Steleocoris comma ( Thunberg, 1783 )

Silva, Jaqueline Santana Tavares Ferreira Da, Grazia, Jocelia & Barão, Kim Ribeiro, 2021, Redescription of Steleocoris Mayr, 1864 and Theloris Thunberg, 1783 (Hemiptera Pentatomidae), two poorly known African stink bugs, Zootaxa 4938 (4), pp. 475-486 : 476-480

Steleocoris comma ( Thunberg, 1783)

Cimex comma Thunberg, 1783: 41–42 , fig. 56; 1822: 6; Gmelin, 1790: 2146; Turton, 1802: 629.

Dichelops comma: Herrich-Schäffer, 1844: 73 , fig. 744.

Myrochea comma: Herrich-Schäffer, 1853: 81 .

Steleocoris comma: Mayr, 1864: 910 ; Stål, 1876: 79; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 134; Distant, 1898: 296; Kirkaldy, 1909: 74; Dolling et al., 1999: 23.

Antonia comma: Stål, 1865: 126 .

Diploxys comma: Walker, 1868: 541 .

Diagnosis. Yellow longitudinal stripe dorsally, basally on pronotum and medially along entire scutellum. Head longer than wide, mandibular plates longer than clypeus. Antenniferous tubercles with lateral and ventral tubercles. Antennomere II longer than the remaining antennomeres taken together. Genital cup of pygophore striate. Paramere crown falcate, with microtrichia laterally. Segment X up to two times longer than wide. Gonocoxites VIII as long as wide, swollen, facing posteriorly; posterior and mesial margins setose.

Redescription. Coloration. Dark green, with a median yellow stripe anteriorly on pronotum and along scutellum; corium of each hemelytron yellow with several dark green punctations; membrane of each hemelytron hyaline with dark, irregularly shaped markings ( Figs 1-2 , 9 ). Ventrally, body and legs greenish-yellow, with dark green punctations; yellow median stripe from sternites IV to VII ( Fig. 10 ). Antennae brownish, labium dark brown.

Head. Longer than wide; lateral margins of head sinuous; mandibular plates longer than clypeus, each rounded apically, inner margins ahead of clypeus contiguous; antenniferous tubercles visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 9 ). Each antenniferous tubercle with lateral and ventral processes ( Fig. 12 ). Each antennomere I not reaching head apically; each antennomere II longer than the remaining antennomeres together; each antennomere IV wider in the basal half than in the apical half, basal half glabrous, apical half setose ( Fig. 11 ); each antennomere V entirely setose; proportion of antennomeres II>IV>V>I>III. Proportion of labiomeres II>III>I=IV.

Thorax. Pronotum about two times and a half wider than long; each anterior margin concave; each anterolateral angle bearing a minute process; each anterolateral margin slightly concave; humeri broadly rounded; each posterolateral margin sinuous; posterior margin straight ( Fig. 9 ). Apical angle of each corium reaching abdominal segment VI; membranes not surpassing abdominal margin posteriorly; membranes hyaline, with grayish maculae ( Figs 2 , 9 ). Evaporatorium surrounding peritreme on each metepisternum and restricted to spiracle margin on each mesepimeron ( Fig. 13 ). Tibiae sulcate dorsally.

Abdomen. Connexivum exposed. Abdominal spiracles concolorous to abdominal sternites ( Fig. 10 ).

Male genitalia. Pygophore rectangular in dorsal view, wider than long ( Fig. 14 ). Genital cup opened posterodorsally, genital cup striate ( Figs 14-15 ). Dorsal rim (dr) corrugate, with microtrichia; superior ridge (sr) convex, produced posteriorly. Posterolateral angles of pygophore produced posteriorly, rounded. Ventral rim concave in ventral view ( Fig. 16 ); infoldings of ventral rim robust, produced dorsally, U-shaped medially ( Fig. 15 ); densely punctate. Segment X almost twice as long as wide, with a less sclerotized median line ( Fig. 15 ). Crown of parameres (p) directed dorsally ( Fig. 17 ), crown apically rounded and placed at an oblique angle to stem; lateral margin bearing scale-like microsculptures ( Fig. 17 ). Phallotheca (ph) twice as long as wide ( Figs 18–20 ); phallotheca smooth; vesica (v) blade-like, surrounded by membranous conjunctiva (cj); ductus seminis distalis (dsd) shorter than vesica, its apex bent ventrally ( Figs 18–20 ).

Female genitalia. Gonocoxites VIII (gc8) tumid, as long as wide, facing posteriorly ( Figs 21–22 ); mesial margins straight, juxtaposed; posterior margin convex; mesial and posterior margins setose ( Fig. 21 ). Gonocoxites IX (gc9) flat, twice as wide as long; anterior margin concave. Laterotergites VIII (la8) triangular; posterior margin smooth; spiracle present. Laterotergites IX (la9) flat, blunt apically, not surpassing tergite VIII. Segment X rectangular, longer than wide. Gonapophyses IX (g9) with 1+1 triangular sclerotized areas, placed along with elliptical chitinellipsen (ch) ( Fig. 23 ). Median duct of vesicular area (va) conical; ductus receptaculi distal (drd) ¾ as long as vesicular area; posterior annular flange (paf) wider than anterior annular flange (aaf); capsula seminalis (cs) globose, with one process ( Fig. 23 ).

Measurements. Table 1.

Distribution. Namibia, South Africa ( Fig. 38 ).

Analyzed specimens. SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 2♂, Paarl Rock, Nr. Paarl, 28.ix.1993, -33.7667, 18, A. Wood, collected on Chrysanthemoides monilifera (SANC) ; 1♂, Cedarburg SE of Clanwilliam, Driehoek Farm, 13.x.2002, -32.4333, 18.416 67, M. Stiller ( SANC) ; 1♀, Lion’s Head , 1.xi.1986, -34.0014, 18.5, Scott & Way ( SANC) ; 1♂, 31 mi NE Calvinta, 10.x.1974, S. Slater & J. Ecker ( AMNH) ; 1♀, Cape Province, 12 mi NW Kimberley, 18.i.1968, T. Schuh, J.A. Slater & M. Sweet ( AMNH) ; 1♂, Gydo Pass , 17.x.2007, -32.4589, 19.009 17, 890 m, Schuh, Cassis, Massie [PBI_SA07_L06] ( AMNH) ; 1♀, 11 km S of Clanwilliam , E side of reservoir, 29.x.2003, -32.2631, 19.105 28, 167 m, Schuh, Cassis, Weirauch [PBI_SA03-L32] ( AMNH) ; 2♂, 1♀, Gamka Mountain Nature Reserve , SE of Callitzdorp, 03.xi.2003, -33.7564, 22.004 17, 685 m, Schuh, Cassis, Weirauch [PBI_SA03-L37] ( AMNH) ; 1♂, 37 km S of Clanwilliam toward Markuskraal off N7, 02.ix.2004, -32, 18.026 39, 177 m, Schuh, Schwartz, Henry, Wyniger, Forero [PBI_SA04_L10] ( AMNH) ; 1♀, 15 km N of Piketburg on R365, 01.ix.2004, -31.4736, 18.022 5, 144 m, Schuh, Schwartz, Henry, Wyniger, Forero [PBI_SA04_L07] ( AMNH) ; 1♀, Cape Prov. Base of Michell’s Pass , 6 mi SW Ceres, 27.i.1968, T.Schuh, JA Slater, M. Sweet, col. ( AMNH) . Eastern Cape: 1♀, Bathurst , 9.ii.1966, -33.5036, 26.490 6, A.L. Capener col. ( SANC) ; 1♀, Middelburg, 14 Miles E. of Middelburg , 14.xii.1960, -31.5067, 25.017 2, Brown, Fürst & Haacke col. ( SANC) ; 1♀, Middelburg , 27.ix.1988, -31.5, 25, M. de Jager, ex-unbaited pitfall trap ( SANC) ; 1♀, Aloe Ridge, 29 mi from Graaff Reinet , -33.5036, 26.823 9 ( SANC) . Northern Cape: 1♂, 22.8 km SE of Kamieskroon on Kamiesberg Rdm 27.x.2003, -30.2791, 18.056 9, 1179 m, Schuh, Cassis, Weirauch [PBI_SA03-L14] ( AMNH) .

Additional occurrences retrieved from GBIF: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Cape T., 01.ii.1982, - 33.933 333, 18.466 667, ( SAM) ; E. of Touws River to Hondewater , 01.xii.1962, -33.483333,20.316667, 18m, ( SAM) ; Citrusdal Dist. , 01.xi.1948, -32.6, 19.016 667, ( SAM) ; Leipoldtville, Elands Bay , C.P., 01.x.1947, -32.233333, 18.483 333, ( SAM) ; Ceres, C.P., 24.xii.1940, -33.366667, 19.316 667, RHN Smithers ( SAM) ; Somerset West C.P, 01.iv.1932, -34.125, 18.875, A. Hesse ( SAM) ; Olifants River, betw. Citrusdal and Clanwilliam , C.P., 01.x.1931, -32.375, 18.875, ( SAM) ; Somerset West C.P, 01.viii.1927, -34.125, 18.875, AJ Hesse ( SAM) ; Somerset West C.P, 01.x.1927, -34.125, 18.875, A.J. Hesse ( SAM) ; Cape T., 01.iii.1886, -33.933333, 18.466 667, ( SAM) ; Cape T., 01. ix.1886, -33.933333, 18.466 667, ( SAM) ; Cape T., 01.vi.1885, -33.933333, 18.466 667, L.A. Peringuey ( SAM) . NAMIBIA: Waterberg SW Protect , 01.ii.1920, -20.625, 17.125, RW Tucker ( SAM) .

Additional occurrences retrieved from iNaturalist: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Cape Winelands, Main Ski Hut, 26.x.2014, -33.371517, 19.660 667, 1m, Chris Vynbos; Central Karoo , The Karoo National Park , 18.xii.2014, -31.3442, 22.457 88, 1m, Nicola van Berkel . Eastern Cape: Cacadu, Aberdeen District , 22.ii.2017, - 32.516, 23. 6, 110m, Karoo Boy .

Comments. The only recent reference dealing with this species is by Bar„o et al. (2017) who studied the external scent efferent system of S. comma using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Photographs of live specimens of Stelecoris comma (Thunberg) (1–2) and Theloris costata (Thunberg) (3–8). Photographs of Stelocoris comma by Vynbos (2014) and van Berkel (2015), respectively; and of Theloris costata, by Riegel (2020) (3–4), van Berkel (2018) (5–7), and Adam (2015) (8).

FIGURES 9–20. Steleocoris comma (Thunberg). 9, dorsal habitus. 10, ventral habitus. 11, detail of antenna, showing antennomeres III-V. 12, head in ventral view. 13, meso- and metapleuron; 14–16, pygophore in dorsal (14), posterior (15), and ventral (16) views. 17, left paramere. 18–20, phallus in dorsal (18), ventral (19), and lateral (20) views. Scale bars: 1, 1, 0.5, 1, 1, 0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25 mm.Abbreviations: cj, conjunctiva; dr, dorsal rim; dsd, ductus seminis distalis; p, paramere; ph,phalloteca; sr, superior ridge; v, vesica; vr, ventral rim.

FIGURES 21–23. Steleocoris comma (Thunberg). 21–22, female genital plates. 23, female genital plates and ectodermal ducts. Scale bars = 1 mm. Abbreviations: aaf, anterior annular flange; ch, chitinelipsen; cs, capsula seminalis; drd, ductus receptaculi distal; drp, ductus receptaculi proximal; g9, gonapophyses IX; gc8, gonocoxites VIII; gc9, gonocoxites IX; la8, laterotergites VIII; la9, laterotergites IX; paf, posterior annular flange; va, vesicular area.

FIGURES 38–39. Occurrence maps of Steleocoris comma (Thunberg) (38) and Theloris costata (Thunberg) (39). Circles on maps represent records obtained from museum observations, whereas stars represent georeferenced crowdsourced records obtained from iNaturalist.org.