Germalus species of the Malagasy region (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Geocoridae)
Author
Kóbor, P.
Author
Kondorosy, E.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4200
3
444
450
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4200.3.10
3181840a-a6b9-476b-aaaa-350a2e2acc6f
1175-5326
187236
E5D3718C-87B7-42CE-A4FF-DAB9B739ED4A
Germalus benyovszkyi
Kóbor & Kondorosy
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 1
A–B;
Fig. 2
C.)
Type
material.
Holotype
:
Madagascar
Est / district
Sambava
/
Marojejy
/
Matsabory
2030m
/
XII-58
P.Girevaud
(
♀
,
MNHN
).
COLOURATION.
Body generally ochraceous. Head with thin, fuscous median line reaching to base of clypeus. Ocelli colourless. Antennal segment I fuscous except its base, segment II fuscous with base and apex black, segment III ochraceous with dark fuscous base, antennal segment IV fuscous with ochraceous base. Labial segments ochraceous, apex of segment IV black. Pronotum with pale fuscous punctuation; darker fuscous punctures in the midline. One rounded black spot at each humeral angles. Punctuation of scutellum pale brown; elevated triradiate carina ochraceous. Hemelytra pale ochraceous, nearly hyaline with pale fuscous punctuation along claval commissure and veins, costal margin narrowly black ending in oval black spot at apex of corium; corium-membrane margin fuscous; membrane hyaline. Legs ochraceous, unicolorous. Abdominal dorsum brownish, connexiva ochraceous.
STRUCTURE. Head
dull, impunctate, pentagonal in dorsal view. Eyes stylate, not touching pronotum; ocelli situated near to ocular sulcus. Eye-stalks shiny. Clypeus rounded, exceeding mandibular plate. Antennal tubercles visible in dorsal view. Antennal segment I shortest, II longest,III & IV subequal. Antennal segments covered with very fine, decumbent pubescence. Antennal segment IV less fusiform than
G. banari
. Ratio of antennal segments: 10:25:20:18. Labial segments I–III subequal, segment I exceeding well onto prosternum, segment IV shortest reaching metacoxae. Ratio of labial segments: 37:40:35:25.
Thorax:
Pronotum carinate, gradually narrowing to anterior edge with slight impressions in the middle of lateral margin; anterior and posterior edges rounded. Disc covered with moderately dense, coarse punctuation except callosities, posterior margin and humeral angles; pronotal collar is less densely punctuate. Scutellum densely punctuate with exception of elevated triradiate carina. Hemelytra shiny. Clavus with two rows of punctures, scutellar row incomplete. Punctuation of claval commisure almost complete. Costal margin widening gradually to apical third; punctuation along corial veins complete. Membrane reaching well beyond apex of abdomen, with conspicuous venation in basal half. Thoracic pleura finely punctuate; propleuron having impunctate areas more or less under callosities. Metathoracic scent gland situated laterally at anterior margin of metapleuron; evaporative area distinct, orificia curved anteriorly. Legs shiny, impunctate, with sparse, decumbent pubescence.
Abodomen.
Connexiva with fine pubescence; genital capsule with sparse, semierect setae.
Measurements.
Body length: 7.12; head length: 0.98, width: 2.18; distance of ocelli: 0.47; antennal segments: 0.37–0.93–0.74–0.67; labial segments: 1.09–1.18–1.03–0.74; pronotum length: 1.40, width: 2.10; scutellum length: 0.86, width: 1.02.
DISCUSSION.
This species is easy to distinguish from the other two species of the region due to the spots at humeral angles and corial edges, the strongly stylate eye and “striped” colouration of antennae. This is the largest known species in the genus worldwide.
ETYMOLOGY.
The
species is named after the
Polish-Hungarian
traveller and king of
Madagascar
, count
Móric Benyovszky
(
1746–1786
).
DISTRIBUTION.
Germalus benyovszkyi
has a single record from North
Madagascar
(
Fig. 1
B). Due to the lack of further specimens in museum collections this species can be considered rare.