Paloniella erinacea, Krüger, 2018

Krüger, Andreas, 2018, Vehicle-mounted net sampling of airborne micro-Heteroptera in western Liberia, West Africa: 1. Isometopinae (Miridae), Zootaxa 4378 (4), pp. 491-515 : 495-498

Paloniella erinacea sp. nov.

( Figure 5 )

Description. Male. Length 2.3–2.4 mm (figure 5 A). Maximum width across hemelytra 1.6. Head (figures 5B–F) dorsal width 0.74–0.82, length 0.16–0.18; facial width across genae 0.47; height 0.4. Anterior interocular space 0.33, posterior space 0.38. Dorsal width of eye 0.18, maximum diameter 0.22; height 0.36–0.39. Height of gena 0.03. Ocellus width 0.05; interocellar space 0.26–0.29. Maximum width of pronotum 1.3 (figure 5B); median length 0.43–0.47 (figure 5 A). Scutellum length 0.75; width 0.9. Antennal segment II 0.7 (0.68–0.72) (figures 5G– H), hairs 4– 6x longer than segment is thick; III 0.13 (0.1–0.16); IV 0.12 (0.1–0.14).

Body strongly ovate. Head from above 4.2–4.6x as broad as long, in front flat, transverse, 1.8–1.9x as broad as high; vertex distinctly raised above eye level behind ocelli, forming a carina. Ocelli 5– 6x their width apart. Gena very low, about 0.08x height of eye. Frons at apical margin slightly protruding and carinate, medially densely covered with erect hairs. Frons and vertex brown, apically and genae below eyes yellowish brown. Antennal segment II pale, hairs brown to dark brown. Rostrum brown, reaching up to fourth sternite.

Pronotum about 3x as broad as long, narrowly explanate and broadly arcuate laterally, posterior margin deeply bisinuate. Scutellum slightly wider than long. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum pubescent with semi-erect pale hairs, chocolate brown, including tip of scutellum.

Hemelytra also chocolate brown and pubescent with semi-erect pale hairs. Membrane brownish. Legs and venter brown to dark brown.

Genitalia (figure 5I): everted endosoma of aedeagus short, strikingly spiculate. Right paramere simple. Proximal bulb of left paramere with saddle-like outer ridge, without setae. Apical arm smoothly bent.

Female. Unknown.

Specimens examined. ♂ holotype, Liberia, Bong county, Gengema—Bong town , N06°47’ W10°20–21’, 22.iii 1989 (leg. Garms) . Paratypes: 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, Weadea—Gengema , N06°53’ W10°22’, 19.v 1989, 6–7 pm (leg. Garms) . 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, LRU—Airfield, N06°47’ W10°19’, 10.iv 1989, 5:50–6 pm (leg. Garms) . 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, Yea creek—Dam 12, N06°45’ W10°18’, 06.vi 1989, 7 pm (leg. Garms) . 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, Menla—Weadea bridge, N06°56–53’ W10°15–22’, 11.v 1989, 6:03–6:40 pm (leg. Garms) . 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, Weadea—Bong town , N06°50’ W10°21’, 28.iii 1989 (leg. Garms) . 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, Menla—LRU, N06°48–56’ W10°21–15’, 6:05–6:50 pm, 13.iv 1989 (leg. Garms) . 1♂, Liberia, Bong county, Weadea—LRU, N06°52’ W10°22’, 11.iv 1989, 6:15–6:30 pm (leg. Garms) .

Etymology. This species is named for the peculiarly spiculate endosoma of its aedeagus. The Latin term Erinaceus stands for hedgehogs.

Remarks. This new species has some resemblance with P. suffuscipennis Akingbohungbe from Congo and P. pellucida Akingbohungbe from Nigeria, both of which bear echinulated endosomae, though apparently much less developed than in P. erinacea sp. nov. In addition, their hemelytra are largely hyaline, their eyes lower with gena/ eye height ratios below 0.07 (0.08 in the new species), their heads from above over 12x as broad as long (less than 5x in the new species).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Paloniella erinacea sp. nov. male. A—habitus; B—head, thorax dorsad from a flat angle highlighting the pubescence and head length; C—head, frontal view; D—head, antero-dorsad; E–F—heads, laterad; G–H—antenna II; Iparameres and aedeagus.Scales:A = 1 mm; B–D, G–H = 0.5 mm; E–F = 0.3 mm; I = 0.1 mm.