Lattinellica Rider and Eger, 2008

Rider, D. A. & Eger, J. E., 2008, Two New Genera of Pentatomini for Species Previously Placed in Mormidea Amyot & amp; Serville (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae), Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 110 (4), pp. 1050-1058 : 1054

Lattinellica Rider and Eger , new genus

Lattinellica also conforms very well with the generic description of Mormidea given by Rolston (1978), the only distinct difference being that the superior surface of each tibia is at least weakly sulcate, especially distally. The following diagnosis will help separate Lattinellica from Mormidea .

Diagnosis.—Dorsal surface of pronotum, scutellum, and coria dark metallic blue-green to black, distinctly contrasting with pale yellowish-orange head ( Fig. 2). Juga impunctate or nearly so ( Fig. 12). Ventral surfaces noticeably shiny, glossy, abdominal venter with very small, weak vermiculate lines laterally, impunctate, or with punctures extremely small and shallow. Superior surface of each tibia weakly sulcate, especially distally. Male with lateral margins of genital cup produced into a posteriorly directed recurved spine on each side ( Figs. 13–15). Female eighth paratergites distinctly spinose laterally ( Fig. 18). Female spermatheca with sclerotized rod distinctly swollen apically ( Fig. 19), spermathecal bulb digitiform ( Fig. 19).

Type species.— Mormidea decora Walk-er, 1867.

Comments.—This genus appears to be closely related to Mormidea , but can be separated from species of that genus by the general coloration, the sulcate tibial surfaces, and the differences in male and female genitalia. Species of Mormidea are usually brown to dark brown, often with white markings, but never metallic blue to green with head contrastingly pale. They also have the juga distinctly punctate, and the superior surfaces of the tibiae are rounded, asulcate. The male genital capsule may be variously formed, but never with large, posteriorly directed spines, and the spermathecal bulb is not digitiform, at least in the two species we examined— M. lugens (Fabricius) and M. ypsilon (Linnaeus).

The genus is feminine.

Because this species has not been studied taxonomically since its original description, we have provided a detailed species description below.