Leprosoma olcesii Fairmaire, 1886

Gapon, D. A., 2010, Taxonomic notes on the genus Leprosoma (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 19 (2), pp. 272-276 : 273-275

Leprosoma olcesii Fairmaire, 1886

( Figs 5–8)

Material examined. No locality data; V.E. Yakovlev coll.; 2 females; ZIN . Morocco; A. Puton coll.; 2 males, 2 females; MNHN . Same locality; 1898; M. Noualhier coll.; 2 females; MNHN . Same locality; 1900; Vaucher coll.; 1 female; ZIN . Same locality; Lalla ST; June 1914; de Bergevin coll.; 1 male, 1 female; ZIN .

Fairmaire (1886) in the first description of L. olcesii showed this species to be different from L. reticulatum from Egypt in a larger body size; in a more distinct zigzag pattern of the transversal carina on the pronotum and more prominent humeral angles; in a rougher surface of the scutellum on each side of a median; in wider lateral parts of the abdomen and larger tubercles on them. Despite these differences he considered this species to be a local variety of L. reticulatum and supposed that the prominent humeral angles as well as the coarser surface of the scutellum and larger tubercles on the widened connexivum could be related to the larger body size of individuals. Puton (1886) in his catalogue synonymised L. olcesii with L. reticulatum without any explanation. Horv á th (1911) restored L. olcesii and pointed out that this species differed from L. reticulatum in a larger and wider body (body length 6.67–7.00 mm, pronotum and abdomen width 4.25–4.75 mm / 5.75–6.25 and 3.75–4.00 mm, respectively in L. reticulatum ), subtruncate humeral angles (rounded in L. reticulatum ) and strongly prominent tubercles on lateral margins of the abdomen. Vidal (1949) used in his key the characters listed by Fairmaire and Horv á th and added some more characters that do not always have a diagnostic value (lateral margins of jugae strongly concave, transversal carina on the pronotum very high in L. olcesii / lateral margins of jugae hardly concave, transversal carinae more or less high in L. reticulatum ). In Stichel’s key (1960) L. olcesii differs from L. reticulatum in having the abdomen wider than the pronotum between humeral angles. However, specimens of L. olcesii from Morocco examined by me show the following variability of the ratio of pronotum width to abdomen width: 1.0 (2 specimens), 1.11, 1.12 (2 specimens), 1.13, 1.16. The subtruncate humeral angles of L. olcesii , mentioned by Horv á th (1911) and Vidal (1949), also have no diagnostic value: one of the two specimens of L. reticulatum examined by me has similar humeri. Thus, the actual characters distinguishing L. olcesii from L. reticulatum are a larger body size, more prominent humeral angles, and a more expanded connexivum with larger tubercules. However, according to Fairmaire’s assumption, these differences may be mere consequences of a general increase in the body size of individuals from Morocco; moreover, considerable variation of the relative length of humeral angles is typical of another species of this genus, L. tuberculatum .

The male terminalia of L. olcesii show reliable differences from those of L. reticulatum and other species of this genus. In particular, the pygophore of L. olcesii has a very long infolding of the ventral rim (as in L. tuberculatum ) ( Fig. 5, o. inf), unlike the short one in L. reticulatum . The notch of ventral rim of the pygophore in L. olcesii ( Fig. 6) is slightly shallower than in L. reticulatum . The parandria of L. olcesii ( Fig. 5, prd) are somewhat larger than those of L. reticulatum , their inner membranous wall is not incurved inwards. The outer margin of paramere hypophysis of L. olcesii ( Fig. 5, prm) is slightly convex in the middle of its length, as opposed to the outer margin of hypophysis in L. reticulatum , which is strongly convex before apex. L. olcesii has wide medial branches of ventro-lateral lobes of conjunctiva ( Figs 7, 8) with widely rounded apices, which are unique in the L. reticulatum species group. The outer walls of lateral branches of ventro-lateral lobes of conjunctiva of L. olcesii are sharply concave (as in L. tuberculatum ) ( Fig. 7) in contrast to the smoothly rounded walls in L. reticulatum .