Cathaycoris, Bai, Heiss & Cai, 2017

Bai, Xiaoshuan, Heiss, Ernst & Cai, Wanzhi, 2017, A new genus and three new species of apterous Carventinae from China (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 57 (1), pp. 35-46 : 37-38

Cathaycoris gen. nov.

Type species. Cathaycoris bibulbosus sp. nov., here designated.

Description. Head about as long as wide across eyes; genae produced over clypeus, cleft at middle; antenniferous lobes short and blunt; antennae about 1.7 times as long as width of head, segment I thickest and longest, the following thinner and shorter; eyes globose, not inserted in head; postocular lobes with lateral tooth, then converging to neck. Rostrum arising from a slit-like atrium, shorter than head.

Pronotum about twice as wide as long; collar large, triangularly produced posteriorly, laterally separated from anterolateral angles by an incision; disk with 2(1+1) smooth callosities, lateral sclerites produced anterolaterally, lateral margin concave, posterior margin sinuate, delimited by a transverse carina, raised at humeri.

Mesonotum consisting of a T-shaped scutellum-like, median, posteriorly elevated sclerite, which is fused to 2 (1+1) oval lateral expansions, interpreted as wing pad rudiments; posterior margin of mesonotum fused to metanotum, both delimited by a deep transverse sulcus.

Metanotum. The 2 (1+1) sclerites situated in the lateral margin of the median scutellar projection of mesonotum are of polygonal shape, their surface being irregularly rugose; fused to mtgI, its fusion line marked by a thin suture.

Mtg I+II fused without being delimited by a visible fusion line, of trapezoidal shape; mtgI strongly elevated at middle into 2 (1+1) granulate humps, higher than adjacent median mesonotal elevation; mtg II sloping posteriorly to transverse suture separating it from tergal plate; surface except humps deeply impressed.

Abdomen. Tergal plate with large median elevation highest on mtg IV+V sloping laterally; deltg II+III fused, triangular, anteriorly reaching mesonotum; deltg III–VII separated by sutures; lateral margin with dorsally reflexed vltg V–VII visible as lateral expansions on deltg V–VII; tergite VII strongly raised in male for accommodating the pygophore.

Venter. Prosternum with a median ridge, meso- and metasternum and mstII flat at middle, tooth-like projections directed to coxae not developed; surface of pleural regions rugose, that of sternites III–VII smooth and shiny at middle, rugose laterally of lateral apodemes; spiracles II ventral, III–IV sublateral close to lateral margin and slightly visible from above, V–VII lateral on dorsally reflexed vltg V–VII and visible from above, VIII terminal on ptg VIII; sternite VII of male bears a large glabrous round tubercle, produced posteriorly below the reflexed vltg VII and visible from above.

Legs long and slender, unarmed, claws with thin pulvilli.

Differential diagnosis. Apterous, medium sized; surface of body and appendages are granular and rather mat, tergal plate is glabrous except the median elevation; coloration is black. Distinguished from other genera by sharing the conspicuous T-shaped mesonotum as follows. There are only three apterous genera of Oriental Carventinae sharing the triangularly produced, T-shaped scutellum-like mesonotum extending to mtgI – Apteraradus Drake, 1957 from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Sunda Islands, Taiwanaptera Heiss & Nagashima, 2008 from Taiwan and Japan, and Parataiwanaptera Heiss, 2010 from Vietnam. Cathaycoris gen. nov. differs from the preceding genera at first glance by the high median elevations on mesonotum, mtgI and tergal plate (which are flat in the other genera), by the shape of pronotum, and the distinct lateral tooth of the postocular lobes.

Etymology. Refers to ‘ Cathay ’ the ancient name for China used by the famous European traveller Marco Polo when returning to Venice in 1295 and ‘ coris ’, the Greek word for bug. The gender is masculine.