Neomacrocoris karimii Poisson, 1963

Mbogho, Aaron Y. & Sites, Robert W., 2013, Naucoridae Leach, 1815 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Tanzania, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 513-513 : 534-535

Neomacrocoris karimii Poisson, 1963

Figs 11 , 29 , 30

Neomacrocoris karimii: Poisson 1963: 1173, 1189 –1191.

Diagnosis: The body is large and ovate ( Fig. 29 ) and the flattened left side of the apex of the male phallosoma ( Fig. 11 ) is distinct. Because the only specimen is the male holotype, structure of the female subgenital plate is not known.

Holotype (examined): TANGANYIKA, ruisselet de karini /type / Neomacrocoris karinii Poiss. ( NMHN, ♂ body; USNM, slide-mounted abdominal segments 7–8 and aedeagus).

Distribution: Usambara Mountains near Karimi Tea Estate.

Discussion: This species is known from only a single male specimen from the Usambara Mountains.The locality in the original description was given as a small stream over rocks near the route of Muheza to Amani on the road to the Karimi Tea Estate. We sampled all streams that crossed the roads in this area, but were unable to find this species. In fact, we found very few insects overall, probably because of the heavy red siltation resulting from the agricultural activity of the tea plantation. At nearby streams slightly further south, we found specimens of Neomacrocoris parviceps at L-1260 and 1261. The type specimen is housed in the MNHN, but is missing the posterior abdominal segments. Two microscope slides containing the aedeagus ( Fig. 11 ) and segments 7–8 of this specimen are housed in the Drake Collection in the USNM. Thus, the only known specimen of this species is being curated in museums on two continents. The different components of the specimen were reunited in the revision of Neomacrocoris ( Sites & Mbogho 2012) and here. Further west in the Usambara Mountains, we collected an undescribed species (recently described as N. vuga in the revision) that superficially resembled N. karimii . Only by using male genitalia is it possible to distinguish these two species.

Figures

Figs 9–14. Male genitalia: (9) Macrocoris flavicollis, (10) Naucoris obscuratus, (11) Neomacrocoris karimii, (12) Neomacrocoris bondelaufa, (13) Neomacrocoris parviceps, (14) Neomacrocoris vuga. Abbreviations: LP – left paramere, RP – right paramere, ph – phallosoma, ve – vesica. (Figs 11–14 are reproduced from Sites & Mbogho (2012), with permission by Magnolia Press.)

Figs 23–29. (23) Neomacrocoris parviceps parviceps, (24) Neomacrocoris parviceps ocellatus, (25) Neomacrocoris usambaricus, (26) Neomacrocoris bondelaufa, (27) Neomacrocoris vuga, (28) Neomacrocoris handlirschi, (29)Neomacrocoris karimii.Sizes areproportionate among figures.(Figs 24–30 reproduced from Sites & Mbogho (2012), with permission by Magnolia Press.)

Fig.30.Distribution maps of13 speciesof Naucoridae known from Tanzania.Notincluded is Neomacrocoris usambaricus, which was recorded from West Usambara. (Map for N. bondelaufa and N. vuga is reproduced from Sites & Mbogho (2012), with permission by Magnolia Press.)