Xenocaucus ethiopiensis, Weirauch & Forthman & Grebennikov & Baňař, 2017

Weirauch, C., Forthman, M., Grebennikov, V. & Baňař, P., 2017, From Eastern Arc Mountains to extreme sexual dimorphism: systematics of the enigmatic assassin bug genus Xenocaucus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Tribelocephalinae), Organisms Diversity & Evolution (New York, N. Y.) 17 (2), pp. 421-445 : 438-439

Xenocaucus ethiopiensis , n. sp.

Figures 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 10.

Diagnosis Male: as in generic diagnosis. Female: recognized by the large size (> 3 mm), the very short or indistinct pit on vertex, the pronotal disk raised and slightly transversely circular, the intersegmental membranes between tergites 3 and 4 and between tergites 7 and 8 straight ( Fig. 3 ), setae on the lateral margin of the dorsal laterotergites very long and those dorsally short ( Fig. 3 ).

Description Male: as in generic description. Female: total length 3.69 mm, total length: greatest abdominal width 2.1; wing condition and general vestiture as in generic description. Coloration: uniformly yellowish brown to reddish brown. Structure: head: about as long as wide in dorsal view, with very small anteocular area, glabrous area on vertex circular, longitudinal sulcus or pit indistinct, tuft distinct, lateral fringes longer laterally than around posterior half of head; Antenna: scape length: head length 1.7, slender. Labium: first visible segment: head length 0.8. Thorax: transverse suture between pronotum and mesonotum distinct, pronotum with slightly transverse, almost circular raised disk, pronotum longer than mesonotum (ratio 1.4), greatest pronotal width: pronotal length 1.2. Legs: foretrochanter without ventral process, forefemur length: body length 0.3, forefemur fairly slender. Abdomen: longer than wide, length: width 1.4, intersegmental membrane between tergites 3 and 4 straight, intersegmental membrane between tergites 6 and 7 distinctly curved anteriad, intersegmental membrane between tergites 7 and 8 straight, mediotergites 1/2 and 3 with sparse setae, setae on lateral margin of dorsal laterotergites long, setae dorsally on dorsal laterotergites short. Genitalia: as in generic description.

Etymology: named for the holotype’ s country of origin.

Material examined holotype: Ethiopia Oromia Region Co.: Bale Mts , 6.5141° N, 39.7434° E, 1576 m, 4 Nov. 2014, V. Grebennikov, 1;male (00020656) ( CNC) . Paratypes: Ethiopia: Oromia Region Co.: Bale Mts , 6.5141° N, 39.7434° E, 1576 m, 4 Nov. 2014, V. Grebennikov, 2;female (00117764, 00117765) ( BMNH), 7;female (00117769, 00020657–

00020662) ( CNC). Other specimens examined: Ethiopia: Oromia Region Co.: Bale Mts , 6.5141° N, 39.7434° E, 1576 m, 4 Nov. 2014, V. Grebennikov, 4;juvenile (00020663– 00020666) ( CNC) .

Figures

Fig. 3 Dorsal habitus of X. chomensis, n. sp., (female, unsexed immature, and male immature), X. ethiopiensis, n. sp., (male holotype and female), X. kimbozensis, n. sp., (female, unsexed immature, and male immature), the female holotype of X. mancinii, and X. nguru, n. sp., (female, unsexed immature, and male immature). dld setae dorsally

Fig. 5 Lateral habitus of females of the seven East African species of Xenocaucus and the male of X. ethiopiensis. fl flagellomeres, lb1–3 first, second, and third visible labia segments, om ommatidium, pd pedicel; scale bars, 1 mm

Fig. 6 Ventral habitus of the seven East African species of Xenocaucus and the male of X. ethiopiensis; abbreviation: vptr, ventral process on trochanter

Fig. 7 Details of the head (dorsal, lateral, and/or ventral view) of selected species of Xenocaucus

Fig. 8 Details of thorax and abdomen of a female of X. chomensis and the male holotype of X. ethiopiensis. bt bulbous trichome, msp bilobed process on metasternum, ts1,2 tarsomere 1 and 2