Although the genus belongs to a predominantly Australasian tribe, the Australasian Region is the only one of the major zoogeographical regions of the sLx world that is not included in the distribution of the genus. Of the other three species associated with the highlands of Abyssinia and Uganda, Mecidealutziaappearsto have nocloserelative. The homopterous genus Orgerius, of the family Dictypharidae, has been listed by several authors and most recently by Metcalf (1946) as having about 20 Mediterranean species and at least 4 species in the western United States; however, Ball and Hartzell (1922) expressed the opinion that the Old World species belonged to another genus, and Dr.
At the generic level, a termite genus, Amitermes, appears to provide a distribution picture that is in many respects similar to that of the tribe Mecideini. With the exception of tenellus, Ciculijer appears to be restricted to the arid and semiarid parts of the Mediterranean basin eastwards to Central Asia. Bibliographic references to literature concerned with the distribution of the group discussed in this article can be found on page 503.
The characters that seem to be important for the purpose of specific differentiation are those associated with the internal male genitalia, the shape of the pronotum, and with the antennae in both sexes. A step-by-step overview of the technique used to study the internal male genitalia follows. Caution: Care must be taken not to puncture either the walls of the lobes or the cylinder of the aedeagus, as this results in the immediate collapse of the bladders.
Can. Unfortunately, the homology of the vesicles located at the apex of the aedeagus in Mecidea remains unclear.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 481
Variation.—The juga of a female specimen slightly overlap at their apices, while those of the theme specimen are divergent. Closely related to Mecideaprolika, but slightly larger and more robust in appearance and with the posterior lobe of the pronotum more convex, clearly distinguished by the shape of the lateral penial vesicles. STINKBUGS, GENIJS MECIDEA —SAILER 483 Male genitalia: Penial plates and lateral penial vesicles as on.
STINK BUGS, GENIJS MECIDEA — SAILER 483 Male genitalia: Penial plates and lateral penial vesiculae as on
In 1911 Distant reported that linearis had been collected in South Africa, and in 1922 Jensen-Haarup notes in a footnote "According to Dr. It is also possible that linearis may be an older name for Mecidea tellinii. Schouteden's description of the length of the second and third segments of the male antennae of tellinii exactly agrees with Dallas' description of this character for linearis.
Male third antennal segment equal to or slightly longer than.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 485
The Kenya specimens tend to be darker, the darkest having four well-marked longitudinal dark bands on the pronotum and a fuscous spot at the inner apical angle of the corium. Distribution.-As the two localities in Kenya are within about 10 miles of each other, the species is not known from only two widely separated localities in Equatorial Africa.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 487
In the specimens examined, the greater number show that the juga is scarcely compressed in front of the antenna, and mth the inner margins diverge towards the tips, and are usually slightly inclined inwards and downwards along the parietal half; but many specimens present the almost continuous contiguous, pointed form characteristic of the minors, as well as the other extreme, in which the juga are not contiguous, but continue parallel to each other for some distance in front of the type.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 489
The presence of black marks on the middle side of the abdomen is sufficient to distinguish most specimens of both sexes from pampeana. Midventral abdominal line marked with fuscus or black, varying from a continuous line on fourth, fifth and sixth visible segments and a linear spot on third, through a short-line spot on each segment. The second antennal segment of the female varies considerably in length and in the degree to which the dorsal ridge is expanded.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 493
Variation. Of the five specimens examined, the shape of the juga ranges from overlapping at the apices to diverging at the apices. Vidal's descriptions of Mecidia pallida and of the form of the species he called virens suggest a range of variations very similar to that observed formajor in North America. Spread. Specimens were examined from the following localities: Gafsa, Tunisia; Minna, Northern Nigeria; Al Huseini (near Lahej), Aden Protectorate and Baghdad, Iraq.
A very pale species which, judging by the characteristics of the male genitalia, is more closely related to the kristensen. The sexual dimorphism of antennae common to all Mecidea is more extreme in pallidissima than in any of the other known species of the genus.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 495
Among the specimens studied, those from Chaco and C6rdoba are the largest and darkest, and the males usually have the third segment of the antennae longer than the second. Variation in relative length of the antennal segments is even more pronounced among female specimens.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 497
The black spots on the midline of the venter vary from barely perceptible on the sixth visible segment to well marked on the third, fourth, fifth and.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 499
This species is stated by Wagner to be very closely related to Mecidea pallida, but is easily distinguished from this species by the longer, narrower head, the relatively small eyes, and the shorter second antennal segment. The antennae are described as follows: First segment very short, not reaching apex; second segment, male 0.8 or female 0.84 times as long as head and noticeably flattened; in the male this flattening is most striking, and the flattened part is wider than the segment itself.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 501 MECIDEA STRAMINEA Vldal
Comments.—In his last descriptive sentence regarding Mecidea lepineyi (Vidal not Lindberg) Vidal states that the comparative lengths of the second and third antennal segments are sufficient to identify this species.
STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 503 REFERENCES TO LITERATURE CONCERNED WITH DISTRIBUTION
1-3, Mecideaindica Dallas, from Hoshangabad, Central Provinces, India: 1, lateral vesiculae, dorsal view; 2, penile plates showing penile filum; 3, median.
