Aradacanthia heissi Bai, Zhang & Cai

Bai, Xiaoshuan, Zhang, Wenjie & Cai, Wanzhi, 2009, Aradacanthia, a first record of a Calisiinae genus (Hemiptera: Aradidae) from China, India and Thailand with description of a new species, Zootaxa 2137, pp. 51-56 : 52-56

Aradacanthia heissi Bai, Zhang & Cai , sp. nov. (Figs. 1–10)

Diagnosis: The new species is distinct from A. multicalcarata and A. kormilevi but shares characters of A. singhalica Heiss , from which it can be distinguished as indicated in the key.

Description of female. Colour: Body yellowish brown. Head and pronotum fuscous. Blackish brown are the antennal segments I-III basally, segment IV; tubercles and spines of pronotum and scutellum; basal part of scutellum laterally, lateral margins of scutellum medially and a transverse patch at its apex; deltg I, anterior part of deltg II, VII, terminal segments of abdomen and anterior pair of tubercles of deltg III-VI. Eyes blackish.

Structure: Head, thoracic tergites and pleura, lateral margins of scutellum, and deltg’s beset with blunt tubercles or spines, genae longer than clypeus, contiguous in front with blunt larger tubercles apically and several smaller ones laterad, reaching to 1/2 of antennal segment III, clypeus longitudinally elevated medially (Figs. 1, 3); antenniferous tubercles pointed anteriorly with granulate lateral margins, reaching to 1/2 of antennal segment II; eyes small; postocular lobes with a larger prominent, fingerlike tubercle which exceeds the lateral margins of eyes and two smaller ones posteriorly (Figs. 1, 4); vertex with an Y-shaped double row of tubercles, reaching to posterior margin (Fig. 1); antennae 0.675 times as long as width across eyes; first and second segments cylindrical and subequal in length, third clavate and longest, longer than second and fourth, the latter fusiform; rostrum reaching to posterior margin of eyes, rostral groove shallow, closed posteriorly; bucculae developed (Fig. 4). Pronotum 2.45 times as wide as long at midline; collar with wide median cleft; FIGURE 1. Aradacanthia heissi sp. nov. Ψ. Holotype. Habitus. Scale bar = 0.625 mm.

FIGURES 2–8. Aradacanthia heissi sp. nov. Ψ. 2, Pronotum and scutellum; 3, 4, head; 5, 6, antenna; 7, fore leg; 8, venteral segments V–VIII. 2, 3, 7, lateral view; 5, dorsal view; 4, 6, 8, ventral view. Scale bar of 2–6, 8 = 0.5mm; of 7 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 9, 10. Aradacanthia heissi sp. nov., paratypes from NE-India. 9. %; 10. Ψ.

fore angle exceeding anterior margin of collar, lobed; lateral margins of pronotum distinct concave medially, rounded posteriorly; posterior margin angularly producing laterally of basal angles of scutellum, slightly convex medially; disc with 4 (2+2) large tubercles behind collar medially, laterad of them with 2 (1+1) large callosities, 6 rows of tuberculate ridges on hind lobe (Fig. 1). Scutellum reaching to anterior margin of tergite VII, lateral margins along the corium with distinct tubercles, granularly carinate posteriorly, slightly concave medially to accommodate the narrow corium; apex medially concave beset with tubercles; disc with a triangular elevation at base and 4 (2+2) tubercles overlapping hind margin of pronotum, an oblique curved lateral carina delimits the elevation and joins the tuberculate lateral margin of scutellum; disc with a longitudinal tuberculate carina reaching from basal elevation to apex from elevation to tip; exterior margins of corium reaching to 2/3 of scutellum (Figs. 1, 2). Legs slender, femora moderately inflated, tibiae cylindrical, nearly straight, preapical comb on fore tibia present, claws with laminate pseudopulvilli (Fig. 7). Deltg’s broad, lateral margins beset with a double row of upper and lower tubercles; deltg I triangular, superimposed on deltg II, disc granularly elevated; deltg’s distinctly separated from each other by sutures; deltg VIII triangular, paratergites stout, reaching to 1/2 of tergite IX, laterally tuberculate; deltg II – VII wider than long, posterolateral angles not protruding; visible lateral part of mediotergites about 1/3 as wide as deltg’s, with Lshaped elevations along its inner margin, the posterior lobe on each segment not reaching the suture separating mediotergites and deltg’s (Fig. 1). Prosternum separated from mesosternum by a suture, medially with a shallow depression laterally carinate; mesosternum with a narrow longitudinal impression; metasternum flattened, separated from mesosternum. Sterna II to VI flattened. Spiracles II–VI ventral, remote from lateral margin, VII laterally dorsal, visible from above, VIII terminal (Fig. 1). Terminal segments of abdomen as shown in Fig. 8.

Male: Basically as female but of smaller size. Tergite VIII ringlike and visible on ventral and dorsal sides, dorsally elevated for the reception of the pygophore with a tonguelike posteriorly projecting sclerite, which covers the pygophore. The latter globular with 4 (2+2) blunt tubercles directed posteriad.

Measurements: Ψ [in mm, (n=3), holotype in parentheses]. Body length 5.2–5.4 (5.3); maximal width of abdomen 3.29–3.49 (3.29). Length head 0.95–1.01 (0.99); width 1.01–1.06 (1.06). Length pronotum 0.96–1.01 (0.96); width 2.38–2.44 (2.44). Length scutellum 2.41–2.54 (2.41); width 1.59–1.69 (1.59). Length antennal segments I–IV = 0.15–0.17, 0.15–0.17, 0.26–0.31, 0.33–0.35 (0.15, 0.15, 0.29, 0.33). %: (n=2) Body length 4.8, 5.1.

Type material: Holotype: Ψ, China, Hainan, Yinggeling, 2-VIII-2007, X. S. Bai leg. ( CAU). Paratypes: 2 Ψ, same data as for holotype ( CAU); 2 Ψ, Thailand, Nan Province, Ban Huray Kon env., 27-V–10-VI-2002, Prudek & Obořil leg. ( CEHI); 2 %, 1 Ψ NE-India, Meghalaya, E of Tura 500-600m, 25°30N, 90°14E, 2–5-V- 2002, M.Tržna & P. Penda leg. ( CEHI).

Etymology: This species is named in honor of Dr. Ernst Heiss for his great contribution to our knowledge of Aradidae .

Distribution: China (Hainan), Thailand, India.