Afropictinus Heiss, 1986

Heiss, Ernst & Grebennikov, Vasily, 2016, Monophyly, review, six new species and DNA barcode of micropterous Afromontane Afropictinus (Heteroptera: Aradidae), Zootaxa 4208 (2), pp. 149-160 : 151

Genus Afropictinus Heiss, 1986

Type species: Pictinus congoensis Hoberlandt, 1956 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Micropterous, small species, body length 3.0– 4.4 mm. Body elongate oval, surface glabrous; legs and antennae with spaced tubercles bearing long setae; head, lateral ridges of pronotum, lateral parts of scutellum and deltg II beset with more dense tubercles with shorter setae; colouration variable from light- and reddish brown to blackish with a tendency of yellowish pattern on deltg III–VI sometimes extending to whole tergal plate.

Redescription. Head. Slightly longer or as long as width across eyes; genae distinctly projecting over clypeus (except A. nabu sp. nov.) partly reaching or surpassing apex of antennal segment I, their apices contiguous or cleft; antennae slender, antennal segment I club-shaped and thickest, II shortest, III longest, IV fusiform with densely pilose apex; antenniferous lobes short, apices acute or blunt and diverging anterolaterally; eyes small, subglobose; postocular lobes rounded or straight, posteriorly constricted to narrow neck; vertex with rows of setigerous tubercles and smooth ovate callosities laterad; labium arising from slit-like atrium, as long as head, labial groove closed posteriorly. Pronotum. Strongly transverse, about 3 times as wide as long; lateral margins subparallel or rounded, converging anteriorly, anterolateral lobes narrowly to widely rounded or angulate, slightly or distinctly produced anteriorly; collar ring-like; disk with a median longitudinal sulcus flanked by rows of setigerous granules and 2 (1+1) oval callosities followed by a sublateral ridge of setigerous tubercles; paranota narrow, widening anteriorly and reflexed; posterior margin carinate separated from disk by a deep transverse groove. Scutellum. Large, more than twice as wide as long, roundly produced posteriorly; disk with median granulate carina, smooth laterally; triangular lateral parts of scutellum raised and densely granulate, delimited by small oval remnants of wing pads. Metanotum. Large ovate sclerites exposed lateral of scutellum, disk roundly elevated, posterior margin ill-defined and fused to mtg I. Mtg I+II. Mtg I and II medially raised and fused, fusion line marked by a transverse suture; posterior margin of mtg I invaginated or depressed at middle; mtg II separated from tergal disk by a suture. Abdomen. Tergal plate with a polygonal median elevation, carinate and highest on mtg IV, not developed or sloping on mtg III, triangularly depressed on mtg V; lateral oval apodemal impressions delimited anteriorly by deep arched grooves; deltg II beset with setigerous tubercles, fused to deltg III; tergite VII of males medially raised for reception of pyriform posteriorly conical pygophore, ptg VIII slender, shorter than pygophore, spiracles VIII dorsolateral; tergite VII of female raised posteriorly with a transverse carina; tergite VIII strongly transverse, carinate at base, ptg VIII roundly or angularly produced posteriorly bearing spiracles VIII; visible projecting parts of segments IX and X truncate. Venter. Metathoracic scent gland canal slit-like and straight with carinate margins, dorsally visible adjacent to small rudimentary wing pads; spiracles II–VII ventral far from lateral margins of vltg II–VII, spiracle VIII placed on a projecting tubercle which is laterally visible from above. Legs. Femora with distinct trochanters; tibiae cylindrical, tarsi 2-segmented, claws with long curved pulvilli.