Meschia pugnax Distant

Malipatil, M. B., 2014, Meschiidae, a new family of Lygaeoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from India and Australia, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species, Zootaxa 3815 (2), pp. 233-248 : 235-238

Meschia pugnax Distant

( Figs. 1–12 )

Meschia pugnax Distant, 1910: 37 –38.

Specimens examined: INDIA: Delhi (Indian Agricultural Research Institute campus), 3 males, 1 (abdomen missing), inside lamp dome, 1967, R. Menon; 1 male, same locality, at light, Nov. 1966, M. Malipatil; 1 female, “at light, Pusa Bengal [now Bihar state] 14.vii.06 [1906] at light, Y.R.E”; 1 male, “at light, Pusa Bengal [now Bihar state] x.08 [1908], T. N. S.” 1 male [Malipatil coll.] in VAIC, all remaining specimens in IARI collection.

Redescription. Colouration: Head and antennae brownish ochraceous ( Fig. 1 ); antennae with apex of second, entire third, and fourth segments excluding bases and apices more or less fuscous ( Fig. 4 ); pronotum ochraceous, anterior area reddish ochraceous with two central longitudinal fasciae black on anterior area and brownish on posterior area; scutellum ochraceous; corium pale ochraceous with scattered black speckles, and apical angle, black; membrane hyaline; abdomen above pale reddish; connexivum ochraceous; body beneath and legs ochraceous; head and prosternum with an oblique sublateral line; abdomen with a broken sublateral line pale sanguineous.

Structure: Measurements are of male, followed by female.

Body: Length including wings 4.0 4, 4.80; maximum width 1.60, 2. 0 0.

Head ( Fig. 2 ): Length 0.75, 0.87; width across eyes 1.26, 1.54; interocular space 0.80, 1.01; interocellar space 0.41, 0.52; eye-ocellar space 0.16, 0.19; eye length 0.33, 0.39; eye width 0.25, 0.25. Labium, length of segments: I 0.64, 0.73; II 0. 82, 1.03; III 0.62, 0.63; IV 0.71, 0.82. Labrum length 0.13, 0.16. Antennae rather short, 1st segment slightly more incrassate than uniformly thickened 2nd and 3rd segments, 4th segment slightly fusiform; 1st and 2nd segments with short scale-like pubescence, 2nd segment in addition with sparse bristle-like setae in apical area; 3rd and 4th segments with dense pubescence and a few erect bristly setae; length of segments: I 0.30, 0.32; II 0.80, 0.96; III 0.50, 0.62; IV 0.64, 0.80.

Thorax: Pronotum coarsely punctate with a subanterior transverse slightly curved ridge, without a distinct narrow line on each calli ( Fig. 2 ), median length 0. 94, 1.17; width at posterior margin 1.61, 2. 0 7. Scutellum ( Fig. 1 ) coarsely punctate with an indistinct central pale longitudinal line; length 0.73, 1.01; width 0. 87, 1.20. Length of hemelytra 2.53, 2.78; length of corium 1.68, 2.00; claval commissure 0.21, 0.23. Femora more or less blackly punctate.

Abdomen: Tergum almost uniformly coloured light brown ( Fig. 5 ); posterolateral areas of each connexivum darker; other areas slightly lighter; connexival areas particularly outer margin with short setae borne on fine bases; median area of tergum III with a few, IV, V and VII with several, coarse small to large irregularly sized punctures as in Fig. 5 . Venter slightly fuscous ( Fig. 6 ), covered with coarse sparse punctures, somewhat thickly punctate on lateral areas.

Male genitalia: Pygophore as in ( Fig. 7 ). Paramere sickle-shaped ( Fig. 8 ). Aedeagus ( Figs. 9–12 ).

Distribution. India: Calcutta, Pusa Bengal [now in Bihar state], and Delhi.

Notes. In all the somewhat damaged and faded specimens examined in the present study, fuscous or black markings or speckles on head, pronotum, scutellum, and hemelytra are considerably variable in intensity and size; in some they are almost indistinct, particularly in the male than in the female specimens. The head and pronotum with a Y-shaped fascia, as mentioned by Scudder (1957b), is not clearly present in any of the specimens examined in the present study. The distribution in India is now extended to Pusa and Delhi.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 4. Meschia pugnax, male: 1, habitus; 2, head and pronotum; 3, head, ventral view; 4, left antenna.

FIGURES 5 – 12. Meschia pugnax, male: 5, abdominal dorsum; 6, abdominal venter; 7, pygophore, dorsal view; 8, left paramere; 9, adeagus; 10, aedeagus, basal part; 11, aedeagus, apical part; 12, ejaculatory reservoir, enlarged. Abbreviations: b, body; c, conjunctiva; gp, gonoporal process; hp, helicoid process; ph, phallotheca; w, wing; III-VII, abdominal tergites.