Parasinalda sukachevae, Golub & Perkovsky & Vasilenko, 2021

Golub, Viktor B., Perkovsky, Evgeny E. & Vasilenko, Dmitry V., 2021, A new fossil species of the genus Parasinalda Heiss & Golub (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae) from Upper Eocene Rovno amber, Zootaxa 5027 (2), pp. 290-296 : 291-294

Parasinalda sukachevae sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Type. Holotype, female SIZK L-958, Voronki , Rovno amber.

Age. Late Eocene.

Etymology. The species is named after the famous Russian paleoentomologist Irina D. Sukacheva, Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.

Diagnosis. This new species belongs to the genus Parasinalda Heiss & Golub, 2013 and is closely related to P. baltica (Drake, 1950) , P. froeschneri ( Golub et Popov, 1998) , and P. groehni Heiss & Golub, 2013 based on the following reasons. Like the listed species of the genus Parasinalda including the type species P. baltica , the new species has characteristic bilobate paranota and wide areas of hemelytra with numerous rows of areolae. Posterior process of pronotum is not developed and stenocostal area of hemelytra is absent. These characters indicate that the new species like the entire genus Parasinalda belongs to the tribe Phatnomini ( Tingidae : Tinginae ).

P. sukachevae differs from P. baltica by possessing a significantly smaller body size: body length of the P. sukachevae holotype is 3.2 mm, in P. baltica 3.90–3.98 mm; body width of the P. sukachevae holotype is 1.88 mm, in P. baltica 1.99–2.15 mm. Body of P. sukachevae is relatively wider: in the holotype of P. sukachevae it is 1.70 times as long as wide, in females of P. baltica 1.85–1.96 times as long as wide. P. sukachevae has a wider subcostal area which has 8 rows of areolae at the widest part for a considerable length. However, the subcostal area in P. baltica possesses 6–7 rows of areolae at the widest part or with a single areola in the 8th row. Clavus in P. sukachevae is significantly wider, with 8 rows of areolae at its widest part while the clavus in P. baltica with 5 rows of areolae at the widest part. Dorsomedial spine of head in the holotype of P. sukachevae is located at the level of the anterior margin of eyes; this spine in P. baltica is located between eyes.

Differences between P. sukachevae and P. froeschneri are as follows: body of P. froeschneri wider and 1.6 times as long as wide. Unpaired clypeal and dorsomedial and paired frontal spines of P. froeschneri head very short, tubercle-like; these spines in P. sukachevae clearly elongated. The pronotum in P. froeschneri is wider than in P. sukachevae and 1.64 times wider than long; pronotum in P. sukachevae 1.5 times wider than long. Costal area of hemelytra in P. froeschneri narrower and with 4–5 rows of areolae at the base; this area in P. sukachevae with 6–7 rows of areolae at the base. Subcostal area in P. froeschneri with 6–7 rows of areolae at the widest part, this area in P. sukachevae with 8 rows.

P. sukachevae differs from P. groehni Heiss & Golub, 2013 by the more pronounced protruding outward anterior angles of paranota having two rows of areolae; anterior angles of paranota of P. groehni are smoothed and with one row of areolae. Costal area of hemelytra in P. groehni is narrower than in P. sukachevae , with 4 rows of areolae along most of its length, basally with 5 rows. Discoidal area in P. groehni is also narrower than in P. sukachevae and with 8 rows of areolae at the widest part.

Description. Body oval, very broad, about 1.70 times as long as wide, without hairs.

Head large, elongate, rather broad, approximately equal in length from clypeus apex to posterior margin of eyes and width across eyes, with large punctuation.

Clypeus directed anteriorly, horizontal. Eyes large, prominently protruding on sides. Upper surface of head with 8 spines: clypeus with pair of thick, lateral jugal spines with obtuse apices directed obliquely upwards and forward (visible left spine only); rather long unpaired clypeal spine directed obliquely upward and forward; with distance slightly greater than diameter of eye, pair of conical and long frontal spines are located anteriorly and directed almost vertically with diverging apices; behind frontal spines at level of anterior margin of eyes with single almost vertically dorsomedial and almost cylindrical spine with obtuse apex; behind eyes, at distance equal to approximately 0.5 diameter of eye, possesses pair of conical, vertical, occipital spines having diverging apices. Frontal and dorsomedial spines approximately equal to eye diameter; occipital spines slightly shorter. Antennae are poorly visible, and impossible to measure length of segments. Only left antenna is partially preserved. First two antennal segments short, third is longest and very thin, fourth (broken off and located in amber next to third) about 2.3 times shorter than third.

Pronotum short and very wide, approximately 1.5 times wider than long, anterior margin straight, posterior margin slightly sinuate, not produced, without median triangular projection and not overlapping scutellum, scutellum entirely visible in dorsal view. Pronotal disk convex, with large punctures and with three rather high longitudinal carinae possessing one row of rectangular areolae. Anterior margin of pronotum with raised ring-shaped hood (vesicula) possessing three transverse rows of small areolae. Paranota bilobate, flat, laterally expanded, slightly raised, with two rows of areolae along most of length, with one row of areolae at narrowest part posteriorly, distinctly widened in anterior angles and with three rows of areolae, one or two areolae of interior row are very small.

Scutellum dorsally entirely visible, small, triangular, wider than length.

Hemelytra. Sub-macropterous form. Hemelytra projecting over apex of abdomen, distinctly divided by carinate veins into costal, subcostal, discoidal and sutural areas. Stenocostal area absent. All areas wide, with rounded areolae. Costal area very wide at base, with 6–7 rows of areolae, narrowing towards apex and along most of its length with 4–5 rows of areolae, and with several areolae of sixth row. Areolae of costal area smaller than those of other areas of hemelytra. Costal area crossed by five transverse convex veins. Subcostal area with 8 rows of areolae at widest part. Vein RM between subcostal and discoidal areas is strongly carinate. Discoidal area flat and very wide, with 10–11 rows of areolae at widest part, with two elevated transverse veins located at an angle to each other and dividing discoidal area into 3 large sections. Sutural areas overlapping, with 1 row of areolae along clavus and inner margin of hemelytra, strongly expanding towards apex of hemelytra; membrane with 8 rows of areolae at widest part. Clavus triangular, distinct, and exposed, anteriorly uncovered by pronotum, separated from corium by commissure, with 8 rows of areolae at its widest part.

Ventral side: Labium 4-segmented, very long, apex reaching anterior margin of 7th abdominal segment; abdomen narrower than hemelytra, hypocostal lamina developed. Tibiae thin, cylindrical, tarsi 2-segmented with curved claws.

Measurements of holotype in mm (approximately, due to the oblique position of the holotype in a piece of amber). Length 3.20; width across hemelytra 1.88; head length from clypeus apex to posterior margin of eyes 0.52, from clypeus apex to anterior margin of hood 0.69, width across eyes 0.50; diameter of eye 0.10, pronotum length / width at widest part 0.61 / 0.92, width across anterior lobes 0.84.

Below is a key for identifying four species of the genus Parasinalda , utilizing some characters that were used in the key previously developed by Heiss & Golub (2013)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Parasinalda sukachevae sp. nov., dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Parasinalda sukachevae sp. nov., head and anterior part of pronotum.

FIGURE 3. Parasinalda sukachevae sp. nov., ventral view.