Microstemmatodes occidentalis ( Villiers, 1973 )

Krüger, Andreas, 2019, Notes on Afrotropical Enicocephalidae and Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with emphasis on vehicle-mounted net samples from Liberia, West Africa, Zootaxa 4688 (2), pp. 232-248 : 238

Microstemmatodes occidentalis ( Villiers, 1973)

( Figs. 3E, F )

Material examined: LIBERIA: Bong county, trip Liberia Research Unit (Bong Mine)— Dam 12, 21.iv.1989, 6:23– 6:36 pm, vehicle-mounted net, leg. Rolf Garms (1 ♀); Trip Bong town—Menla, Men creek , 6°48′N 10°21′W, 11.v.1989, vehicle-mounted net, leg. Rolf Garms (1 ♂) .

Distribution: New for Liberia. Guinea, Ivory Coast.

Remark: The first demonstration of the male paramere ( Fig. 3F ) in comparison with that of M. atrocyanea (Signoret, 1858) ( Fig. 3H ) herewith confirms separate species status. The paramere’s stem is narrower, the apical process in a curvate angle instead of a rather sharp bend. Originally a monotypic genus, the five presently known species were keyed in Villiers (1973).

Nagusta sp. near N. carayoni Villiers, 1949

( Fig. 4A )

Material examined: LIBERIA: Bong county, BM tailings pond area, Dam 12, 6°46′15″N 10°18′33″W, 29.– 30.v.1989, at light, leg. Rolf Garms (1 ♀) .

Distribution: New for Liberia. Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea.

Remark: The diversity of the predominantly Afrotropical genus has rapidly grown from four species ( Bergroth, 1907) to eight ( Villiers, 1949b), and eventually to 28 ( Villiers, 1967). Using and combining the available keys ( Bergroth, 1907; Villiers, 1949b, 1951, 1967) this specimen matches N. carayoni . However, there are the following differences: tubercles on posterior lobe of pronotum rather high, at their base wider than space between them; first antennal segment apically not particularly reddish. The Liberian specimen shows also some resemblance with N. saegeri (Villiers, 1964) , but the latter bears a laterally dilated connexivum, which is not present in N. carayoni .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Reduviidae. A, Fusius dilutus liberiensis; B, Hediocoris sp.; C, Khafra elegans; D, Lisarda vandenplasi. Genus Microstemmatodes. E+F, habitus and paramere of M. occidentalis observed from different angles; G+H, M. atrocyanea, specimen from Cameroon (Zoologisches Museum Hamburg). Scale bars: A–D, E+G, 5 mm; F+H, 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Reduviidae. A, Nagusta sp. near carayoni; B, N. gracilis; C, Oncocephalus subspinosus; D, O. zumpti; E, Peirates maurus; F, Peirates sp., lateral view of pygophore, and parameres; G, Peprius nodulipes; H, Petalocheirus rubiginosus, protibia, head and thorax; I, Pisilus tipuliformis; J, Platychiria murrayi, protibia and dorsal habitus; K, P. ugandensis, protibia and dorsal habitus; L, Parapirates cachani, dorsal habitus, pygophore spine, right and left parameres in lateral views. Scale bars of habitus pictures: A–E, G, I–L, 5 mm.