Loricula Curtis, 1833

Yasunaga, Tomohide & Yamada, Kazutaka, 2017, Review of the microphysid genus Loricula Curtis in Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Microphysidae), with descriptions of three new species, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (21 - 22), pp. 1209-1227 : 1211-1213

Genus Loricula Curtis

Loricula Curtis, 1833: 197 , type species by monotypy

L. pselaphiformis Curtis, 1833: 197

Henry 1988: 250 (cat.)

Péricart 1996: 79 (cat.)

Yasunaga 2001: 111 (diag.)

Wachmann et al. 2004: 9 (diag.)

Aukema et al. 2013: 75 (cat.)

Diagnosis

Japanese species of Loricula are recognised principally by the following characters: moderate to large size for microphysids (1.7–3.0 mm in total length, but micropterous female around 1.5 mm); basic colouration brownish, partly or largely reddish; male adult always macropterous, with rather long, delicate fore wings; female rounded, pot-shaped, either coleopteroid (fore wing roundly covering abdomen as in ladybirds of the Coccinellidae ; Figures 1 (c) and 2(c,e)) or micropterous in wing form ( Figure 2 (d)) or staphylinoid; antennal segment II usually longer than IV; female pronotum trapezoid or campanulate, with more or less projected posterior angle (except for micropterous form with truncate pronotum, modified mesoscutum and scutellum, and widely separated, ear-like hemelytral pads Figures 3 (a), 6(d)); posterior margin of pronotum concaved in both sexes; scent gland with narrow but recognisable evaporative area ( Figure 4 (i)); male fore wing membrane with a single, thick-veined cell and its posterior angle with a stub, or processus corial ( Figures 2 (b), 3(f)); and male parameres more or less asymmetrical.

Distribution

Found extensively in the Palearctic Region.

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus images of live individuals for Japanese Loricula species, and two other cimicomorphan bugs for comparison. (a) Loricula miyamotoi sp. nov., male (from Ehime, Shikoku). (b) Same (Tochigi, Honshu). (c) L. pilosella Miyamoto, coleopteroid female (Hokkaido). (d) Xylocoris ampoli Yamada and Yasunaga (Anthocoridae), macropterous female, with abdomen expanded due to matured eggs (from Suphan Buri, Thailand). (e) Same, brachypterous female. (f) Hallodapus kyushuensis Miyamoto (Miridae: Phylinae), male (Nagasaki, Japan). (g) Same, brachypterous female (Okinawa, Japan, courtesy of Mr M. Takai).

Figure 2. Habitus images of dry-preserved specimens of Japanese Loricula species.(a–c) L. miyamotoi sp. nov. (d) L. nikko sp. nov. (e) L. pilosella Miyamoto.

Figure 3. Habitus images (a–e: head and thorax, f–g: whole body) of Japanese Loricula species. (a) L. nikko sp. nov. (b) L. pilosella Miyamoto. (c–e) L. miyamotoi sp. nov. (f–g) L. yakushima sp. nov.

Figure 4. Compound microscope images showing detailed morphology for L. miyamotoi sp. nov., female specimen. (a) Dorsal habitus. (b) Ventral habitus. (c) Compound eye. (d) Head, ventral view. (e) Thorax, dorsal view. (f) Antenna and labium. (g) Thorax, ventral surface. (h) Thorax, with basal fore wing. (i) Metathoracic scent efferent system. (j) Protarsus. (k) Metatarsus. Abbreviations: AP, apodemal process; CX, coxa; EV, evaporative area; Ms: meso; Mt: meta; OS, ostiole; ST, sternum.