Lopidolon Poppius, 1911

Yeshwanth, H. M. & Konstantinov, Fedor V., 2021, Review of the plant bug tribe Eccritotarsini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of India and Sri Lanka with description of two new genera and six new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 745, pp. 1-69 : 15-17

Lopidolon Poppius, 1911

Figs 6D–J , 7 , 17–18 , 25B , 27E

Lopidolon Poppius, 1911: 6 .

Bromeliaemiris Schumacher, 1919: 223 , syn. nov.

Mertilanidea Ghauri, 1975: 614–615 (syn. with Bromeliaemiris by Carvalho 1981b: 54).

Type species

Lopidolon sordidus Poppius, 1911 (by monotypy).

Diagnosis

Recognized by the following characters: Antenna short, with segment I distinctly shorter than vertex width, segment II 1.0–1.3× as long as head width, segment III distinctly shorter than head width, segment IV shorter than segment I; body clothed with dense, long and thin, erect to semierect simple setae; dorsum with shallow punctures, pale brown to reddish yellow coloration with dark longitudinal interrupted stripes; eyes sessile, somewhat removed from anterior margin of pronotum by characteristically welldeveloped postocular region of vertex ( Figs 6D–J , 7 ); labium reaching hind coxa; pronotal collar wide, slightly narrowing towards midline; calli almost confluent, separated by a small deep pit; pronotal collar and calli separated by impressed lines forming characteristic subtriangular region in between; posterior margin of pronotum sinuate, mesonotum broadly exposed; membrane two-celled, with larger cell angulate, extending far beyond apex of cuneus and smaller cell narrow, located along inner margin of cuneus; genital capsule highly modified, with large, lobate posterior process and usually with additional lateral outgrowths ( Figs 17C–D , 18A–B ); parameres and aedeagus reduced, very small ( Fig. 18C–E ); aedeagus with entirely membranous phallotheca, simple membranous endosoma and a sclerotized, spine-like apical part of the ductus seminis ( Fig. 18F ).

Host

Herein the genus Lopidolon is redefined to include Bromeliaemiris spp. Host information is available for half of the 14 congeners and supports a host association with orchids. Ghauri (1975) indicated Vanilla sp. ( Orchidaceae ) as a host in the original description of L. fasciatus . Hsiao (1944) described several species shipped to the USA in cargo on various orchids, particularly on Phalaenopsis grandiflora Lindl. ( L. viridipictus ( Hsiao, 1944) , shipped to San Francisco from Philippines), Phalaenopsis schilleriana Rchb. f., Phalaenopsis sanderiana Rchb. f. ( L. marginatus ( Hsiao, 1944) , shipped to Hawaii from Philippines), Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume, Dendrobium superbum Rchb. f. ( L. dissimilis ( Hsiao, 1944) , shipped to Hawaii from Philippines), Dendrobium superbiens Rchb. f. ( L. puncticollis ( Hsiao, 1944) , shipped to Hawaii from Australia), unidentified orchids ( L. nigritus ( Hsiao, 1944) , shipped to San Francisco from Borneo). Schumacher (1919) indicated “various bromeliads” as a host for L. bicolor Schumacher, 1919 , the type species of Bromeliaemiris , but Bromeliaceae are not native to the Oriental Region. Two specimens of L. dandeliensis sp. nov. from Nandhi hills were collected on Diplocentrum recurvum Lindl. (Orchidaceae) ( Fig. 27E ).

Distribution

India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea, and Australia ( Hsiao 1944; Carvalho 1981a).

Remarks

The genus Lopidolon was originally described to accommodate L. sordidus Poppius, 1911 known from a single female collected from Pattipola, Sri Lanka ( Poppius 1911). Lopidolon pallescens , also known from a single female, was described a year later from Pulney, Tamil Nadu province of India ( Poppius 1912). No information on the genus has been published since then. In the current work, we add a new species, Lopidolon dandeliensis sp. nov., based on specimens collected from Karnataka province, India.

The genus Bromeliaemiris Schumacher, 1919 is known from Mayanmar, Java, Borneo, Philippines, New Guinea, and Australia and currently contains 11 species ( Hsiao 1944; Carvalho 1981a). Hsiao (1944) noted that Bromeliaemiris might be a synonym of Lopidolon but refrained from formal synonymy due to lack of material.

Stonedahl (1988) did not specifically addressed the genera Bromeliaemiris and Lopidolon but outlined the putatively monophyletic group of six Oriental genera, viz. Anthropophagiotes Kirkaldy, 1908 , Bromeliaemiris , Harpedona , Lopidolon , Mertila Distant, 1904 , and Notidius Hsiao, 1944 . According to Stonedahl, the defining characters of this group include the relatively long labium always reaching mesocoxae, the characteristic area with faint trichia at base of antennal segment II, the weakly inflated peritreme, the two-celled hemelytral membrane with narrow smaller cell stretching along inner margin of cuneus, and the greatly reduced parameres and aedeagus. Members of this group also have distinct calli, with an anteriorly and posteriorly delimited area with deep depression, which usually gives an impression of a second pronotal collar ( Figs 6D , 7F ).

Our observations coincide with those of Hsiao (1944) and Stonedahl (1988). Both Lopidolon and Bromeliaemiris share all characters indicated by Stonedahl (1988) for the Harpedona -group. They also show no distinctions in size, body proportion, vestiture, color pattern, and characteristic structure of the antenna, head, pronotum, and hemelytron ( Figs 6D–I , 7 ). Therefore, we synonymize Bromeliaemiris Schumacher, 1919 with Lopidolon Poppius, 1911 , resulting in the following 11 new combinations: Lopidolon bicolor ( Schumacher, 1919) , L. dissimilis ( Hsiao, 1944) ( Fig. 7A–B ), L. fasciatus ( Ghauri, 1975) , L. gressiti (Carvalho, 1981) , L. marginatus ( Hsiao, 1944) ( Fig. 7C–D ), L. morobensis (Carvalho, 1981) , L. nigripictus ( Hsiao, 1944) ( Fig. 7F ), L. nigritus ( Hsiao, 1944) , L. puncticollis ( Hsiao, 1944) ( Fig. 7E ), L. rubrinus (Carvalho, 1981) , and L. viridipictus ( Hsiao, 1944) ( Fig. 7G ).

Within the Harpedona -group, Lopidolon is most similar to Mertila . Anthropophagiotes , a monotypic genus described from a single female from Fiji, clearly differs from other Harpedona -group genera in the distinctly protruding head, strongly dilated antennal segment II, and shape of the pronotum. The monotypic genus Notidius , also described and still known from a single female collected in Borneo, differs in having a large and strongly declivent head, oval body with a gradually convex costal margin of hemelytron, cuneus only slightly longer than wide, and dark castaneous coloration. Harpedona may be easily distinguished by the narrow body with basal width of pronotum not exceeding 1.5× of the head width and the distinct constriction at the sides of pronotum just behind the calli.

Representatives of the genus Mertila ( Fig. 8 ) differ from those of Lopidolon by the head shape with a weakly convex, slightly protruding frons and large eyes without a postocular region, by the narrow pronotal collar, the comparatively short vestiture, and the characteristically reddish and bluish coloration.

Key to species of the genus Lopidolon of India and Sri Lanka

1. Clypeus dark brown; frons, mandibular and maxillary plates darkened. Pronotum dorsally with two wide, uninterrupted dark brown longitudinal stripes ( Fig. 6G–I ). Posterior angles of pronotum reddish. Sri Lanka..................................................................................... L. sordidus Poppius, 1911

– Head pale brown to reddish-yellow, without a dark pattern or with dark macula along midline on frons. Pronotum dorsally with four dark longitudinal stripes – two at sides of collar and calli and two on disc along midline. Posterior angles of pronotum also darkened. Southwestern India ............... 2

2. Dorsum pale brown with diffuse brown spots and stripes on pronotum and hemelytra ( Fig. 6D–E ). Antennal segment II brown with middle pale brown. Tibiae pale brown, somewhat darkened at middle .................................................................................................... L. pallescens Poppius, 1912

– Dorsum yellow to orange yellow, with large contrasting black spots and stripes ( Fig. 2E– F ). Antennal segment II and tibiae uniformly dark brown, tibiae sometimes dirty yellow at middle ........................................................................................................... L. dandeliensis sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 6. Dorsal view and label data of type specimens. A–C. Jessopocoris scutellatus Carvalho, 1981, ♀, holotype, AMNH_PBI 00340984, BMNH(E) 1633131, NHM. D–F. Lopidolon pallescens Poppius, 1911, ♀, holotype, FMNH, currently retained at AMNH. G–J. Loidolon sordidus Poppius, 1911, ♀, holotype, HNHM.

Fig. 7. Habitus of Lopidolon type specimens. A–B. Lopidolon dissimilis (Hsiao, 1944) comb. nov., ♂, holotype in dorsal and lateral view, USNM. C–D. Lopidolon marginatus (Hsiao, 1944) comb. nov., ♀, holotype in dorsal and lateral view, USNM. E. Lopidolon puncticollis (Hsiao, 1944) comb. nov., ♂, holotype in lateral view, USNM. F. Lopidolon nigripictus (Hsiao, 1944) comb. nov., ♀, holotype in dorsal view, USNM. G. Lopidolon viridipictus (Hsiao, 1944) comb. nov., ♂, holotype in dorsal view, USNM.

Fig. 17. Abdomen of Lopidolon dandeliensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype, UASB. A–B. Abdomen in dorsal and ventral views. C. Apex of abdomen in left lateral view. D. Apex of abdomen in right lateral view.

Fig. 18. Male genitalia of Lopidolon dandeliensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype, UASB. A–B. Genital capsule in dorsal and ventral views. C–D. Left paramere in lateral and dorsal views. E. Right paramere in dorsal view. F. Aedeagus in lateral view.

Fig. 25. Scent gland evaporatory area. A. Harpedona vittlaensis sp. nov., UASB. B. Lopidolon dandeliensis sp. nov., UASB. C. Mertila rubrocephala sp. nov., UASB. D. Stonedahlia mishmiensis gen. et sp. nov., UASB. E. Namyatovia castlerockensis gen. et sp. nov., UASB. F. Namyatovia sirsiensis gen. et sp. nov., UASB.

Fig. 27. Habitats and living specimens. A–B. Harpedona sanguinipes Distant, 1909 on Colocasia esculenta. A. Nymphs.B. Mating adults.C. Prodromus clypeatusDistant, 1904 on banana.D. Stonedahlia mishmiensis gen. et sp. nov. on Colocasia sp. E. Lopidolon dandeliensis sp. nov. on Diplocentrum recurvum. All specimens at UASB.

Fig. 8. Dorsal view, male genitalia and label data of type specimens for Mertila spp. A–C. Mertila bhamo Stonedahl, 1988, holotype, AMNH_PBI 00342529, NHM. D–E. Mertila malayensis Distant, 1904, ♂, lectotype, NHMUK010096278, NHM. F. Mertila malayensis Distant, 1904, paralectotype, AMNH_PBI 00342600, NHM. G. Mertila sarawak Stonedahl,1988, holotype, ♂, NHMUK010096279, NHM. H. Mertila sarawak Stonedahl, 1988, paratype, AMNH_PBI 00342601, NHM.

Fig. 2. Habitus of Ernestinus, Harpedona and Lopidolon spp. A. Ernestinus mimicus Distant, 1911, ♂, UASB. B. Ernestinus ramkeshariae Yasunaga & Ishikawa, 2016, ♂, UASB. C. Harpedona sanguinipes Distant, 1904, ♂, UASB. D. Harpedona vittlaensis sp. nov, ♀, UASB. E–F. Lopidolon dandeliensis sp. nov., UASB. E. ♂. F. ♀.