Revision of the genus Chelonocoris miller (Hemiptera, Aradidae)

Apterous Aradidae were first brought to the attention of Hemipterists by N. C. E. Miller (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. [11] 1: 498-510, 1938). In fact it can be said that this paper with its excellent illustrations was the stimulus for the striking discoveries that have been made in this group in the past decade. The genus Chelonocoris Miller was proposed for a group of seven (actually 8 as is shown below) very large species from Malaya, Borneo, and (as it now appears) India. The present paper was prompted by the discovery in various European museums of several additional species which extend the known range of the genus to Java and Sumatra. In order to place these new species a key was prepared. The first key was based on Miller's types and was written while studying at the British Museum (Natural History) in 1949. A drastic revision of the key was necessitated when the species from Java and Sumatra were added. With the addition of the Sunda Island material certain inconsistencies became evident in the recorded distribution of the previously described species. I am indebted to N. C. E. Miller and W. E. China for their generous aid in straightening out these matters and for checking the revised key. It now appears that two species were included under the name Chelonocoris peregrinus Miller. The type is from Aring which is not in North Borneo but in India. The Malayan specimens represent a new species which is described below and dedicated to N. C. E. Miller in recognition of his pioneer work on apterous Aradidae. Another error which was detected by Miller and China is the drawing of the apex of the mesonotum in Chelonocoris malayensis (fig. 5c). Actually the mesonotum forms a continuous ridge in the female as in the male.