Charagochilus aureus ( Ballard, 1927 ) Gapon, D. A., 2014

Gapon, D. A., 2014, Revision of the genus Polymerus (Heteroptera: Miridae) in the Eastern Hemisphere. Part 1: Subgenera Polymerus, Pachycentrum subgen. nov. and new genus Dichelocentrum gen. nov., Zootaxa 3787 (1), pp. 1-87 : 58

6. Charagochilus aureus ( Ballard, 1927) comb. nov.

( Figs 20 O–Q ; 24 ; 41 F )

Poeciloscytus aureus Ballard, 1927: 65 .

Polymerus aureus Carvalho, 1959: 233 .

Material examined. Holotype. Ring label with red edging “Type H. T.”, “South India 12.VIII.12 Coimbatore Fletcher coll.”, “ Press. By E. Ballard. Brit. Mus. 1928-217”, “ Poeciloscytus sp. n. Det. Uvarov ”, “ aureus Ballard V.S. S. India ”, “BMNH_ENT AMNH_PBI 00085725”, female ( BMNH).

Additional material. “X.11.YIYY [?]”, “ Polymerus aureus (Ballard) Compared to type det. T.J. Henry 1996”, male* ( BMNH) .

First description of male terminalia. Right paramere ( Fig. 20 O ) longer than in all previous species, about 0.70 times length of l left one. Paramere body cylindrical, sclerotised in base and on one side in apical part; the rest of body hyaline. Sclerotised wall in distal part bears short fine setae. Hypophysis comparatively large, sclerotised, hook-shaped.

Left paramere ( Fig. 20 P; Q ). Body from lateral view curved anteriad in apical part, slightly dilated at base, tapering distally. Sensory process from posterior view wide, trapezoidal. Hypophysis from lateral view short, spatulate, dilating to anterior margin, with rather straight superior and inferior margins, acutely rounded anterioinferior angle and more widely rounded anterio-superior angle. Internal surface of hypophysis slightly concave with fine rib, extending to small needle-shaped protrusion at anterior margin of hypophysis. Setae on paramere absent.

Theca with apical margin having only one long triangular sclerotised blade.

Vesica ( Fig. 24 ). Secondary gonopore located on left side of vesica, with complete ring of concentrically curved spinulae. Anterior right lobe very large, with four branches. Anterior branch dilated basally, long, straight, directed and tapering anteriad. Small tubercle at its apex, right and inferior surfaces just behind the latter covered with microtrichia. Right branch rather narrow basally, with dilated rounded apex, directed downwards and slightly anteriad. Posterior branch shorter, moderately wide, directed posteriad and upwards, in the middle sharply curved to left and downwards. Apex of this branch widely rounded, on inferior side with elongate acute sclerite adjoining to left wall of vesica. Left branch shorter and narrower than all previous ones, directed posteriad. Rounded apex of this branch on superior surface with short acicular spicule, directed posteriad and slightly curved to right. Anterior left lobe rather short, elongated, tapering to acute apex, directed to left and slightly downwards. This lobe overlies on secondary gonopore, so that it is almost not visible from outside. Apex of this lobe with small elongated serrate sclerite on anterior surface; inferior surface of lobe in base with small oval serrate sclerite. Posterior part of vesica small, with very short, rounded apex curved downwards. Very small rounded posrerior left lobe lies near superior margin of secondary gonopore. Extremely small membranous medial left tubercle located above secondary gonopore. Medial right lobe and medial spicule absent. Posterior right lobe short, moderately narrow, directed to right and posteriad, with rounded apex. Left wall of posterior part of vesica without sclerotised carina. Depression on right wall of vesica (separating the latter into anterior and posterior parts) with short baso-apical sclerotised band. It wide basally, strongly tapering apically, not branched. Posterior wall of vesica membranous, without tubercle.

Female unknown.

Distribution. South India (Coimibatore).

Taxonomic notes. This species has the diagnostic characters of genus Charagochilus : wide collar, 1.5 times as wide as diameter of first antennal segment, rather deep pronotal punctuation ( Fig. 41 F ). The vesica of this species is unusual in the possession of a very large anterior right lobe with four branches and the acicular spicule not connected with the baso-apical sclerotised band that is short and not branched; the absence of the medial right lobe, the left carina and the posterior spicule. Nonetheless the structure of the vesica and an unusual left paramere of this species are much closer to those of Charagochilus than to those of Polymerus . Also this species shares other characters with Charagochilus : wide collar, 1.5 times as wide as diameter of first antennal segment; rather deep pronotal punctuation; short, not strongly pointed preocular part of head; claw without denticle; apical margin of theca with single blade; secondary gonopore with complete ring of concentrically curved spinulae. Based on these characters, this species is tentatively transferred to Charagochilus , but perhaps it should be placed in a separate subgenus or genus.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Parameres of Charagochilus species. Right (A, F, I, L, O) and left (B–E, G, H, J, K, M, N, P, Q) parameres. A- C, Ch. spiralifer; D, E, Ch. flavipes; F–H, Ch. bimaculatus; I–K, Ch. obscuratus; L–N, Ch. consanguineus comb. nov.; O–Q, Ch. aureus comb. nov. Left (B, D, G, J, M, P) and posterior (C, E, H, K, N, Q) view. Scale bare: 0.14 mm.

FIGURE 24. Vesica of Charagochilus aureus comb. nov. Left (A) and right (B) and view. all —anterior left lobe; arl—anterior right lobe; as—apical spicule; pll—posterior left lobe; prl—posterior right lobe; sg—secondary gonopore. Scale bare: 0.14 mm.

FIGURE 41. Charagochilus species, head and thorax. A, Ch. flavipes comb. nov.; B, Ch. bimaculatus comb. nov.; C, Ch. obscuratus comb. nov.; D, Ch. madagascariensis comb. nov.; E, Ch. consanguineus comb. nov.; F, Ch. aureus comb. nov.