Pentatoma viridissima Signoret 1861
Creators: name: Kment, Petr
name: Jindra, Zdeněk
name: Rider, David A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Acanthosomatidae
Pentatoma
Pentatoma viridissima

description: Aesula viridissima (Signoret, 1861)
(Figs 25–32)
Pentatoma viridissima Signoret, 1861: 931. Syntypes: [Comoro Islands]: Mayotte (NHMW).
AEsula viridissima: Stål (1876): 74 (new combination, catalog); Lethierry & Severin (1893): 115 (catalogue).
Aesula signoretiana Kirkaldy, 1909: 46 (new substitute name for A. viridissima Signoret, catalogue), new synonym.
Aesula viridissima: Cachan (1952): 457 (original description repeated).
Pseudacrosternum cachani Day, 1965: 563 –565 (description, figures of pygophore and paramere, key), new synonym. Holotype: ♂, Madagascar: ‘Station Agric., Bas Mangoky’ (IRSM).
Pseudacrosternum cachani var. scutellatum Day, 1965 (unavailable name): 564–565 (diagnosis), new synonym. Holotype: ♂, Madagascar: ‘Manambo, 15.iii.1955, R. Paulian, on cotton bolls’ (IRSM).
Pseudoacrosternum cachani: Matesco et al. (2014): 361, 373 (phylogenetic analysis).
Type material examined. Pentatoma viridissima: Lectotype: ♂ (here designated, Figs 24–26), ‘ Madagasc. [hw] / Coll. Signoret. [p, white label] // viridissima [hw] / det. Signoret. [p, white label] // ♂ [p, white label] // LECTOTYPUS / PENTATOMA / VIRIDISSIMA Signoret, 1860 / = Aesula viridissima (Sign.) / des. Kment & Jindra 2013 [p, red label]’ (NHMW). The specimen is pinned through scutellum, right antennal segment IV and right hind leg missing. Paralectotypes: ♀, ‘ Madagasc. [hw] / Coll. Signoret. [p, white label] // viridissima [hw] / det. Signoret. [p, white label] // ♀ [p, white label] // PARALECTOTYPUS / PENTATOMA / VIRIDISSIMA Signoret, 1860 / = Aesula viridissima (Sign.) / des. Kment & Jindra 2013 [p, red label]’ (NHMW). The specimen is pinned through scutellum; left antennal segments III and IV, left mesotarsus, left hind wing, right antennal segment IV, right hind leg from mid of femur missing; both hemelytra partly and right hind wing outstretched.—♂, ‘ Madagasc. / Coll. Signoret. / transcription: P. KMENT 2013 [p, white label] // viridissima / det. Signoret. / transcription: P. KMENT 2013 [p, white label] // ♂ [p, white label] // PARALECTOTYPUS / PENTATOMA / VIRIDISSIMA Signoret, 1860 / = Aesula viridissima (Sign.) / des. Kment & Jindra 2013 [p, red label]’ (NHMW). The specimen was originally pinned through scutellum on the same pin as the lectotype, now card-mounted; left antennal segment IV, left pro- and metatarsus, right antennal segments III and IV, right protarsus, mesotarsomeres 2 and 3, and claws of metatarsus missing; right hind leg, one antennal segment IV and tarsus detached, glued on the same piece of card; pygophore detached (Figs 29–31), glued on separate smaller piece of card attached to the same pin.
Pseudacrosternum cachani: Paratypes: 2 ♀♀, ‘Para- / type [p, round white label with yellow margin] // Sakaraha / Lambomakandro / P.Griveaud [p, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, light-blue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // ♀ [p, white label]’ (BMNH); ♀, ‘Para- / type [p, round white label with yellow margin] // Sakaraha / Lambomakandro / III-56 A.R. [p, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, light-blue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // ♀ [p, white label]’ (BMNH); 1 ♀, ‘Para- / type [p, round white label with yellow margin] // MadagascarSud-Ouest / Lambomakandro 550m / Sakaraha / 4.II. 58 P.Griveaud [p, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, light-blue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // ♀ [p, white label]’ (BMNH); ♂, ‘Para- / type [p, round white label with yellow margin] // Madagascar Nord / dct Diégo Suarez / Montagne des Français / II-59 / Andria Robinson [p, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, lightblue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // ♂ [p, white label]’ (BMNH, male genitalia dissected); ♂, ‘Para- / type [p, round white label with yellow margin] // Station Agric / Bas Mangoky [p, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, light-blue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // ♂ [p, white label]’ (BMNH); ♂, ‘Para- / type [p, round white label with yellow margin] // Nosy Komba / XI 56 G.R. [p, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, light-blue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // ♂ [p, white label]’ (BMNH).
Pseudacrosternum cachani var. scutellata: Paratype: ♀, ‘ Madagascar. S. Ouest / station agricole de / Bas. Mangoky / SIP de Morombe / I.1962 / Razafinarivo.Gabriel [hw, white label] // INSTITUT / SCIENTIFIQUE / MADAGASCAR [p, light-blue label] // Brit. Mus. / 1965-388 [p, white label] // Pseudoacrosternum / cachani var. n. / scutellatum [hw] / Det. G.M.Day 196[p] 4[hw, white label]’ (BMNH).
Additional material examined. MADAGASCAR: N, Vohémar env., Ambodivoniho, no date and collector, 44 ♂♂ 35 ♀♀ (NMPC, HNHM, NHMW; 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ var. scutellata); Ambanja env., Ankigameloka village, 26.–27. xi.1996, 1 ♀, P. Švácha lgt. (NMPC); 28.–29. xi.1996, 3 ♀♀, P. Švácha lgt. (NMPC); Sambirano River Valley, Marotolana village, 28.–29. xi.1996, 3 ♀♀, P. Švácha lgt. (NMPC); NW, Majunga s.l. [= Mahajanga], 15. v.1968, 2 ♀♀, K. M. Guichard lgt. (BMNH). SW, Tulear Pr., Lavonono s.l., 8. iv.1968, 1 ♂, K.M.G. & P.D. lgt. (BMNH); Tulear Pr., Zombitsy Forest, 300 m a.s.l., K.M.G. & P.D. (BMNH, var. scutellata); Zombitse N.P., Bejaboa, 22°53′26″S 44°40′02″E, 816 m a.s.l., 24.−27. i.2013, 13 ♂♂ 18 ♀♀, M. Trýzna lgt. (MMBC, NMPC); Zombitse N.P. (main entrance), Ambakintany forest, 22°53′11″S 44°41′31″E, 816 m a.s.l., 28. i.2013, 2 ♂♂ 9 ♀♀, M. Trýzna lgt. (MMBC, NMPC); Isalo N.P., Analalava forest, Antanambao env., 22°35′S 45°07′E, 720 m a.s.l., 16.−19. i.2013, 3 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀, M. Trýzna lgt. (MMBC, NMPC).
Variability. In two male paratypes of Pseudacrosternum cachani and several of the non-type specimens the clypeus is not completely enclosed by mandibular plates, but narrowly exposed apically. Besides the typical green coloured form (see Figs 25–26, 28) there are also specimens with reddish- to orange-brown colouration on head (dorsally, except the posterior portion behind eyes), pronotum (except of anterolateral angles, posterolateral margin, and four smaller or larger green spots in the midlength of the disc), and scutellum (longitudinal median hourglass-shaped spot) (var. scutellata Day, 1965 — Fig. 29).
Distribution. Comoro Islands: Anjouan (Stål 1876), Mayotte (Signoret 1861); Madagascar (Day 1965; this paper).
Discussion. Signoret (1861) described the species Pentatoma viridissima giving only short description in French, translated to English as follows: ‘Length 13–14 mm.— Mayotte.—Wide, completely green, with the three last antennal segments and tarsi somewhat darkened, finely punctate. Head longer than wide, lateral lobes [= mandibular plates] longer than the median one [= clypeus]. It would fit between junipera Linnaeus and Pensylvanica Pal. Beauvoise, with which it could be mistaken.’
Stål (1876: 57) established a separate genus Aesula for Pentatoma viridissima Signoret. Stål (1876) did not provide a classical description of the new genus, but diagnosed it within the key to genera of Pentatomidae, being characterised i.a. by the abdominal venter basally without tubercle and mandibular plates longer, meeting in front of the shorter clypeus. Stål (1876) listed A. viridissima also from ‘ Insula Anjoana (Mus. Holm.)’, however, no such specimen(s) was found in the the collection of NHRS (E. Kondorosy and G. Lindberg, pers. comm.).
Lethierry & Severin (1893) catalogued the genus and repeated its distribution according to Stål (1876). Kirkaldy (1909) catalogued the genus Aesula, proposing a new substitute name Aesula signoretiana nom. nov. for Ae. viridissima, without providing any comments. As Pentatoma viridissima Signoret is not preoccupied, the Kirkaldy’s (1909) action is unjustified and Ae. signoretiana Kirkaldy is here considered a junior objective synonym of Ae. viridissima.
Cachan (1952) monographed the Pentatomidae fauna of Madagascar. However, he did not attempt to examine the types of Ae. viridissima and treated the species as incertae sedis, repeating only the original description. Cachan (1952) also overlooked the new substitute name proposed by Kirkaldy (1909) and incorrectly cited Signoret (1861) as author of the genus Aesula.
Day (1965) revised the Acrosternum auctt. fauna of Madagascar, including description of two new genera: Neoacrosternum Day, 1965, including N. validum (Horváth, 1904) and N. rufidorsum (Horváth, 1904), and Pseudacrosternum Day, 1965 including a single new species, P. cachani Day, 1965. Day (1965) evidently did not pay attention to the genus Aesula, considered as incertae sedis by Cachan (1952). Day (1965) also figured pygophore and paramere of P. cachani.
Recently, three syntypes of Pentatoma viridissima Signoret, 1861 were discovered in NHMW and identified as belonging to Nezarini, and using the key by Day (1965) as Pseudacrosternum cachani. The subsequent examination of the paratypes of P. cachani held in BMNH confirmed our opinion that P. cachani is a junior synonym of Ae. viridissima which is established here. Day (1965) also proposed the name P. cachani var. scutellatum Day, 1965 for the specimens with colouration partly reddish-brown, however, this is an unavailable infrasubspecific name according to ICZN (1999: 15.2, 45.5). Pentatoma viridissima Signoret was established based on an unknown number of specimens originating from Mayotte (Comoro Islands). The three syntypes located in NHMW are labelled as ‘Madagasc.’, not Mayotte, but this seems to be merely an inaccuracy in labelling. We designate here one of the male syntypes as a lectotype to fix the identity of the species in the present sense.
description: Published as part of Kment, Petr, Jindra, Zdeněk & Rider, David A., 2014, New synonymies and new records of Afrotropical and Madagascan Pentatominae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), pp. 371-397 in Zootaxa 3866 (3) on pages 388-392, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3866.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/252807