Singhalaptera secunda, Heiss, Ernst & Baňař, Petr, 2013

Heiss, Ernst & Baňař, Petr, 2013, New apterous Carventinae from Sri Lanka and Southern India (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Zootaxa 3647 (3), pp. 488-494 : 489-491

Subfamily Carventinae Usinger 1950

Singhalaptera secunda n.sp. (Figs.4,5,6)

Material examined: Holotype male labelled: Ceylan Central / S Hasalaka-Werogamtota / 11 II 1970 250m / Mussard, Besuchet, Löbl// deposited in MHNG. This specimen is designated as holotype and labelled accordingly.

Diagnosis. The second species of this curious genus is closely related to Singhalaptera froeschneri Heiss 2001 , but differs by much smaller size, total body length 2.3mm (5.5mm in S. froeschneri ) and other dimensions and outline of dorsal humps and elevations (compare Figs. 1–3 with 5–6).

Description. Body oval, surface submat, finely chagreened; pronotum with a flat median plate, meso- and metanotum and mtg I+II with median humps and elevations of different size and shape.

Head. Subtriangular, wider than long (30/26); clypeus ridge-like with a dorsal round tubercle, anteriorly embraced by thin posterolaterally produced genae, these slightly longer than clypeus and contiguous in front; antenniferous lobes short and acute; antennae short, segment I curved and thicker than segment II, following ones missing; length of antennal segments I/II = 7/6; lateral margin of head formed by an elevated ridge bearing completely inserted subrectangular eyes, separated by deep lateral excavations and these delimited by elevated median ridge of vertex; postocular lobes angulate, converging to constricted neck, this overlapped by anteriorly produced median plate of pronotum. Rostrum arising from open atrium, shorter than head, rostral groove deep with carinate lateral borders, delimited posteriorly by triangular sclerite.

Pronotum. Pro-, meso-, and metanotum fused, fusion lines marked by transverse grooves; pronotum strongly transverse (60/13) with flat anteriorly rounded and produced median plate; lateral sclerites rugose and raised.

Mesonotum. Hump-like median elevation cleft medially, lateral sclerites ridge-like, lateral margins rugose and elevated.

Metanotum. Consisting of transverse sclerites lateral of median hump of mesonotum which extends posteriorly to margin of metanotum; these sclerites sloping toward groove between meso- and metanotum.

Mtg I+II. Fused and elevated along anterior fusion line with metanotum; mtg I consisting 2 (1+1) subrectangular elevations separated medially by a cleft and arched lateral sclerites sloping toward fusion line with mtg II; this transverse and smooth, posteriorly sloping with a triangular median elevation and raised lateral margins.

Abdomen. Short, of trapezoidal outline, surface smooth with shallow apodemal impressions and a median carina obliterating posteriorly; deltg II and VII triangular, III–VI subrectangular with cup-like depressed surface; vltg II–VII dorsally reflexed and visible from above bearing spiracles III–VII; tergite VII raised medially for the pygophore, highest along posterior margin and sloping toward deltg VI and tergal plate.

Venter. Strongly convex at middle; pro-, meso- and metasternum fused to each other and to mst II, median plate smooth with three pit-like depressions, laterally with one tubercle directed toward coxae on prosternum and two on meso- and metasternum; pleural parts with deep excavations for the reception of legs at rest; mediosternites III–VII separated by sutures; vltg II–VII dorsally reflexed and visible from above; sternite VII with two round tubercles on anterior half and two lateral pits near posterior margin; spiracles II placed on a prominent lateral tubercle but not visible from above, III–VII on reflexed vltg II–VII and visible from above, VIII terminal on paratergites VIII.

Genitalic structures. Pygophore globose, visible part wider than long (15/5), surface anteriorly with 6 round tubercles, smooth posteriorly, ptg VIII small, cylindrical. The single male was not dissected for the study of the parameres.

Legs. Slender with distinct trochanters; femora and tibiae unarmed; tarsi two-segmented, claws with curved pulvilli.

Measurements. Length 2.3mm; length / width of mesonotum 16/68, l/w metanotum 24/69; width across tergite II—74, III—69, IV—62, V—54, VI—45, VII—33.

Etymology. Refers to ‘ secundus ’ (Latin) = the second species of this apterous Carventinae genus.

Discussion. The curious monotypic genus Singhalapera Heiss 2001—which among apterous Oriental Carventinae resembles only Papuaptera Heiss 1997 from Papua New Guinea—is easily recognized by the triangular, laterally expanded head and pleural cavities of the legs at rest ( Figs. 1–4 ). This combination of characters is not known in other Carventinae . This is the second species and specimen and both were recorded from Sri Lanka. They are supposed to be endemic because of their completely apterous condition and hence their limited distribution range. For reasons of comparison Figs. 1–3 of S. froesc hneri (from Heiss 2001) are presented again as basic structures are shared by both taxa.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Singhalaptera species. 1 – 3 — Singhalaptera froeschneri Heiss 2001, holotype male; 1 — dorsal view; 2 — lateral view; 3 — caudal view; 4 — Singhalaptera secunda n. sp., head and pronotum dorsal view. Abbreviations: A—lateral ovate plate of pronotum; B—lateral lower lobe of median elevation of mesonotum; C—highest part of median elevation of mesonotum; D—lateral ovate plate of mtgI, E—highest part of median elevation of mtgI; F—rounded hump of mtgII; AG—anterior groove (fore leg); HG—posterior groove (hind leg); MG—median groove (Middle leg); PY—pygophore; TA—triangular ventral sclerite of head; VT—paired ventral tubercles of sternite VII. Scale 0.5 mm.