Carapezzaptera, Heiss, 2021

Heiss, Ernst, 2021, Carapezzaptera auritomentosa nov. gen., nov. sp. from Sri Lanka (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Aradidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 53 (1), pp. 77-83 : 78-79

Carapezzaptera nov.gen.

T y p e s p e c i e s Carapezzaptera auritomentosa nov.sp.

D i a g n o s i s: Medium sized apterous Mezirinae (7.7mm); habitus elongate, thorax attenuated anteriorly and longer than abdomen, the latter with concave lateral margins; coloration reddish brown, head, thorax and abdomen covered by dense yellowish tufts of short hairs; antennae about three times as long as width of head, segment I longest; eyes inserted in head, postocular lobes without tubercles; pronotum separated from mesonotum by a sulcus but fused to meso- and metanotum and mtg I+II, a median longitudinal ridge extends from pronotum to posterior margin of mtgII; deltg II+III not fused; metathoracic scent efferent ostiole visible as laterally produced conical projections; spiracles II lateral, III-VII ventral.

The presence of this set of characters is unknown from Aradidae of Oriental, Pacific and Australian Regions and to accommodate the new species, the new genus Carapezzaptera nov.gen. is proposed.

There is only a superficial resemblance to the monophyletic genus Chelysosoma KORMILEV, 1956 with the type species halaszfyi described from Southern India, sharing the position of spiracles and unusual structure of metathoracic scent efferent ostiole. It differs however from Carapezzaptera by stylate eyes, shorter antennae with segment III longest, different shape of median thoracic ridge, more stout and rounded habitus and less pilosity.

D e s c r i p t i o n:

Head: About as wide as long, genae anteriorly produced over clypeus, contiguous in front; antenniferous lobes blunt; antennae about three times as long as width of head, segment I longest, IV shortest; eyes inserted in head, postocular lobes without projections.

Pronotum: Wider than long, collar ring-like, lateral margins conical, disk with two oval callosities, posterior margin carinate.

Metanotum: Consisting of two oblique oval callosities separated by a median ridge extending to mtg III; lateral margins straight converging anteriorly.

Metanotum: Fused to mesonotum and mtg I+II each consisting of two oval callosities separated by the median ridge; lateral margins formed by carinate ridges converging anteriorly; body is widest across posterior margin of mtgII.

Abdomen: Tergal plate with an elevated median ridge, lateral margins raised and sculptured; deltg III-IV constricted posteriorly, deltg IV parallel, V-VII widening posteriorly.

Legs: Unarmed, femora and tibiae cylindrical, tarsi two-segmented.

E t y m o l o g y: This conspicuous new genus is dedicated to my friend Attilio Carapezza (Palermo, Italy) in occasion of his 70 th birthday, recognizing his remarkable contributions to Heteropterology and for many years of friendship and refers to its apterous condition.