Noteolethaeus (Noteolethaeus) leeui Woodward et Slater, 1962

Zámbó, András, Kovács, Szilvia & Kondorosy, Előd, 2019, Taxonomic Notes On The Genus Noteolethaeus With Three New Species From Madagascar (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 65 (3), pp. 253-268 : 257-263

Noteolethaeus (Noteolethaeus) leeui Woodward et Slater, 1962

Material examined. TANSANIA [sic!] 03°23’ S 36°43’ E / Arusha, Massai Camp / 1360 m, 13. x. 2002 / leg. U. Göllner (1 m, ZMHB) .

Distribution. South Africa (Transvaal) (type locality), Tanzania (new country record).

Noteolethaeus (Noteolethaeus) pallens Zámbó et Kondorosy , sp. n.

( Figs 1 , 4A, C , 5)

Type locality. Madagascar, Ankarafantsika National Park , near lake Ravelobe, S16°18’35” E46°48’59” .

Type material. HOLOTYPE: AKF/ Jan 2015 /21 NW Madagascar / circuit “ Source de vie” marking / “ 1500 m ” sifting forest litter by big tree, Winkler apparatus extraction, 90 m a.s.l. / P. Baňař & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC). PARATYPES: AKF/ Jan 2015 /23 NW Madagascar / Ankarafantsika N. P., 25.1.2015 / marking “ 300 m ” sifting forest litter Winkler app. extraction 95 m a.s.l. / P. Baňař & E. M. Rabotoson lgt.(1 f, MMBC); AKF/ Jan 2015 /21 NW Madagascar / Ankarafantsika N. P, 25. 1. 2015 / sifting forest litter by big tree / Winkler apparatus extraction, 90 m a.s.l / P. Baňař & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); AKF/ Jan 2015 /21 NW Madagascar / circuit “ Source de vie” marking / “ 1500 m ” sifting forest litter by big tree / Winkler apparatus extraction, 90 m a.s.l / P. Baňař & E. M. Raboto - son lgt. (1 f, MMBC); ISL/ Jan 2013 /21, Madagascar / Isalo N. P., Namazaha forest / 776m, S22°32’22.2” E45°22’46.0”, 22. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app.extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 f, MMBC); ISL/ Jan 2013 /22, Madagascar, Isalo N. P. / Namazaha forest, 768 m, S22°32’23.2” E45°22’53.1”, 22. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 f, MMBC); ISL/ Jan 2013 /12 / Madagascar / Isalo N. P. / Analalava forest, 755m, S22°35’00.80” E45°08’20.3”, 19.i.2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, 1 f, MMBC); ISL/ Jan 2013 /04, Madagascar, Isalo N. P. / Analalava forest / 725m, S22°35’05.0” E45°07’51.8”, 17. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1f, MMBC, 1 m, NMPC); ISL/ Jan 2013 /07, Madagascar, Isalo N. P. / Analalava forest, 747 m, S22°35’53.5” E45°08’13.7”, 18. i. 2013, sifting litter / Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /14 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / Miliokakely, 823 m, S22°52’38.1” E44°42’48.6”, 28. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr. / L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /15 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / Miliokakely, 834 m, S22°52’41.2” E44°42’40.1”, 28. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /11 Mada- gascar / Zombitse N. P., Andalabiby, 769 m, S22°53’00.8” E44°42’11.4”, 26. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app.extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & E.M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /10 Madagascar, Zombitse N. P. / Andalabiby, 778 m, S22°53’02.9” E44°42’18.3”, 26. i. 2013, sifting litter / Winkler app. extr, L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 f, MMBC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /09 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / Andalabiby, 772 m, S22°53’04.6” E44°42’25.6”, 26. i. 2013, sifting litter / Winkler app.extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, 3 f, MMBC, 1 m, 1 f, HNHM); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /04 Madagascar, Zom- bitse N. P. / “Circuit Lobo”, 751 m, S22°53’21.6” E44°41’58.5”, 24. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & E.M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC, 1 f, NMPC); Tanandava (lumiére) / 1963 /1964 G. Schmitz (2 m, 3 f, RMCA); [hw:] Réserve natu- / relle nr 8 / Vilanandro // ix. 52 (R. P.) // [pr:] Institute / Scientifique / Madagascar (1 m, MNHN).

Description. Colour: Body fuscous; clypeus brightening towards apex; scape and pedicel yellow, basi- and distiflagellum yellowish brown to fuscous (sometimes segments concolorous brown); labium creamy except brown tip; anterior margin of pronotum except sublateral part yellow; lateral margin of pronotum creamy; posterior lobe of pronotum sometimes paler brown; scutellum fuscous; clavus and corium pale (almost unicolorous or posteriorly with variable darker spots); membrane fumose, veins translucent (sometimes base partly darker coloured); legs brown, tibiae and tarsi yellow; prothoracic supracoxal lobe, posterior margin of proepimeron and metepimeroid at least laterally yellowish.

Vestiture: Body with extremely fine decumbent pubescence; abdomen, antennae and legs with sparse longer decumbent fine setae, antennae also with longer semierect setae, scape with about 5 stiff setae thicker than other setae but more slender than strong stiff setae of tibiae. Profemora with 2‒3 strong setae in posterior half, sitting on hump tubercles and 2‒3 tiny teeth subapically, metafemur with a subapical seta posteroventrally. Tibiae besides fine pubescence with strong stiff setae around (protibiae bearing them on inner side only); tarsi with well visible pilosity.

Structure: Body moderately elongate, subshiny. Head and thorax densely punctate with moderately fine punctures; punctures of head partly confluent; anterior lobe of pronotum except medial part with finer punctures leaving larger distances between each other than size of punctures; abdomen very finely rugose with some tiny shallow punctures. Membrane shiny, finely rugose.

Labium attaining mesocoxae, segment I not reaching base of head, segment II reaching procoxae.

Pronotum subquadrate with anterolateral trichobothria; surface slightly convex, almost flat (except strongly declivent anterolateral part), with a trace of usual transverse impression and a wide slightly impressed medial part anteriad of it, anterior margin narrow and concave, lateral margin moderately explanate and more or less straight except anterior one-fifth being convex, posterior margin of pronotum evenly and slightly concave anteriad of scutellum. Scutellum almost flat, anterior corners with short fine keels orientated centrally; clavus with four regular rows of punctures (middle ones often irregular osy, paratype, male posteriorly, with further punctures), row adjacent to claval furrow containing about 40 punctures; corium with two regular posteriad diverging rows of punctures along vein Cu and further inserted punctures on posterior half between them, vein R+M also followed on both side with rows of punctures, between rows and toward costa from vein R with further irregular punctures; membrane attaining apex of abdomen, four veins well visible, not anastomosing. Profemora moderately incrassate, much thicker than the other femora, middle and hind femora slightly incrassate.

Male genitalia: pygophore posteriad of posterior aperture transversely impressed, posterior margin of aperture sharp, dorsal sinus without tooth ( Fig. 4A ). Paramere triangular (similar to N. macchiaensis , see O’DONNELL 1991), inner projection acute, outer margin straight, apex blunt ( Fig. 4C ).

Measurements (all in mm, 10 males and 16 females, holotype in parentheses). Total body length: 2.95–4.08 (3.00); head: length 0.33–0.52 (0.36); width 0.63–0.80 (0.65); interocular space 0.35–0.50 (0.35); length of antennal segments: I 0.20–0.35 (0.28), II 0.35–0.65 (0.45), III 0.25–0.48 (0.30), IV 0.15‒0.45 (0.35); length of labial segments: I 0.42–0.59 (0.46), II 0.39– 0.55 (0.44), III 0.33–0.43 (0.35), IV 0.30–0.38 (0.32); pronotum: length 0.53–0.85 (0.60); width 1.05–1.40 (1.05); scutellum: length 0.63–1.00 (0.73); width 0.65–1.00 (0.70).

Diagnosis. Noteolethaeus (N.) pallens sp. n. seems to be somewhat transitional between Noteolethaeus (Noteolethaeus) and N. ( Sweetolethaeus ). It is rather similar to N. (Sweetolethaeus) macchiaensis but paler, with an almost unicolorous corium. In N. (S.) macchiaensis the punctures on the dorsum are much finer and sparser; the pubescence of the abdomen is shorter; the mandibular plates are convex in dorsal view (straight in N. pallens ) and the paraclypeal lobes are much longer than clypeus, in lateral view almost as large as eye. The other species of the subgenus Sweetolethaeus , N. (S.) termiticolus , also differs in its finer punctures, missing anterolateral trichobothria on pronotum, scape lacking spines, and less setose metatibiae. N. (N.) pallens is also very similar to the other two new species, N. (N.) vasarhelyii and N. (N.) banari , see discussions below.

Etymology. The name of the species is the Latin adjective pallens, referring to the fact that this is the palest species in the genus.

Habitat and distribution. Specimens from Ankarafantsika National Park were sifted from wet leaf litter close to big tree in evergreen lowland tropical forest. Specimens from Isalo and Zombitse-Vohibasia National Parks were sifted from leaf litter of seasonal forest of SW Madagascar. Widely distributed in Madagascar, at least in the western part (Fig. 5).

Noteolethaeus (Noteolethaeus) vasarhelyii Zámbó et Kondorosy , sp. n.

( Fig. 2 , 5)

Type locality. Madagascar, Zombitse National Park , Andalabiby, S22°53’05” E44°42’26”. Type material. HOLOTYPE: ZOM/ Jan 2013 /09 Madagascar, Zombitse N.P. / Andala-

biby / 772 m S22°53’04.6” E44°42’25.6”, 26. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC). PARATYPES: ZOM / Jan 2013 /14 Mada- gascar / Zombitse N. P. / Miliokakely, 823 m, S22°52’38.1” E44°42’48.6”, 28. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); ZOM / Jan 2013 /16 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / Miliokakely, 832 m , S22°52’44.2” E44°42’36.7”, 28. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt (1 f, MMBC); ZOM / Jan 2013 /07 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / “ Circuit Mandresy ”, S22°52’43.8” E44°41’36.5”, 25. i. 2013 / 807 m, sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt (1 m, MMBC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /05 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / “Circuit Mandresy” , S22°52’57.5” E44°41’34.1”, 25. i. 2013, 805 m / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC); ZOM / Jan 2013 /11 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / Andalabiby, 769 m , S22°53’00.8” E44°42’11.4”, 26. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (2 m, MMBC); ZOM / Jan 2013 /10 Madagas- car / Zombitse N. P., Andalabiby / 778 m, S22°53’02.9” E44°42’18.3”, 26. i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, 2 f, MMBC, 1 m, 1 f,

NMPC); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /09 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P . /

Andalabiby, 772 m, S22°53’04.6” E44°42’25.6”, 26. i. 2013

/ sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina &

E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, 1 f, MMBC, 1 m, 1 f, HNHM,

1 m, EKKH); ZOM/ Jan 2013 /01 Madagascar / Zombitse N .

P. / “Circuit Lobo”, 785 m, S22°53’06.0” E44°41’55.4”, 24.

i. 2013 / sifting litter, Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (2 m, 1 f, MMBC); ZOM/

Jan 2013 /02 Madagascar / Zombitse N. P. / “Circuit Lobo” ,

771m, S22°53’10.9” E44°42’01.5”, 24. i. 2013 / sifting litter,

Winkler app. extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina & E. M. Rabotoson lgt. (1 m, MMBC).

Description. Colour: Body chocolate brown; clypeus reddish brown; anterior margin of pronotum submedially and lateral margin cream coloured (but sometimes brown); scape and distiflagellum dark, pedicel often, basiflagellum always yellowish; labium yellow-

Fig. 5. Distribution of the new ish; clavus and corium chocolate brown with hardly species in Madagascar visible cream coloured spots; membrane fumose with translucent base and two dark spots in inner angle and at corial vein M; metepimeroid laterally mostly pale; supracoxal lobes and coxae paler brown (on prothorax yellow), apex of femora, tibiae and tarsi yellowish.

Vestiture: Body with extremely fine decumbent pubescence, abdomen, antennae and legs with sparse longer decumbent fine setae, antennae also with long semierect setae, scape with at least some erect setae slightly thicker than other ones. Ventral surface of profemora with 3 short teeth subapically and 1 stiff seta near middle sitting on hump tubercle, protibiae bearing stiff setae on inner side only. Metafemur with long erect subapical posteroventral seta, meso- and metatibiae with strong stiff setae around.

Structure: Body moderately elongate, subshiny. Head and thorax densely punctate with strong punctures, on callar region punctures smaller.

Labium attaining mesocoxae, segment I not reaching base of head. Pronotum subquadrate with anterolateral trichobothria; surface slightly convex with extremely weak transverse impression and a hardly visible flat spot anteriad of it; lateral margin moderately explanate (stronger on anterior half); posterior margin of pronotum rather concave. Scutellum with surface uneven, anterior corners with short fine keels orientated centrally. Clavus with four regular rows of punctures, median rows placed closer to one another than to lateral rows, posteriorly irregular. Corium with costal and apical margins strongly convex, with rather fine rugosity, subshining. Cu nearly straight, anteriorly followed by one regular row of punctures, posteriorly along claval furrow with second row. R+M followed with more or less regular rows of punctures, poorly separated from dense punctures of corium, being not finer in posterior part. Brachypterous species, membrane very shortened, leaving last abdominal segment and part of previous one free, slightly reaching over apex of corium, veins not visible. Profemora more strongly, meso- and metafemora slightly incrassate. Abdomen finely rugose, with some hardly visible tiny shallow punctures.

Male genitalia: pygophore and paramere similar to N. pallens (see Figs. 4A, D ).

Measurements (all in mm, 12 males and 7 females, holotype in parentheses). Total body length: 2.8–3.58 (3.03); head: length 0.33–0.45 (0.45); width 0.60–0.70 (0.65); interocular space 0.38–0.50 (0.48); length of antennal segments: I 0.20–0.30, (0.28), II 0.40–0.50, (0.43), III 0.20–0.28 (0.28), IV 0.30–0.33 (0.30); length of labial segments: I 0.40–0.49 (0.43), II 0.38– 0.47 (0.43), III 0.30–0.35 (0.32), IV 0.28–0.32 (0.30); pronotum: length 0.55–0.70 (0.60); width 0.90–1.15 (0.95); scutellum: length 0.50–0.75 (0.55); width 0.55–0.75 (0.60).

Diagnosis. Noteolethaeus vasarhelyii sp. n. is similar to N. leeui , but it has a longer head, lacks V-like furrow on the anterior lobe of the pronotum, its punctation is sparser and stronger with ~10 punctures between ocelli (on leeui ~20). N. pallens sp. n. is also similar but it is macropterous, its punctures are finer and sparser (about 40 punctures in a row on clavus at claval furrow while in N. vasarhelyii with 20–25 only), and the hemelytra are much paler and smooth (on N. vasarhelyii sp. n. they are finely rugose). The other similar species is N. banari , see the differences under its diagnosis.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Tamás Vásárhelyi, excellent Hungarian het- eropterist, specialist of Aradidae , and former deputy general director of the HNHM, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Tamás introduced the third author into the world of true bugs and was always a helpful friend.

Habitat and distribution. All known specimens were sifted from leaf litter of seasonal forest in Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park (Southwestern Madagascar) (Fig. 5).

Noteolethaeus (Noteolethaeus) banari Zámbó et Kondorosy , sp. n.

( Figs 3 , 4B, 4D , 5)

Type locality. Madagascar, Ambohitantely Special Reserve , S18°11’02” E47°17’13” .

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ABT/ Sept. 2011 /16 Madagascar / Ambohitantely Spec. Res., 4. ix. / 2011, S18°11’02.2” E47°17’13.4” / 1565m, sifting forest litter under / Pandanus Winkler app. extraction / L. S. Rahanitriniaina lgt. (1 m, MMBC) . PARATYPES: ABT/ Sept. 2011 /13 Madagascar, Ambohitantely Spec. Res. 3. ix. / 2011, S18°10’58.4” E47°17’22.6”, / 1525 m, sifting forest litter under / Pandanus and by big tree Winkler / app.extr., L. S. Rahanitriniaina lgt. (2 m, 2 f, MMBC) ; ABT/ Sept. 2011 /17 Madagascar / Ambohitantely Spec. Res., 4. ix. / 2011, S18°11’04.8” E47°17’11.8” / 1598 m, sifting forest litter by big / tree Winkler app. extraction / L. S. Rahanitriniaina lgt. (1 m, 1 f, MMBC) ; ABT/ Sept. 2011 /16 Madagascar / Ambohitantely Spec. Res., 4. ix. / 2011, S18°11’02.2” E47°17’13.4” / 1565 m, sifting forest litter under / Pandanus Winkler app. extraction / L. S. Rahanitriniaina lgt. (17 m, 19 f, MMBC, 1 m, 1 f, BMNH, 1 m, 1 f, HNHM, 1 m, 1 f, EKKH, 1 m, 1 f, MNHN, 1 m, 1 f, NHMW, 1 m, 1 f, NMPC) .

Description. Colour: Body very dark brown; antenna brown, pedicel yellowish, labium yellow as well; posterior lobe of pronotum paler brown with well visible yellow spots on anterior margin submedially and on humeral angles; lateral pronotal margin mostly cream coloured (sometimes dark chocolate brown); clavus and corium dirty brown with irregular pale spots; membrane fumose with dark brown spots in inner angle and at end of corial vein M, translucent on veins; posterior margin of proepimeron and metepimeroid paler brown (sometimes partly yellowish); legs brown, protibiae yellowish brown (often rather yellow); meso- and metatibiae and tarsi darker ochre yellow.

Vestiture: Pubescence like in previous species.

Structure: Body elliptical, subshiny. Head and thorax densely punctate with rather big punctures (on callar area punctures often sparser and much finer), sometimes punctures of head partly confluent, punctures of scutellum and posterior half of corium between R and Cu much smaller.

Labium reaching mesocoxae, sometimes only middle of mesosternum, segment I not reaching base of head. Pronotum subquadrate with anterolateral trichobothria; surface with a weak but well visible transverse impression, anteriad of it medially with a shallow round depression and two small submedian impressions; anterior part of pronotum slightly convex; lateral margin moderately explanate (stronger on anterior half) and distinctly sinuate; posterior margin of pronotum rather concave. Scutellum flat but posterior half impressed, anterior corners with short fine keels orientated centrally. Clavus with four regular rows of punctures, median rows placed closer to one another than to lateral rows, their posterior part mostly irregular; row at claval furrow consisting of 20–25 punctures. Corium with very fine rugosity, almost smooth, shiny. Cu at level of scutellar apex slightly arched, therefore in posterior part situated farther from clavus, two rows of punctures running between Cu and clavus, Cu on costal side with regular row as well. R+M followed with more or less regular rows of punctures, more or less separated from punctures of corium. Membrane shortened, reaching tergite VI but leaving tergite VII free, four veins well visible, not anastomosing. Sternites shiny, relatively densely punctate with rather big punctures and with hardly visible wrinkles; laterally with fine rugosity. Profemora more strongly, meso- and metafemora slightly incrassate. Abdomen finely rugose, with some hardly visible tiny shallow punctures. Male genitalia: pygophore posteriad of posterior aperture transversely impressed, posterior margin of aperture sharp, dorsal sinus with tiny blunt tooth ( Fig. 4B ). Paramere triangular, inner projection broad, outer margin slightly concave near acute apex ( Fig. 4D ).

Measurements (all in mm, 5 males, 3 females, holotype in parentheses). Total body length: 3.16–4.55 (3.92); head: length 0.49–0.72 (0.54); width 0.72–0.86 (0.79); interocular space 0.45–0.58 (0.51); length of antennal segments: I 0.28–0.45, (0.36), II 0.45–0.69, (0.56), III 0.36–0.42 (0.39), IV 0.44–0.49 (0.45); length of labial segments: I 0.38–0.56 (0.48), II 0.38–0.49 (0.45), III 0.31–0.41 (0.36), IV 0.30–0.37 (0.34); pronotum: length 0.65–0.92 (0.76); width 1.10– 1.69 (1.36); scutellum: length 0.70–1.04 (0.88); width 0.72–1.08 (0.88).

Diagnosis. Noteolethaeus banari sp. n. is most similar to N. vasarhelyii sp. n. The most important differences are that N. vasarhelyii is brachypterous, its surface is more rugose (most conspicuously on corium visible) and it is more densely punctate. The pygophore and parameres of the two species are clearly different. The other similar species, N. leeui has a very short head with much finer punctation (~20 punctures between ocelli), a more uneven pronotum with stronger transverse impression and V-like anterior furrow; furthermore, the area between the vein Cu and claval furrow has 2 full rows of punctures, posteriorly with adjacent rows as well.

Etymology. The new species dedicated to Petr Baňař, excellent Czech heteropterist and good friend, curator of the Moravian Museum, avid collector, and organizer of the Madagascar collecting project.

Habitat and distribution. All known specimens were sifted from leaf litter of evergreen mountain forest and rotting residues of Pandanus sp. leaves of Ambohitantely Special Reserve in Central Madagascar (Fig. 5).

Figures

Figs 1–3. Noteolethaeus (s. str.) species: 1 = N. pallens Zámbó et Kondorosy, paratype, female; 2 = N. vasarhelyii Zámbó et Kondorosy, paratype, female; 3 = N. banari Zámbó et Kondor-

Fig. 4. Male genitalia of Noteolethaeus spp; A–B: pygophore, dorsal view; C–D: paramere, ventral view; A+C: Noteolethaeus (N.) pallens; B+D: Noteolethaeus (N.) banari