Rugicarventus pygmaeus, Heiss, 2011

Heiss, E., 2011, New genera and species of Carventinae from New Caledonia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Zootaxa 2792 (1), pp. 22-32 : 29

Rugicarventus pygmaeus n. sp.

(Fig.6–10, photo 10,11,12)

Material examined. Holotype ♂: New Caledonia, S-Prov. / road Nouméa – Yaté 220m / ca. 20km NW Nouméa / 24 XI 2009 lg. Schuh (9) / 22°12’24’’ S, 166°40’15.6’’ E // Holotype ♂ / Rugicarventus n.gen. / pygmaeus n. sp. / des. E. HEISS 2010. Paratypes: 2♂ 5♀ collected with holotype. A paratype will be deposited at the Natural History Museum Vienna.

Description: Male, apterous of very small size (2.25mm) and ovate outline; colouration black to piceous, surface glabrous, inflated, and rugose.

Head: Wider than long (22/17); genae about as long as carinate clypeus, apices dilated and rounded; antenniferous lobes diverging anteriorly with blunt apices; antennae finely granulate 1.23x as long as width of head (27/ 22); segment I longest and club-shaped, basically bent, II thinner and spindle shaped as long as III, this petiolate at base slightly widening posteriorly, IV fusiform with pilose apex; length of segments I/II/III/IV = 9/5/5/8; eyes globular and granulate; postocular lobes angularly rounded not exceeding outer margin of eyes, then constricted and converging to ring like collar; vertex with 2 longitudinal carinae flanked by ovate depressions.

Pronotum: 3.5x as wide as long; anterolateral margins of the lower level sclerite rounded and not produced anteriorly; upper sclerite delimited by carinate margins; disk with a longitudinal carina at middle, laterally depressed then with a carinate hump and a larger depression with punctures; posterior margin and suture to mesonotum slightly convex.

Mesonotum: Fused thoracic segments marked by ill defined transverse impressions, a median carina continuing from pronotum to meso- and metanotum and then reaching mtgI, and then split into 2 parallel carinae, these then spread posteriorly where they are highest; lateral slcerites with depressions and pits flanked by carinate humps on meso- and metanotum; mtgII depressed at middle with lateral ovate elevations then sloping toward lateral margins.

Abdomen: Mtg III–VI fused and inflated into a prominent median ridge on mtgIII with 2 deep depressions laterally and 2 pits posteriorly; borders of segments and flat apodemal impressions carinate; deltg I+II fused and triangularly expanded anteriorly reaching to pronotum; deltg III–VII separated by sutures, surface rugose and lateral margins granulate, pe-angles angularly produced; tergite VII raised medially; all spiracles lateral and visible from above.

Genitalic structures: Pygophore pyriform declivant posteriorly, surface granulate; paratergites VIII reaching ½ of pygophore; parameres as fig. 6–10.

Female: Generally as male but of slightly larger size, abdomen more rounded; pe-angles VII with a wide tubercle bearing the spiracle; lateral rounded lobes of tergite VIII about as long as triangular tergite IX.

Measurements. Holotype ♂: Length 2.25mm; length / width of mesonotum 11/32; width of abdomen across tergite III 44; paratype ♂ showing the same measurements as holotype, paratype ♀: length 2.25mm; w/l of head 25/ 18; length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 10/5/5/9; ratio width of head / length of antennae 1.16; l/w pronotum 12/42; l/w mesonotum 14/35; w abdomen 52.

Etymology. Refers to the unusually small size of this species.