Labicerus elegans Erichson, 1848

Labicerus elegans Erichson View in CoL in Schomburgk, 1848

( Figures 1 View Fig , 2 View Fig , 3 View Fig , 5D View Fig )

Amended diagnosis. Apale species bearing whitish forewings with dark maculations. Head in lateral view smoothly semicircular from vertex to frontoclypeal suture, projected in front of eye for distance less than greatest width of eye. Antennae elongated (exceeding anterior head margin) with single elongated serpentine projection from near the base of the pedicel, pedicle flattened in cross-section.

Amended description.

Color. Body irregularly patterned from yellow-brown to brown (probably paler in life; Fig. 1 View Fig ). Antennae yellow-tan, fore and middle leg brown, hind leg paler. Forewings ( Fig. 1E View Fig ) whitish with concolorous veins bearing dark markings on cells and veins as follow: vein CuA2 and proximal part of CuA1 (to m-cu crossvein), first fork of MP (MP1+2 from MP3+4) and first r-m crossvein; dark spot near distal apex of basal cell, 2 dark spots in clavus, between vases of MP and CuA, at apices of cells C5, C4 and C3, near forks of MP 1 and MP 2, and two subsequent forks of MP 1 (MP 1.1 from MP 1.2, MP 1.1.1 from MP 1.1.2) and in most apical cells.

Structure. Body length (including wings) about 10.5 mm. Head much narrower than pronotum. Vertex narrowly triangular with lateral margins foliately elevated, bearing a row of pustules (continuing on to frons), narrowing anteriorly, approximated apically, disc strongly concave, posterior margin concave. Frons ( Fig. 2A View Fig ) strongly compressed, in frontal view lateral margins strongly approximate, in lateral view ( Fig. 2B View Fig ) smoothly semicircular from posterior margin of vertex to frontoclypeal suture (projected in front of the eye for less than the width of the eye). Clypeus angled 90 degrees from frons in lateral view, in frontal view narrowly triangular. Antennae elongated, exceeding dorsal margin of head; scape short, about as long as wide, pedicle elongate and flattened in cross-section, bearing an elongate curved appendage ( Fig. 2C View Fig ) from the ventral surface. Eye semicircular, lateral ocellus apparently obsolete.

Pronotum in dorsal view short along midline, posterior margin deeply angulate; in lateral view, posteriorly inclined, paradiscal region broad, apically truncate at level of ventral margin of eye. Mesonotum relatively large, appearing tricarinate, scutum convex in lateral view, in dorsal view posterior margin of mesoscutellum rounded; lateral margin of mesothorax carinate. Posterior tibiae laterally unarmed, distally with 4(1+3) denticles, these with separated lateral spine largest, remaining smaller and arranged in an oblique row; metabasitarsus with 4 small uniform denticles in crescent-shaped row; second tarsomere bearing 5 small denticles, lateralmost slightly larger than median 3, in crescent-shaped row. Setae between denticles of both tarsomeres. Metabasitarsus about twice length of next tarsomere, approximately the length of second and thirds tarsomeres cumulatively. Pretarsal claws prominent, slender; arolia distinct (not reduced).

Forewings ( Fig. 3 View Fig ) elongated and spatulate, narrowest basally, widest in distal 2/3 length, trailing margin broadly convex. Clavus open, composite vein Pcu+A1 projecting anteriorly to encompass CuP and branches of CuA before reaching wing margin past midlength; marginal cells at wing apex mostly longer than broad. RP branching from ScP+R near apex of basal cell; ScP reaching wing margin near forewing midlength. Branching pattern RA apparently 4- branched, RP 2-branched, MP 7-branched, CuA 2-branched (anastomosed to form closed procubital cell (Emeljanov 1996).

Male terminalia unknown.

Remarks. In the female specimen of Labicerus elegans , the forewings are curled in a fashion that makes interpretation difficult. It appears that the RP and MP veins are joined proximally and fork near the wing midlength, but such an arrangement is not found in other Otiocerini to our knowledge, and the base of the MP may be obscured by the uneven plane of the wing. Since the branching of RP+MP would be quite unusual in Otiocerini , we would like to confirm this observation with additional material when it becomes available.

Material examined

Type material

Labicerus elegans (Syntype, 1 specimen, ZMHB, female) “4990 // Labicerus / elegans / er / Brit. Guy. Sch [illegible; handwritten, blue paper, understood as British Guiana Schomburkg] / Syntypus / Zoolog. Museum / Berlin [Red paper] // MFN URI / http://coll.mfn-berlin.de/u/e2bf8a [2D barcode label].”

Uniform Resource Identifier for collection NURI; 2D barcode label (QR code) Museum für Naturkunde Berlin / Collection Derbidae / Http://coll.mfn-berlin.de/u// MFNB_Hemi_807173

Platonax maculata (holotype, 1 specimen, MCZ, male) “Canal Zone: / Barro / Colorado. / 2-viii 1924 / N Banks. // M.C.Z. / Type / 22244 [red paper] // Platonax / maculata / Det. Z.P.M. Met. [yellowish-brown paper] // MXZ-ENT / 00022244 [2D barcode label”.

Remark. The labeling of the specimens from the Hemiptera collections at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin might be confusing. The original ZMHB label refers to “Zoological Museum, Humboldt-University, Berlin”, created for the zoological objects in the collection of Humboldt-University, and before the Museum für Naturkunde was founded in 1889, to accommodate the natural history collections of the university. The ZMHB label remained in use for many years, before it was replaced by MFN, or MFNB.

Other Material Examined

Uncertain taxon (1 specimen, ZMHB, female) “Cat. No / 4998 // Ceylon / Hirtner [handwritten] / Labicerus spec . / Von Melichar / undeterminiert [?]/Zurück // MfN URI /http://coll.mfn-berlin.de/u/308982”; (1 specimen, ZMHB, male), same except 4991, MfN URI /http://coll.mfn-berlin.de/u/593225”