Neomeschia queenslandensis Malipatil

Malipatil, M. B., 2014, Meschiidae, a new family of Lygaeoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from India and Australia, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species, Zootaxa 3815 (2), pp. 233-248 : 244

Neomeschia queenslandensis Malipatil , sp. nov.

( Figs. 34–43 )

Type specimen: Holotype female, “CQ. 23 55 S x 151 20E, Boyne Island via Gladstone 5022 1995 C.Q. University”, in QM. Distal two segments of right antenna and 4th segment of left antenna missing; abdomen dissected. Description. Colouration: Body ground colour ochraceous with extensive dark brown or fuscous patches or markings as in Fig. 34 . Head with lateral and subventral areas, broad upper area of propleura, narrow patches on upper areas of meso- and metathoracic pleura, and extreme tip of thoracic gland spout, fuscous ( Fig. 35 ). Antennae with 3rd segment except broad yellow base, entire 2nd segment, most of 1st segment (except stramineous inner lateral margin), fuscous to black. Legs stramineous, with patches or areas on distal third to half of all femora, extreme base and apex and two equidistant bands or rings on tibia, and parts of all tarsal segments including claws, fuscous. Labium more or less dark brown, apical segment uniformly fuscous.

Body: Length including wings 5.70; maximum width 2.50.

Head: Length 1.05; width across eyes 1.70; interocular space 1.15; interocellar space 0.52; eye-ocellar space 0.30; eye length 0.34; eye width 0.24. Labium, length of segments: I 0.94; II 1.03; III 0.89; IV 0.96. Labrum 0.24. Antennae, length of segments: I 0.50; II 1.49; III 1.03; IV missing.

Thorax: Pronotum median length 1.24; width at anterior margin 1.26; width at posterior margin 2.41. Scutellum length 1.10; width 1.38. Length of hemelytra 4.00; length of corium 2.80; claval commissure 0.41.

Abdomen: Abdominal tergum heavily sclerotized as in Fig. 39 ; connexivum with dense punctures all over. All terga with faint punctures of varying size but more distinct on sides; punctures sparse on III. Scar between III–IV very small, IV–V of medium size, and V–VI widest, with suture curved more deeply from anterior to posterior scars. Abdominal sterna uniformly pale except for a submedian row on each side of fuscous spots in anterior half of each segment, particularly sterna V–VII ( Fig. 40 ); finely densely punctate all over.

Female genitalia: Spermatheca as in Fig. 43 . Ovipositor as in Fig. 41, 42 .

Distribution. Queensland.

Figures

FIGURES 34 − 38. Neomeschia queenslandensis, holotype female: 34, habitus; 35, head and pronotum; 36, head, dorsal view; 37, metathoracic scent gland; 38, hind wing. Abbreviations: h, hamus; tgo, metathoracic scent gland opening.

FIGURES 39 – 43. Neomeschia queenslandensis, holotype female: 39, abdominal dorsum; 40, abdominal venter; 41, 42, ovipositor; 43, spermatheca.