Pseudoloxops hibiscus, Yasunaga & Duwal, 2017

Yasunaga, Tomohide & Duwal, Ram Keshari, 2017, Plant bugs of the tribe Orthotylini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae) in Thailand, with descriptions of five new species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 65, pp. 280-298 : 288-290

Pseudoloxops hibiscus , new species

( Figs. 4I , 7A, B , 9A, B , 10A–D )

Material examined. Holotype male, THAILAND: Rayong, Ban Phe coast, N12°35′ E 101°25′, 0 m, on Hibiscus tiliaceus L., 27–29 December 2013, T. Yasunaga, B. Shishido ( DOAT) ( AMNH _ PBI 00380543 ) . Paratypes: THAILAND: same data as for holotype, 1 female ( TYCN) (00380544) .

Diagnosis. Recognised by the generally pale green (whitish brown in dried specimen, cf. Fig. 9A, B ), subparallel-sided body ( Fig. 7A, B ); fuscous-red anterior portion of head and apex of cuneus; uniformly pale brown antennal segments II–IV; reddish lateral margins of pronotal calli; sanguineous veins of forewing membrane; apically notched pygophoral process ( Fig. 10A ); flat, minutely serrate hypophysis of right paramere ( Fig. 10C ); squared sensory lobe of left paramere ( Fig. 10D ); broadened phallotheca; and two slender, long spiculi of endosoma ( Fig. 10B ).

Description. Body largely pale green, subparallel-sided; female larger than male; dorsal surface not spotted, with uniformly distributed, silky, semierect setae. Head fuscous red anteriorly, weakly pointed in front; eyes comparatively enlarged. Antennal segment I rouge, in male with two fuscous (inner and lateral) stripes; segments II–IV pale brown, except for extreme base of II rouge. Labium shiny pale brown, reaching apex of mesocoxa; apex of segment IV reddish brown. Pronotum pale green (pale yellowish brown in dried specimen), with reddish margin at lateral sides of calli; mesoscutum tinged with brown. Hemelytron shiny, smooth, without dark spots; apex of cuneus fuscous red; basal inner part of male cuneus with a rouge, short, oblique stripe; membrane pale smoky brown, darkened along sanguineous veins. Coxae and legs whitish brown; apical part of each femur faintly tinged with orange; proportion of meta-tarsomeres I–III as 4: 6: 7. Abdomen wholly pale brown (pale green in live or fresh specimen). Male genitalia ( Fig. 10A–D ): Pygophore with sharp apical margin and distally serrate pygophoral process ( Fig. 10A ); right paramere thickened, with triangular, spinulate subapical part of sensory lobe and flat, narrow, minutely serrate hypophysis ( Fig. 10C ); left paramere with squared sensory lobe and medially bent, rather broad hypophysis (10D); phallotheca broadened; endosoma with two elongate, slender spiculi ( Fig. 10B ). Female genitalia not dissected.

Measurements. Male/female: Total body length 3.00/3.50; width of head across eyes 0.71/0.72; width of vertex 0.30/0.33; lengths of antennal segments I–IV 0.41, 1.40, 0.60, 0.54/0.45, 1.35, 0.62, 0.56; total length of labium 0.90/0.99; basal width of pronotum 0.89/1.05; maximum width across hemelytra 1.08/1.50; and lengths of metafemur, tibia and tarsus 1.20, 1.71, 0.30/1.35, 1.92, 0.33.

Etymology. Named for its plant association with Hibiscus tiliaceus L.; used as a noun in apposition.

Biology. Unknown; the two available specimens were collected by sweep-netting Hibiscus tiliaceus L. ( Malvaceae ) at a sandy shore ( Fig. 4I ).

Remarks. Based on the similar colouration and morphology (generally pale green colouration, faintly orange apical part of each femur, produced subapical sensory lobe of right paramere, broadened, apically rounded phallotheca and two endosomal spiculi), P. hibiscus is most closely related to P. ayutthaya ; But the latter can be distinguished from this new species by the left paramere more slender curved at middle, one of two endosomal spiculi thickened apically, and lacking any red pattern on the dorsum ( Yasunaga & Yamada, 2009). Host preferences of these two species also differ from each other ( Malvaceae and Fabaceae ). In addition, P. pericarti resembles both P. ayutthaya and P. hibiscus , but the former is easily separable from the latter two by having the brownish hemelytron with uniformly scattered, brown, small spots ( Fig. 8D, E ). Sharing similar morphological characters in the male genitalia, P. ayutthaya , P. hibiscus and P. pericarti are presumed to constitute a monophyletic group.

Figures

Fig. 4. Habitus (A–G) and habitat (H, I) images of Thai ortotylines. A, B, Melanotrichus thaimaritimus, adult male; C, D, M. thaimaritimus, adult female; E, M. thaimaritimus, male final-instar nymph; F, M. thaimaritimus, female final-instar nymph; G, 3rd instar nymph; H, colony of a halophyte, Sueada maritima (Bang Pu, Samut Prakan), habitat of M. thaimaritimus (Bang Pu, Samut Prakan); I, Hibiscus tiliaceus tree (Ban Phe, Rayong), on which Pseudoloxops hibiscus was found.

Fig. 7. Habitus images of Thai Pseudoloxops species. A, P. hibiscus, holotype male; B, P. hibiscus, female; C, P. lateralis, male; D, P. lateralis, female; E, P. leopardalis, holotype male.

Fig. 9. Habitus images of Pseudoloxops species, dried specimens (except for F & I in live). A, P. hibiscus, holotype male; B, P. hibiscus, female; C, P. lateralis, male (SERS); D, P. lateralis, female (SERS); E, P. leopardalis, holotype male; F, G, P. pardellus, male; H, P. pardellus, female; I, P. imperatorius (Nagasaki, Japan); J, P. imperatorius, holotype female from Sri Lanka (BMNH); K, P. lateralis, holotype female from Taiwan (HNHM). Image (K) courtesy of NMNS.

Fig. 10. Male genitalia of Pseudoloxops hibiscus (A–D), P. lateralis (E–F) and P. leopardalis (G–J). A, G, Apex of pygophore, ventral view; F, Apex of pygophore, dorsal view; B, H, pygophore, dorsal view; C, J, right paramere; D, E, I, left paramere. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 8. Habitus images of Thai species of Pseudoloxops and Zanchius group. A, P. ayutthaya, male; B, P. ayutthaya, female; C, P. ayutthaya, final-instar nymph; D, P. pericarti, male; E, P. pericarti female; F, P. pardellus, male; G, P. pardellus, males; H, P. pardellus, female; I, unidentified species close to Zanchius marmoratus Zou, 1987 (SERS).