Peniculimiris Yasunaga & Duwal

Yasunaga, Tomohide & Duwal, Ram Keshari, 2016, A unique new genus and species of the phyline plant bug tribe Hallodapini from the Philippines and Thailand (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Hallodapini), Zootaxa 4173 (3), pp. 251-258 : 252-254

Peniculimiris Yasunaga & Duwal , n. gen.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other hallodapine genera by the following characters: Moderate size in Hallodapini (3.5 mm in total length); rather antlike, elongate and macropterous body form ( Fig. 1 A −C); dark brown basic coloration; matte, velvety, weakly shining dorsum with uniformly distributed, silky, short, reclining setae; wide head; short, uniformly thick antenna ( Figs. 1 C, 2; short labium; bilobed pronotum with anterior lobe almost equal in length to posterior lobe ( Fig. 1 C); a bundle of brush-like, stiff setae medially on scutellum ( Figs. 1 D, 2); presence of a ventral spine on the genital segment of each sex ( Figs. 1 D, 2−4); and smooth phallotheca with deep conjunctiva for a very long male endosoma ( Fig. 3 B −C).

Description. Macropterous; body elongate, relatively ant-mimetic, moderate size in Hallodapini ; basic coloration dark brown; dorsal surface weakly shining, rather matte, with uniformly distributed, silky, short, reclining setae. Head: Oblique, somewhat rounded in front, with densely distributed, silky, reclining setae, carinate laterally between ventral margin of eye and gula; head height subequal to width across eyes; eye comparatively large; frons roundly swollen; clypeus weakly arched. Antenna: Generally short, with each segment similarly broad; segment I shortest; segment II weakly clavate, longer than basal width of pronotum; segments III and IV each with narrowed base and apex, rather spindle-shaped; segment IV a little longer than I. Labium: Slender, short, reaching base of mesocoxa ( Fig. 2 ). Thorax: Pronotum not shining, impunctate, strongly constricted at calli, divided into anterior and posterior lobes that are subequal in mesal length; collar distinct, about as thick as base of antennal segment I; calli area just constricted, truncate, not clearly demarcated from other pronotal surface; scutellum shiny, medially with a bundle of brush-like, stiff setae ( Figs. 1 D, 2); pleura fuscous, matte; metathoracic scent efferent system produced medially, with distinct evaporative area. Hemelytron: Uniformly darkened, velvety, somewhat roughened, moderately deflexed at cuneal fracture. Legs: Generally short; tibial spines short; claw smoothly pointed, with small pulvilli; parempodia setiform, short. Abdomen: basal part nearly truncate, not medially constricted ( Fig. 2 ); male pygophore with a developed, apical spine ventrally [herein termed ‘pygophoral spine’] (P-spine; Figs. 1 D, 2−4); female ovipositor (below middle of abdominal sternum IX) with a sharp spine [‘ovipositoral spine’ sensu Menard & Schuh (2011) and Menard & Woolley (2014)] (O-spine; Figs. 1 D, 2, 4). Male genitali a: As in Figs. 3−4 . Pygophore trapezoidal, ventroapically with tiny notches around a distinct spine ( Fig. 3 D); sensory lobe of left paramere developed, with a dorsal, slender protuberance ( Fig. 3 A); right paramere rather thick, with a tapered hypophysis ( Fig. 3 D); phallotheca with smooth apex with a deep, pouch-like inner extension that is herein regarded as (phallobasal) conjunctiva ( Fig. 3 B, C, arrowed); endosoma very long (length greater than 1/3 of total body length), L-shaped, not coiled or sigmoid, with lanceolate apical portion; secondary gonopore situated subapically ( Fig. 3 B, C, E).

Type species. Peniculimiris meniscus Yasunaga & Duwal , n. sp.

Etymology. From Latin, peniculus (paint brush, pencil) combined with the generic name Miris F., referring to an intriguing brush-like, bundle of setae on the scutellum; masculine.

Discussion. The present new genus is readily recognized by the characters mentioned above. The tribal placement of this genus was at first perplexing with either Hallodapini or Leucophoropterini as possibilities, because some leucophoropterines are also documented to have a similar spine on the genital segment ( Menard & Schuh, 2011). Nonetheless, we herein conclude our taxon is a hallodapine, judging from the generally matte body surface, distinct pronotal collar, not much constricted nor narrowed base of the abdomen and male genitalic structure (e.g., tumid anterodorsal margin of left paramere and very long endosoma a little more than 1/3 of total body length, with secondary gonopore situated subapically). Many hallodapine genera (e.g., Acrorrhinium Noualhier , Cyrtopeltocoris Reuter , Hallodapus Fieber ) are known to possess the conspicuously long endosomas (cf. Schuh, 1984; Yasunaga et al., 2013). Especially, the endosoma in Acrorrhinium spp. is usually very long and strongly sigmoid, twisted and/or coiled as in Fig. 3 H; when resting, it can be retracted in a broad sac (possibly modified structure of conjunctiva) in the pygophore ( Fig. 3 G, arrowed). Peniculimiris has a L-shaped, non-coiled endosoma that is retractable into a long, deep pouch, or developed (modified) conjunctiva ( Fig. 3 B, C, arrowed). The broad sac of Acrorrhinium (for coiled and twisted endosoma) and the deep pouch of Peniculimiris (for elongate endosoma) are assumed to be homologous. Contrastingly, members of the Leucophoropterini are as a rule characterized by the shorter or sometimes tiny endosoma, with the secondary gonopore situated at apex.

A spine on the genital segment (cf. Figs 1−4 ) was recognized in some members of Hallodapini ( Yasunaga, 2012) ; however, the spine is mostly possessed only by males (see Appendix, Fig. 4 ). Within Asian hallodapines, presence of the spine in each sex (both P- and O-spines) as seen in Peniculimiris has hitherto been confirmed only in Clapmarius thanlandana Schuh ( Fig. 4 ). As with the peculiar, scutellar ‘brush-like setae’ ( Fig. 2 ), the functions of these spines are yet to be clearly demonstrated. Nevertheless, we presume the well-developed P- and O-spines in Peniculimiris meniscus may stabilize the mating position, to adjust the elongate male endosoma properly ( Fig. 4 , upper). The P- and O-spines are supposed to be hooked with each other during copulation. Similar structure is also found in males of Leucophoropterini with the highly antlike habitae, and the females have spines on the ventral surface of the ovipositor ( Menard & Schuh, 2011).

Based on presence of both P- and O-spines, Clapmarius Distant is assumed to be closely related to Peniculimiris , although the endosoma of the former is C-shaped, broad and short, with three apical spines ( Fig. 3 F). The head of Peniculimiris is, in spite of lacking any elaboration on the frons, similar in shape to that of Acrorrhinium which also possess the very long endosoma and distinct pouch-like conjunctiva. Judging from available evidences, we currently suggest Acrorrhinium and Clapmarius as the most closely related taxa to our new genus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus images of Peniculimiris meniscus, a female from Thailand (AMNH _ PBI 00380441) (A − D), and assumed hallodapine relatives, Clapmarius thailandana Schuh (E) and Acrorrhinium tritonion Yasunaga, Yamada & Artchawakom (F).

FIGURE 2. Habitus images of Peniculimiris meniscus, holotype male (Philippines) and paratype female (Thailand), named on figures.

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia of Peniculimiris meniscus, holotype (A − E) and Clapmarius thailandana (F) and Acrorrhinium tritonion (G − H). A. Left paramere. B. Pygophore, dorsal view. C. Ditto, ventral view. D. Ditto, right lateral view. E. Ditto, right dorsolateral view. F & H. Endosoma. G. Pygophore, dorsal view. Arrowed: Pouch-like inner extension of phallotheca, or conjunctiva. Scale bars 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Genital segments of Peniculimiris meniscus and five other hallodapine species (see Appendix), named on figures.