Brachyrhynchus amplicollis (Linnavouri, 1978)

Heiss, Ernst, 2023, A new species, a new synonymy, a revised generic assignment and new records in some African and Palaearctic Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Zootaxa 5315 (5), pp. 469-478 : 476-477

Brachyrhynchus amplicollis (Linnavouri, 1978)

( Figs. 9, 12 , 16 )

Mezira amplicollis Linnavuori, 1978: 6 (original description from Ethiopia)

Brachyrhynchus amplicollis: Kormilev & Froeschner (1987) : 114 (listed); Heiss (2013): 337 (checklist); Kment et al. (2015): 424 (type catalogue).

Type material examined. Paratype: ♁ ( Fig. 9 ), ‘ Ethiopia / Shashamanni / 7–8. VI. 63 / Linnavuori [p] // PARATYPE [p] / Mezira / amplicollis [hw] / R. Linnavuori [p] Lv. [hw, yellow label] ( CEHI) .

Comments. This species is very close to Brachyrhynchus abyssinicus , and the two species share size, general habitus and characteristic lateral expanded postocular lobes. It differs however by wider and more laterally expanded paranota and longer antennal segment II; small differences are recognizeable in the outline of the parameres ( Figs. 16 vs. 17). As the only record of B. amplicollis is from the type locality in Ethiopia, which is surrounded by records of B. abyssinicus , it might be the case that the two species are conspecific and their observed differences are due to intraspecific variability. This can only be decided when more material is available.

This species belongs to Brachyrhynchus Laporte, 1832 , sharing the deeply emarginate posterior margin of the pronotum and large claws without pulvilli as stated by Kormilev (1971: 31). The valid name is currently Brachyrhynchus amplicollis (Linnavouri, 1978) .

Figures

FIGURES 7–14. 7–9—habitus: 7—Brachyrhynchus abyssinicus Bergroth, 1895, holotype, male; 8—Brachyrhynchus lindemannae (Kormilev, 1956), holotype, male; 9—Brachyrhynchus amplicollis (Linnavuori, 1978), paratype, male (pygophore removed). 10–12—head and pronotum: 10—B. abyssinicus, holotype, male; 11—B. lindemannae, holotype, male; 12—B. amplicollis, paratype, male. 13–14—terminal segments: 13—B. abyssinicus, holotype, male; 14—B. lindemannae, holotype, male. Scales: 1 mm

FIGURES 15–19. 15—Brachyrhynchus abyssinicus Bergroth, 1895, female from Ethiopia: Maraquo, habitus. 16— Brachyrhynchus amplicollis (Linnavuori, 1978), male paratype from Sashamanni, left paramere. 17—B. abyssinicus, male from Maraquo, left paramere. 18–19—Aradus congoensis sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia: 18—left paramere; 19—pygophore. Abbreviations: pa = paramere; pr = parandrium; tgIX = tergite IX. Scales:1 mm (15), 0.2 mm (16–19).