Thirumalaia ocularis, Zettel & Laciny, 2021

Zettel, Herbert & Laciny, Alice, 2021, The taxonomy of some unusual Microveliinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from India, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2), pp. 517-527 : 518-520

Thirumalaia ocularis sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 2 , 9–15 )

Type material. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: J (apterous) ( NHMW), labelled “ INDIA: Tamil Nadu, 23.1.1999 \ Nilgiri Hills, 5km E Kundah \ 11°18′N 76°40′E, 1900m \ leg. D. Boukal (80)”. Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾඌ ( NHMW, NMPC): 2 JJ 5 ♀♀ (all apterous) (include allotype) with same label data; 1 J (apterous), labelled “ India: Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri Hills \ Kotagiri env., Kadashola \ N 11°25′ E 76°55′, 1500 m \ a.s.l., 7–8.I.1999 \ leg. D. Boukal (74)”; 3 JJ 1 ♀ (all apterous), labelled “ INDIA: Tamil Nadu, 12.1.1999 \ Palni Hills 10°16′N 77°33′E \ Perumalmalai, 1600m \ leg. D. Boukal (60)”; 2 ♀♀ (apterous), labelled “ INDIA: Tamil Nadu, 11.1.1999 \ Palni Hills 10°14′N 77°29′E \ Kodaikanal, Bear Shola Falls \ 2100m \ leg. D. Boukal (57)”.

Description of apterous male. Measurements of holotype: Body length 2.62; maximum body width (at metapleura) 0.96. Head length 0.46, width 0.64. Synthlipsis 0.28. Pronotum length 0.53, width 0.86. Lengths of antennomeres, I 0.49, II 0.30, III 0.54, IV 0.54. Lengths of leg segments: profemur 0.81, protibia 0.72, protarsus 0.31, mesofemur 0.99, mesotibia 0.93, mesotarsus 0.20 + 0.31, metafemur 1.09, metatibia 1.36, metatarsus 0.26 + 0.31; protibial comb length 0.25; comb index 0.35. Measurements of paratypes (n = 6): Body length 2.55–2.64; maximum body width (at metapleura or abdominal segment 4) 0.92–0.98. Head length 0.44–0.46, width 0.64–0.66. Synthlipsis 0.29–0.31. Pronotum length 0.50–0.54, width 0.88–0.92. Protibia length 0.70–0.76; protibial comb length 0.21–0.27; comb index 0.30–0.36.

Colour ( Fig. 1 ): Black. Sides of head yellowish brown. Pronotum anteromedially with a narrow transverse yellow stripe, narrowly interrupted at midline. Acetabula orange-brown to black. Rostrum yellow, terminal segment black.Antenna dark brown. Legs yellow, apices of femora, protibiae, and tarsi infuscated.

Pilosity: Body covered by a short appressed greyish brown pilosity; pilosity on legs yellowish to whitish. Antenna with two long setae on antennomere I, and one on antennomere II; additionally, with numerous shorter, oblique setae on antennomeres II–IV. Most of body with brown, relatively short to moderately long oblique standing setae (longest on mediotergites). Legs with long whitish standing setae on flexor sides, and with more oblique, shorter, mostly brownish setae on extensor side. Silverish pilosity ( Fig. 1 ) extended on anterior part of pronotum and sides of mediotergite 1; small spots often developed at hind margins of laterotergites and (minute and indistinct) on sides of mediotergites 5–7.

Structures: Body moderately stout ( Fig. 1 ); sides of abdomen subparallel. Head wider than long, anteriorly blunt, posteriorly weakly protruded, in a shallow concavity of the anterior margin of pronotum. Anteclypeus and labrum shiny. Eyes prominent; eye width larger than half of synthlipsis ( Fig. 9 ). Antenna very long and slender; antennomere II slightly slenderer and shorter than I; antennomeres III and IV similar in length and width, or IV slightly longer than III. Rostrum stout, reaching base of mesosternum. Pronotum long ( Fig. 9 ), reaching mediotergite 1 posteriorly; sides of pronotum slightly protruded anteriad; disc with a shallow transverse groove bearing a row of sensory pores and separating anterior part from posterior lobe; anterior margin with another row of pores; numerous pores scattered over pronotal lobe. Legs long, hardly modified. Profemur ( Fig. 10 ) slightly thicker than meso- and metafemur, not curved. Tibiae and tarsi slender. Protibial comb about one third as long as protibia ( Fig. 10 ). Second tarsomeres on middle and hind leg longer than first. Abdomen moderately wide. All mediotergites transverse ( Fig. 1 ); mediotergite 7 about 1.6 times as wide as long. Abdominal sterna hardly modified. Sterna 5–7 very shallowly impressed along midline. Hind margin of sternum 7 broadly concave. Segment 8 ( Fig. 12 ) subcylindrical, 1.5 times as long as wide; ventrally, posterior and anterior margin strongly concave, dorsally posterior margin with concavity in medial third. Pygophore ( Fig. 13 ) pear-shaped, but with truncated posterior margin, widest at paramere insertion, about 1.6 times as long as wide. Proctiger ( Fig. 15 ) small and slender, posterior part almost round. Parameres ( Fig. 14 ) symmetrical, medium-sized, of characteristic shape.

Description of apterous female. Measurements of allotype: Body length 2.88; maximum body width (at abdominal segment 4) 1.38. Head length 0.51, width 0.68. Synthlipsis 0.34. Pronotum length 0.50, width 0.98. Lengths of antennomeres, I 0.44, II 0.28, III 0.47, IV 0.51. Lengths of leg segments: profemur 0.81, protibia 0.70, protarsus 0.33, mesofemur 0.91, mesotibia 0.95, mesotarsus 0.19 + 0.32, metafemur 1.10, metatibia 1.38, metatarsus 0.27 + 0.34. Measurements of paratypes (n = 7): Body length 2.80–3.00; maximum body width (at abdominal segment 3 or 4) 1.18–1.38. Head length 0.47–0.52, width 0.67–0.70. Synthlipsis 0.31–0.34. Pronotum length 0.50–0.54, width 0.93–0.99.

Colour ( Fig. 2 ): Similar as in male.

Pilosity: Similar as in male. Silvery pilosity on mediotergites and laterotergites on average more extended. Setae on mediotergite 8 similar as on mediotergite 7. Gonocoxa with moderately long, oblique pilosity.

Structures: Body stout ( Fig. 2 ); shape of abdomen ovate. Most characters similar as in male. Antennomere IV slightly longer than 3. Legs unmodified; all femora of similar width; protibia without grasping comb. Mediotergites strongly transverse ( Fig. 2 ). Mediotergite 7 about 1.25 times as long as 6, at anterior margin 2.4 times as wide as long, posteriorly strongly narrowed; posterior margin straight. Mediotergite 8 ( Fig. 11 ) almost semi-circular in shape, directed straight posteriorly. Proctiger knob-shaped, directed posteriorly. Gonocoxa plate-like, not concealed by sternum 7.

Comparative notes. The generic diagnosis distinguishes Thirumalaia ocularis sp. nov. from all other Indian Microveliinae except Microvelia santala Hafiz & Ribeiro, 1939 . This species was described from apterous males collected in Jharkhand (formerly Bihar; Hൺൿංඓ & Rංൻൾංඋඈ 1939). It has several similarities with Thirumalaia ocularis sp. nov. as it is also a slender species with large eyes, very long appendages, and a long protibial grasping comb (cf. Hൺൿංඓ & Rංൻൾංඋඈ 1939), a character combination that does not fit Microvelia . Therefore, it may represent a second species of Thirumalaia . However, genitalia were not treated in the original description, and therefore we do not transfer M. santala to the new genus. Microvelia santala clearly differs from Thirumalaia ocularis sp. nov. by the greater slenderness of its body and a mediotergite 7 of the male that is longer than broad (cf. Hൺൿංඓ & Rංൻൾංඋඈ 1939: p. 426, text-fig. a).

Etymology. The species epithet, Latin adjective ocularis (- is, - e), refers to the large, protruding eyes.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Habitus of Thirumalaia ocularis gen. nov. & sp. nov. (1 – apterous male, 2 – apterous female), and of Eyarinella robusta gen. nov. & sp. nov. (3 – apterous male, 4 – apterous female).

Figs 9–15. Structural details of Thirumalaia ocularis gen. nov. & sp. nov.: 9 – head, first antennomere, and pronotum, dorsal; 10 – foreleg of male (arrow points at proximal end of grasping comb); 11 – abdominal segments 7 and 8, and proctiger of female, dorsal; 12 – abdominal segment 8 of male, ventral; 13 – pygophore of male, ventral; 14 – left paramere, lateral; 15 – proctiger of male, dorsal. Pilosity omitted, except in Fig. 14.