Petalocephala hearsayi Distant

Petalocephala hearsayi Distant View in CoL

Figs. 6E–H View FIGURES 6 .

Petalocephala hearsayi Distant 1908: 163 View in CoL .

Diagnosis. Female. Externally resembling P. bicolor but lacking marginal brown border to crown, pronotum and claval suture. Crown medially as long as interocular distance, more strongly convergent in front of eyes and apex more narrowly angled compared to that in P. bicolor . Abdominal sternites broadly posteriorly and in some segments laterally bordered by dark brown; female sternite VII posterior margin straight ( Fig. 6G View FIGURES 6 ).

Description. Distant (1908) adequately described the external features of this species. Additional features are as follows. Abdominal sternites broadly posteriorly and in some segments laterally bordered by dark brown. Crown medially carinate, lateral margin straight for very short distance in front of eyes then strongly convergent, apex narrowly and bluntly angled, lateral margins straight; 1.02× as long as interocular width and 1.32× as long as median length of pronotum. Ocelli closer to each other than to adjacent eye. Pronotal lateral margins strongly divergent posteriorly, distance between posterolateral angles 1.2× as long as that between anterolateral angles, 0.74× as long as mesonotum, posterolateral margins adjacent to mesonotum straight. Female sternite VII posterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 6G View FIGURES 6 ).

Material examined. INDIA: HOLOTYPE ♀, E[ast] Ind[ia], [18]61 83 (on reverse), register entry: “India (Barrackpore) Sir John Hearsay” “ Petalocephala hearsay Dist. Type”, “Type”, “ Holotype ”, “NHMUK 010592228” ; PARATYPE sex unknown (abdomen missing), “ Sikkim ”; 1♀, Kurseong, 5000’, 10-26.ix.1909 (all BMNH) .

Remarks. Distant (1908) described this species based on an unknown number of specimens with data: “Sikhim (coll. Dist.)” and a single specimen with data: “Barrackpore (Sir Jno. Hearsay, Brit. Mus.)”. He also designated the specimen from Barrackpore as the holotype.