Germalus cucullatus, Kóbor & Kondorosy, 2022

Kóbor, Péter & Kondorosy, Előd, 2022, The big-eyed bug genus Germalus Stål, 1862 in New Guinea (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Geocoridae), Zootaxa 5182 (3), pp. 265-278 : 271-272

Germalus cucullatus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1D , 3D , 4 )

Holotype: ♀ ( RBINS): “ Canopy mission Papua / New Guinea (Madang / prov.): Baiteta / 24. V. 1995 FogAR7 / Leg. Oliver Missa”.

Paratype: ♀ ( RBINS): “ Canopy mission Papua / New Guinea (Madang / prov.): Baiteta / 24. V. 1995 FogAR7 / Leg. Oliver Missa” .

Description.

Colouration. Body ochraceous with fuscous pattern as follows. Head. Vertex and posterior part of eye stalks with extended fuscous spots. Apex of antennomere IV infuscate. Thorax. Pronotum with extended fuscous transverse band across callosities and fuscous punctuation. Scutellum with irregular fuscous spot anteriad to median trifurcate carina and fuscous punctuation. Hemelytra hyaline ochraceous with concolorous punctuation. Propleurites with extended irregular fuscous spot between lateral margin and coxae, mesopleurites with irregular fuscous spots basally. Punctuation of thoracic pleurites and sternites fuscous. Legs uniformly ochraceous. Abdomen. Segments uniformly ochraceous, occasionally with infuscate spots on tergites and lateral part of sternites.

Structure. Head pentagonal, integument of vertex dull, impunctate. Eyes slightly stylate, eyestalks touching anterior edges of pronotum, integument of eyestalks shiny. Ocular sulcus complete, distinct; ocelli situated near ocular sulcus, at basal part of vertex. Clypeus rounded, exceeding mandibular plates, medially constricted. Antenniferous tubercles well-developed, apex visible in dorsal view. Antennomeres covered with sparse, decumbent pubescence. Antennomere I shortest, II longest, III and IV subequal. Ratio of antennomeres I–IV: 1: 2.67: 2.17: 2.58. Mandibular and maxillar plates clearly separated; ventral margin of bucculae forming a U-shaped labial trough. Labiomere I exceeding the anterior margin of prosternite, labiomere II and III subequal, somewhat shorter than labiomere I; labiomere IV shortest with apex reaching metacoxae. Ratio of labiomeres I–IV.: 1: 0.74: 0.79: 0.62. Thorax. Pronotum trapeziform with lateral margin finely carinate, slightly constricted medially. Integument with fine, dense punctuation except collar-like spot at anterior margin, callosities, humeral angles and posterior margin. Scutellum subequilateral triangular; scutellum ratio: 1: 1.13; integument punctate except the elevated, trifurcate median carina. Trifurcate carina basally flared. Clavus of hemelytron well-developed, margins subparallel; claval commissure developed with a line of punctures at full length. Scutellar margin with 2–3 punctures basally, corial margin punctate at basal third. Corium punctate along venation at almost full length. Exocorium widening towards apex. Membrane well developed, surpassing apex of abdomen, without conspicuous venation. Thoracic pleurites and sternites densely punctate except collar of prosternite, supracoxal lobes, peritreme and posterior lobe of metapleurite. Peritreme auricular with dorsal supporting process relatively short and slightly curved, peritremal surface distinct. Femora fusiform, fore femora with minute tooth-like processes apically on dorsal and ventral side. Fore tibiae club-shaped, middle and hind tibiae rather cylindrical. Tarsal claws evenly curved without basal spur. Unguitractor plate with conspicuous, ovoid parempodia-like pads. Abdomen impunctate, integument covered with fine silvery pubescence, genital segments setose. Female ovipositor elongate, bisecting abdominal sternites V–VII.

Measurements (holotype). Total body length: 4.46; head length: 0.57; head width: 1.34; distance between ocelli: 0.43; antennomeres I–IV: 0.24–0.64–0.52–0.62; labiomeres I–IV: 0.61–0.45–0.48–0.38; length of pronotum: 1.01; width of pronotum: 1.35; length of scutellum: 0.53; width of scutellum: 0.60; length of claval commissure: 0.37.

Diagnosis. This species resembles G. fuscovittatus in general appearance. However, in G. cucullatus fuscous colouration of dorsum is restricted to the vertex and anterior part of pronotum (in G. fuscovittatus dorsum of head, thorax and abdomen with broad longitudinal fuscous band), furthermore, supportive process of peritreme is slightly curved (in G. fuscovittatus supportive process is recurving).

Etymology. Species epithet “cucullatus” (Latin) means “hooded” and refers to the appearance of the vertex and anterior half of pronotum.

Distribution. Holotype and paratype were collected near Baiteta, Madang province, New Guinea (fig. 4), habitat: Northern New Guinea lowland rain and freshwater swamp forests.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of New Guinean Germalus species. A. G. fuscovittatus Malipatil, 2013 (BMNH), B. G. pulchellus sp. nov. (Holotype, NHMW), C. G. kontschani sp. nov. (Holotype, ZSM), D G. cucullatus sp. nov. (Holotype, RBINS), E. G. pappi sp. nov. (holotype, ZSM), F. G. sellatus sp. nov. (Holotype, MFNB). (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 3. Peritreme of metathoracic scent efferent apparatus (indicated by arrows) of New Guinean Germalus species. A. G. fuscovittatus Malipatil, 2013, B. G. pulchellus sp. nov., C. G. kontschani sp. nov., D. G. cucullatus sp. nov., E. G. pappi sp. nov., F. G. sellatus sp. nov. (images not to scale).

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of New Guinean Germalus species.