Myiomma fuscipes, Krüger, 2018

Krüger, Andreas, 2018, Vehicle-mounted net sampling of airborne micro-Heteroptera in western Liberia, West Africa: 1. Isometopinae (Miridae), Zootaxa 4378 (4), pp. 491-515 : 508-509

Myiomma fuscipes sp. nov.

( Figure 12 )

Description. Male. Length 1.7–1.8. Maximum width across hemelytra 0.74. Head (figures 12B–D) dorsal width 0.37, dorsal length 0.2; facial width 0.26–0.27, facial length 0.31–0.35. Minimum frontal interocular space 0–0.02; posterior space 0.04. Maximum width of eye 0.15; height 0.25. Height of gena 0.17. Ocellus width 0.03; interocellar space 0.01. Maximum width of pronotum 0.66–0.7; median length 0.24–0.29 (figure 12B). Scutellum length 0.26; width 0.35; cuneus length 0.23, width 0.26. Rostrum 0.57–0.72. Antennae I 0.06; II 0.54–0.58; III 0.15; IV 0.13.

Head strongly deflexed; vertex together with eyes distinctly reflexed over anterior pronotal margin; from above about 1.8x as broad as long, 0.76x as long as pronotum; tumid convex in front, obovate to subconical in front view; broadest across postgenae; about 0.84–0.93x as broad as high. Colour reddish-brown, frons and tylus with red incomplete Y-pattern, frons at eye margins, anterior and posterior interocular space pale brown; genae and postgenae dark brown. Entire disc including eyes generally pubescent with semi-erect pale hairs; frons slightly rugose, postgenae shiny. Antenna I and II greyish, II in apical third brown; III and IV greyish. II cylindrical, clothed with greyish semi-erect hairs about as long as segment is thick. Rostrum I–III pale, IV dark brownish; reaching 3rd sternite.

Pronotum trapeziform, about 2.6x as broad as long, lateral margins almost straight, slightly carinate; calli obsolete; disk rugose but impunctate, orange to reddish-brown, humeral angles darker. Mesoscutum and scutellum impunctate; the former orange, the latter orange brown with a narrow indistinct subapical pale band, tip black.

Hemelytra translucent with reddish-brown to orange tinge, pubescent with pale brown semi-erect hairs; embolium veins orange-red; embolium and anterior half of cuneus hyaline; apical endocorium and apical half of cuneus smoky brown. Membrane brownish-hyaline.

Venter including ostiolar peritreme largely reddish-brown; basalar sclerite white. Coxae pale; femora and tibiae brownish.

Genitalia as illustrated in figure 12F. Endosoma of aedeagus very short; theka of aedeagus with extended chitinized structures. Right paramere simple. Left paramere simple, proximal bulb pilose, apical arm relatively short and strong.

Female. Unknown.

Specimens examined. ♂ holotype, Liberia: Bong county, LRU—Gbayamu route (pipeline), 07.vi 1989 7:05– 7:55 am (leg. Garms). 2♂ paratypes, Yea creek—Dam12, N06°45’ W10°18’, 08.iv + 10.v 1989 (leg. Garms).

Etymology. The species is named for its reddish-brown coloration.

Remarks. This new species shows affinities with M. impunctata Smith and M. variabilis sp. nov. (see below), the latter of which is in turn likely to be allied to M. rubrovenata and M. confusa Akingbohungbe. M. fuscipes sp. nov. differs from impunctata by the latter having the dorsum impunctate and antenna II less than 0.75x width of pronotum (versus more than 0.75x). M. fuscipes sp. nov. and variabilis can be distinguished by their genitalia, antenna II/pronotum width ratios of more than 0.78 versus less than this, the general reddish-brown tinge of clavus and corium in fuscipes , and a whitish subapical band on scutellum, which is more distinct in variabilis . M. fuscipes sp. nov. differs from rubrovenata again by a higher antenna II/pronotum width ratio (less than 0.78 in the latter), glassy hyaline hemelytra, much darker coloration of the dorsum in the latter, and by the genitalia. It differs from confusa by the latter having a much darker coloration of the dorsum and a dorsal head length/pronotum length ratio less than 0.7 (about 0.76 in fuscipes ).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Myiomma fuscipes sp. nov. male. A—habitus; B—head, pronotum dorsad; C—head, frontal view; D—head, thorax laterad; E—antenna; F—parameres and aedeagus. Scales: A = 1 mm; B–E = 0.3 mm; F = 0.05 mm.