Paramahisa kununurraensis, Malipatil & Blacket, 2011

Malipatil, M. B. & Blacket, M. J., 2011, Three new species of Cleradini from Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae), Zootaxa 3003 (1), pp. 43-54 : 48-50

Paramahisa kununurraensis sp. nov. ( Figs. 17–27 )

Specimen examined: Holotype male, 4th segment of left antenna missing, Kununurra , Western Australia, 13.xii.1983, A. Postle, in MV.

Description:

Colour: Body ( Fig. 17 ) above dark reddish-brown; with narrow lateral margins of corium, and 3 broad unevenly spaced spots on posterior margin of pronotum, red. Labium, 1st segment of antennae and legs, uniformly yellowish-brown; 2nd, 3rd and distal quarter of 4th segment of antennae darker than 1st segment; remainder of 4th segment white. Trichobothrial areas on abdominal venter reddish-yellow.

Structure: Measurements are of holotype. Body matt, elongate ovate, with long and slender antennae and legs. Head above, pronotum, scutellum and clavus and corium covered with sparse, long, dark bristles, borne on indistinct bases ( Figs. 17–20 ). Body length including wings 6.80; maximum width 2.30.

Head: Above indistinctly corrugated ( Fig. 19 ), not punctate similar to pronotum, subshiny; bucculae ending before base of antennifers; head ventrally and medianly not grooved to base of head. Length of head 1.38; width across eyes 0.92; interocular space 0.46; interocellar space 0.67; eye-ocellar space 0.04; eye length 0.34; eye width 0.23. Antennae ( Fig. 21 ) long, slender, 2nd segment longest; 1st segment with half of its length extending beyond apex of head; 4th segment slightly curved over entire length; length of segments: I 0.69; II 1.61; III 0.87; IV 1. 30. Labium ( Fig. 20 ) almost reaching hind coxae; 1st segment extending to about middle of head, 2nd segment to beyond base of head; length of segments: I 0.85; II 0.65; III 1.49; IV 0.33.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 18 ) with well demarcated anterior collar; lateral margins distinctly sinuate near middle; posterior margin straight; anterior lobe area slightly swollen compared with posterior lobe area. Entire surface except calli area almost uniformly and sparsely punctate with shallow punctures, the space between punctures wider than the punctures themselves; median length 0.92; width at posterior margin 1.72. Thoracic pleura without erect bristles. Metathoracic scent gland auricle prominently projecting above pleural surface, orifice directed posteriorly. Legs slender, long; fore femora only slightly thicker than other femora, armed below with two widely spaced rows each of 6 or 7 long sparse setae with slightly tuberculate bases; other femora with only an inner row of 6 or 7 shorter setae; tibiae slender; hind basitarsus about 2.75 x as long as distal 2 segments combined. Scutellum with an indistinct median laevigate ridge, sparsely and irregularly punctate all over; length 0.87; width 0.96. Claval commissure 0.97. Corium with Sc indistinctly depressed, sides almost parallel throughout, punctate as in P. trimaculata Malipatil. Length of hemelytra 4.14; length of corium 3.22; width of membrane 1.25. Hind wings not examined.

Abdomen: Dorsally flat, ventrally medianly keeled ( Fig. 23 ), subshiny, without a distinct stridulitrum; submedian trichobothria on stenum III in triangular series and those of sternum IV in rectilinear series; trichobothrial areas rugulose and raised above surface; intersegmental suture between III - IV curved indistinctly forward well before margin. Lateral tergites narrow ( Fig. 22 ). Terga mostly membranous, with gradually widened broad median patch from posterior of anterior scent gland scar to end of abdomen sclerotised as in Fig. 22 ; a few bristles on posterior margin of 7th tergum. Anterior scent gland scar slightly wider than posterior two scars, these equal in width.

Male: Pygophore as in Fig. 24 , with well developed processes above base of parameres. Paramere ( Fig. 25 ) rather short and stumpy, with blade forked, both teeth of about equal size and length; subbasal inner process broad and prominent. Aedeagus ( Figs. 26, 27 ) without lobes or processes on membranous conjunctiva and vesica; phallotheca moderately pigmented particularly on sides; ejaculatory reservoir reduced; duct distal to ejaculatory reservoir distinctly thicker and heavily sclerotised; helicoid process with about 2 coils, gonoporal process with 4–5 coils; basal coils tighter than apical coils; secondary gonopore slightly flaring.

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Western Australia.

Diagnosis. Paramahisa kununurraensis is similar to P. trimaculata Malipatil in having bristles on head, pronotum and hemelytra, and three reddish spots on posterior margin of pronotum ( Figs. 18-20 ). However, P. kununurraensis is distinguished from P. trimaculata by the uniformly yellowish-brown legs ( Fig. 17 ), (almost black in P. trimaculata ), and by the equal size, but unequal spacing, of the three red spots on posterior pronotal margin ( Fig. 18 ).

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality.

Notes. Paramahisa (now comprising ten species) is mostly known from north-eastern Australia ( Malipatil 1983, and the present study), P. kununurraensis is the second species to be described from Western Australia. P. trimaculata is only known from two female Queensland specimens ( Malipatil 1981), whereas P. kununurraensis is described here from a single male.

Figures

FIGURES 17–21. Paramahisa kununurraensis: 17, habitus holotype male; 18, anterior part of body, dorsal view; 19, head, enlarged, dorsal view; 20, anterior part of body, lateral view; 21, antenna.

FIGURES 22–27. Paramahisa kununurraensis holotype male: 22, abdominal tergum (lateral tergites of left side missing); 23, abdominal sternum; 24, pygophore, dorsal view with right paramere in situ; 25, left paramere, ventral view; 26, aedeagus, dorsal view; 27, aedeagus, ventral view.