Mertila rubrocephala, Yeshwanth & Konstantinov, 2021
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2021.745.1311 |
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6C85E664-6DE6-442A-9410-D94254E429F5 |
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4695085 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/58C96AB0-D734-40BE-BDA1-AA987486F1BA |
taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:58C96AB0-D734-40BE-BDA1-AA987486F1BA |
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
scientific name |
Mertila rubrocephala |
status |
sp. nov. |
Mertila rubrocephala sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:58C96AB0-D734-40BE-BDA1-AA987486F1BA
Figs 3A–C View Fig , 19–20 View Fig View Fig , 25C View Fig
Diagnosis
Easily recognized from all congeners by the uniformly black pronotum, scutellum and entire hemelytron with only head dark reddish ( Fig. 3A–B View Fig ) and the structure of male genitalia devoid of two strongly twisted and tapering, hollow tubular processes of the dorsal wall of genital capsule ( Fig. 19 View Fig ).
Etymology
The species epithet refers to the distinctive red head of the new species.
Type material
Holotype INDIA • ♂; Karnataka, Dakshina Kannada, Vittla ; 20°45.814ˊ N, 75°06.095ˊ E; 60 m a.s.l.; 30 Sep. 2011; H.M. Yeshwanth leg.; at light; UASB. GoogleMaps
Paratypes INDIA • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; UASB GoogleMaps .
Description
Male
COLORATION. Black; head dark reddish, antennal segment I and labium reddish, antennal segment II reddish with apex brown; legs reddish with darkened tarsi; pronotum, scutellum and hemelytron black; membrane dark brown; body ventrally dark brown or black with genital capsule brown ventrally ( Fig. 3A–C View Fig ).
SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Head, pronotum and hemelytron with short, dense, whitish, erect simple setae, antenna and legs with brown simple setae; pronotum weakly punctate, hemelytron finely rugose.
STRUCTURE. Body oval, total length 5.2, twice as long as basal width of pronotum. Head: transverse, moderately produced anterior to eyes, slopping; eye large, occupying half the head height in lateral view and projecting laterally beyond anterior margin of pronotum; vertex 1.7× as wide as dorsal width of one eye, almost flat, postocular lobe not developed; antennal fossa large, located close to inferior margin of eye; antennal segment I tubular, basally narrow, subequal to vertex width, segment II shorter than head width; labium long, stout, reaching abdominal segment III. Thorax: pronotum 1.6× as wide as long, trapeziform, with weakly concave lateral margin and broadly convex posterior margin; mesoscutum narrowly exposed; scutellum broadly triangular, slightly raised; metathoracic scent-gland efferent system reduced, peritreme tongue shaped, of typical eccritotarsine structure ( Fig. 25C View Fig ). Hemelytron: costal margin slightly convex; cuneus broadly triangular, length subequal to basal width; large cell of membrane concave, apically angulate, well surpassing apex of cuneus, secondary cell small. Legs: femora comparatively short, moderately flattened; tibiae subequal in length to respective femora; tarsal segment I short, segments II and III subequal in length.
GENITALIA. Genital capsule ( Fig. 19 View Fig ) wide and short, with wide, posteriorly directed, V-shaped aperture, produced into three very large processes; lateral processes somewhat resembling parameres, distinctly longer than genital capsule; left lateral process elongate, rectangular with long and flattened spine-like apex; right lateral process longer than left one, gradually curved towards midline, broadly rounded apically; dorsal wall of genital capsule produced into median process, flattened oblong structure broadly rounded apically; parameres and aedeagus greatly reduced, located close to each other at ventralmost point of aperture of genital capsule; aedeagus typical of Harpedona -group; phallotheca with slightly sclerotized dorsal wall, membranous elsewhere, endosoma simple, sac-like, without sclerotization; ductus seminis with sclerotized base followed by short membranous segment and strongly sclerotized, spine-like apical half ( Fig. 20E View Fig ); left paramere hooked, strongly twisted ( Fig. 20A–B View Fig ); right paramere spoon-shaped, with short upturned apical process ( Fig. 20C–D View Fig ).
Female
Unknown.
Host
Unknown. All specimens were attracted to light.
Distribution
Karnataka State of India .
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.