Tripanda (Tripanda) longiceps Villiers 1967

Tripanda (Tripanda) longiceps (Villiers, 1967)

(Figs. 4, 13–14, 38–39, 66–67, 85, 88, 95, 102, 110, 128–129, 132–133, 146)

Derila longiceps Villiers, 1967: 1794 –1795. Description, photo of holotype. Derila longiceps: Medler (1980): 124. Checklist.

Tripanda longiceps: Linnavuori (1982): 8, 109–110. Taxonomy, key to species, figures of pygophore and paramere, zoogeography, faunistics.

Type locality. Republic of the Congo, Odzala.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE (Fig. 132): Ψ, ‘ODZALA / CONGO / X 1963 [p] // MUSÉUM PARIS / MISSION / A: DESCARPENTRIES / ET A. VILLIERS / 1963 - 1964 [p] // HOLO [hw] / TYPE [p, red label] // Derila / longiceps / n. gen. n. sp. [hw] / A. Villiers det. 19[p]67[hw]’ (MNHN).

Additional material examined. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Boukoko, 8.iv. [19]66, 1 ɗ, 4 ΨΨ, M. Boulard lgt. (MNHN). GHANA: Tafo, UV trap, 7. iii.1966, 1 ɗ, no collector (DARC). GUINEA: Mt. Nimba, Plateau de Zanguipo, 1750 m a.s.l., collected at light, 16. iii.1981, 1 ɗ, R. Roy lgt. (MNHN). IVORY COAST: Foro Foro, 13.xi. [19]71, 1 ɗ, 6.iv. [19]72, 1 Ψ, A. Pollet lgt., R. Linnavuori det. (NMWC).

Redescription. Colouration (Figs. 132–133). Body dorsally brown, ventral surface and appendages pale brown; anterior part of pronotal disc and head slightly darker; apical halves of antennomeres 4–5 (or entire antenomere 5) darkened; eyes dark with silver luster; base of clypeus laterally with narrow black lines; two median callosities on pronotum (if present) ivory; membrane translucent with brownish veins and inconspicuous brownish spots among them; abdominal spiracles, apices of claws, and very small spots on posterolateral corners of connexival segments black.

Structure. Head (Fig. 4) medially slightly longer than wide across eyes; paraclypei slightly insinuated in front of eyes, parallel in median third, then arcuately rounded medially; clypeus and paraclypei not or only very slightly depressed before apex. Dorsal surface of head densely covered with coarse, brown to black punctures. Antenniferes hardly visible from above. Antennomere 1 slightly stouter than antennomere 5 at its widest diameter. Ventral surface of head covered with concolorous to dark brown punctures.

Pronotum (Figs. 13–14) medially as long as or slightly shorter than head; anterior angles slightly pointed; lateral margins anteriorly rounded, slightly carinated towards humeral angles, shallowly concave before humeral angles; humeral angles triangularly produced laterally, more or less pointed; lateral margins behind humeral angles convex, nearly gradually narrowing posteriorly towards base of scutellum; posterior pronotal margin straight. Disc of pronotum bearing a pair of impunctate cicatrices and medially behind them a pair of very small, impunctate, elongated, horizontally oriented, not elevated callosities (Figs. 132–133). Surface of pronotum covered with coarse brown punctures, more dense in its anterior part and on humeral angles; spaces among punctures convex, larger ones of appearance of small callosities (especially in posterior part).

Scutellum triangular, about as long as wide at base, slightly insinuated before apex; apex narrowly rounded. Surface covered with coarse, brownish to black punctures; spaces among punctures more or less convex, sometimes forming small but not elevated callosities.

Hemelytra. Clavi narrow, anteriorly with 4–5 rows of punctures. Surface covered with irregular coarse brown to black punctures.

Thorax ventrally (except of evaporatoria) covered with large concolorous to dark punctures. Evaporatorium with very shallow, irregular gyrification.

Abdomen. Distinctly narrower than pronotum. Connexivum very wide, almost entire visible from above, posterolateral angles of segments hardly protruding from connexival outline; dorsal surface covered with dense, brown to black punctures. Abdominal venter convex, covered with sparse, shallow, concolorous to pale brown punctures.

Male genitalia. Pygophore (Figs. 38–39, 128–129) large, trapezoidal in ventral view; posterolateral angles wide, broadly rounded apically in lateral view (Fig. 39). Dorsal sclerites large, their dorsal and ventral margins nearly straight, apices straight truncated (Figs. 66–67), in situ about as long as the paramere blade (Figs. 128–129). Parameres large, trifid; blade wide, approximately rectangular, apically skew truncated (Figs. 85, 88), with narrow half-crescent dorsal projection, and large and long, upward-directed lateral projection. Phallus large (Fig. 95).

Female genitalia. Spermatheca (Fig. 102). Apical receptacle (Fig. 110) relatively large, with one long recurved process distinctly surpassing proximal flange of intermediate part and two shorter, nonrecurved processes of unequal length, the shorter of them straight, the longer one slightly curved. Distal part of spermathecal duct relatively short.

Measurements (see Table 1; mm). Body length 10.2–11.3 (males) / 11.5–12.1 (females).

Variation. Females are distinctly larger and more robust than males. In some specimens, outer margin of head in front of eyes, humeral angles, anterior third of hemelytra, and connexivum to varying extants reddish. Two median ivory callosities of pronotum often reduced or completelly missing. The male from Foro Foro has the head nearly parabolic in front of eyes, and distinctly longer antennomeres 2 (0.9 mm) and 3 (1.3 mm) (antennomeres 4–5 of the same antenna, and antennomeres 2–5 of the other antenna are missing). Examined specimens also differs in the the shape of the humeral angles which are more or less pointed, and directed laterally, or also slightly turned anteriorly.

Differential diagnosis. Largest species of the genus, markedly differing also by the very small or completely missing median pronotal callosities. The structure of the male genitalia is similar to T. signitenens and T. jurickorum sp. nov., but it distinctly differs in the following characters: Pygophore larger (Figs. 38–39, 128–129). Dorsal sclerites with dorsal and ventral margins nearly straight, apically straight truncated (Figs. 66–67), in situ about as long as the paramere blade (Figs. 128–129). Parameres as in Figs. 85, 88. The apical receptacle of spermatheca (Fig. 110) large, but structurally very similar to T. signitenens specimen from Kalambo Falls (Tanzania) (Fig. 114). Head is large, usually broadly rounded in front of eyes (Fig. 4). Body brown; small callosities among punctures on pronotal and scutellar surface never elevated (Figs. 132–133). The dark punctures on corial surface not forming irregular dark lines.

Bionomics. A male from Mt. Nimba (Guinea) was collected at light at the altitude of 1750 m a.s.l.; another male from Tafo (Ghana) was collected by UV trap. Adults were collected in March, April, October, and November (Villiers 1967, Linnavuori 1982, this paper). Collected syntopically with T. horacekorum sp. nov. at Boukoko (Central African Republic) and Tafo (Ghana), with both T. dispar and T. horacekorum sp. nov. at Foro Foro (Ivory Coast), and with T. jurickorum sp. nov. at Mt. Nimba (Guinea). The distribution area of T. longiceps corresponds with the area of tropical rain forest and deciduous forest – woodland savanna biomes.

Distribution (Fig. 146). Central African Republic (new record), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Medler (1980): Zaire, without exact locality), Ghana (new record), Guinea (new record), Ivory Coast (Linnavuori (1982): Foro Foro), Republic of the Congo (Villiers (1967): Odzala). Considered as North Guinean faunal element by Linnavuori (1982).

Panda signitenens Distant, 1898: 300. Description.

Tripanda signitenens: Bergroth (1908): 164. Catalogue.

Tripanda signitenens: Kirkaldy (1909): 70. Catalogue, distribution.

Tripanda signitenens: Leston (1952): 515. Faunistics [accepted].

Tripanda signitenens: Linnavuori (1982): 8, 110 (partim). Key to species, distribution (partim) [revised!]. Tripanda signitenens: Rider (2006): 264. Catalogue, distribution (partim).

Type locality. South Africa, Transvaal, Pretoria.

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE (Fig. 120): Ψ, ‘ Type [p, white round label with red margin] // signitenens / Dist. [hw, white label] // Pretoria / (W. L D.) [p, white label] // Distant Coll. / 1911–383 [p, white label] // LECTOTYPUS / PA N D A / SIGNITENENS / Distant, 1898 / des. P. Kment & Z. Jindra 2008 [p, red label]’ (BMNH). Pinned; left fore leg and left antennomere 5 missing. Here designated; see Note below for further information.

Additional material examined. ANGOLA: C.E. Gangassol, Hospedeiro, 30665, 17.xi.[19]73, 1 Ψ, Passos de Carvalho lgt., R. Linnavuori 1979 det. (MRAC). SOUTH AFRICA: ‘S. Africa / M. Weale [hw, white card] // Distant Coll. / 1911–383 [p, white label]’, 1 ɗ (BMNH; see Note below). Natal: Durban, Burman’s Bush, Brit. Mus. 1968–211 [sic!], viii.[19]56, 1 ɗ, G. M. Black 1966 [sic!] det. as T. signitenens (BMNH). Transvaal: Bergvliet Gorge, 11. xi.1981, 2 ɗɗ, S. Endrödi lgt (HNHM); Borakalalo Nature Reserve, Moretele camp, 960 m a.s.l., 25.07,2S, 27.47,3E, 8. vi.1986, 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, R. Stals lgt. (SANC). TANZANIA: Tanganiyika: Matengo Highland, WSW Songea, Ugano, 1500–1700 m a.s.l., 11.-20. xii.1935, 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Zerny lgt., R. Izzard 1953 det., P. Kment revid. (NHMW). ZAMBIA: (N): N. Rhodesia, N’Changa [= Nchanga], B.M. 1931–179, 1 ɗ, C. T. Macnamara lgt. (BMNH); Zambia-Tanzania border, Tanganyika lake env., 30 km N of Mbala, Kalambo Falls, 900 m a.s.l., at light, 27. xi.2006, 9 ɗɗ, 11 ΨΨ, Z. Jindra lgt. (ZJPC, NMPC, MMBC, MNHN). (NE): 25 km SE Mukuku, 29. xi.2004, 1 ɗ, 2 ΨΨ, Snížek & Tichý lgt., P. Kment det. (NHMW). 30–60 km NW Mpiki [= Mpika], 24. xi.2004, 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Snížek & Tichý lgt., P. Kment det. (NHMW). 50 km SW Luwingu, N Lake Bangweulu, 27. xi.2004, 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Snížek & Tichý lgt., P. Kment det. (NHMW). 50 km W Kasama, 26. xi.2004, 19 ɗɗ, 8 ΨΨ, Snížek & Tichý lgt., P. Kment det. (NHMW, NMPC).

Redescription. Colouration (Figs. 120–121). Body dorsally brown with more or less distinct orange tinge, ventral surface and appendages pale yellowish brown; anterior part of pronotal disc and head darker; apical halves of antennomeres 4–5 darkened; eyes dark with silver luster; base of clypeus laterally with very narrow black lines; two median callosities on pronotum ivory; membrane translucent, veins with more or less fragmentary brown stripes; abdominal spiracles, very small spots on posterolateral corners of connexival segments, apex of rostrum, and apical halves of claws black.

Structure. Head (Figs. 5–6) medially about as long as wide across eyes; paraclypei slightly insinuated in front of eyes, parallel in median third, then arcuately rounded medially; clypeus and paraclypei not depressed before apex. Dorsal surface of head densely covered with coarse brown to black punctures. Antenniferes well visible from above. Antennomere 1 slightly stouter than antennomere 5 at its widest diameter. Ventral surface of head covered with concolorous to dark brown punctures.

Pronotum (Figs. 15–16) medially as long as or slightly shorter than head; anterior angles slightly pointed; lateral margins rounded, shallowly concave before humeral angles; humeral angles triangularly produced laterally and slightly pointed; lateral margins behind humeral angles convex, nearly gradually narrowing posteriorly, only slightly insinuated before base of scutellum; posterior pronotal margin straight. Disc of pronotum bearing a pair of impunctate cicatrices and medially behind them a pair of rather large, impunctate, elongated, horizontally oriented, slightly elevated callosities (Fig. 23). Surface of pronotum covered with coarse brown to black punctures, more dense in its anterior part and on humeral angles; spaces among punctures convex, in posterior part larger ones forming distinct small and elevated, often distinctly paler callosities and a more or less distinct impunctate callose longitudinal median line.

Scutellum triangular, about as long as wide at base, slightly insinuated before apex; apex narrowly rounded. Surface usually covered with coarse, concolorous to brown punctures; spaces among punctures convex, forming distinct, small elevated callosities.

Hemelytra. Clavi narrow, anteriorly with 4 rows of punctures. Surface covered with irregular coarse brown to black punctures, sometimes forming irregular dark lines.

Thorax ventrally (except of evaporatoria) covered with large concolorous to dark punctures. Evaporatorium smooth with only very shallow gyrification.

Abdomen. Distinctly narrower than pronotum. Abdominal dorsum brownish orange, with dense, very small, shallow, concolorous punctures. Connexivum very wide, almost entirely visible from above, posterolateral angles of segments scarcely protruding from connexival outline; dorsal surface covered with dense, concolorous to black punctures. Abdominal venter convex, covered with sparse, shallow, concolorous punctures.

Male genitalia. Pygophore (Figs. 40–41, 130–131) trapezoidal in ventral view; posterolateral angles wide with apex skew truncated in lateral view (Fig. 41). Dorsal sclerites largest of all species, dorsal margin regularly concave, apex long, broadly rounded, distinctly turned upwards (Figs. 68–69); dorsal sclerites in situ distinctly longer than the paramere blade (Figs. 130–131). Parameres large, trifid; blade narrow, dorsal margin of the blade shallowly concave, apex narrowly rounded (Figs. 86, 89), with narrow half-crescent dorsal projection, and narrow, long, upward-directed lateral projection. Phallus large (Fig. 96).

Female genitalia. Spermatheca (Fig. 103). Apical receptacle (Figs. 111–114) relatively large, in all specimens examined with one long recurved process distincty surpassing proximal flange of intermediate part, and 1 or 2 shorter, straight or recurved processes; the recurved ones not surpassing proximal margin of the flexible zone. Distal part of spermathecal duct short.

Measurements (see Table 1; mm). Body length 9.1–10.2 (males) / 9.7–11.1 (females). Measurements of lectotype (Ψ): Body length 10.2; head length 2.2; head width 2.0; vertex width 1.3; lengths of antennomeres: 1 – 0.4–0.45, 2 – 0.9, 3 – 0.7–0.75, 4 – 0.9–0.95, 5 – 1.05; pronotum length 2.1; pronotum width 6.7; scutellum length 3.9; scutellum width 3.9.

Variation. The specimens examined differ in intensity of orange tones in their colouration (especially on margins of head, lateral margins of pronotum, connexivum, and around the callosities on pronotum and scutellum), the colouration of punctures, and the development of small callosities on surface of scutellum and posterior part of pronotal disc. The two specimens from Borakalalo (South Africa) differ in having the body dorsally ochraceous, orange tinge limited only to apices of humeral angles, small callosities on posterior pronotal surface concolorous, less conspicuous, and callosities on scutellum hardly distinct; so they are quite similar to the syntopically occurring T. decorata. Head apically arcuately to parabolically rounded (Figs. 5–6). There is also a slight variation in lengths of antennomeres: in some specimens the antennomeres 2 and 3, or antennomeres 2 and 4, are equally long. The humeral angles of pronotum more or less pointed, but in one specimen from the Kalambi falls (Tanzania) the humeral angles are broadly rounded, moreover distinctly different on the left and right side. The structure of apical receptacle of the spermatheca is variable (Figs. 111–114).

Differential diagnosis. Tripanda signitenens is habitually similar to T. horacekorum sp. nov. a T. jurickorum sp. nov. Tripanda horacekorum sp. nov. is distinctly smaller, has the humeral angles of pronotum less pointed and obtusely rounded apically, and differs substantially in the structure of male genitalia. From T. jurickorum sp. nov. it differs by smaller, narrowly oval median pronotal callosities (Figs. 23, 120–121), and especially by the following characters of the male genitalia: Posterolateral angles of the pygophore wide, apically skew truncated in lateral view (Fig. 41); dorsal sclerites very large, their dorsal margin regularly concave, apex long, broadly rounded, and distinctly turned upwards (Figs. 68–69); dorsal sclerites in situ distinctly longer than the paramere blade (Figs. 130–131); parameres as in Figs. 86, 89; phallus smaller (Fig. 96). Apical receptacle of the spermatheca (Figs. 111–114) is relatively large, in all specimens examined with one long recurved process distincty surpassing the proximal flange of intermediate part, and 1 or 2 shorter, straight or recurved processes. Humeral angles of pronotum usually pointed apically and slightly turned anteriorly (Fig. 15–16, 120–121). Body brownish, usually with vivid orange to reddish tinge; small callosities among punctures on pronotal and scutellar surface prominent, elevated, usually paler than surrounding surface, not coallescent (Figs. 120–121).

Bionomics. At the Kalambo Falls (Figs. 142–143) the series of T. signitenens was collected only at light, despite five days collecting effort by sweeping the vegetation and beating the trees and bushes. The light trap was situated in open clearing above the waterfall (about 900 m a.s.l.), surrounded with natural, dense growth of high trees and bushes, with patches of rich herbal vegetation where the trees were sparser. Found at altitudes of 960 m a.s.l. at Borakalalo (South Africa) and 1500–1700 m a.s.l. at Ugano (Tanzania). Adults were collected in March, June, August, November, and December (Leston 1952; this paper). At the Kalambo Falls and Borakalalo, it was collected syntopically with specimens of T. decorata. The distribution area of T. signitenens corresponds to the areas of following biomes: deciduous forest – woodland savanna, savanna grassland, and the East Africa coastal forest (Fig. 147).

Distribution (Fig. 146). Angola (Linnavuori 1982, listed without exact locality; here revised), South Africa (Distant (1898): Pretoria, Cape Colony; Leston (1952): Eshowe, Hennops River, Pretoria; this paper), Tanzania (new record), Zambia (new record). The occurrence in Angola should be further confirmed by examination of male specimens. The unrevised records from Cameroon (Schouteden 1909) and Togo (Villiers 1952) probably belong to T. horacekorum sp. nov. The records from Yemen (Linnavuori & van Harten 2002, 2006, Rider 2006) belong to T. decorata. Tripanda signitenens s. lat. was considered as Hologuinean faunal element by Linnavuori (1982), but after this revision the true S. signitenens seems to be limited to the southern part of the African continent.

Note. Distant (1898) listed type material of Panda signitenens as follows: ‘ Hab. Transvaal, Pretoria (Distant). / I also possess a specimen collected by Mr. Mansel Weale in Cape Colony.’ We examined two specimens deposited in BMNH, one female labeled as type and bearing Distant’s handwritten identification label, and one male labeled S. Africa, M. Weale (for details see above). Rider (2006) catalogued the type locality and material as follows: ‘ South Africa: Pretoria and ‘Cape Colony’. Syntypes (BMNH)’. According to ICZN (1999: 72.4.1.), ‘the type series of a nominal species-group taxon consists of all the specimens included by the author in the new nominal taxon [..], except any that the author expressly excludes from the type series, or refers to as distinct variants [..], or doubtfully attributes to the taxon.’ Distant (1898, also in other papers) marked the enumeration of type localities by ‘ Hab.’ It is hard to say, if the different style of the quotation of the specimen from Cape was only a Distant’s formal inconsistency, or he did not suppose the specimen to be a type (cf. also comments on types of Mahea sexualis Distant, 1909 in Kment (2005)). On the other hand, as Distant (1898) gave the meassurements of P. signitenes as intervals, existence of more syntypes should be anticipated. We designate here the doubtless female syntype from Pretoria as lectotype, but we do not consider the male from Cape Colony as a type.