Neomacrocoris parviceps ocellatus Poisson, 1948

Mbogho, Aaron Y. & Sites, Robert W., 2013, Naucoridae Leach, 1815 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Tanzania, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 513-513 : 537

Neomacrocoris parviceps ocellatus Poisson, 1948

Fig. 24

Neomacrocoris parviceps ocellatus: Poisson 1948 b: 212 .

Diagnosis: This subspecies differs from the nominate subspecies by more pronounced dark spots laterally on the pronotum and a more clear claval commissure than those of the nominate subspecies ( Fig. 24 ).

Extralimital material examined: CONGO: B. gde forme a Gnoapointa / Neomacrocoris parviceps ocellatus nov. / Poisson to Drake Coll 1979 ( USNM; 1♂); Congo / Neomacrocoris parviceps ocellatus / Poisson to Drake Coll 1979 ( USNM; 1♂) .

Distribution: This subspecies has been recorded from only Maua, Kilimanjaro Region. We have seen specimens labelled Congo, but with a specific locality that we have been unable to locate.

Discussion:The subspecies N. p. ocellatus was described by Poisson (1948 b); however, the description of its morphology consisted of a habitus line diagram and one sentence. Although he gave no distribution information, he later reported the subspecies from Maua in Kilimanjaro Region (Poisson 1963). We collected throughout the area near Maua and did not find specimens of any species of Naucoridae . In our collections and all museums examined, we have seen no specimens of N. p. ocellatus from Tanzania; all specimens were N. p. parviceps .

Although he initially described it as a variety (“ var. ocellatus nov.”), Poisson referred to the alternate condition as N. parviceps parviceps , implicitly conferring to it subspecific rank. Because the variety was described prior to 1961 it is considered a valid subspecies (ICZN 1999). In later papers, he referred to it more deliberately as a subspecies (N. p. ocellatus) (Poisson 1949).

Figures

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.)