Bergrothista villiersi, Kiritshenko 1959

Heiss, E., 2010, New taxa and systematic assignments of Madagascan Aradidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Zootaxa 2728, pp. 23-38 : 30

B ergrothista villiersi Kiritshenko 1959

( Figs. 14–16; photo 13,16,23)

Bergrothista villiersi Kiritshenko 1959: 192 (description, ♂ figured)

Bergrothista villiersi Hoberlandt 1963: 131 (keyed)

Bergrothista villiersi Kormilev & Froeschner 1987: 69 (listed sub Carventinae )

Material examined. 2♂ 2♀ Madagascar / Mantady forest reserve / W Andasibe 7 X 2000 / Heiss & Perner ; 1♂ Madagascar Maromizah rainforest res. / S Périnet 8 X 2000 / Heiss & Perner ; 1♂ Madagascar / Périnet rainforest res. / (Andasibe) 6 X 2000 / Heiss & Perner ; 3♂ 2♀ Madagascar / Périnet rainforest res. / 22 X 95 E.Heiss ; 5♂ 4♀ Madagascar / Périnet rainforest res. / (Andasibe) under logs / III 2001 loc. collector; 1 & 1♀ Madagascar / Taomasina / Sta. Ecol. Mandraka / 20km W Moramanga, 1200m / 2 XI 2001 lg. Schuh .

Diagnosis. This species is easily recognized by the triangular black spot at apex of membrane, absent in all related Mezirinae .

Description. Specimens of 5–6mm size, surface of head, pronotum and scutellum with scattered round flat scales; legs and antennae granulate; colouration ochraceous with darker brown to black spots on deltg II–VII; legs and antennae brownish, femora medially darkened; venter with blackish thorax; sternites II–VI brown except vltg’s, sternite VII and VIII dark brown anteriorly.

Macropterous male specimen from the type locality Périnet:

Head: About as long as wide (15/16); genae thin as long as clypeus; antenniferous lobes cup-like with acute apex about as long as clypeus; antennae 2.93x as long as width of head, segment I thickest beset with setigerous tubercles, II shortest and thinner, III longest and cylindrical, IV fusiform; length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 10.5/5.5/20/8; eyes inserted in head; postocular lobes laminate beset with setigerous tubercles wider than eyes, converging posteriorly to constricted collar; vertex with longitudinal rows of flat scales; rostrum arising from a slit like atrium shorter than head.

Pronotum: About 1.9x as wide as long (32/17), lateral margins subparallel at humeri then laminate and slightly reflexed and sinuately converging anteriorly to widely rounded anterolateral angles, this separated from the ring-like collar by a deep incision; disk flat anteriorly but slightly raised posteriorly, surface with rows of flat scales forming ring-like structures on anterior half; posterior margin concave medially.

Scutellum: Triangular wider than long (23/18); lateral margins straight and carinate, median longitudinal and basal carina beset with flat scales.

Abdomen: Ovate, moderately widening posteriorly; lateral margins of deltg II–VI nearly straight; pe-angles of deltg feebly, those of deltg VI and VII triangularly produced; surface of deltg II–VII finely rugose.

Hemelytra: Corium laminate and reflexed anterolaterally, longer than scutellum; membrane completely covering tergal disk, hyaline with brownish veins and a blackish triangular apical spot.

Venter: Sutures between pro- meso-, and metasternum distinct, latter fused to sternites I+II; sternites III–VI separated by furrows; metathoracic scent gland canal thin but distinct,,visible laterally; vltg III with stridulatory structure consisting of a curved file-like carina bearing about 28 small pegs (fig. 23); a counterpart consisting of a row of larger tubercles visible on ventral side of hind femora; spiracles II–V ventral far from lateral margin, VI– VIII lateral and visible from above.

Legs: Femora thickened medially constricted at apex; tibiae cylindrical and straight, tarsi bisegmented, claws with thin pulvilli.

Genitalic structures: Pygophore wider than long, conical posteriorly, basal margin carinate, dorsally with a short keel anteriorly; surface transversely rugose with scattered flat scales; paratergites VIII trapezoidal with subacute apex; parameres as figs. 14–16.

Female: Generally as male but of larger size; stridulatory structure also developed as in males; triangular peangles of deltg VII about as long or slightly shorter than triangular paratergites VIII and truncate tergites IX+X.

Measurements. Male from Périnet: Length 5.0 mm; width of abdomen across tergite V 42; ratio length of antennal segment II/II = 3.63; female from Périnet: Length 5.6 mm, head length / width 17/17.5); pronotum l/w 18/ 35; scutellum l/w 16/20; length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 11.5/6/21/8.5; ratio length of antennae / width of head 2.68; width of abdomen across tergite IV 49.

Distribution. Most records are from Périnet (Andasibe) region on eastern forested slope of the north-south running mountain range.