males, only indistinctly in females). Concerning individual variability in colouration, we noticed only the different shade of colouration of the metanotal plate in the three males examined, varying from reddish ( Fig. 2 ) to dark reddish brown ( Fig. 1 ).

Differential diagnosis. Hebrus atlas sp. nov. most resembles the three Palaearctic species of Hebrus with known short-winged ( H. fulvinervis , H. ruficeps ) or wingless form ( H. franzi ), but it differs especially in the following unique combination of characters: Antennal segment IV subdivided by a membranous joint (fully divided in H. fulvinervis and H. ruficeps , undivided in H. franzi according to Cianferoni et al. 2016), head laterally with narrow ridge above bucculae (unique character), sexual dichroism in colouration of head and thorax, body widest across gibbose metapleura (body widest across humeral angles of pronotum in H. fulvinervis and H. ruficeps , across abdomen in H. franzi ), short-winged form micropterous with hemelytra reaching posterior margin of mediotergite II (reaching posterior margin of mediotergite I in H. ruficeps and mediotergite IV in H. fulvinervis ), and metafemur of male strongly curved (straight in H. fulvinervis and H. ruficeps , slightly curved in H. franzi ). Hebrus iheriri Poisson, 1953 , the only North African species of the subgenus Hebrusella , is known only as macropterous females but it should differ in the antennal segment IV fully divided and colouration of entire body yellowish ( Poisson 1953). Despite the lack of knowledge of other important characters potentially distinguishing H. atlas and H. iheriri , we consider the possibility that H. atlas is the micropterous form of the latter as improbable.

Three micropterous Afrotropical species of Hebrus are known, all with shortened metanotal elevations (a character apparently related to reduction of wings): H. aristomides Linnavuori, 1981 ( Nigeria) and H. gembuanus Linnavuori, 1981 ( Nigeria) , both originally assigned to the subgenus Hebrus s. str. ( Linnavuori 1981) and H. leleupi Cobben, 1982 ( Democratic Republic of the Congo) described without subgeneric placement but regarded closely related to H. gembuanus ( Cobben 1982a) . Hebrus aristomides differs among others in shape of the bucculae, rudiments of the hemelytra shorter than the metanotal elevation, metanotal elevation 3.2× wider than long, shape of the parameres, and colouration of the head, pronotum and scutellum blackish with bluish metallic lustre ( Linnavuori 1981).

Hebrus gembuanus and H. leleupi resemble H. atlas in the shape of the bucculae and presence of a lateral keel on the head, and H. gembuanus also in orangish to reddish brown colouration of head and thorax. However, both H. gembuanus and H. leleupi differ in larger body size ( H. gembuanus 2.50–2.75 mm, H. leleupi 2.10–2.30 mm); upper surface densely covered with very long, erect bristles and adpressed, pale pubescence; scutellum with broad, U-shaped apical insinuation; rudiments of hemelytra ligulate; femora incrassate, straight; and metatibiae with a row of very long bristles. Hebrus gembuanus also differs in the orangish colouration of abdominal dorsum, whereas the cavicolous H. leleupi has the entire body unicolorous pale brownish ( Linnavuori 1981, Cobben 1982a).

Etymology. Atlas (genitive Atlantis , masculine) the giant of ancient Greek mythology bearing the Cope of Heaven, as well as the northwest African Atlas Mountains named after him, the homeland of the new species. The species name is noun in apposition.

Habitat. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 65 ). Africa: Morocco: Al-Atlas al-Mutawassit [= Middle Atlas ] Mts. (this paper).

Subgeneric placement. Despite the strong superficial resemblance of H. atlas to H. fulvinervis and H. ruficeps , which are currently classified in the subgenus Hebrusella due to the fully divided antennal segment IV, H. atlas has antennal segment IV subdivided by membranous joint and should be placed in the subgenus Hebrus s. str. as defined by Poisson (1944). This may suggest relationships of the new species to some of the Afrotropical species of Hebrus s. str, such as H. gembuanus or H. leleupi . Unfortunatelly, the subgeneric classification of Hebrus is problematic and requires revision (see Summary).

Figures

FIGURES 65. Distribution of Hebrus atlas sp. nov. (circle), H. eckerleini Jordan, 1954 (asterisk), H. fulvinervis (Horváth, 1929) (triangle), H. iheriri Poisson, 1953 (rhomb), and H. franzi Wagner, 1957 (square).

FIGURES 1 – 3. Hebrus atlas sp. nov.: 1 — micropterous male, paratype, Morocco: Ifrane env. (body length 1.82 mm); 2 — micropterous male, holotype, Morocco: Tazzeka NP (1.62 mm); 3 — micropterous female, paratype, Morocco: Tazzeka NP (1.76 mm).

FIGURES 4 – 12. Hebrus atlas sp. nov., male, paratype, Morocco: Ifrane env., scanning electron micrographs: 4 — body, dorsal view (magnification: 65 ×); 5 — body, lateral view (60 ×); 6 — head, dorsal view (200 ×); 7 — head, lateral view (180 ×); 8 — thorax, dorsal view (130 ×); 9 — metanotal elevation, dorsal view (320 ×); 10 — hemelytron, dorsal view (350 ×); 11 — hind leg (140 ×); 12 — metatarsus (370 ×). Scale bars: 4 – 5 — 0.5 mm; 6 – 8, 11 — 0.2 mm; 9 – 10, 12 — 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Hebrus atlas sp. nov., male, paratype, Morocco: Ifrane env., scanning electron micrographs: 13 — antenna, dorsal view (130 ×); 14 — antennal segments III, IVa and IVb, dorsal view (230 ×); 15 — antennal segments III, IVa and IVb (800 ×); 16 — detail of membranous joint between segments IVa and IVb (1300 ×). Abbreviations: II, III, IVa, IVb—antennal segments II, III, IVa and IVb; mj—membranous junction between segments IVa and IVb. Scale bars: 13 – 14 — 0.2 mm; 15 — 0.05 mm; 16 — 0.04 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Hebrus atlas sp. nov., male genitalia, paratype, Morocco: Ifrane env., photographs in transmitting light (magnification 200 ×). 17 – 18 — pygophore (17 — dorsal view, 18 — ventral view); 19 – 20 — proctiger (19 — dorsal view, 20 — lateral view); 21 — paramere; 22 — aedeagus. Abbreviation: pa—paramere, pr—proctiger.