Saldula niveolimbata ( Reuter, 1900 )

Polhemus, John T. & Polhemus, Dan A., 2012, Guide To The Aquatic Heteroptera Of Singapore And Peninsular Malaysia. Viii. Leptopodomorpha, Families Saldidae, Leptopodidae, And Omaniidae, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 60 (2), pp. 329-341 : 337-338

Saldula niveolimbata ( Reuter, 1900)

( Fig. 19 )

Acanthia niveo -limbata Reuter, 1900: 156

Salda insignis Distant, 1913: 170 ; syn. Cobben & J. Polhemus, 1966: 393

Saldula marianarum Usinger, 1946: 100 ; syn. J. Polhemus, 1981: 616

Saldula niveolimbata: Drake, 1963: 1

Material examined. — SINGAPORE: 2 males, 3 females, Selatar Reservoir park, 3 Jan.1991, coll. K. L. Yeo, YKL0723 ( ZRC) ; 2 males, 1 female, same data as previous, except 7 Nov.1990, YKL705 ( ZRC) ; 1 male (head and thorax missing), Nee Soon Swamp Forest , outflow creek, on sand banks, 1 Jan.1986, coll. D. H. Murphy ( ZRC) ; 1 male, Bukit Panjang , wet sandy area in bright sun, 19 Jan.1976, coll. D. H. Murphy ( ZRC) . MALAYSIA, Pahang: 1 male, 1 female, Selompok, pond, 12 Aug.1926, coll. C. Dover ( ZRC) . Trengganu: 1 female, Rantau Abang , 18 Mar.1992, coll. H. K. Lua, LHK 177 ( ZRC) . Selangor: 1 male, Kepong, FRIM, Sungai Kroh , 15 Jan.2002, coll. H. H. Tan ( ZRC) .

Extralimital material examined. — VIETNAM, Quang Tri Prov.: 1 female, 1 mi. N. of Quang Tri, at light, 28 Apr.1970, coll. A. R . Gillogly ( JTPC) . SAMOA, Upolu Is.: 1 male, Slide Rock, Apia , CL 1510, 22 Jan.1978, coll. J. T . & M. S. Polhemus ( JTPC); 1 male, stream nr. Poutasi , CL 1508, 21 Jan.1978, coll. J. T . & M. S. Polhemus ( JTPC) . SEYCHELLES, Beau Vallon Dist.: 1 male, Mahe Is., Bean Valley [Beau Vallon Bay], 16 Jul.1952, coll. E. S. Brown ( JTPC) . KENYA, Eastern Prov.: 2 females, Mtito Andei , Apr.1980, coll. E. Heiss ( JTPC) .

Diagnosis. — Male length 2.70–2.80, maximum width (across hemelytra) 1.20–1.30; female length 3.30–3.50, maximum width (across hemelytra) 1.60–1.70. Head, pronotum and scutellum shining black; hemelytra black, outer corium external to vein R + M and portion of corium external to vein Cu entirely pale translucent, inner corium inside of vein Cu brown with 3 small white spots, clavus black with a single very small pale spot near posterior apex; wing membrane pale translucent fumate, veins contrastingly brown, basal section of membrane with darker mottling; antennae with segments I and II medium brown, segments III and IV dark brown; legs pale brown; ventral surface mostly black.

Distribution. — Originally described from Senegal ( Reuter, 1900), and subsequently reported from Namibia, Angola, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, Tanzania, the Seychelles, Palau, and Guam ( Schuh et al., 1987), and from Peninsular Malaysia by J. T. Polhemus & D. A. Polhemus (1999). We now record this species from Singapore, and have further specimens in hand from Kenya, the Seychelles, Vietnam, and Samoa.

Discussion. — Among the two species of Saldula currently known to occur in Peninsular Malaysia, S. niveolimbata may be recognised by its light colored costal margins on the hemelytra (in contrast to Saldula sonneveldti , which has the costal margins mostly dark with a white spot at the extreme posterior apex; compare Figs. 19 , 20), by its pale coloured gular lobes, and by antennal segments II–IV being subequal in length, with each longer than segment I.

Figures

Fig. 19. Saldula niveolimbata, dorsal habitus. Specimen from Samoa, Upolu, CL 1508.