Schiodtella laevicollis (MONTANDON), new combination, 2002

Lis, Jerzy A., 2002, A redescription of Schiodtella laevicollis (MONTANDON) n. comb. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae), Genus 13, No. 2, pp. 177-181 : 178-180

Schiodtella laevicollis (MONTANDON), new combination

(Figs 1-6)

Stibaropus laevicollis MONTANDON, 1897: 97 .

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED Syntype male: [ TUNISIA]: Tunisie 1896, Sfax, de Vauloger [white rectangular printed label]; Stibaropus laevicollis MONTAND. , type [white, rectangular handwriten label] .

REDESCRITPION

Body almost entirely yellowish brown, dorsal surface of head and anterior part of pronotum somewhat darker than remaining parts of the body; apices of fore tibiae, tibial spines, margins of head and scutellum, and evaporative areas on meso- and metapleuron dark brown; body length 6.51 mm, body width 4.06 mm.

Head elongate (Fig. 2), its dorsal surface almost impunctate, slightly transversely wrinkled in posterior half; ventral surface of paraclypei (gular plates) almost impunctate, bearing few short pale bristles, bucculae very short and narrow; clypeus almost parallel-sided, clearly shorter than paraclypei, but apically not concealed by their tips (Fig. 2), subapical part of clypeus with a pair of peg-like setae; lateral margins of paraclypei moderately crenulated, bearing 13 submarginal peg-like setae on either side; eyes red, very small and narrow, ocular index about 9.4; ocelli yellowish brown, interocellar distance about 5.5 times a distance of ocellus from eye, ocellar index about 11.0; antennae 4-segmented, length of segments (in mm) 0.18: 0.45: 3 rd and 4 th missing; rostrum yellowish brown, short, reaching middle of mesosternum.

Pronotum conspicuously narrowed anteriorly (Fig. 1); its dorsal surface with numerous almost colourless punctures, calli impunctate; lateral margins with numerous short pale bristle-like setae and 20-21 long dark hair-like setae; anterior margin concave medially, posterior margin broadly rounded laterally and almost straight at the base of scutellum.

Scutellum very broad (Fig. 1), about 1.7 times broader basally than apically, its mid-length only about 1.2 times larger than its basal width; scutellar disc punctate with almost colourless punctures, and bearing weak, but clearly visible transverse rugae; sculpture in lateral parts of scutellar disc better developed and coarser than in its median part.

Corium punctate and wrinkled, puncturation of mesocorium very dense; costal margins flattened, long submarginal hair-like setae absent (torn out), and only about 10 setigerous punctures visible; membrane semihyaline, slightly embrowned, distinctly surpassing the tip of abdomen.

Fore tibia moderately recurved apically (Fig. 3), bearing 5-6 stout spines on its ventral margin and numerous long setae on the dorsal margin; mid tibiae broadened, bearing numerous strong setae and spines on outer margins; hind tibiae with numerous long spines on the corbicle; all tarsi present, forelegs with first tarsal segment very long, clearly longer than the second and third segments together.

Paramere as in Fig. 4, aedeagus as in Fig. 5, opening of pygophore as in Fig. 6.

REMARKS

Up to date, only seven species have been regarded as belonging to the genus Schiodtella SIGN. ( LIS 1999, 2000), among these a single one from Africa ( Sch. africana J.A. LIS from Congo-Brazzaville). Both presently known African species can be readily separated on the basis of size of their eyes ( Sch. laevicollis – eyes small and narrow, ocular index about 9.4; Sch. africana – eyes large and broad, ocular index about 5.3).

Unfortunately, male specimens of Sch. africana are unknown, and therefore it was impossible to compare the shape of pygophores, aedeagi and parameres of both species.