Xenobates murphyi Andersen, 2000

Zettel, Herbert, Laciny, Alice & Bongo, Juvy P., 2021, The genus Xenobates (Hemiptera: Veliidae) in the Philippines: overview and description of two new species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 61 (1), pp. 221-230 : 228-230

Xenobates murphyi Andersen, 2000

( Figs 5, 6 , 11, 15 )

Type locality. Singapore, Pulau Ubin, mangrove creek, outside trees on raising tide.

Material examined (138 JJ 169 ♀♀; NHMW, NMPC, PNM, UPLB, USC, ZCVA). PHILIPPINES: Pඈඅංඅඅඈ Iඌඅൺඇൽ: 1J, east of Panuculan, mangrove, leg.H. Zettel & C. V.Pangantihon [#1]. Oඋංൾඇඍൺඅ Mංඇൽඈඋඈ: 6 JJ 4 ♀♀, Calapan City, Silonay, leg. C. V. Pangantihon [#2]. Bඎඋංൺඌ Iඌඅൺඇൽ: 51 JJ 81 ♀♀, San Pasqual,south of San Rafael, mangrove area, leg. H. Zettel [#3]; 2 JJ 4 ♀♀, San Pasqual, Mabuhay, Taberna, mangrove, leg. H. Zettel [#4]; 2 JJ 1 ♀, San Pasqual, mangrove near town, leg. H. Zettel [#5]. Tංർൺඈ Iඌඅൺඇൽ: 4 ♀♀, 2 km north of San Fernando, “Toplean” coast, leg. H. Zettel [#6]. Bൺඇඍൺඒൺඇ Iඌඅൺඇൽ: 24 JJ 18 ♀♀, Balidbid, ca. 4 km northwest of Sta. Fe, mangrove, leg. Zettel [#7]; 7 JJ 10 ♀♀, the same locality, leg. C. V. Pangantihon [#7a]. Cൾൻඎ Iඌඅൺඇൽ: 3 ♀♀ (paratypes of X.murphyi ), Moalboal, coast, leg. H. Zettel [#8]; 3 JJ 7 ♀♀, north of Cebu City, Liloan, mangrove remnants at Marine Station, leg. H. Zettel & C.V. Pangantihon [#9]; 1 J, Argao, Talo-ot, leg. J. P. Bongo [#10]. Cൺආඈඍൾඌ Iඌඅൺඇൽඌ: 1♀, Pacijan Island,south coast,Unidos, mangrove, leg. H. Zettel [#11]; 1 ♀, Poro Island, Poro, Cagcagan, Punta Lo-oc Beach, leg. H. Zettel [#12]. Mංඇൽൺඇൺඈ: SඎඋංGൺඈ ൽൾඅ Nඈඋඍൾ Pඋඈඏංඇർൾ: 16 JJ 16 ♀♀, Hikdop Island, south and southwest coasts, leg. H. Zettel [#13]; 23 JJ 11 ♀♀, Bayagnan Island, southwest coast, mangrove, leg. H. Zettel [#14]. SඎඋංGൺඈ ൽൾඅ Sඎඋ Pඋඈඏංඇർൾ: 8 JJ 12 ♀♀, Tago, Duot Suong, leg. C. V. Pangantihon [#15].

Diagnosis. Medium-sized species (BL JJ 1.53–1.65 mm, ♀♀ 1.70–1.78 mm). Dorsum black with orange (often relatively dark) marks on head and pronotum ( Figs 5, 6 ). Antennomere 2 with one (J) or three (♀) long setae ( Fig. 11 ). Mesofemur ( Fig. 15 ) and mesotibia with rows of long setae; long setae on profemur and protibia scarce and less

distinct. MfHI high (JJ 1.00–1.46, ♀♀ 1.08–1.64); MLI high (JJ 1.92–2.14, ♀♀ 1.94–2.06); MsTaI moderate (JJ 0.67–0.74, ♀♀ 0.71–0.76). Metafemur hardly incrassate. – Male: Abdominal venter slightly and evenly convex. Paramere moderately long. – Female:Abdomen trough-shaped. Connexival margins thick, appearing swollen.

Redescription of male. Measurements (mm; n = 10; #7, 14): BL 1.57 (1.53–1.65); BW 0.77 (0.75–0.78); AL 0.86 (0.80–0.95); MsfL 1.34 (1.28–1.38); MfHL 0.11 (0.09– 0.14); MtiL 1.11 (1.08–1.13); MtaL 0.78 (0.74–0.81); MsfW 0.09 (0.09–0.10); MtfW 0.12 (0.11–0.12). – Indices: AI 0.55 (0.52–0.61); MLI 2.06 (1.92–2.14); MfHI 1.20 (1.00–1.46); MsTaI 0.70 (0.67–0.74); MtsfWI 1.23 (1.15–1.31).

Colour ( Fig. 5 ). Ground colour black. Head dorsally with broad, U-shaped, orange mark. Pronotum with uninterrupted transverse orange stripe at hind margin. Underside of head orange or yellow. Acetabula yellow. Ventral side of abdominal segment 8 orange to yellowish brown. Antenna dark brown, except for pale yellow basal third. On legs, coxae and trochanters yellow, except for brown apex of mesotrochanter. Femora, tibiae, and tarsi brown, except for base of profemur that is to a varying extent yellow.

Pilosity. Dorsum of body with inconspicuous brown hair layer. Thoracic pleura with short, oblique dark setae. Meso-metanotum posteromedially with pair of indistinct patches of dispersed silverish pilosity. Abdominal tergites and laterotergites almost entirely covered with dispersed silverish pilosity, denser only at sides of tergites 2 and 3. Lower parts of thoracic pleura with uninterrupted stripe of silvery pilosity. Venter with short, white, almost uniform pilosity. Antennomeres 2 usually with single seta, 3 and 4 without such setae ( Fig. 11 ). Profemur on flexor side and protibia on extensor side with few long setae. Mesofemur on extensor side with one row of very long oblique setae (subequal or longer than mesofemur width).

Structure. Body slender, fusiform. Head anteriorly moderately pointed. Eyes moderately large; interocular width slightly more than half of head width. Antenna short. Pronotum very short. Legs slender. Metafemur thickened, in basal third slightly wider than mesofemur. Abdomen convergent posteriorly; connexival margins weakly convex. Tergites moderately wide, tergite 7 about 1.5 times as wide as long. Venter of abdomen almost unmodified, weakly swollen in anterior part. Genitalia small. Paramere long and falciform, distally without setae.

Redescription of female. Measurements (mm; n = 10; # 7, 14): BL 1.73 (1.70–1.78); BW 0.95 (0.93–0.98); AL 0.84 (0.80–0.90); MsfL 1.39 (1.33–1.45); MfHL 0.11 (0.09–0.13); MpHL 0.09 (0.08–0.11); MPnL 0.09 (0.08– 0.11); MtiL 1.18 (1.15–1.23); MtaL 0.87 (0.83–0.90); MsfW 0.08 (0.08–0.09); MtfW 0.11 (0.10–0.11). – Indices: AI 0.49 (0.46–0.51); MLI 1.99 (1.94–2.06); MfHI 1.33 (1.08–1.64); MsTaI 0.74 (0.71–0.76); MtsfWI 1.27 (1.15–1.36); MpHI 0.98 (0.79–1.15).

Colour ( Fig. 6 ). Similar as in male.

Pilosity. Similar as in male. Oblique setae on thorax sides much longer and conspicuous. Connexival margins only anteriorly with a few oblique setae. Laterotergites 6 and 7 with some moderately long posteromedially directed black setae; the other laterotergites at most with some dispersed setae. Posterior half of tergite 8 with brush of rather short posteriorly directed setae. Sternites 2–7 with even, short whitish pilosity, 7, in addition, with fringe of short whitish setae at hind margin. Antennomere 2 usually with 2, 3 with one standing seta. Pilosity of legs similar as in male; length of setae on mesofemur quite variable.

Structure. Body larger (BLI: 1.10) and much stouter than in male. Thorax strongly widened posteriorly. Legs similar as in male, except for slightly slenderer metafemur. Abdomen in dorsal view trough-shaped. Connexival margins thick, appearing swollen, anteriorly almost straight, posteriorly moderately converging. Laterotergites ante- riorly more steeply raised than posteriorly. All tergites much wider than long, 1–6 flat, 8 slightly convex and directed posterodorsally. Tergite 7 about 2.5 times as wide as long, horizontal. Tergite 8 about twice as wide as long, horizontal. Proctiger semicircular. Apex of sternite 7 in lateral view subrectangular and slightly rounded. Major part of gonocoxa 1 exposed.

Comparative notes. Xenobates murphyi was described based on material from Singapore, West Malaysia, northern Borneo, and the coast of Moalboal, Cebu Island (only females). The Philippine populations of X. murphyi differ only slightly from those originating from the type locality in Singapore. Males do not show significant differences. Females from the Philippines and from Bangka Island near Sulawesi have a relatively stout body and a richer pilosity, especially on hind margin of tergite 8. However, the ratio body length / body width varies considerably within one and the same population and overlaps slightly between different populations. Those female paratypes from Pulau Tioman which were available for this study have been stored in alcohol and may have lost part of the pilosity as observed in other alcohol-stored specimens. Therefore, the authors believe that X. murphyi is a widely distributed, slightly varying species.

Habitats. Along sea shores in mangroves, including smallest mangrove remnants.

Distribution. Malay Peninsula (West Malaysia, Singapore; Aඇൽൾඋඌൾඇ 2000), Borneo (East Malaysia; Aඇൽൾඋ- ඌൾඇ 2000), Bangka Island near Sulawesi ( Indonesia), Philippines: Polillo, Mindoro, Burias, Ticao, Bantayan, Cebu (Aඇൽൾඋඌൾඇ 2000), Pacijan, Poro, Hikdop, Bayagnan.

Figures

Figs 5–8. Habitus of 5, 6 – Xenobates murphyi Andersen, 2000 and 7, 8 – Xenobates cf.argentatus Andersen, 2000 from Cebu; (5, 7 – males, 6, 8 – females).

Figs 9–26. 9–12 – antennae (males): 9 – Xenobates nypicola sp. nov., 10 – X. riedli sp. nov., 11 – X. murphyi Andersen, 2000, 12 – X. cf. argentatus Andersen, 2000. 13–16 – mesofemur (males): 13 – X. nypicola sp. nov., 14 – X. riedli sp. nov., 15 – X. murphyi Andersen, 2000, 16 – X. cf. argentatus. 17–20 – metafemur: 17–18 – X. nypicola sp. nov. (17 – male, 18 – female); 19–20 – X. riedli sp. nov. (19 – male, 20 – female). 21–22 – parameres: 21 – X. nypicola sp. nov., 22 – X. riedli sp. nov. 23–24 – abdominal venter of males, oblique ventrolateral view: 23 – X. nypicola sp. nov., 24 – X. riedli sp. nov. 25–26 – posterior portion of abdomen of females, dorsal view: 25 – X. nypicola sp. nov., 26 – X. riedli sp. nov. All drawings to the same scale, except for parameres. Pilosity schematic, in Figs 25 and 26 only characteristic long setae drawn.