Kanakaptera heimiana, Heiss, 2011

Heiss, E., 2011, New genera and species of Carventinae from New Caledonia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Zootaxa 2792 (1), pp. 22-32 : 27

Kanakaptera heimiana n. sp.

(Photo 5,9)

Material examined. Holotype ♂: New Caledonia, S-Prov. / Monts Koghis, forest litter / ca. 5km N Nouméa 550m / 25 XI 2009 Schuh (11A) // Holotype ♂ / Kanakaptera n.gen. / heimiana n. sp. / des. E. HEISS 2010.

Diagnosis. This species is smaller than laticeps n. sp. and montdoa n. sp., but shares characters of both. It is distinguished from laticeps n. sp. by a different outline of postocular lobes resembling those of montdoa n. sp., by the midline of thoracic sclerites lacking the longitudinal sulcus present in both other species; from montdoa n. sp. it differs by the short and incomplete transverse sulci separating the fused metanotum – mtgI – mtgII, by the less transverse pronotum, and the smooth surface of deltg VI and VII.

Description. Male, apterous, colouration as other species, however with a reddish-brown tinge.

Head: Wider than long (28/20); width of head 1.07x wider than length of antennae; structure of antenniferous lobes and antennae as in laticeps n. sp.; length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 8.5/5/6/6.5; postocular lobes with smaller tooth not exceeding outer margin of eyes, then nearly straight and converging toward collar, there separated by a distinct notch.

Pronotum: About 3.7x as wide as long (41/11); anterolateral projections large and wide; disk medially with a flat T-shaped sclerite without a median sulcus, anterior and lateral margins before anterolateral expansions carinate.

Mesonotum: Surface structure as in montdoa n. sp.; however, median sclerite lacks the longitudinal sulcus, is slightly raised, and shows a short carina on posterior 1/3.

Metanotum: Fused to mtgI and mtgII but transverse fusion sutures short and incomplete; disk medially raised forming a thin carina along midline, this highest posteriorly, mtg I sloping posteriorly toward mtgII, this medially depressed.

Abdomen: Outline, structure and sutures on tergal plate and deltg I–VII as in laticeps n. sp.

Measurements. Holotype ♂: Length 4.9mm; length / width of mesonotum 10/37; width of abdomen across tergite III 57.

Etymology. Patronym dedicated to Stefan Heim (Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinadeum) who produced the excellent digital photos for this and other papers.

Discussion. Although the description is based only on the male holotype heimiana n. sp., it is considered a new taxon because of a combination of structures not shared by other species. As frequently observed in tropical forest areas, apterous taxa show endemism and different species occur in the same or adjacent habitats.