Diognetus puspae, Yasunaga & Schwartz & Chérot, 2023

Yasunaga, Tomohide, Schwartz, Michael D. & Chérot, Frédéric, 2023, Revision of the plant bug genus Diognetus, with descriptions of thirteen new species from the Oriental and Eastern Palearctic Regions (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 63 (1), pp. 1-55 : 37

Diognetus puspae sp. nov.

( Figs 2E− F , 17F , 20A− C , 34A–F )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, NEPAL: BAGMATI: Laritpur, Godawari, Taukhel-Kodetar , 27.5999, 85.3555, fruits of Trema sp. , 16 Jun 2006, T. Yasunaga ( NMTU) ( AMNH _ PBI 00380753 ) . PARATYPE: NEPAL: Same data as for holotype, 1 J ( TYCN).

Description. Male. Body elongate ovoid, relatively small in size, 4.3–4.7 mm in total length. COLORATION: General coloration castaneous to dark brown ( Figs 2E− F ); dorsum somewhat tinged with red. Antennae pale brown; apical 1/6–1/5 of segment II, whole segment III and segment IV (except for pale base of III) dark brown. Labium pale brown; almost entire segment I and apex of segment IV darkened ( Fig. 2E ). Pronotum relatively shining, with discontinuous posterior dark band and yellowish brown posterior margin ( Fig. 2F ); calli area somewhat darkened; scutellum with creamy yellow apex; pleura dark brown ( Fig. 17F ); metathoracic scent efferent system creamy yellow. Hemelytron partly with darker maculae; cuneus tinged with red; membrane smoky brown, with yellowish veins and a pair of pale, semitransparent marks posterior to cuneus. Coxae and legs pale brown; each femur with two apical dark rings ( Fig. 2F ); apical half of each tarsomere III darkened. Ventral surface of abdomen brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in generic diagnosis; scutellum and hemelytron sparsely and finely punctate. STRUCTURE: Eye relatively small; vertex as wide as an eye in dorsal view. Antennal segment II shortest among known congeners, about as long as mesotibia, shorter than metafemur, slightly incrassate towards apex. Labium reaching but not exceeding apex of metacoxa, much longer than antennal segment II. Scutellum slightly arched. Metathoracic scent efferent system as in Fig. 34B . Tarsi long and slender; metatarsomere I less than half as long as II or III ( Fig. 34C ). MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 20A–C , 34D–F ): Left paramere with triangular basal protuberance of sensory lobe ( Figs 20A , 34D ); hypophysis of right paramere oblique ( Figs 20B , 34F ); vesica ( Figs 20C , 34F ) with distinct horn-like spicule that is punctate at basal half; MS notched apically; RS well-sclerotized, with spinulate apex.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements. See Table 1.

Differential diagnosis. Recognized by its short antennal segment II that is about as long as mesotibia; yellow apex of scutellum; triangular protuberance of left paramere; and distinct vesical spicule that is punctate basally. Judging from similar male genitalia, this new species is most closely related to D. flavigenis , from which D. puspae sp. nov. can be distinguished readily by the shorter antennal segment II, longer labium and different color pattern of the femora, in addition to their disjunct distributions.

Etymology. Named for Ex-Assoc. Prof. Pusp Keshari Shrestha (NMTU) who greatly supported works of the author in Nepal (2005–2007).

Biology. Two male adults were collected from fruits of Trema sp. However, the breeding host is yet to be confirmed.

Distribution. Nepal (Kathmandu Valley).

Comments. See comments under D. minusculus sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 2. Habitus images for Diognetus species from Nepal.A–C – D. bagmaticus sp. nov.; D – a female identical to D. dhamphus sp. nov. (from Langtang Himal National Park, Rasuwa, NMTU); E – D. duwalorum sp. nov., holotypeJ; F–G, D. puspae sp. nov., sucking on banana fruit; H – a female identical to D. intonsus Distant, 1904 (from Langtang Himal National Park).

Fig. 17. Habitus images of Diognetus spp. A−C − D. minusculus sp. nov., J (A) and ♀ (B−C); D−E − D. pilosus, J (D) and ♀ (E); F − D. puspae sp. nov., J. Scale bar 2 mm.

Fig. 20. Male genitalia of Diognetus puspae sp. nov. (A−C) and D. schuhorum sp. nov. (D−F).A, E − left paramere; B, E − right paramere; C, F − vesica (endosoma). Scale bars 0.2 mm.

Fig. 34. Scanning electron micrographs for Diognetus puspae sp. nov.,J (A−F), D.schuhorum sp. nov., holotypeJ (G−I), and D.styrax sp. nov., holotype J (J, L, M−O) and ♀ (K). A, G, J, K − anterior body, left lateral view; B, L − pleura and scent efferent system, left lateral view; C, N − metatarsus; D − left paramere; E − right paramere; F − vesica (endosoma); H − apex of labium; I − apex of pygophore with parameres, left lateral view; M − scutellum and adjacent structures, left lateral view; N − metatarsus; O − pygophore, left lateral view.