© Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Lace bugs of Namibia (Heteroptera, Tingoidea, Tingidae)1 J. DECKERT & U. GÖLLNER-SCHEIDING Abstract: This paper provides locality records and host plant data for 85 species in 32 genera of Namib- ian Tingidae. Three new species are described: Ammianus ernsti nov.sp., Cysteochila bassoni nov.sp., and Cysteochila rusti nov.sp. Forty-three species are recorded for the first time from Namibia. A key to the genera found in Namibia is presented. Key words: Afrotropical Tingidae, distribution, key, Namibia. Introduction oligophagous on a group of related plants, but some species are polyphagous and feed More than 2000 species of lace bugs in on species of several different plant families. approximately 270 genera are known world- wide. One third of all known lace bugs oc- The lion’s share of Tingidae, more than curs in Africa, which amounts to more than 95 % of the described species, belongs to the 600 species in 121 genera (GÖLLNER-SCHEI- subfamily Tinginae. Many genera of Tingi- DING 2004a). Forty-two species of Tingidae nae remain poorly defined and several are have been recorded previously from Namib- almost certainly not monophyletic. LIS ia and the present study increases this num- (1999) and GUILBERT (2001, 2004) dis- ber to 85 species in 32 genera. cussed two contradicting views of the family and subfamily level classification of Tin- Tingidae are mainly distributed in the goidea. One of the main differences be- tropical and temperate zones. All species are of small size. Their total length is usually be- tween these two classifications is the posi- tween two and four millimetres, but a few tion and treatment of Cantacader and some species measure less than two or up to eight related species groups as either a separate millimetres. The adults of lace bugs have family and the sister group of Tingidae (LIS wings with a network of veins and their 1999) or as subfamily nested within Tingi- English common name refers to this lace- dae (GUILBERT 2001, 2004). Here we in- like surface texture of the fore wings. The clude the three Namibian species of Canta- pronotum is sculptured with ornamenta- cader as Cantacaderinae within Tingidae. tions, which are very elaborate in some species, and then may give the insects a very Methods and bizarre appearance. The slowly moving in- depository of material sects are phytophagous in all developmental stages and they usually feed on the under- The material is deposited in the collec- side of leaves. When lace bugs infest native tion of Heteroptera of the “Museum für plants, this infestation remains frequently Naturkunde Berlin“ and in the National In- without economic consequences. However, sect Collection at the National Museum of on ornamental plants or cultivated crops Namibia in Windhoek. We collected during they may achieve pest status (NEAL & several field trips to Namibia since 1989, SCHAEFER 2000). Most Tingidae are either some of which were conducted in the frame- adapted to a single host plant or they are work of the research project BIOTA-Africa. Denisia 19, zugleich Kataloge der OÖ. Landesmuseen 1In dedication to Ernst Heiss on his 70th birthday. Neue Serie 50 (2006), 823–856 823 © Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Namibia; Plant Protection Research Insti- tute Pretoria, and Museum Cape Town, South Africa. Voucher specimens of other Tingidae that were collected in Namibia are deposited in the National Insect Collection Windhoek, National Museum in Wind- hoek. Results Cantacaderinae STÅL 1873 Genus Cantacader AMYOT & SERVILLE 1843 The 34 known species of Cantacader are restricted to the Eastern Hemisphere. They are known from Saudi-Arabia and Yemen to Africa, Asia and Australia. Three species of 18 Afrotropical Cantacader are found in Namibia. Host plants of the African species are unknown. Cantacader afzelii STÅL 1873 (Fig. 1) Fig. 1: Cantacader afzelii (head and Distribution: Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, pronotum, total body length 5 mm). Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Co- moros, Congo, Dem. Rep. Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozam- “BIOTA“ is the abbreviation for “Biodiver- bique, Namibia, Nigeria, Réunion, Sierra Leone, sity Monitoring Transect Analysis in Tanzania, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Su- Africa“. The main objective of this project dan, Zambia. is to document and monitor biodiversity in Namibia: Katima-Mulilo III 1992 (at light). Host: unknown. time and space (SCHMIEDEL & JÜRGENS 2005). The data based on the collected Cantacader attenuatus specimens and host plant records are supple- DISTANT 1902 (Fig. 2) mented with previously published data from Distribution: Namibia, South Africa (Western the literature. If no other references are Cape Province). mentioned, data for general distribution and Namibia: Popa Falls II 1992 (at light). host plants are based on DRAKE & RUHOFF Host: unknown. (1965) and GÖLLNER-SCHEIDING (2004a, Cantacader tenuipes STÅL 1866 2004b, 2004c). Distribution: Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Detailed information for more than 100 Cameroon, Congo, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, collecting sites (Map 1) is given in the ap- Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, pendix. We use the current names for the Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, provinces in South Africa, also in data de- Tanzania, Zambia, but so far not collected in South Africa. Occurs also in Saudi-Arabia and rived from the literature. If we do not pro- Yemen. vide the current name, this indicates that Namibia: Mile 46 III 2002 (at light), Popa Falls II we did not trace the exact place. 1992 (sieved at Okavango banks), Mahango The holotypes of the new species are de- Game Reserve XI 1993 (at light), and “S. W. posited in the National Insect Collection at Africa“ (LINNAVUORI 1977). Host: unknown. the National Museum in Windhoek. Paratypes are placed in the following muse- ums: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Ger- many; National Museum Windhoek, 824 © Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Fig. 2: Cantacader tenuipes (4.7 mm). Fig. 3: Afrotingis mboloko (1.4 mm). Fig. 4: Agramma maynei (2.3 mm). Tinginae LAPORTE 1832 Varianto III 2005, Windhoek III 2004. Genus Afrotingis DRAKE & HILL 1964 Host: Grewia flava DC. (Malvaceae), a plant with southern African distribution. Afrotingis contains three African species that are known only from few records. All Genus Agramma STEPHENS 1829 three species may occur in Namibia, but on- (Serenthia SPINOLA 1837) ly the two species listed below are docu- Agramma is distributed in Asia, Africa, mented so far. The third species, Afrotingis and Europe. Forty-four Afrotropical species eumenes DRAKE & HILL 1964, was collected belong to the genus, two were collected in in Botswana, Ethiopia, South Africa, Sudan, Namibia. and Yemen so far. It was found on the shrubs Grewia mollis JUSS. and Grewia tenax Agramma maynei (FORSSK.) FIORI (Malvaceae), the latter also (SCHOUTEDEN 1916) (Fig. 4) occurs in Namibia (CRAVEN 1999). Distribution: Angola, Dem. Rep. Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Afrotingis elachys Tanzania, Zambia. RAKE UHOFF (D & R 1961) Namibia: Ameib Farm II 1972 (DUARTE RO- (Leptopharsa elachys DRAKE & RUHOFF 1961) DRIGUES 1989), Okahandja XII 1927 (DUARTE Distribution: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa. RODRIGUES 1982b), Daan Viljoen Game Reserve Namibia: Windhoek IX 1920 (type locality). III 1994, Katima-Mulilo III 1992. Host: Pappea capensis ECKL. & ZEYH (Sapin- Host: unknown. daceae). This plant is widespread in southern Africa as well as in eastern and southern tropical Agramma peringueyi (DISTANT 1904) Africa (COATES PALGRAVE 2002). (Serenthia karisimbiensis SCHOUTEDEN 1953) Distribution: Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Afrotingis mboloko LINNAVUORI 1977 Rwanda, South Africa (Western and Northern (Fig. 3) Cape Province). Distribution: Burkina Faso, Namibia, Sudan, Namibia: Oranjemund, Long Island, IX 1994. Zambia. Host: unknown. Namibia: Eden III 2005, Otjiamongombe V 2003, Okaparakaha III 2004, Toggekry V 2003, 825 © Biologiezentrum Linz/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at Fig. 5: Ammianus alaticollis (4.5 mm). Fig. 6: Ammianus echo (4.5 mm). Fig. 7: Ammianus ernsti nov.sp. (male, 5.3 mm). Genus Ammianus DISTANT 1903 Ammianus junodi (DISTANT 1904) (Fig. 8) (Phyllontocheila STÅL 1855, Kitoko SCHOUTEDEN Distribution: Botswana, Cameroon, Dem. Rep. 1953, Monanthia [Phyllontochila] STÅL 1866) Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Thirty-two species are distributed in the Nigeria, South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Afrotropical region, several of them only in Province), Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zam- Madagascar, five are known from Namibia. bia. Namibia: Andara VIII 1971 (DUARTE RODRIGUES Ammianus species also live in Asia. 1982e), Gelukkie III 1992, Katima-Mulilo III 1992 (at light), Van Bach Damm X 2002, Wind- Ammianus alaticollis (STÅL 1855) (Fig. 5) hoek III 1989. Distribution: Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Host: unknown. Namibia, South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, North- Ammianus spinosus (SCHOUTEDEN 1923) ern Province), Tanzania, Zimbabwe. Namibia: Buffalo Base IV 1990, Mahango Game Distribution: Benin, Cameroon, Dem. Rep. Con- Reserve II 1992 / II 1998, Mutompo III 2003, go, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Namib- Popa Falls III 1992, Richthofen 126 VIII 1978 ia, Nigeria, South Africa (Mpumalanga), Tanza- nia, Uganda. (pitfall traps), Rooiwal IV 1989. Namibia: Karakuvisa II 1958 (DUARTE