Afrius (Subafrius) flavirostrum ( Signoret, 1861 )

Roell, Talita, Lemaître, Valérie A. & Webb, Michael D., 2019, Revision of the African shieldbug genus Afrius Stål, 1870 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 520, pp. 1-44 : 15-21

Afrius (Subafrius) flavirostrum ( Signoret, 1861)

Figs 1–4

Picromerus flavirostrum Signoret, 1861: 921 .

Cantheconidea migratoria Distant, 1913: 144 –145 . Syn. nov.

Afrius williamsi Miller, 1952: 183 –184 . Syn. nov.

Canthecona flavirostris (incorrect subsequent spelling) – Stål 1864: 68.

Cimex (Afrius) flavirostris (incorrect subsequent spelling) – Stål 1870: 44.

Afrius flavirostris (incorrect subsequent spelling) – Lethierry & Severin 1893: 214 [with “ Stål 1864 ” as authority]. — Schouteden 1905a: 151–153.

Afrius (Subafrius) flavirostrum – Schouteden 1907a: 51 . — Kirkaldy 1909: 10. — Cachan 1952: 306. — Thomas 1994: 152. — Maldès & Pluot-Sigwalt 2004: 20. — Gapon & Konstantinov 2006: 809.

Afrius williamsi – Williams 1951: 461 . — Jolivet & Théodoridès 1953: 5. — Orian 1956: 642. — Mamet 1957: 35. — Cox 1996: 38.

Subafrius flavirostrum – Orian 1965: 116 .

Afrius (Subafrius) migratorius – Thomas 1994: 152 .

Afrius (Subafrius) williamsi – Thomas 1994: 152 .

Afrius flavirostrum – Kuklinski & Borgemeister 2002: 59 .

Types examined

MADAGASCAR • Picromerus flavirostrum Signoret, 1861 ; syntype ³; labels: “Madagasc Coll. Signoret. ”, “ flavirostr det. Signoret. ”, “ flavirostrum d. Schouteden.”; Fig. 2 A–C; NHMW • syntype ♀; labels: “Madagascar. Coll. Signoret. ”, “ flavirostrum ”, “ flavirostrum d. Schouteden.”, “ flavirostr. det. Signoret. ”, “ Afrius flavirostrum Type Sign.”; Fig. 2 E–F; NHMW • syntype ♀; labels: “Madag.”, “Stål”, “Type”, “Typus”, “NHRS-GULI 000057896”; Fig. 2D ; NHRS-GULI 0 0 0 0 57896. These three syntypes were examined by photos.

SEYCHELLES ISLANDS • Cantheconidea migratoria Distant, 1913 ; syntype ♀; labels: bluemargined syntype disc label; red-margined type disc label “Aldabra. APT. 1907”, “Percy Sladen Trust Expedition. 1911-497.”, “ Canthecona migratoria type Dist.”, “ NHMUK 010592166 ”; Fig. 2 G–H; NHMUK010592166 .

MAURITIUS • Afrius williamsi Miller, 1952 ; holotype ³; labels: red-margined holotype disc label, “ MAURITIUS. Coll. J.R. Williams i.1949.”, “182”, “Pres by Com Inst Ent BM 1950 – 262 ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “ COM INST ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010592172 ”; Fig. 2 I–J; NHMUK 0 10592172 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. xii.1948 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “182”, “Pres by Com Inst Ent BM 1950 – 262 ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “ COM INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010592173 ”; Fig. 2 K–L; NHMUK 0 10592173 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. xii.1948 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “182”, “Pres by Com Inst Ent BM 1950 – 262 ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “ COM INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010747732 ”; NHMUK 0 10747732 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. I.1949 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “182”, “Pres by Com Inst Ent BM 1950 – 262 ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “ COM INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010747733 ”; NHMUK 0 10747733 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. vi.1949 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “182”, “Pres by Com Inst Ent BM 1950 – 262 ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “ COM. INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010747734 ”; NHMUK 0 10747734 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ Dept. of Agric. MAURITIUS ”, “Pres by Com. Inst. Ent. B.M.1948-38”, “ COM. INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 10958”, “182”, “ NHMUK 010747735 ”; NHMUK 0 10747735 • paratype ³; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. i.1949 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “182”, “Pres by Com Inst Ent BM 1950 – 262 ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n. det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “ COM INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010747736 ”; NHMUK 0 10747736 • paratype ³; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit A. Moutia II. v.1948 ”, “Pres by Com. Inst. Ent. B.M.1948-38”, “ COM. INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 10958”, “ Preying on Schematiza cordiae”, “182”, “ NHMUK 010747737 ”; NHMUK 0 10747737 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. i.1949 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n. det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “Press by Com Inst Ent B M 1950 - 262”, “ COM INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 11607”, “182”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010747738 ”; NHMUK 0 10747738 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ MAURITIUS Reduit. i.1949 Coll. J.R. Williams ”, “ Afrius williamsi sp.n. det. N.C.E. Miller. 1950.”, “Press by Com Inst Ent B M 1950 - 262”; “182”, “ Predaceous on Schematiza cordiae, Barb”, “ NHMUK 010747739 ”; NHMUK 0 10747739 • paratype ♀; labels: yellow-margined paratype disc label, “ Dept. of Agric. MAURITIUS Reduit 19.IV.1948 ”, “ J.R. Williams ”, “Pres by Com. Inst. Ent. B.M.1948-38”, “ COM. INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 10958”, “182”, “ NHMUK 010747740 ”; NHMUK 0 10747740 .

Diagnosis

Scutellum wider than long, humeral pronotal angles laterally well projected to an acute angle; male abdomen without setose patches; parameres with two distinct lobes.

Redescription

BODY. Elongated oval, yellowish to brown, usually with a pale posterior margin of the scutellum.

HEAD. Subrectangular, wider than long, uniformly punctured; mandibular plates equal or slightly shorter than and twice as wide as clypeus, anteriorly rounded, with margin straight to slightly sinuous; antennomeres yellow to brownish, black coloured on apical halves of third to fifth antennomeres, bearing thin setae, denser on third to fifth antennomeres; proportion of lengths of antennomeres: II ± IV> V> III> I; labium robust, reaching metasternum, last segment darker than preceding; proportion of lengths of labiomeres: II> I ± III> IV.

THORAX. Pronotum hexagonal, uniformly punctured except on cicatrices, twice or more as wide as long, cicatrices flat. Anterior margin concave. Lateral margins sinuous, slightly crenulated on anterior half, humeral angle laterally projected, emarginated, apices acute. Scutellum wider than long. Corium longer than scutellum, reaching connexival segment VI, uniformly punctured, membrane surpassing apex of abdomen ( Fig. 2 ).

MALE ABDOMEN. Without setose patches; parameres biramous ( Fig. 3 F–H, par).

Male

MEASUREMENTS (n = 5). Head length 1.82 ± 0.18 (1.68–2.10); width 1.93 ± 0.15 (1.87–2.13); pronotum length 2.52 ± 0.48 (1.85–3.22); width 6.44 ± 0.64 (5.64–7.25); scutellum length 3.02 ± 0.32 (2.66–3.48); width 3.22 ± 0.34 (2.88–3.75); lengths of antennomeres: I 0.32 ± 0.05 (0.27–0.37), II 1.26 ± 0.11 (1.2– 1.39), III 1.12 ± 0.23 (0.97–1.37), IV 1.32 ± 0.21 (1.12–1.54); V 1.16 ± 0.13 (1.05–1.31); lengths of labiomeres: I 0.94 ± 0.02 (0.93–0.97), II 1.13 ± 0.09 (1.05–1.23), III 0.97 ± 0.10 (0.90–1.90), IV 0.81 ± 0.02 (0.78–0.82); length of abdomen 4.50 ± 0.70 (4.00–5.00); width 4.82 ± 0.25 (4.65–5.00); total length 9.87 ± 0.71 (9.19–11.00).

GENITALIA. Genital plates elongated and cylindrical ( Fig. 3A , C–D, F, I, gp). Parameres long, biramous, head V-shaped divided into one process long, acute and another shorter, rounded, dorsally directed, extended beyond pygophore ( Fig. 3 A–H, par). Phallus. Thecal shield about twice as long as basal theca, widely opened posteriorly ( Fig. 3 J–Q, ts). Vesica subrectangular in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 O–Q, v), golf club-shaped in lateral view, with apex subtriangular and a central, slightly elevated, rounded portion covered by fine and inconspicuous microsculptures ( Fig. 3 L–N, v, m); ductus seminis enlarged near apex ( Fig. 3 K–Q, ds). Apices of conjunctival lobes globose, endowed with a set of sculptured processes, forming a subrectangular projection in lateral view ( Fig. 3 K–P, cl, sp).

Female

MEASUREMENTS (n = 5). Head length 1.87 ± 0.10 (1.80–1.95); width 1.78 ± 0.18 (1.65–1.91); pronotum length 2.62 ± 0.17 (2.5–2.74); width 3.48 ± 0.07 (3.43–3.53); scutellum length 3.01 ± 0.07 (2.96–3.07); width 3.24 ± 0.18 (3.11–3.37); length of antennomeres: I 0.30 ± 0.0 (0.30–0.30), II 1.29 ± 0.03 (1.27– 1.31), III 1.08 ± 0.0 (1.08–1.08), IV 1.28 ± 0.05 (1.24–1.31); V 1.16 ± 0.06 (1.12–1.20); length of labiomeres: I 0.97 ± 0.06 (0.93–1.01), II 1.14 ± 0.03 (1.12–1.16), III 0.94 ± 0.0 (0.94–0.94), IV 0.86 ± 0.06 (0.82–0.90); length of abdomen 5.12 ± 0.05 (5.08–5.16); width 5.24 ± 0.0 (5.24–5.24); total length 9.51 ± 1.14 (8.70–10.32).

GENITALIA. Gonocoxites VIII slightly longer than wide, mesial portions of posterior margins slightly constricted ( Fig. 4 A–B, gcVIII). Median and inner ducts of vesicular area with uniform diameter ( Fig. 4 C–D, md, id).

Distribution

Madagascar ( Signoret 1861), Seychelles Islands ( Distant 1913), Mauritius ( Miller 1952) ( Table 1 , Fig. 1 ).

Remarks

Although this species seems similar to A. (Afrius) purpureus ( Westwood, 1837) in general aspect, this is the most distinct species of the genus: the scutellum is wider than long, the males do not have abdominal glandular patches, the parameres are divided into two arms, and the vesica is shorter and less microsculptured in comparison to that of A. (Afrius) purpureus and A. (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911 . Because of the aforementioned, we have kept the subgeneric classification, grouping A. kolleri and A. purpureus in the subgenus Afrius , and A. flavirostrum in the subgenus Subafrius .

When describing A. williamsi, Miller (1952) compared his new species with A. marmoratus ( Dallas, 1851) , but did not mention A. (Subafrius) flavirostrum .

The two new synonymies proposed herein were previously pointed out by Orian in his unpublished thesis ( Orian 1965).

Figures

Fig. 1. Geographic distribution of the genus Afrius Stål, 1870 throughout Africa. The species points of occurrence and their dispersion in different countries are represented with colours: purple = A. (Subafrius) flavirostrum (Signoret, 1861); red = A. (Afrius) kolleri Schouteden, 1911; green = A. (Afrius) purpureus (Westwood, 1837). The countries highlighted for each species on the right part of the map are based on data from literature. The points marked for each species are from literature and labels information.

Fig. 2. Afrius (Subafrius) flavirostrum (Signoret, 1861), type specimens. A–C. Picromerus flavirostrum Signoret, 1861, syntype ³, labels, dorsal and ventral habitus, respectively (images courtesy of Herbert Zettel and Harald Bruckner, NHMW). D. Picromerus flavirostrum, syntype ♀, labels and dorsal habitus (image courtesy of Gunvi Lindberg, NHRS). E–F. Picromerus flavirostrum, syntype ♀, labels and dorsal habitus (images courtesy of Herbert Zettel and Harald Bruckner, NHMW). G–H. Cantheconidea migratoria Distant, 1913, syntype ♀, labels and dorsal habitus (NHMUK). I–J. Afrius williamsi Miller, 1951, holotype ³, labels and dorsal habitus (NHMUK). K–L. Afrius williamsi, paratype ♀, labels and ventral habitus (NHMUK). Scale bars: 4 mm.

Fig. 3. Afrius (Subafrius) flavirostrum (Signoret, 1861), male genitalia. A–F. Pygophore in dorsal (A, D), ventral (B, E) and posterior (C, F) views. G–H. Right paramere in lateral views, internal and external respectively. I. Right genital plate, dorso-posterior view. J–L. Phallus in anterior, posterior and lateral views, respectively. M. Detail of the vesica in lateral view, also represented in N. N. Drawing of the phallus. O–Q. Phallus in dorsal view. Abbreviations: bf = basal foramen; bp = basal plates; bt = basal theca; cl = conjunctival lobes; db = dorsal border; ds = ductus seminis; er = ejaculatory reservoir; gp = genital plates; il = inferior layer; m = microsculptures; pa = posterolateral angles; par = parameres; ph = phallotheca; sg = secondary gonophore; sp = conjunctival process; ts = thecal shield; v = vesica; vb = ventral border; X = segment X. Scale bars: F = 0.5 mm; G–Q = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 4. Afrius (Subafrius) flavirostrum (Signoret, 1861), female genitalia. A–B. Genital plates, ventroposterior view. C–D. Inner genitalia, ventral view. Abbreviations: cs = capsula seminalis; gcVIII = gonocoxites VIII; gcIX = gonocoxites IX; gpIX = gonapophyses IX; id = inner duct; laVIII = laterotergites VIII; laIX = laterotergites IX; md = median duct of vesicular area; od = outer duct of vesicular area; pi = pars intermedialis; tgIX = secondary thickening of gonapophyses IX; vi = thickening of vaginal intima; X = segment X. Scale bars: A–B = 1 mm; C–D = 0.5 mm.