Mahea distanti, Kment, Petr, 2005

Kment, Petr, 2005, Revision of Mahea Distant, 1909, with a review of the Acanthosomatidae (Insecta: Heteroptera) of Madagascar and Seychelles, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 45, pp. 21-50 : 30-33

Mahea distanti sp. nov.

( Figs. 11-19 , 43)

Mahea sexualis (misidentification): DISTANT (1909): 33, pl. 4 (record, figure of male).

Mahea sexualis (misidentification): KUMAR (1974): 44 (taxonomy).

Type locality. Madagascar, Tamatave [= Toamasina].

Type material. HOLOTYPUS: ♁, ‘Type / H. T. [p, white circle with red margin] // Mahea / sexualis / type Dist. [hw] // Madagascar / Tamatave / XII. [hw] // Distant Coll. / 1911-383 [p] // SYN- / TYPE [p, white circle with blue margin] // HOLOTYPUS / MAHEA / DISTANTI / sp. nov. / det. P. KMENT 2005 [p, red label]’ ( BMNH). Holotype on micro pin; left antenna, right antennomere 4, left fore leg, right fore and middle tibiae and tarsi and both hind tarsi missing; pronotum ventrally detached from mesonotum, dorsally cracked on the right side, right humeral spine missing. The pygophore and male genitalia of the specimen had been dissected and stored in glycerol in a small glass microvial attached to the same pin.

Description. Male (Fig. 43). Length 8.2 mm. Body ochraceous, slightly shining, with thick coarse dark punctures.

Head pale ochraceous with coarse black or brown punctures, forming more or less distinct rows (two regular rows on each mandibular plate, rest of head with more irregular pattern than in M. sexualis , ‘circular’ figure on vertex not developed). Head shorter than wide across eyes (1: 1.14), its width about half of pronotal width between humeral angles (1: 2.75). Mandibular plates almost parallel basally, smoothly rounded apically, enclosing apex of clypeus. Eyes brownish; ocelli reddish, situated behind imaginary line through posterior margins of eyes, but more distant from anterior pronotal margin than in M. sexualis . Each antenniferous tubercle laterally with black longitudinal spot; antennomere 1 blackish brown; antennomere 2 pale castaneous, with erect pubescence, hairs slightly longer than diameter of antennomere; antennomere 3 castaneous; lengths of antennomeres: 1 – 0.4 mm, 2 – 2.9 mm, 3 – 1.3 mm (ratio 1: 7.25: 3.25) ( Fig. 11 ). Head ventrally ochraceous with small brown punctures; rostrum ochraceous, apex blackened, reaching base of abdomen.

Pronotum ochraceous with uniform brown punctures, median carina not developed, humeral angles and spines reddish; anterior margin strongly concave, head more projected into pronotum than in M. sexualis ; antero-lateral margins rounded, divergent laterad; each humeral angle conically produced into spine, directed laterad and slightly upwards ( Figs. 12, 13 ). Scutellum triangular, its punctures finer than those on pronotum; anterior part only slightly arched, castaneous, only antero-lateral angles ochraceous; lateral margins slightly depressed medially; posterior part flat, ochraceous, with inconspicuous dark punctures; apex black, triangular. Hemelytra ochraceous with brown punctures; suture between corium and membrane brown; membrane with brownish tinge, translucent, slightly surpassing postero-lateral angles of sternum 7.

Thorax ventrally ochraceous with coarse brown punctures; brown colour of punctures locally coalescent, forming small to large irregular spots on median parts of pleura; acetabula, peritreme and lateral margins of pleura ochraceous. Metapleura strongly swollen, produced laterad, its posterior margin introverted, both well visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 14 ). Legs ochraceous, hind femora darkened apically, tarsi brown. Hind femora and tibiae slightly curved inwards, with granulation on inner margins ( Fig. 15 ).

Abdomen ochraceous with thick brown punctures; sterna 3-4 broadly, sternum 5 narrowly reddish brown medially, sternum 6 with sparse brown punctures, sternum 7 with sparse brown punctures and large blackish brown spots on each side near anterior margin and before postero-lateral angles; median carina well developed on sterna 3-6, gradually disappearing on sternum 7, ochraceous, acutely produced anteriad as abdominal spine between metacoxae ( Fig. 16 ); connexiva ochraceous, spines on postero-lateral angles of sterna 3-4 very small, on sternum 5 small, on sternum 6 long, narrow, directed posteriad, and on sternum 7 produced, widely triangular with parallel outer margins ( Figs. 14, 16 ).

Pygophore brownish; dorso-ventrally flattened ( Fig. 17 ); hypophysis of paramere roughly semicircular, apically rounded, not pointed, inner margin deeply incised ( Fig. 18 ); vesica of aedeagus deeply sinuated, without loop ( Fig. 19 ).

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Mahea distanti sp. nov. differs from both M. sexualis and M. durrelli sp. nov. by having the lateral pronotal angles conically produced and gradually tapering to a spinose apex. From M. parvula , it differs by the larger body, more prominent lateral pronotal angles, and relatively narrower head. From M. andriai , it can be separated by the following characters: Body more vividly coloured, covered with dark punctures; basic colour ochraceous, posterior part of pronotum with reddish tones; anterior part of scutellum reddish brown, antero-lateral angles and posterior part contrasting pale; apex of scutellum black, narrowly rounded. Dark punctures on head, sternum and abdominal venter coalescent, forming conspicuous rows (usually impressed and darkened). Hairs of antennomere 2 as long as or slightly longer than its diameter. Thorax conspicuously swollen. Lateral connexival spines as in Figs. 14 and 16 .

Etymology. This species is named in honour of William Lucas Distant (1845-1922), wellknown English entomologist, who described many heteropteran taxa, including Mahea .

Bionomy. Unknown.

Distribution. East Madagascar (Toamasina). Only the holotype is known.

Comments. See comments under M. sexualis .

Figures

Figs. 11-16. Mahea distanti sp. nov. 11 – antenna; 12 – pronotum, dorsal view; 13 – pronotum, posterior view; 14 – pleural margin and connexiva, dorsal view; 15 – hind leg (tarsomeres and claws missing); 16 – abdomen, ventral view.

Figs. 1-5. Mahea sexualis Distant, 1909. 1 – head, dorsal view; 2 – pronotum, dorsal view; 3 – pronotum, posterior view; 4 – abdomen of male (lectotype), ventral view; 5 – abdomen of female (paralectotype), ventral view.

Figs. 6-7. Mahea sexualis Distant, 1909. Pygophore (lectotype). 6 – posterior view; 7 – ventral view. Scale bars 0.5 mm.

Figs. 8-10. Mahea andriai (Cachan, 1952). 8 – pronotum, dorsal view; 9 – pronotum, posterior view; 10 – abdomen, ventral view.