Macropes complanus, Gao, Cuiqing & Bu, Wenjun, 2010

Gao, Cuiqing & Bu, Wenjun, 2010, A review of the Macropes Motschulsky (Hemiptera: Lygaeoidea: Blissidae) from China, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 2366, pp. 55-68 : 62-64

Macropes complanus sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 I; 3C, I, L)

Body stout, robust, nearly parallel sided. Head, pronotum, and scutellum elevation black, shining, with apex of tylus, and distal end of scutellum reddish-brown; area across pronotal humeri yellowish brown, lighter coloration of pronotal humeri reaching posterior margin of transverse impression. Scutellum becoming pruinose narrowly along anterior and lateral margins. 1st antennal segment red-brown with 2nd to 4th antennal segments darker brown. All femora dark red-brown to black, apices of femora and tibiae red-brown, tarsi lighter. Clavus and corium light yellow testaceous; becoming suffused reddish brown along inner margin of clavus, apical corial margin, cubital vein, and adjacent distal area of radial vein, contrasting with light coloration of remainder of corium; membrane light, semi-translucent, the veins slightly darker. Abdomen above and below dark reddish brown to dark brown, medial of the sterna and lateral connexival margins very narrowly bright reddish brown. Head rugulose, with relatively sparse and shallow punctures. Pronotum and scutellum closely and shallowly punctuate, more coarsely so across pronotal transverse impression, calli relatively smooth, shining, with a prominent fovea in center of each callus; outer-lateral area of calli transversely rugulose. Thickly clothed with long upright and semi-decumbent hairs laterally on pronotum, and clothed with short decumbent on transverse impression.

Head non-declivent, moderately convex across vertex; tylus exceeding distal end of 1st antennal segment; eyes prominent, set slightly away from anterolateral pronotal angles on narrow lateral head extensions; ocelli prominent. Head length 0.64, width 0.80, interocular space 0.49. Lateral margins of pronotum slightly expanded from humeri to calli area, then evenly angulately narrowing to anterior margin, so pronotum across calli widest; transverse impression broad, shallow, complete; anterior lobe with a faint median longitudinal impression composed of two rows of longitudinal punctures; posterior margin lunately concave with posterior lobes strongly produced laterad of scutellum, almost extending to half the length of scutellum, pronotum length at median line 1.50, at posterolateral pronotal lobe 2.00, maximum width 1.60. Scutellum with shallow median elevation on distal 2/3, length scutellum 0.58, width 0.68. Hemelytra with lateral corial margins slightly sinuate, nearly parallel, basal 3/5 of radial vein carinate, membrane tapering evenly to rounded apex, reaching anterior 1/5 to 1/2 of 7th abdominal tergum, leaving connexivum partially exposed, distance from apex clavus to apex corium 1.08, from apex corium to apex abdomen 2.60. Fore femur strongly incrassate, armed below with two rows of sharp spines, without any bifid spine, middle and hind femora slightly incrassate, curve outwards, mutic. Metathoracic scent gland auricle elongate, bar-like. Labium extending between fore coxae or posterior margin of prosternum, 1st segment not reaching base of head, length labial segments I 0.46, II 0.40, III 0.36, IV 0.26. Antennae with segments I columnar-like, II and III slightly clavate, IV narrowly fusiform, length antennal segments I 0.24, II 0.48, III 0.44, IV 0.74. Total length 6.85. Pygophore opening, paramere and aedeagus as shown in Fig. 3C , I, L.

Diagnosis. The importance of the new species is that it represents a transitional form between the Macropes femoralis complex and the Macropes punctatus complex (Slater et al. 1969). The nearly uniformly yellow testaceous clavus and corium, the transparent membrane, the mutic middle and hind femora, an elongate bar-like metathoracic scent gland auricle, the outer lobe of paramere located more distally along the shaft and the shape of the pygophore opening more broad--all of these characters relate M. complanus sp. nov. to the Macropes femoralis complex. However, the elongate body, the posterolateral pronotal lobes strongly produced caudally, the lateral area shining contrast with the dull mesal portion of the corium--all these features of the new species fit with the Macropes punctatus complex. This situation suggests that we need to reconsider the species complexes of the genus.

Both M. complanus sp. nov. and M. robustus are the species with robust body, broad and flat pronotum, and pale hemelytra. However, the latter body is smaller distinctly (body length 5.75), posterolateral pronotal lobes slightly produced caudally ( Fig. 2 D), shining area of scutellum restricted to the elevated mesal strip.

The very strongly produced caudally posterolateral pronotal lobes of the new species are similar to M. lobatus , but the hemelytra of the new species is nearly of uniformly light color (with a variegated black and white pattern on hemelytra in M. lobatus ); the middle and hind femora are mutic (with a row of tiny spines in M. lobatus ); the mesal length is nearly equal to the width of pronotum (greater than the width of pronotum in M. lobatus ); nonpruinose area of scutellum narrow (scutellum all dull pruinose gray in M. lobatus ); the produced caudolateral lobes of the new species are slightly shorter; and the details of color of corium and the shape of metathoracic scent gland auricle are different, too.

The new species can be separated from M. uniformis Scott by having the posterolateral pronotal lobes strongly produced caudally; body larger (6.85 vs. 4.14); and pronotal pubescence denser.

Material. Holotype: male, Shangyong, Mengla (21.4°N, 101.5°E), Yunnan, China, 20. IX. 1979, Leyi Zheng. Paratypes: 16 males and 1 female, same data with holotype; 1 male, Ruili (24.0° N, 97.8° E), Yunnan, China, 31. VIII. 1979, Leyi Zheng.

Etymology. The specific name complanus of the new species is a Latin adjective, referring to the dorsal view of the new species which appears distinctly flattened.

Figures

FIGURE 2. (A) M. major; (B) M. testaceus sp. nov.; (C) M. harringtonae; (D) M. robustus; (E) M. monticolus; (F) M. obnubilus; (G) M. dilutus; (H) M. raja ； (I) M. complanus sp. nov.; (J) M. spinimanus. Each scale bar equal 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. A – E: Paramere. (A) M. dentipes; (B) M. dilutus; (C) M. complanus sp. nov.; (D) M. testaceus sp. nov.; (E) M. peculiaris sp. nov.. F – K: Pygophore. (F) M. dentipes; (G) M. dilutus; (H) M. varipennis; (I) M. complanus sp. nov.; (J) M. testaceus sp. nov.; (K) M. peculiaris sp. nov.. (L) M. complanus sp. nov., aedeagus, lateral view; (M) M. testaceus sp. nov., aedeagus, lateral view; (N) M. testaceus sp. nov., ejaculatory reservoir, dorsal view; (O) M. peculiaris sp. nov., aedeagus, lateral view; (P) M. peculiaris sp. nov., ejaculatory reservoir, dorsal view. Each scale bar equal 0.1 mm.