Pygoplatys (s. str.) kerznheri n

Magnien, Philippe, 2007, New species and synonymyingenus Pygoplatys Dallas, 1851 (Heteroptera, Tessaratomidae), Nouv. Revue Ent. 24, No. 2, pp. 113-124 : 115-116

Pygoplatys (s. str.) kerznheri n . sp.

HOLOTYPE 3: April 2005, Kenigau, Sabah (Borneo) Malaysia (type will be deposited in MNHN) .

Description.- Habitus: Plate I D (male).

General hue fuscous, head paler at apices of juga, antennae somewhat paler. Pronotum: bicoloured, shiny fuscous on disk, posterior margin of humeral processes and between calli and distal margin, tawny on anterior margin of humeral processes and calli. Scutellum: same hue as pronotal disk. Hemelytron: of somewhat paler hue, matte. Laterotergites: pitch brown, with tawny spots at internal and external posterior angles, somewhat reddish on posterior edge; venter: tawny, shiny, spiracles black; coxae and legs of the background hue.

Head: juga slightly concave, rounded at the apex, clypeus shorter than and completely enclosed by juga; 1 st segment of antennae nearly reaching apex of juga; 2 m and 3m segments cylindrical and subequal in length, last segment fusiform and subequal to the two preceding segments; pilosity dense, length of hairs about one third of diameter of segment; rostrum short, slightly surpassing anterior coxae.

Pronotum: humeral processes extending well beyond the margins of abdomen, with margins subparallel, slightly projected forward, truncated at almost right angle, with blunt angles extending anteriorly beyond distal margin of pronotum, nearly reaching anterior margin of eyes; pronotal width including humeral processes equaling 83 % of habitus length; calli smooth, moderately marked; lateral margins thinly wrinkled; punctation strong and irregular on disk; stemal processus long, its blunt apex reaching the anterior margin of fore coxae; distal end of femora with a spine on either side of tibia insertion; first segment of tarsi inflated, with brush of adhesive hairs on the ventral surface, segments two and three cylindroconical, the second very short.

Scutellum: punctation similar to pronotum; triangular, with apex lanceolate and grooved.

Hemelytron: punctation thin and regular, light-tawny veins dictinct, clearly contrasting with background; membrane with four basal cells, veins strong, subparallel.

Apex of abdomen rounded; hind margin of pygophore in line with hind margins of seventh segment

Genitalia (cf. fig. l à 3): pygophore (fig. 1) widening posteriorly, hind margin polygonal, with very shallow medial V-shaped indentation; opening with a tooth on each side, just anterior to sensorial lobe of paramere. Paramere (fig. 2) triangularly blade-shaped, regularly curved medially, sensorial lobe relatively small, with very long setae. Phallosoma (fig 3) fitted with two sclerotized plates, dorsally protruding: conjunctiva fitted with two pairs of processes, one sclerotized in antero-ventral position, stylet shaped like a shark tooth, and the other membranous in postero-dorsal position, as is the rule in this genus; vesica very long, ejaculatory reservoir strongly curved at base, S-shaped in middle, and strongly tapering at apex, fitted with a sclerotized beak-shape process at base, and a small spine, oriented posteriorly, on exterior part of the S.

Measurements: length: 21,2 mm — width including humeral processes: 17,7 mm - length of antennae: 7,9 mm Derivatio nominis. This species is dedicated to one of our masters in heteropterology, who shows the greatest competences and capacities of work as well as the greatest availabity to his colleagues, my friend Izya Kerzhner.

Distribution: Malaysia, Sabah province (Borneo)

Host plant unknown.

Discussion. Pygoplatys kerzhnerí n. sp. belongs in the nominal subgenus and with a group of species characterized by well developped humeral processes, with are bluntly truncate. This group includes P. valídus Dallas , P. tenangau Magnien et al. and P. merínjakensís Distant. The latter, known only from the type female, is a curious and very stout species, cannot be mistaken with any other species.

Pygoplatys kerzhneri n. sp. differs from the others two species by the unique shape of its ej aculatory reservoir, the beak-shaped process near the base and the posteriorly oriented spine at the end of the S-shape. It can be further separated from P. tenangau by the position of the pale stripe on the pronotum, which extend behind the calli, whereas it includes the calli in P. tenangau . It can be further separated from P. validus by the smaller size, 20 mm versus 30 mm, the shape of the humeral processes which are somewhat larger and more projected anteriorly in P. validus , and the contrast of colour between the veins and the forewing background, which are concolorous in specimens of P. valídus .