Ammianus pericarti, Lis & Lis, 2021

Lis, Barbara & Lis, Jerzy A., 2021, Ammianus pericarti sp. n. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae), the first strictly Palaearctic representative of the genus with a key to the species of the Ammianus junodi group, Zootaxa 4985 (3), pp. 432-438 : 433-435

Ammianus pericarti sp. n.

( Figs 1–3, 6 )

Etymology: This new species is dedicated to the late Jean Péricart, one of the most distinguished specialists on the European Heteroptera , and a world authority in the lace bug’s taxonomy.

Diagnosis: The newly described species can be easily separated from its congeners in the Ammianus junodi group, especially by its larger body exceeding 5.20 mm of length (in A. aeneas , A. junodi and A. vanderijsti it varies from 3.50 mm to 4.50 mm), and by the broader subcostal area of hemelytron composed of five rows of areolae, being as wide as the discoidal area (the subcostal area in A. aeneas , A. junodi and A. vanderijsti is composed of 3–4 rows of areolae, and significantly narrower than the discoidal area of hemelytron). Moreover, all those species differ in the shape of the antennal tubercles; they are relatively stout, massive, and directed forwardly in A. pericarti sp. n., while in the three other species, they are delicate, very sharply ended and outwardly bent.

Description: Measurements (in mm): body length 5.22; maximum body width 3.31; length of pronotum 2.25; maximum width of pronotum (paranota included) 3.12; length of hemelytron 3.47; length of discoidal area of hemelytron 1.81; length of antennal segments I–IV: 0.30, 0.12, 1.50, 0.55, respectively.

General body colour pale brown and ochraceous, mottled with greyish-white and light brown. Body covered with long, pale hairs, pilosity dense on the pronotum, pronotal carinae, and the paranotal and hemelytral margins.

Head short, brown with woolly pilosity, armed with five long, sharp spines: the frontal pair of spines directed horizontally, exceeding bases of the pedicel, the median spine obliquely erect, as long as the frontals, and two occipital spines, directed forward, reaching the bases of the antennae. Eyes reddish-brown, with long silvery-white hairs among ommatidia; eyes twice as broad as the frons (the synthlipsis equals 2.0). Antennal tubercles conical, not very sharp, directed forward, covered with bright hairs, slightly longer than the eyes. Antennae slender, ochraceous, the distiflagellomere embrowned apically, all segments covered with bright stiff hairs, which are 2–3 times longer than the pedicel width. Bucculae closed in front, tapering apical, strongly punctate, with four rows of punctures in their highest part.

Pronotal disc convex, dark brown at the calli to pale brown on the apical part of the triangular pronotal process; pronotal disc surface strongly punctate, the triangular pronotal process areolate. Pronotal carinae almost parallel with lateral carinae relatively short, not exceeding calli, each carina composed of one row of areolae; the median carina laminate, mainly composed of one row of large areolae and with a triangular biareolate expansion (hump) behind the hood; the anterior part of the median carina touching the pronotal hood, the latter in the shape of the regular cone, composed of five rows of areolae in the highest part and without any spine at the apex. Paranota broad, areolate, their anterior margins slightly sinuate, posterior margins almost straight, lateral margins rounded and armed with six relatively short spines; each paranotum composed of eleven transverse rows of areolae.

Hemelytra long, their lateral margins rounded and bearing 6–7 spines. Costal area broad, composed of 5–7 rows of areolae varied in shapes and sizes; the subcostal area relatively flat, composed of five rows of areolae, the row adjacent to the subcostal vein (Sc) formed by small areolae, then areolae became larger; discoidal area composed of five rows areolae, the vein RM flattens in its posterior part; sutural area composed of five rows of areolae. Hypocosta composed of one row of areolae basally and two rows of areolae along its remaining length.

Legs slender, ochraceous, the second tarsal segment apically embrowned, claws with distinct basal denticles, tibiae bearing stiff hairs as long as a diameter of tibiae.

Abdomen ventrally brown with its median part lighter, ochraceous, and covered with a few very short, silver hairs. Thoracic pleurae brown to ochraceous, strongly punctate, densely covered with long, bright hairs.

Type material. Holotype female: Marruecos [ Morocco], Agadir ( Kasbah ), Cardonal 21-1-2005, Oromí & López leg. (deposited in the first author’s collection in IBUO).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Ammianus pericarti sp. n., holotype female (1–3, 6), A. junodi (4), A. aeneas (5). 1—Habitus, dorsal view. 2—Hood, median carina, and paranotum, lateral view. 3–4—Head, dorsal view (antennal tubercles indicated by the arrows). 5–6—Hood and median carina, lateral view (anterior margin of the hood indicated by the arrow). Figure 5—modified from Linnavuori, 1977.