Himacerus

Kerzhner, Izyaslav M. & Jacobs, Dawid H., 2008, A new species of Himacerus from South Africa (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nabidae), Zootaxa 1819, pp. 63-67 : 66-67

Key to Afrotropical species of Himacerus

1 First antennal segment shorter than head (measured without neck and base of rostrum). Hemelytra complete or shortened, but always extending beyond middle of abdomen; claval suture present; membrane more or less large and with distinct veins. Ocelli normal............................................................................2

- First antennal segment as long as or longer than head. Hemelytra very short, covering only the very base of abdomen; claval suture absent; membrane reduced to a very narrow stripe, without veins. Ocelli lost, only elevations without pigment present.....................................................................................................4

2 All coxae partly dark brown or black. Hypocostal lamina and a stripe along outer margin of corium in its basal third or half without dark spots..........................................................................................................3

- All coxae yellowish, without brown areas. Outer margin of corium, and usually also the hypocostal lamina with brown, frequently confluent spots. Length of body ɗ 7.8–9.3, Ψ 8.7–10.0 mm; width of pronotum ɗ 2.1–2.7, Ψ 2.35–2.9 mm.—From Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya to Angola and eastern part of the Republic of South Africa........................................... H. corixipennis ( Bergroth 1912)

3 Pronotum with a single longitudinal dark stripe. Corium and clavus with indistinct dark spots. Paramere with lateral branch forming a round disk. Length of body ɗ 6.7–7.8, Ψ 7.8–9.0 mm; width of pronotum ɗ 1.7–2.0, Ψ 1.95–2.3 mm.— Republic of South Africa (southern and eastern parts) and Lesotho.................. ...................................................................................................................... H. hottentotta ( Reuter 1890)

- Pronotum with three longitudinal dark stripes. Corium and clavus with distinct dark spots. Paramere with lateral branch bifurcate. Length of body ɗ 7.0–7.1, Ψ 7.4–7.6 mm; width of pronotum ɗ 1.9–2.0, Ψ 2.0– 2.2 mm.— Republic of South Africa (western part) ......................................................... H. frater sp. nov.

4 Hairs on pronotum (except for a few longer setae) and hemelytra about as long as width of tibia. Abdomen dorsally with dense, short, adpressed hairs. Pronotum weakly shining (approximately as hemelytra). Vertex with a yellow spot at either side. First antennal segment dark brown at apex. Entire fore lobe of pronotum with a brown pattern. Meso- and metapleurae dark brown or black. Scutellum with a wide median dark brown stripe. Length of body ɗ 7.2, Ψ 8.1 mm.— Tanzania and Kenya (region of Mt. Kilimanjaro) .................................................................................................................. H. pantherinus ( Poppius 1910)

- Hairs on pronotum and hemelytra 2 to 3 times as long as width of tibia. Abdomen dorsally with less dense, long, erect hairs. Pronotum strongly shining (distinctly more so than hemelytra). Vertex without lateral yellow spots. First antennal segment only slightly embrowned at apex. Fore lobe of pronotum yellow, with brown lateral margins and a narrow median red stripe. Meso- and metapleurae yellow. Scutellum with a narrow median red stripe becoming brown at its apex only. Length of body Ψ 8.5 mm.— Burundi (Bururi Prov.) .................................................................................... H. erectipilis Kerzhner 1989