Paralibiocoris, Bai, Xiaoshuan, Heiss, Ernst & Cai, Wanzhi, 2018

Bai, Xiaoshuan, Heiss, Ernst & Cai, Wanzhi, 2018, The Oriental flat bug genus Libiocoris Kormilev, 1957 revisited: re-examination, synonymy, and description of a new genus (Heteroptera, Aradidae), ZooKeys 789, pp. 115-137 : 116-117

Paralibiocoris gen. n.

Type species.

Libiocoris heissi Bai, Yang & Cai, 2006.

Diagnosis.

General aspect similar to Libiocoris Kormilev, 1957 but is distinguished from the type species Libiocoris poecilus (characters in brackets) by the following set of morphological characters:

• position of spiracles: II ventral, III–VII lateral and visible from above ( II–III ventral IV–V sublateral not visible from above, VI–VII lateral and visible);

• fused deltg II+III shorter, reaching only posterior border of metanotum (Figs 1, 3) (extending forward to half-length of mesonotum which is not shown in Fig. 1 of Kormilev’s (1957) description but mentioned by Usinger and Matsuda’s (1959) redescription, and verified at types (Figs 81, 82);

• presence of a smooth oblique callus on vltg VII of male which is independent of spiracle VII (Figure 12) (lacking and not developed, fig. 4 of Kormilev 1957);

• fused median longitudinal sclerite reaching from pronotum to tergal plate bottle-shaped along meso- and metanotum, then restricted along mtg I+II and carinate, the fusion line between metanotum - mtg I+II marked by a suture (Figs 5, 7) (narrow and subparallel along meso-metanotum with a longitudinal sulcus, fused to but without a suture between metanotum - mtg I+II) (Figs 81, 82);

• median ridge of abdomen distinctly elevated along midline (flat, not developed), dorsally reflexed vltg VII subrectangular (produced posteriorly, long and acute in male, shorter and acute in female);

• shape of male pygophore pyriform, produced posteriorly (wide and short).

Paralibiocoris gen. n. is very similar to Bruneiaptera Heiss, 2011 from Borneo, sharing basic habitus and dorsal thoracic structures; however, in Brunneiaptera all spiracles ( II–VII) are lateral and visible from above.

Description.

Apterous, of small size 4.4-5.8 mm; habitus elongate-oval; legs and antennae beset with small setigerous granules; coloration yellowish to reddish or blackish brown.

Head. Subquadrangular, longer or as wide as distance across eyes; clypeus short, genae slightly produced; antenniferous tubercles short with acute apices; antennae long and slender, first and third and second and fourth segments subequal in length, first stout, incrassate, second and third cylindrical, fourth fusiform; eyes small, granulate; postocular tubercles distinct; rostrum arising from a slit-like atrium, not reaching limits of rostral groove.

Thorax. Pronotum short and wide; anterolateral angles produced forward beyond collar forming large blunt or rounded lobes; disc with a median sulcus; separated from mesonotum by a transverse intersegmental furrow; meso- and metanotum separated only laterally, the elevated median ridge smooth without sulcus; lateral sclerites with longitudinal elevations; metanotum separated from fused mtg I+II by a narrow transverse sulcus;

Abdomen. Mtg I and II fused together; mtg III to VI fused into a subquadrangular tergal plate, elevated along midline with usual pattern of large and small callous spots and dots; mtg VII strongly elevated posteriorly in male and slightly elevated in female; pygophore cordate; paratergites VIII clavate or lobiform.

Venter. Prosternum raised and with Y-shaped median carina; meso- and metasternum and sternum II+III fused and flattened medially. Spiracles II ventral, III-VII lateral on dorsally reflexed vltg III-VII and visible from above; spiracle VIII terminal on ptg VIII.

Legs. long and slender, without spine, preapical comb on fore tibia present, femora subcylindrical, claws with fine pulvilli.

Etymology.

From “para-“ close to (Greek) and Libiocoris .