Cassisotropis Taszakowski 2022, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Taszakowski, Artur
name: Masłowski, Adrian
name: Wolski, Andrzej
name: Gorczyca, Jacek
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Miridae
Cassisotropis

description: Genus: Cassisotropis Taszakowski et al. gen. nov.
Type species: Cassisotropis aciformis Taszakowski et al. sp. nov., here designated.
Diagnosis. Cassisotropis is recognized within Cylapinae by the following set of features: head, pronotum, thoracic pleura, mesoscutum, scutellum and abdomen with net-like sculpturing created by microsetae (Figs 2B–F); head and anterior part of pronotum with several long, erect, cylindrical, regularly distributed, apically serrate bristles (Figs 2A–E); head with indistinct tubercles on vertex and frons (Figs 2B–E); clypeus with moderately developed longitudinal keel medially (Fig. 2C, D); pronotal collar separated from remainder of pronotum by weakly developed sulcus (Figs 1A, B, Fig. 2B); calli upraised and conical (Figs 1C, D, Figs 2A, B); posterior lobe with relatively small, weakly raised tubercles, each situated mediolaterally, bordering posterior margin (Fig. 2B); metepisternal scent gland evaporative areas triangular (Fig. 2F); embolium wide (Figs 1A, B); tarsus two-segmented, tarsomere II not divided (Fig. 2H); aedeagus with theca strongly sclerotized with sail-like process subapically (Fig. 3C); sclerotized part of ductus seminis inside endosoma long, its apex reaching subapical portion of endosoma (Fig. 3D); endosoma with long, needle-like spicule (Fig. 3D); left paramere sensory lobe with strongly developed protuberance (Fig. 3F); first and second valvulae (gonapophyses 8 and 9) sharply pointed, not serrate apically (Figs 4H, I); first valvulae connected by membranous structure (Figs 4A, G).
Description. Male. Macropterous. TEXTURE AND VESTITURE. Dorsum covered with sparse, short, irregularly distributed setae (Figs 1A, 2B–D). Head, pronotum, thoracic pleura, mesoscutum, scutellum, and abdomen with net-like sculpturation based on microsetae (Figs 2B–D). Head. Vertex, frons, and clypeus with several long, erect, cylindrical, regularly distributed, apically serrate bristles (Figs 2A–D); antennal segment I almost glabrous on basal one-third, covered with sparse semirecumbent setae; antennal segment II covered with setae similar to those on segment I but denser; segments III and IV missing in holotype (Figs 2A–D). Thorax. Pronotum. With four pairs of long, erect, cylindrical, regularly distributed, apically serrate bristles that are placed on pronotal calli, humeral angles, anterior portion of lateral margin and anterior part of pronotal calli (Figs 2B, D). Thoracic pleura. Clothed with sparse, short setae. Legs. Coxae and femora covered with fine, recumbent, rather short setae; tibiae and tarsi with relatively dense, stiff, semirecumbent setae, tibiae also with small black spinules organized in several straight and regular rows (Figs 2A, B). Abdomen. Clothed with relatively dense, moderately long semirecumbent setae (Fig. 2A). STRUCTURE. Body elongate oval (Fig. 1A). Head. Elongated horizontally (Figs 1A, C); vertex and frons with indistinct shallow longitudinal sulcus medially; vertex not carinate posteriorly with two indistinct small contiguous tubercles on medial portion of lateral margin; frons with two pairs of indistinct small tubercles bordering sides of medial longitudinal furrow (Figs 2B–D); clypeus with moderately developed medial rib along entire length, clypeal base situated above antennal insertions and ventral margin of eye (Figs 2C, D); antennal insertion contiguous with sulcus between maxillary and mandibular plates (Figs 2C, D); eye relatively large, reniform, its ventral margin reaching gula; mandibular plate without sulcus posteriorly (Fig 2D); antennal segment I mostly cylindrical, somewhat narrowed basally (Fig. 2D); segment II cylindrical, relatively stout, as thick as segment I (Fig. 2A); labium thin and long, reaching beyond metacoxae; segment I reaching xyphus, subdivided near medial part (Fig. 2A); segment II subdivided subapically. Thorax. Pronotum. Trapezoid, rather short; collar flattened, relatively broad, separated from remainder of pronotum by weakly developed, shallow sulcus; anterior lobe with small pit between calli; calli well developed, upraised, conical, sharply pointed; remainder of anterior lobe sloping toward lateral margin; lateral margin strongly carinate; humeral angle broad; posterior lobe with relatively small, weakly raised tubercles, each situated mediolaterally, bordering posterior margin (Fig. 2B). Scutellum. Somewhat convex medially (Fig. 2B). Thoracic pleura. Mesepimeral spiracle slit-like; scent gland evaporative area triangular, occupying entire ventral portion of metepisternum; metepimeron narrow, carinate posteriorly. Hemelytron. Claval commissure as long as scutellum; embolium broad; membrane with both cells well developed, major cell relatively short, its apex not reaching beyond apex of cuneus (Fig. 1A). Legs. Tarsus two-segmented; tarsomere I about two times shorter than tarsomere II; tarsomere II not subdivided (Fig. 2H); pretarsal structure with the well-developed middle row of tiles on the unguitractor plate; pretarsal claw with well-developed subapical claw tooth (Fig. 2I).
Abdomen. Genitalia. Pygophore trapezoid, its dorsal wall as long as ventral wall, aperture terminated posteriorly (Figs 2G, 3A, B); aedeagus elongated; theca strongly sclerotized with relatively large sail-like process placed at right hand side subapically; ductus seminis moderately long and thin; distal, sclerotized part of ductus seminis inside endosoma relatively thick, long, apex reaching subapical portion of endosoma, weakly curved, mostly cylindrical, broadened and irregularly shaped; secondary gonopore undifferentiated; endosoma weakly membranous with relatively long, needle-like sclerite originating from membranous oval lobe placed apically of endosoma (Figs 3C, D); left paramere stout, C-shaped, apical process moderately long, straight, weakly tapering in lateral view, paramere body with small keel dorsally on area adjacent to apical process, sensory lobe with massive, long protuberance (Figs 3E–G); right paramere relatively thin, C-shaped, apical process relatively long and thick in lateral view, sensory lobe weakly developed, round (Figs 3H, I).
Female. Similar to male in texture, vestiture, and structure (Figs 1B, D). Head. Antennal segment II thinner than segment I, covered with sparse semirecumbent setae (Figs 1B, D). Abdomen. Genitalia. Genital chamber (or bursa copulatrix) semicircular, mostly membranous, rather thin, not reaching laterally beyond rami of first valvulae (ra1, g8ra), sclerotized rings large (sr), paired, each occupying lateral one-third of genital chamber, ovoid, weakly rimmed (Figs 4A–C, E); lateral oviducts (odl) not contiguous with each other, their apical part reaching weakly beyond lateral margin of genital chamber, dorsal sac (ds) (sensu Pluot-Sigwalt & Matocq 2017) present, weakly developed, membranous, semiovoid, spermathecal gland (sgl) originating from posterior part of dorsal sac (Figs 4B–D); posterior wall of genital chamber with interramal sclerite (irs) strongly sclerotized, triangular (Fig. 4F); vestibulum without any sclerite around vulva; first and second valvulae (gonapophyses 8 and 9) (va1, gp8) with apex sharpened and not serrate (Figs 4H, I); first valvulae (gonapophysis 8) connected by membrane (m) (Figs 4A, G).
Etymology. This genus is dedicated to Dr. Gerasimos Cassis in recognition of his great contribution to the study of the Heteroptera. The name is the combination of Cassis (Dr Gerasimos Cassis) and the Greek noun tropis, meaning keel (in reference to the genus Peritropis). The gender is feminine.
Remarks. Cassisotropis and Infernotropis possess the characters presented by Gorczyca (2000) as diagnostic for Fulviini, i.e., the porrect head, antenna shorter than body length, with the segment II longest, labium thin, long, reaching at least beyond metafemora, forecoxae and forefemora enlarged. They also have a set of characters that are commonly found in the tribe in its current concept, such as: labial segments I and II subdivided; clypeal base situated above antennal insertions and ventral margin of eye; antennal insertion contiguous with sulcus between maxillary and mandibular plates; eye enlarged, reniform, its ventral margin reaching gula; mandibular plate without sulcus posteriorly; the genital capsule with the dorsal wall long, only weakly shorter than ventral wall, genital opening terminal in orientation; bursa copulatrix relatively thin, not reaching laterally beyond rami of the first valvulae (Wolski & Henry 2012, 2015; Wolski et al. 2017; Namyatova & Cassis 2019, 2021, 2022; Wolski 2021). Therefore, both genera are here included in the tribe Fulviini.
Cassisotropis is similar and likely closely related to a group of fulviine genera having the dorsal surface verrucose or with net-like sculpturation based on tuberculate microsetae as noted among others in Peritropis Uhler, 1891 (Gorczyca & Wolski 2007: Fig. 9; Wolski & Henry 2012: Figs 27–32), species belonging to the anthocoroides group of the genus Fulvius Stål, 1862 (Pluot-Sigwalt & Chérot 2013), genera Euchilofulvius Poppius, 1909, Peritropisca Carvalho & Lorenzato, and Rewafulvius Carvalho, 1972 (Wolski & Gorczyca 2014: Figs 29–31), Sulawesifulvius Gorczyca, Chérot & Štys, 2004 (Wolski et al. 2017: Fig. 7), Ceratofulvius Reuter, 1902 (Namyatova & Cassis 2019: Fig. 18J) or Schmitzofulvius Gorczyca, 1998 (Wolski, pers. obs.). Within these genera, Cassisotropis is most similar to Peritropisca Carvalho and Lorenzato, 1978 known from Papua New Guinea in both sharing following set of characters: vertex and frons with longitudinal medial sulcus (Figs 2C, D; Wolski & Gorczyca 2014: Figs 23, 24), pronotal calli upraised, conical, and sharply pointed (Figs 2A, B; Wolski & Gorczyca 2014: Figs 3, 4), posterior lobe of pronotum with two well-developed mediolateral keels (Fig. 2B; Wolski & Gorczyca 2014), embolium wide (Figs 1A, B), and tarsus two-segmented with the second tarsomere not subdivided. Cassisotropis differs from Peritropisca in the lack of the transverse furrow along the posterior margin of head, medial and longitudinal keel on the posterior lobe of pronotum (as in Wolski & Gorczyca 2014: Figs 23, 24), and the metathoracic scent gland evaporative area relatively broad, occupying ventral part of metepisternum (Fig. 2F), whereas in Peritropisca it is narrow, restricted to posterior portion of metepisternum (Wolski & Gorczyca 2014: Fig. 33). Both genera can also be easily distinguished by the shape of the male genitalia (Fig. 3; Wolski & Gorczyca 2014: Figs 11–12). Among the Madagascan genera, Cassisotropis is most similar to Schmitzofulvius sharing (apart from the verrucose dorsal surface) the upraised, conical and sharply pointed calli (Figs 2A, B; Gorczyca 1999). The new genus can be distinguished primarily by the embolium not distinctly narrowed basally and the lack of translucent patch on corium (Gorczyca 1999, 1998).
description: Published as part of Taszakowski, Artur, Masłowski, Adrian, Wolski, Andrzej & Gorczyca, Jacek, 2022, Two new genera and species of the Fulviini (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae Cylapinae) from Madagascar, with a checklist of Madagascan cylapines, pp. 93-110 in Zootaxa 5209 (1) on pages 94-96, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/7322521