Indopamphantus makutaensis, Malipatil, M. B., 2017

Malipatil, M. B., 2017, Indopamphantus makutaensis, a new genus and species, and Indopamphantini, a new tribe of Pamphantinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Geocoridae), as the first representative of the subfamily from the Oriental Region, Zootaxa 4242 (2), pp. 281-298 : 283-295

Indopamphantus makutaensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–23 )

Type specimens: Holotype male, INDIA, Karnataka, Coorg [Kodagu], Makuta , 909m, 12°04’39”N 75°43’33” E, iv. 2005, Y B Srinivas, ex Vateria indica canopy collection, in UASB. Paratypes— 12 males and 7 females [1male and 1 female dissected], same data as for holotype ; 6 male and 2 females, same data as for holotype except Bannadapare, Makuta, 12°04’39.2” N ; 75°43’33.6” E, no altitude Paratypes deposited in NHM, NMV, UASB and USNM.

Description. Body ground colour black, shiny above and below ( Figs. 1, 2 ). Eyes reddish-fuscous. Antennae with distal 2 segments fuscous for most part with basal and apical areas lighter as for 2nd and part of 1st segment ( Fig. 6 ). Posterior pronotal margin with a small light patch at middle ( Fig. 7 ). Scutellum uniformly black. Hemelytra as in Fig. 9 , corium with 3 broadly spaced light bands, distal two bands not extending to full width of corium; membrane with a broad dirty white band across near its base ( Figs. 1 , 9 ), also apical margins lighter. Legs with coxae fuscous, femora mostly fuscous, apical area of fore, apical and basal area of mid and hind femora pale, tibiae with pale apices, tarsi pale.

Body and appendages clothed with numerous elongate, upright, golden setae. Head ventrally with a few sparse setae on either side of gular area. Antennal segments covered with short dense setae. Legs, particularly femur and tibia with long yellow shiny setae, tibia with shorter setae; thorax ventrally without setae, but abdomen ventrally with bristly setae. Thoracic pleurae punctate as in Fig. 8 , punctures large and sparse, each puncture with one short bristly seta.

Measurements: paratype male, followed by those of paratype female in parentheses.

Body: Elongate, linear, strongly myrmecomorphic ( Figs. 1, 2 ), length 4.78 (5.29), maximum width 1.15 (1.46), minimum width across second abdominal segment 0.50 (0.57).

Head: Above smooth, without punctures but with faintly depressed short irregular lines in anterior third (e.g., Fig. 3 ), covered with sparse setae, with tylus rounded and as long as jugae, eyes extremely large, occupying almost entire lateral surface of head; length head 0.75 (0.87); width across eyes 1.19 (1.35); interocular space 0.69 (0.75); interocellar space 0.50 (0.57); eye-ocellar space 0.04 (0.04); eye length 0.57 (0.69); eye width 0.23 (0.30). Labium slightly exceeding fore coxae ( Fig. 5 ), 2nd segment reaching base of head ( Fig. 4 ); length of segments: I 0.39 (0.46); II 0.39 (0.39); III 0.18 (0.27); IV 0.32 (0.36). Length of labrum 0.34 (0.34). Antennae with 1st segment very short, slightly exceeding apex of tylus; length of segments: I 0.18 (0.20); II 0.57 (0.64); III 0.46 (0.46); IV 0.64 (0.60).

Thorax: Pronotum ( Figs. 3, 4 ), posterior margin evenly and shallowly concave, entire pronotum covered with sparse setae, anterior lobe smooth, shiny, posterior lobe with sparse large punctures; below with a narrow median groove for receipt of labium ( Figs. 5 ); median length 1.21 (1.38) (anterior lobe 0.69 (0.73)); width at posterior margin 0.87 (0.98); width at anterior margin 0.75 (0.87). Thoracic scent gland evaporative area as in Fig. 8 . Femora covered with long setae. Scutellum length 0.39 (0.43); width 0.39 (0.46). Hemelytra generally narrowed with lateral margins concave and highly constricted at level of claval commissure ( Fig. 9 ) and at about base of abdomen and second abdominal segment ( Fig. 1 ); corium elongately tapering to reach abdominal tergum 3, apical corial margin almost straight, with costal margin gradually slightly dilated, widest at about mid length; length of hemelytra 2.89 (2.80); length of corium 1.47 (1.65); claval commissure 0.29 (0.32); membrane shiny, with reduced venation with only 2 veins distinct ( Fig. 9 ); width membrane 0.85 (1.10).

Abdomen: Gradually widened from anterior margin of segment III to V, then gradually narrowed posteriorly ( Figs. 11 , 17 ). Tergum almost uniformly sclerotized (e.g., Fig. 11 ); tergum VII in male with punctures in posteriormedial area ( Fig. 17 ); connexiva with outer areas with sparse setae, in addition with 1 or 2 long setae with distinct bases particularly in posterior area of each segment; a few sparse short setae present in irregular rows along sutures of IV–V and V–VI ( Figs. 11 , 17 ); abdominal sternum V broad and complete, sternum VI in female only slightly narrowed mesally by ovipositor but complete anteriorly ( Fig. 12 ), uniformly sclerotized, covered with 2 or 3 types of short to medium length setae in addition to a few blunt setae, as well as trichobothria, setae longer towards posterior end, particularly on segments VI and VII ( Fig. 12 ).

Female genitalia: As in generic description ( Figs. 14–16 ). Ovipositor with first ramus traversing to almost 4/5 length of first gonapophysis ( Fig. 15 ); second gonapophysis spatulate with sparse minute setae in two rows, second gonocoxae almost crescentic ( Fig. 16 ).

Male genitalia: As in generic description ( Figs. 20–23 ).

Egg. Cream coloured. Elongate, narrow and parallel sided, ends gradually rounded, more narrowly on posterior end than micropylar end, which has 6 small knob-like micropyles arranged in an open circle. Length 1.21, maximum width 0.34.

Distribution. India, Western Ghats, Karnataka, Kodagu (Coorg) district, Makuta range, 12°04’39 N; 75°43‘ 33.6 E and altitudes of up to 909 metres.

Etymology. The new species name proposed here, I. makutaensis , alludes to the Makuta range locality within Western Ghats in south India where the specimens were collected.

Notes. All the specimens examined were collected from the canopy of Vateria indica trees.

Vateria indica , the white dammar, belongs to the plant family Dipterocarpaceae . This plant is indigenous to the Western Ghats , Karnataka , Kerala and Tamil Nadu regions of India. It is threatened by habitat loss. This tree grows like a palm but has blunt thorns along its trunk. This is a slow-growing species, found primarily in the west coast evergreen forests, and also occasionally in secondary evergreen dipterocarp forest in the south (Wikipedia, accessed 23 August 2016).

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 2. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 1, habitus, dorsal view; 2, habitus, lateral view.

FIGURES 3 – 4. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 3, head and pronotum, dorsal view; 4, head and pronotum, lateral view.

FIGURES 5 – 6. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 5, head and pronotum, ventral view; 6, Antenna.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 7, scutellum and base of hemelytra, dorsal view; 8, metathoracic pleura showing scent gland auricle (arrowed) and evaporative area.

FIGURES 9 – 10. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype female: 9, right hemelytra; 10, hindwing. Figs 9 & 10 to same scale.

FIGURES 11 − 12. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype female: 11, abdominal terga (white arrows indicate spiracles); 12, abdominal sterna. Abbreviations: T 2 to T 7, terga 2 to 7; S 2 to S 7, sterna 2 to 7.

FIGURES 13 – 14. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype female: 13, basal part of abdominal sterna showing trichobothria; 14, spermatheca. Abbreviations: S 2 to S 4, sterna 2 to 4.

FIGURES 15 – 16. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype female, ovipositor.

FIGURES 17 − 18. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 17, abdominal terga (white arrows indicate spiracles); 18, abdominal sterna. Figs 17 & 18 to same scale.

FIGURES 19 – 20. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 19, basal part of abdominal sterna showing trichobothria; 20, pygophore, dorsal view.

FIGURES 21 – 22. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: 21, paramere; 22, aedeagus, ventral view.

FIGURES 23. Indopamphantus makutaensis, paratype male: aedeagus, apical part enlarged.