Limnogeton fieberi Mayr 1853
Creators: name: Ribeiro, José Ricardo I.
name: Meyin-A-Ebong, Solange E.
name: Le-Gall, Philippe
name: Guilbert, Eric
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Belostomatidae
Limnogeton
Limnogeton fieberi

description: Limnogeton fieberi Mayr, 1853
(Figs. 2 A–D)
Limnogeton fieberi Mayr, 1853: 16.
Limnogeton fieberi: Montandon (1896): 517. Limnogeton fieberi: Poisson (1949): 7.
Limnogeton fieberi: Poisson (1954): 12.
Limnogeton fieberi: Linnavuori (1964): 334. Limnogeton fieberi: Poisson (1967): 1324.
Limnogeton fieberi: Poisson (1968a): 26.
Limnogeton fieberi: Poisson (1969): 16.
Limnogeton fieberi: Linnavuori (1971): 355 (in part).
Types. Limnogeton fieberi was described based on a male holotype (from Mayr’s collection) from Kordofan, Sudan according to Mayr (1853), probably deposited in NHMW. This specimen was not examined.
Material examined. Marno.[?], Wadai, IV.1882, [“MUSEUM PARIS //MUSEUM VIENNE 1899”]: 1 m (MNHN). EGYPTE. 1880, (Letourneux), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 2011, A. L. Montandon det. 1899: 3 f (MNHN). SUDAN. I.1863, (Penty), A. L. Montandon det. 1899, J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 2011: 1 f (MNHN). CAMEROON. [Museum E. A. C.], 1950, (P. Malzy leg.), J. R. I. Ribeiro det. 2011: 1 f (MNHN); Garoua, 2012, (Meyin), S. E. Meyin det. 2013: 1 m and 2 f (SM). CONGO. N. Rhodesia, Kinge, 18.I.1938, (H. J. Brédo) [R. DET. 7123A, COLL. MUS. CONGO]: 1 m (MRAC).
Distribution. Mabwe, Upemba (Democratic Republic of Congo) (Poisson 1954); Kordofan (Sudan) (Poisson 1967), Egypt (Mayr 1871; Linnavuori 1964; Poisson 1967), Cameroon, Central African Republic, Palestine (Poisson 1967); Brazzaville (Congo) (Poisson 1967); Bangweulu Lake [as Région du Lac Bangweolo] (Samfya, Zambia), Région de la Kafubu (Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo) (Poisson 1968a); Luanza (Kaluko River, Zambia) (Poisson 1969).
Measurements (m / f): Total length (from apex of head to apex of abdomen at rest): 40.6–55.9 / 45.0–53.0; greatest width of body: 18.2–25.7 / 19.5–23.1.
General coloration. Almost uniformly brown. Body ovate, with wings covering completely abdomen.
Head, thorax, and abdomen. Pronotum with longitudinal median carina usually developed on posterior portion; prosternal keel elongate and cylindrical, strongly spiniform, with apex acute (Fig. 2 B, PC). Pilosity poorly developed, covering almost half of connexivum, slightly constricted between spiracles, not extending posteriorly along genital operculum (see Fig. 3 C, compare with Fig. 1 C).
Male genitalia: Parameres symmetrical with apex curved, directed upward, not edentate, smoothly curved; length of phallotheca about twice ventral diverticulum in dorsal view; ventral diverticulum not robust; dorsal arms of phallotheca poorly developed and poorly connected or fused along basal portion, rounded at apex, never Ushaped (Fig. 2 C, DA); lateral outer margins of ventral diverticulum straight, not sinuous (Fig. 2 C); ventral diverticulum with anterior margins not strongly sclerotized, narrower, obviously convergent posteriorly in ventral view (Fig. 2 D, MVD).
Taxonomic notes. Members of this species are now thought to comprise part of a strange morphocline, including L. expansum and L. scutellatum, for we have always found forms with the dorsal arms of phallotheca short and never V-shaped in L. fieberi (Fig. 2 C), whereas they are either somewhat or quite long in L. scutellatum and L. expansum, respectively (Figs. 1 D, 5C). This morphological continuum seems to be linked to body size, since males of L. expansum have the dorsal arms extremely V-shaped, divergent, and more promimently developed. By contrast, L. fieberi is the smallest species of this genus and bears dorsal arms that are much shorter.
description: Published as part of Ribeiro, José Ricardo I., Meyin-A-Ebong, Solange E., Le-Gall, Philippe & Guilbert, Eric, 2014, A taxonomic synopsis of Limnogeton Mayr, 1853 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Belostomatidae), pp. 573-584 in Zootaxa 3779 (5) on pages 576-578, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3779.5.7, http://zenodo.org/record/225225