Amemboides gladiolus, Tran & J.Polhemus, 2009

Tran, A. D. & Polhemus, J. T., 2009, Two new species of the genus Amemboides Polhemus & Andersen, 1984, stat. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Gerridae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 2216, pp. 49-56 : 53-55

Amemboides gladiolus , sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–12)

Material examined. Holotype (apterous male) and allotype (apterous female), Vietnam, Dien Bien Prov., upstream and waterfall of Muong Phang stream, coll. Tran A.D., 28 Jul. 2004, DY0419 ( ZMHU).

Paratypes: VIETNAM: Dien Bien Prov.: 8 males, 5 females (apterous), same as holotype ( ZRC) ; 1male (apterous), small stream, 28 km. SW of Tuan Giao , 210 m elev., 12 April 2000, CL4411, J.T. Polhemus & D.A. Polhemus ( JTPC) .

Description. Size (all apterous): males, length 4.2–4.6 (holotype: 4.6), width 1.46–1.64 (holotype: 1.64); females, length 4.0–4.8 (allotype: 4.5), width 1.78–1.94 (allotype: 1.84).

Colour. Dorsum generally light colour with faint brownish markings; head and pronotum with median light stripe; marginated with faint brownish markings; median light stripe on mesonotum not distinct, only on posterior part; brownish markings expanded on lateral side of pronotum and mesonotum, relatively expanded on median part of mesonotum; mesonotum with dark brown stripe on lateral, about 2/3 (in males) and 4/5 (in females) of its length, running from anterior margin; metanotum dark brown medially and on posterior margin; terga 1 and 2 with dark brown markings; golden pubescence scattered on dark brown markings of metanotum and terga 1–2; silvery spots as typical for the genus (on mesoacetabula and metaacetabula). Venter light yellowish.

Apterous male: Head width 0.95, interocular width 0.52, eye length 0.41. Lengths of antennal segments 1–4: 1.19: 1.19: 1.49: 1.87. Labial segment 3 with long suberect pilosity. Pronotum length: 0.65, mesonotum length: 1.28. Mesosternum length: 1.76, metasternum length: 0.38. Lengths of leg segments (femur: tibia: tarsus 1: tarsus 2): front leg: 1.68: 1.66: 0.16: 0.30; middle leg: 4.26: 2.74: 0.66: 0.41; hind leg: 3.72: 1.76: 0.38: 0.38. Pregenital abdomen length: 0.49. Male genitalia relatively large and wide. Abdominal segment 8: ventral length: 0.56, dorsal 8 length: 0.54, on ventral view, slightly longer than all preceding abdominal sterna combined ( Fig. 8). Pygophore small, posterior evenly convex, slightly posteriorly pointed from ventral view ( Fig. 9). Proctiger elongate with almost parallel sides, around 3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 12). Paramere very long, length ca. 0.6, slightly curved at base, distally straight, rather flat and broad, with relatively broad, rounded apex ( Figs. 10, 11).

Apterous female: Head width 0.96, interocular width 0.54, eye length 0.41. Lengths of antennal segments 1–4: 1.14: 1.24: 1.43: 1.71. Pronotum length: 0.55, mesonotum length: 1.48. Mesosternum length: 1.97, metasternum length: 0.39. Lengths of leg segments: front leg: 1.59: 1.52: 0.13: 0.30; middle leg: 3.97: 2.57: 0.59: 0.42; hind leg: 3.33: 1.70: 0.33: 038. Pregenital abdomen length: 0.83; length of sternite 7: 0.41, subequal to preceding sterna.

Etymology. This species is named for the prominent sword-like paramere of the male.

Remarks. Amemboides gladiolus is very similar to A. yunnanus ( Zettel, Yang & Tran, 2007) , in the structure of genitalia, male front femur, and pubescence of male and female rostrum. However, it can be separated from the latter species by the shape of paramere, antennal segment ratios (segment 3: segment 4), and relative length of segment 8. In males of A. gladiolus , segment 8 is slightly shorter; for the pygophore, the notch near the base of paramere is relatively wide; the paramere is flattened, and the sides of the distal part run parallel for much of their length towards a blunt apex (versus relatively thicker paramere and distal part tapering towards narrowly rounded apex in A. yunnanus ); the pilosity on the paramere is less distinct compared to A. yunnanus . In females of A. gladiolus , the sternum 7 is subequal in length to the preceding sterna (versus distinctly shorter in A. yunnanus ); long hairs on connexival margin are moderately dense (versus long hairs much denser in A. yunnanus ); and the shape of sternum 7 from lateral view is directed downwards (versus abdomen almost straight in A. yunnanus ).

Distribution. Vietnam: Dien Bien.