Isometopus (Jehania) slateri (Akingbohungbe)

Krüger, Andreas, 2018, Vehicle-mounted net sampling of airborne micro-Heteroptera in western Liberia, West Africa: 1. Isometopinae (Miridae), Zootaxa 4378 (4), pp. 491-515 : 495

Isometopus (Jehania) slateri (Akingbohungbe)

( Figure 4 )

Magnocellus slateri Akingbohungbe, 1983: 256 (Type by original description).

Isometopus (Jehania) slateri (Akingbohungbe) ; Akingbohungbe, 1996: 75 (New combination).

To the descriptions of the holo- and paratype males from Ghana ( Akingbohungbe , 1983) may be added the following observations.

Male. Length 2.33 mm (2.25–2.4) (figure 4 A). Maximum width across hemelytra 1.33 (1.3–1.38). Head (figures 4B–D) in front 1.49x (1.39–1.52) as broad as high; width 0.64 (0.62–0.66), height 0.43 (0.42–0.46), dorsal length 0.15 (0.14–0.16). Second antennal segment 0.45 (0.42–0.5). Rostrum exceeding hind coxae towards first sternite. Frons punctate with irregular transverse impressions. Lateral pronotal margins with narrow carina, most of which is concolorous with pronotal disk.

Genitalia (figures 4E–F): right paramere similar to holotype; left paramere distinctly bent beyond median knob; everted endosoma relatively short, minutely echinulated.

Material examined. 6♂, Liberia: Bong county, trips to/from: LRU—Airfield—Dam 12— Fahn Gbolo , approximately N06°47’ W10°20’, 27.iii–9.vi 1989 (leg. Garms).

Remarks. Regardless of the deviation of several characters from the original description of I. slateri (Akingbohungbe, 1983) the present specimens are treated as con-specific, though geographical variants. The original description was based on only two males, but in a later amendment (Akingbohungbe, 1996), after describing a female series, it was stated that “this is a considerably variable species…”.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Isometopus slateri male. A—habitus; B—head, frontal view; C—head dorsad; D—head, laterad; E—parameres; F—aedeagus; G—antenna.Scales:A = 1 mm; B–D, G = 0.5 mm; E–F = 0.1 mm.