Vietnamaptera Zhang, Bai, Heiss & Cai

Zhang, Wenjie, Bai, Xiaoshuan, Heiss, Ernst & Cai, Wanzhi, 2010, Vietnamaptera, a new genus of apterous Carventinae (Hemiptera: Aradidae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 2530, pp. 60-64 : 60-62

Vietnamaptera Zhang, Bai, Heiss & Cai , gen. n.

Type species of the genus: Vietnamaptera bogiessa Zhang, Bai, Heiss & Cai , sp. n.

Diagnosis: Apterous, medium sized. Body elongate ovate. Head shorter than width across eyes; anterior process longer than first antennal segment; eyes semiglobose, protruding laterally, not pedunculate; postocular lobes broadly rounded, without tubercles; antennae thin, short, less than 1.5 times as long as width of head across eyes; rostrum arising from a partially open atrium, reaching limits of rostral groove ( Figs. 1 , 3 ). Pronotum more than 6 times as wide as long at midline; collar thick, with 2(1+1) tubercles near the anterior angles; the latter strongly produced forward as subrectangular lobes, lateral margins strongly concave, posterior margin medially convex. Mesonotum narrow, fused to metanotum and tergites I and II, separated from metanotum by a deep groove, disk with median hump. Metanotum transversely raised medially, sloping laterally, separated by a groove from tergite I. Tergites I and II transversely raised medially, concave laterally, separated medially by deep grooves, fused laterally. Abdominal tergal plate trapezoid, consisting of tergites III to VI, III and IV transversely raised medially, sloping laterally, V and VI sloping posteriorly. Deltg I and II fused, anteriorly reaching to mesonotum. Sternites III to VII strongly convex, ventral external laterotergites I to VII reflexed and visible from above, bearing spiracles II to VII. Paratergite VIII clavate. Pygophore cordate ( Fig. 1 ). Legs slender, without spines; trochanters distinct.

Distribution: Vietnam.

Etymology: The generic name refers to the collecting locality, Vietnam, and the apterous form. Feminine.

Remarks: The dorsally convex habitus of the new genus resembles that of the Oriental apterous Carventinae Signocoris Hoberlandt, 1958 from India and Singhalaptera Heiss, 2001 from Sri Lanka. It is however distinguished from both by the partially open rostral atrium (closed in both other genera) and by different fusion lines of thoracal and abdominal structures and their outline in lateral view. Morphologically similar structures are also known from apterous genera described from Papua New Guinea and Australia, such as Biroana Usinger & Matsuda 1959 and Glyptoaptera Kormilev 1965 , however due to biogeographical considerations no relationship to Vietnamaptera n.gen. can be assumed.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Vietnamaptera bogiessa sp. n. 3, Holotype. Habitus. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 4. Vietnamaptera bogiessa sp. n. 2, Habitus, antennae and legs partly removed; 3, head; 4, abdominal segments V – VIII; 2, lateral view; 3, 4, ventral view. Abbreviations. pr = pronotum; ms = mesonotum; mt = metanotum; mtg = mediotergites III – VI (tergal plate). Scale bar for figs. 2, 4 = 1.66 mm; for fig. 3 = 1 mm.