Claviplatys, edei, David & indra, Zdenek, 2018

edei, David & indra, Zdenek, 2018, Claviplatyshenryi, a new genus and species of Plataspidae from southern India (Hemiptera, Heteroptera), ZooKeys 796, pp. 397-408 : 397

Claviplatys gen. n. Figures 1-4, 5-9

Type species by present designation.

Claviplatys henryi sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized plataspids with weakly convex dorsum and flat venter (Figs 1-4); head strongly broadened and flattened, width ca. 70% of width of pronotum, strongly sexually dimorphic, mandibular plates of male produced much anteriad of apex of anteclypeus, not adjacent, separated by V-shaped interspace, those of female produced slightly anteriad of apex of clypeus, narrowly overlapping, forming evenly rounded outline anteriorly; interocellar distance distinctly shorter than (♂) or subequal to (♀) distance between ocellus and ipsilateral eye; scape thick, distipedicellite strikingly (♂) or considerably (♀) broadened and flattened, anterior surface with long, erect hairs (some longer than diameter of segment), basi- and distiflagellum much thinner than distipedicellite (Figs 6-9). The unique, peculiarly modified antenna is diagnostic for the genus.

Description.

Body (Figs 1-4) medium sized (approx. 10-12 mm), broadly oval, dorsum relatively weakly convex, venter flat; dull black with ochraceous markings. Integument and vestiture. Body at most with fine, dense, superficial, inconspicuous punctation, occasionally finely rugose on some body parts; virtually glabrous dorsally and ventrally, appendages with short, inconspicuous, adpressed or semierect pilosity, distiflagellum with several conspicuously long and erect setae on anterior surface (Figs 6-9).

Structure.Head and cephalic appendages. Head much broader than long, 0.7 times as broad as width of pronotum; eyes strongly transverse, strikingly protruding from outline of head laterally (♂) or more rounded, less protruding (♀) in dorsal view; anteclypeus dorsally rather flat, very slightly elevated above plane of mandibular plates; mandibular plates of male (Figure 5: mdp) flattened, strongly produced anteriad far surpassing apex of anteclypeus but not adjacent anteriad of it, portion anteriad of apex of anteclypeus strongly curved upwards (♂), those of female produced slightly anteriad of apex of clypeus, narrowly overlapping, forming evenly rounded outline anteriorly; ocelli close to midline, interocellar distance distinctly longer than (♂) or subequal to (♀) distance between lateral margin of ocellus and mesal margin of ipsilateral eye; antennae inserted on strongly protruding ring-like tubercle slightly closer to base of labium than to mesal margin of eye; bucculae (Figure 5: bu) broad, dorsoventrally flattened. Antenna (Figs 6-9): scape thick, cylindrical, subequal in length to the two segments of flagellum; basipedicellite very short; distipedicellite strikingly (♂) or distinctly (♀) broadened and dorsoventrally flattened, basi- and distiflagellum much thinner than distipedicellite, subequal in length, dorsoventrally flattened. Labium inserted slightly posteriad of middle of buccula, posteriad of level of posterior margin of eyes; without peculiar modifications, labiomere I (Figure 5: lb1) thicker than remaining segments but not conspicuously thickened, labiomere II distinctly flattened laterally, remaining labiomeres subcylindrical.

Thorax and thoracic appendages.Pronotum moderately declivous anteriorly; anterior collar narrow, weakly demarcated; lateral margin broadly, laminately explanate, anterior margin of explanated portion almost straight, slightly produced anteriorly at anterolateral angles, lateral margin evenly convex, gradually broadened posteriad; humeri with small, inconspicuous tubercle; posterior margin broadly rounded, posterolateral angle obsolete. Scutellum rather evenly rounded without conspicuous angulations, basal tumescence not elevated and not demarcated by furrow, dorsal outline of scutellum continuous in lateral view; area around basolateral angle not delimited by furrow; with fine submarginal impression along almost entire length except extreme base; posterior margin slightly emarginate above genital capsule. Thoracic pleura and sterna. Proepisternum broadly elevated anteriad of proacetabula, prothorax deeply depressed along meson; mesosternum elevated, forming broad, obtuse carina, posterior margin V-shaped and produced between mesacetabula; metapleurite with well-developed, elongate scent gland ostiole closer to dorsal margin of metapleurite than to base of mesocoxa, associated with elongate, slightly anteriorly curved peritreme; metasternum flat, metacoxae close to each other; evaporatorium occupying almost entire ventral surface of thorax except extreme lateral margin of prothorax and small subtriangular area at posterodorsal angle of metapleuron. Fore wing. Exocorium and adjacent elongately triangular basal portion of mesocorium exposed at rest. Legs short, femora thick, tibiae with distinct, broad, deep dorsal furrow along almost entire length, terminating subapically.

Pregenital abdomen much broader than long; dorsal laterotergites fused into single, undivided synlaterotergite; ventral laterotergites and sternites (= mediosternites) distinctly separated, intersegmental sutures extending to lateral margin of abdomen; ventral laterotergites separated from sternites by deep longitudinal furrow, highly obliquely elevated anteriorly, gradually becoming lower posteriorly, in segment VII coplanar with sternite; spiracles at lateral margin of ventrites; trichobothria in longitudinal furrow between ventral laterotergites and meditergites, posteriad of spiracle of same segment, arranged longitudinally; anterior margin of sternite VII deeply, subtriangularly produced anteriad, reaching anterior margin of ventrite VI medially, thus completely bisecting ventrite VI into two hemiventrites (♂) or only slightly invading ventrite VI posteriorly, with mesal length of ventrite VI approx. two thirds of that of ventrite V (♀).

External male genitalia. Genital capsule relatively small (width approx. one third of width of head), posterior aperture directed ventrad.

External female genitalia. Exposed portions of ovipositor directed ventrad (Figure 21).

Etymology.

The generic name alludes to the peculiarly modified antenna of the male, which is diagnostic for this new genus; it is composed of the Latin noun clava meaning a club, cudgel, knotty branch or stick and the Greek adjective πλατύς (Latinized as platys) meaning wide, broad, a component occurring in several generic names in the family Plataspidae . Gender masculine; stem Claviplate-.

Diversity and distribution.

The single included species occurs in the Malabar region of southern India.