Aeliavuori linnacostatus, Rider, 2016

Rider, David A., 2016, Aeliavuori linnacostatus, a new genus and species of Pentatomidae from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Carpocorini), Entomologica Americana 122 (1), pp. 212-219 : 215-217

Aeliavuori linnacostatus , new species

Figs. 1–2

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE: ♀, labeled: (a) Djamba , Belgian Congo, Africa, Alt. 1700-1800 ft., VII.30.1929, H.H. Curtiss; (b) J. C. Lutz Collection 1961, US National Museum of Natural History ( USNM). Paratypes: 2 ♀♀, labeled same as holotype ( USNM and the author’s collection).

DESCRIPTION: COLORATION and VESTI-TURE: Overall dorsal coloration light yellowish brown with four longitudinal black stripes beginning on the head, the lateral two stripes reach the humeri, the mesial two stripes reach onto the base of the scutellum; also with a pale whitish callus starting on base of tylus and reaching, at least feebly, to apex of scutellum, and two whitish calli, one in each basal angle of the scutellum ( Fig. 1A). Dorsal punctures rather small, yet relatively dense, except on calli, only slightly darker than ground color. Ventral coloration light yellowish brown with a vague, dark, submarginal band on the thoracic pleura, continuing onto the abdominal sternites as a wide black band, or sometimes divides into two narrower dark bands on each side. Thoracic pleura also provided with a narrow, longitudinal pale callus. STRUCTURE: Head: Dorsal surface of head distinctly tumid, densely punctured, except for medial callus; lateral margins distinctly sinuous, incised anterior to eyes, margins subparallel for middle third, then curving to rounded apex ( Fig. 1B), lateral margins narrowly reflexed. Juga distinctly longer than tylus, but not meeting beyond apex of tylus. Tylus distinctly narrower at apex than at base. Lateral margins of head, each with a narrow black band which continues behind compound eyes onto the pronotum as submarginal bands. Lateral margins of tylus also edged in black, each continuing posteriorly, and broadening, on lateral margins of vertex, then continuing onto pronotum; basal median of tylus whitish calloused, continuing posteriorly on middle of vertex, and then onto pronotum. Also with a few vague, whitish calloused areas between vertex and ocelli. Ocelli relatively small, located on or very near posterior margin of head. Antennifers, each of which are not visible from dorsal view, and antennal segments I and II very pale yellowish, segment III pale basally becoming brownish distally, segments IV and V more or less reddish brown, pale areas have sparse hairs, darker areas have hairs more dense. Ventral surface of head pale yellowish with darker punctures between antennifers and posterior margin of head, and a few dark punctures on ventral surface of juga. Ventral margin of each buccula nearly straight or with slight indentation at anterior third, in which case, it is straight behind this indentation, and slightly lobed anteriorly; each buccula distinctly lobed posteriorly, each lobe reaching nearly to base of head; rostral segment I reaching very slightly beyond apex of bucculae; segment II is the longest, reaching nearly to anterior margin of mesocoxae; segments III and IV are subequal with apex of rostrum reaching to or slightly beyond posterior margin of metacoxae. Thorax: Pronotum trapezoidal, anterior margin nearly straight, feebly curving anteriorly near compound eyes, anterior margin not reflexed, nor collared. Anterolateral pronotal margins substraight, narrowly calloused, but not reflexed; humeral angles rounded, not prominent, nor extending laterally beyond base of coria; posterolateral pronotal margins substraight, gently curving on approach to scutellum, forming substraight posterior pronotal margin. Lateral black stripes from head cross lateral margins of cicatrices, and continue to posterolateral margin of pronotum, just mesad of humeri, there is a narrow pale band, with slightly darker punctures, between calloused anterolateral margin and sublateral black band. Mesial black bands from head cross mesial margins of cicatrices, and continue, obliquely onto base of scutellum. Medial pale callus from head continues as a calloused medial line to base of scutellum, this line is very distinct anteriorly, but becomes weaker and nearly obsolete as it approaches scutellum. Between each of these black bands and pale callouses are light brown, densely punctured bands. Cicatrices weak, but evident, not punctured. Scutellum subspatulate, broadly rounded apically, frena reaching only to midpoint of each lateral margin; basal disk slightly tumid, tongue flatter, with weak transverse depression between disks. Dorsal scutellar surface light yellowish brown, densely, but finely punctate, except in calloused areas, punctures slightly darker than surrounding surface. Each basal angle with a strong whitish callus, and then the mesial black bands from the pronotum continue onto the scutellum just mesad of each white callus, reaching to level of frenal apices; there is a very thin, single line of faint punctures between the white callus and the lateral margin of scutellum; the white medial line from pronotum continues onto median of scutellum as a very weak, feeble line, reaching to scutellar apex. Hemelytra: Coria colored similarly to scutellum, punctures slightly less dense, especially on corium. The r + m vein is thinly colored with black, and a thin white, longitudinal ridge running parallel to and just laterad of r + m vein. Lateral basal margin of each exocorium narrowly calloused for short distance. Distal margin of corium straight to slightly convex, apex reaching beyond middle of sixth connexival segment. Membrane transluscent, with four to five subparallel, longitudinal veins, feebly marked with light brown, apical margins of membrane with a series of densely-arranged, short parallel wrinkles perpendicular to wing margin. Thoracic pleura somewhat variably colored from mostly black with medial and lateral areas pale yellowish brown to mostly pale yellowish brown with a mid-lateral, longitudinal black band, in either case, a distinct, longitudinal narrow pale callus runs from near base of antennifers through apices of ostiolar rugae to middle of the posterior margin of the metapleuron. Acetabula and surrounding areas usually pale. Anterior margin of each propleuron nearly straight, not at all produced forward, prosternum weakly concave with weak, obtuse chevron shaped ridges anterior to front coxae. Mesosterum not sulcate, with low, narrow, medial ridge; metasternum slightly concave, not carinate medially. Ostiolar rugae medium in length, reaching to about middle of supporting metapleural plate, only slightly elevated, but shiny, curving slightly cephalad, angulate apically, but not acuminate; evaporative areas small, each narrowly surrounding associated ostiolar ruga ( Fig. 1C). Coxae and trochanters pale yellowish, remaining segments becoming brown to reddish brown; femora, tibiae, and tarsi provided with distinct pale hairs; tibiae appear short, length less than length of associated femur, superior surface of each distinctly sulcate. Abdomen: Connexiva mostly pale yellowish, mesial margins narrowly black, this black intruding laterally at each segmental juncture, giving the border between pale and black areas a slight scalloped shape; posterolateral connexival angles rectangular, not spinose or toothed. Abdominal venter convex, unarmed medially at base, coloration somewhat variable, but mostly pale brown with a broad lateral black band on each side, sometimes this black band is divided into two bands by an irregular, pale band down middle of black band, sometimes an obscure black band is evident medially. Punctures on venter much more sparse than on dorsum, and often infused with reddish flecks. Female terminalia: Basal plates with mesial margins slightly convex, separated basally by an obtuse triangular ridge between the plates basally, posterior margins convex ( Fig. 1 D). Paratergites IX tear-drop shaped, not reaching beyond posterior margin of abdomen; segment X rhomboidal in shape.

MEASUREMENTS (range (holotype); in mm): Total length 7.33–8.78 (7.71); total width across humeri 4.51–4.64 (4.64); medial length of pronotum 2.10–2.20 (2.20). Scutellar length 3.21–3.27 (3.25); width of scutellum at base 2.99–3.10 (2.99); width at distal ends of frena 2.14–2.25 (2.14); length of scutellar tongue 1.91–1.95 (1.95). Length of head 1.55–1.71 (1.71); width across eyes 2.20– 2.26 (2.26); interocellar width 1.21–1.36 (1.21); interocular width 1.68–1.75 (1.72); ocellar diameter 0.07–0.13 (0.13); distance from ocellus to adjacent eye 0.20–0.29 (0.20). Length of segmens I–V of antennae 0.43–0.44 (0.44), 0.43–0.45 (0.43), 0.72–0.82 (0.82), 0.93–1.00 (1.00), and 1.01 (1.01), respectively. Length of segments I–IV of rostrum 0.56–0.63 (0.56), 1.13–1.30 (1.30), 0.55–0.65 (0.57), and 0.54–0.65 (0.59), respectively.

ETYMOLOGY: The stem for the specific epithet is linna - which is the first half of Dr. Linnavuori’s last name; it could also be interpretetd as referring to the lines of coloration on both the dorsum and venter; - costatus emphasizes the lineate coloration of this species.

BIOLOGY: No biological information was given on the labels with these specimens. It is interesting, however, to note that Sailer (1952) described the type locality by saying: “The northern part of the Belgian Congo including Djamba is largely covered by tall grass savanna.” I have already noted the similarity in general appearance between this species and species of Aelia . Most of the species of Aelia are known to feed on grasses and other monocots. Based on this evidence, perhaps it would be best to search for Aeliavuori linnacostatus on various grasses.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the three specimens in the type series. Since this species seems to be relatively rare, I have provided the following quote from Sailer (1952) concerning the type locality for this species (it was also the type locality for Mecidea lutzi, a species Sailer described as new): “Djamba (also spelled Djumbwi) is located in the District of Stanleyville about 160 miles south of the boundary of French Equatorial Africa.”