Schmitzofulvius bigibber Gorczyca 1998
Creators: name: Masłowski, Adrian
name: Baňař, Petr
name: Carapezza, Attilio
name: Chérot, Frédéric
name: Jindra, Zdeněk
name: Taszakowski, Artur
name: Wolski, Andrzej
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Miridae
Schmitzofulvius
Schmitzofulvius bigibber

description: Schmitzofulvius bigibber Gorczyca, 1998
(Figs 4, 5)
Schmitzofulvius bigibber Gorczyca (1998a): 10, figs. 1–6 (new species), 2000: 154, figs 2, 45 (redescription).
Diagnosis. Recognized by the following set of features: body brown to dark brown with large yellow areas (Figs 4A, C); head with yellowish tinge behind eyes (Figs. 4C); antennomere IV mostly yellow (Figs 4C); posterior lobe of pronotum with yellowish tinges (Figs 4C); pronotal calli projecting upward (Figs 4A, B, F); sclerotized ring of dorsal labiate plate unpaired, relatively large, its lateral margin reaching margin of genital chamber; lateral oviducts situated close to each other, conflating into dorsal sac (Fig. 5A).
Redescription. Female. COLORATION. Dorsum dark brown with large yellow areas (Fig. 4C). Head. Dark brown, sometimes with relatively large, yellowish tinge on surface behind eyes (Figs 4A, C); antennae mostly dark brown; antennomere IV yellow, narrowly dark brown basally and apically (Figs 4A, C); labial segments I and II yellow to dirty yellow, segments III and IV fuscous (Figs 4A). Thorax. Mostly dark brown, sometimes pronotal collar with indistinct, relatively small, yellowish tinge medially, posterior margin with indistinct, narrow, yellowish tinge, sometimes on surface between calli, reaching middle of pronotum (Figs 4A, C). Mesoscutum and scutellum. Dark brown, sometimes with small, yellowish spot apically (Figs 4C). Thoracic pleura. Dark brown (Fig. 4A). Hemelytron. Dark brown with distinct yellow patches and stripes (Fig. 4C); clavus with relatively large yellow patch medially, vein yellow along entire length, basal two thirds of claval vein yellow (Fig. 4C); endocorium with yellow, relatively large patch medially, medial fracture yellow along entire length; exocorium with yellowish stripe originating basally and reaching medial part of hemelytron (Fig. 4C); R+M vein slightly tinged with yellow medially (Fig. 4C); apex of embolium and exocorium with relatively large, yellow patch bordering base of cuneus (Fig. 4C); cuneus dark brown (Fig. 4C); membrane fuscous with yellow veins, sometimes somewhat tinged with yellow (Fig. 4C). Legs. Coxae dark yellow; femora dark brown with indistinct yellowish tinge (Figs 4A, C); tibiae dark brown with indistinct, dark yellow, broad annulations: one situated near base and other apically (Figs 4A, C); tarsi dark yellow (Figs 4A, C). Abdomen. Dark brown with indistinct yellow tinge (Fig. 4A). STRUCTURE. Female genitalia. Genital chamber membranous, suboval (Figs 5A, B); sclerotized rings merged, relatively large, lateral margins reaching margin of genital chamber, weakly rimmed, nearly crescent-like, anterior margin semicircular, posterior margin distinctly concave medially, V-shaped (Fig. 5A); lateral oviducts situated close to each other; vulva surrounded by two irregular, relatively long sclerotizations (Fig. 5B); ovipositor thin; gonapophyses 8 connected by distinct membranous structure along entire length (Fig. 5D); apices of gonapophyses 8 and 9 obtuse, without any teeth (Figs 5D, E). Male genitalia. See Gorczyca (1998: figs 5, 6).
Measurements. Female (n=3)
Body. Length, clypeus-apex of membrane: 4.37–4.83; width: 1.32–1.41.
Head. Length: 0.99–1.03; width, including compound eyes: 0.66–0.72; vertex width: 0.32–0.36; eye dorsal width: 0.17–0.19; height in lateral view: 0.47–0.50.
Antenna. Length of antennomere I: 0.63–0.65; II: 1.11–1.22; III: 0.51–0.53; IV: 0.74.
Labium. Total length: 2.68–2.74; length of segment I: 0.59–0.67; II: 0.78–0.82; III: 0.77–0.82; IV: 0.63–0.56.
Pronotum. Mesal pronotal length: 0.75–0.77; lateral pronotal margin length: 0.87–0.90; posterior pronotal maximal width (straight): 1.06–1.20.
Scutellum. Anterior width: 0.50–0.56; length (mesoscutum excluded): 0.48–0.53, length (mesoscutum included): 0.61–0.68.
Hemelytron. Claval commissure: 0.65–0.68; hemelytral length: 2.29–2.44; corium length: 1.77–1.87; outer cuneal margin length (straight): 0.39–0.47; cell length: 0.44; cell width: 0.13.
Hind leg. Femur length: 1.81–1.84; tibia length: 2.59–2.63; tarsus length: 0.52–0.53; length of tarsal segment I: 0.23/0.24; II: 0.38/0.40.
Material examined. ♀: ’ MADAGASCAR, 1000m, \ Ranomafana N.P., circuit \ Talatakely, 8.-12.i.2019 \ S21°15'47.2'' E47°25'20.7''; \ primary forest, M. Trýzna leg.’ (MMBC) (Fig. 8B); ♀: ’ MADAGASCAR, 947m, \ Andasibe N.P., 22.-29.i.2019 \ Analamazaotra, Aventure circ. \ S18°56'40.6'' E48°25'26.7''; \ primary forest, M. Trýzna leg.’ (MMBC) (Fig. 8D); 2♀♀: ’ MADAGASCAR, 1328m, \ Anjozorobe forest, circuit \ Bambou, 15.- 19.i.2019 \ S18°24'54.9'' E47°56'45.2'' \ primary forest, M. Trýzna leg.’ (MMBC) (Figs. 8E, F).
Biology. Unknown; specimens were collected in the rainforest during beating of shrubs and branches of trees (Figs 8B, D–F).
Distribution. Central east Madagascar (Fig. 7C, E, F), evergreen rainy forests.
Remarks.Based on the results of our examination of the available material including the holotype of Schmitzofulvius niger Gorczyca, 2000 (very damaged specimen), and the literature data, we herein present a short comparison of both Schmitzofulvius species. S. bigibber can be distinguished from S. niger primarily by the hemelytron with regular yellowish lines along the medial fracture and claval and R+M veins. Additionally, both species can be distinguished by the position of the pronotal calli (projecting upwards in S. bigibber and directed backward in S. niger) and the different shape of the parameres (Gorczyca 1998a: figs 5, 6; Gorczyca 1998c: figs 12, 13).
description: Published as part of Masłowski, Adrian, Baňař, Petr, Carapezza, Attilio, Chérot, Frédéric, Jindra, Zdeněk, Taszakowski, Artur & Wolski, Andrzej, 2023, Notes on plant bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae) from Madagascar with a description of new species of the cylapine tribe Fulviini and checklist of Madagascan mirids, pp. 73-92 in Zootaxa 5330 (1) on pages 80-82, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5330.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/8249102