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| Heleocoris stephanus Benchamin, Sreejai & Arya, 2024 |
Abstract
A new species of Heleocoris, Stål (1876) was collected from the upstream Kallada River in Kerala, southwestern India. This discovery brings the number of described species for this genus in India to twelve. This species can be diagnosed by the overall body coloration and distinct morphological & genital features. Descriptions including a habitus photograph, ecology, and diagnostic comparisons among congeners are provided.
Keywords: Coloration, congeners, genitalia, morphology, upstream, Urukunnu
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| Diagnostic features of Heleocoris stephanus sp. nov. (holotype): A—dorsal habitus | B—ventral habitus | C—phallotheca. © Dani Benchamin. |
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| Urukunnu Station in the upstream of Kallada River, Kollam District, Kerala, India, the type locality of Heleocoris stephanus sp. nov. |
Heleocoris stephanus sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Heleocoris stephanus sp. nov. is similar to the congener H. vicinus (Montandon, 1910), by size, and overall coloration. However, H. stephanus is notably different from H. vicinus by the finely granulose, dark brown scutellum with irregular yellow apex and thick median longitudinal yellowish patch. H. majusculus (Montandon, 1908) and H. rotundatus (Montandon, 1908) are other congeners reported from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. The former drastically differs from H. stephanus by its entirely black scutellum and overall body size, while the latter differs from H. stephanus by its black coloured body beneath with greyish pilose and body size. H. breviceps (Montandon, 1897) is another congener reported from the Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. This congener differs from H. stephanus by largely blackish abdomen beneath and brownish scutellum. As the name implies, H. elongatus (Montandon, 1897) differs from H. stephanus by its body ...
Etymology: This specific epithet “stephanus” refers to the Institution where this significant research was conducted at the Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram. St. Stephen’s College was founded in 1964 after the name of St. Stephen, one of the first seven ordained Deacons and the first Martyr of Christianity.
Dani Benchamin, R. Sreejai and M.S. Arya. 2024. Heleocoris stephanus (Heteroptera: Naucoridae: Laccocorinae), A New Species of Creeping Water Bug from Kallada River, Kerala, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa. 16(7): 25584–25589. DOI: doi.org/10.11609/jott.9129.16.7.25584-25589
