Micronecta (Dichaetonecta) ludibunda Breddin, 1905

Ha, Tuyet Ngan & Tran, Anh Duc, 2021, Taxonomy of Micronectidae (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) from Vietnam, with descriptions of 11 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 756, pp. 1-82 : 21-23

Micronecta (Dichaetonecta) ludibunda Breddin, 1905

Figs 1G , 4A–C

Micronecta ludibunda Breddin, 1905a: 57 (type locality: Bogor, Indonesia).

(For an extensive synonymy list, see Tinerella 2008.)

Diagnosis

Body length 1.9–2.4. Pronotum slightly longer than median head length. Pronotum: with a pair of dark oval rings, somtimes fragmented, reduced to streaks and spots, or absent. Hemelytron ( Fig. 1G ): corium with four longitudinal brown stripes; embolium with three brown marks.

Males: fore femur with two spines on proximal third and a pair of spines on distal third; fore tibia without spine; palar claw moderately widened, apex truncate. Median lobe of sternite VII with one or two long setae (sometimes absent) and a pointed apex (see Tinerella 2013: fig. 21f). Free lobe large, distally slightly broadened, posterior margin slightly concave, lateral angle with ca 10–15 long setae ( Fig. 4A ). Left paramere: shaft slender, constricted pre-apically; apex flattened, broadened and subovate; basal lobe large, tongue-shaped ( Fig. 4C ). Right paramere: shaft evenly curved, from distal fourth tapering towards narrowly rounded apex ( Fig. 4B ).

Material examined

VIETNAM – Lao Cai Prov. • 1 ♂; Sa Pa, Cat Cat, Muong Hoa stream; 22 Apr. 2011; N.H. Dinh et al. leg.; DNH11.01 ; ZVNU . – Vinh Phuc Prov. • 1 ♀; Tam Dao N.P. , Ho Xanh (Green Lake); 17 Jun. 2003; A.D. Tran leg.; TAD0353 ; ZRC . – Hanoi • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Lotus pond 1 near West Lake Water Park (left); 17 Mar. 2010; T.M. Pham leg.; HN01 ; ZVNU • 26 ♂♂, 37 ♀♀; Lotus pond 2 near West Lake Water Park (right); 17 Mar. 2010; A.D. Tran leg.; ZVNU • 3 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; Lotus pond 2 near West Lake Water Park (right); 20 Mar. 2010; A.D. Tran leg.; ZVNU • 8 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Lotus pond 2 near West Lake Water Park (right); 30 Mar. 2010; A.D. Tran leg.; ZVNU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; West Lake ; 17 Mar. 2010; T.M. Pham leg.; HN03 ; ZVNU • 21 ♂♂, 25 ♀♀; Thanh Xuan District, Thanh Huong Lake (used for recreational fishing), near Khuat Duy Tien road; 29 Mar. 2010; T.M. Pham leg.; HN04 ; ZVNU • 11 ♂♂, 30 ♀♀; Lotus pond 1 near West Lake Water Park (left); 18 Aug. 2010; A.D. Tran leg.; ZVNU • 1 ♂; Nhue River ; 18 Aug. 2010; A.D. Tran leg.; TAD1016 ; ZVNU • 43 ♂♂, 42 ♀♀; Nhue River, in Lien Mac area ; 19 Jun. 2019; T.N. Ha leg.; NHHN19.01 ; ZVNU • 1 ♀; Ba Vi N.P. , Minh Quang, Cai stream; 65 m a.s.l.; 26 Apr. 2012; Q.H. Ngo et al. leg.; TAD1207 ; ZVNU . – Dong Nai Prov. • 1 ♀; Cat Tien N.P.; 13 May 2003; A.D. Tran leg.; night collecting; TAD0302 ; ZRC • 1 ♂; Vinh Cuu, Ma Da, Bo Hao Lake , east side , near forest ranger station; 10 Apr. 2009; A.D. Tran leg.; TAD0906 ; ZVNU • 1 ♀; Cat Tien N.P. , Bau Sau ( Crocodile Lake ); 6 Nov. 2009; A.D. Tran leg.; TAD0929 ; ZVNU • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Vinh Cuu, Ma Da stream, near Rang Rang Forest ranger station (near bridge); 13 Apr. 2010; T.D. Pham leg.; PTD1006 ; ZVNU • 4 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Vinh Cuu, Ma Da stream, near Rang Rang Forest ranger station, ca 400 m downstream from bridge; 13 Apr. 2010; T.D. Pham leg.; PTD1007 ; ZVNU • 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Vinh Cuu, Nua stream (tributary of Ma Da stream); 14 Apr. 2010; T.D. Pham leg.; PTD1008 ; ZVNU • 6 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Vinh Cuu, Ma Da, Bo Hao Lake , east side, near forest ranger station; 15 Apr. 2009; T.D. Pham leg.; PTD1009 ; ZVNU • 3 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀; Tri An Lake (Chien Khu D bridge); 15 Apr. 2010; T.D. Pham leg.; PTD1011 ; ZVNU • 3 ♀♀; Vinh Cuu, Ma Da, Bo Hao Lake , east side, near forest ranger station; 16 Apr. 2010; A.D. Tran leg.; PTD1012 ; ZVNU . – Ho Chi Minh City • 28 ♂♂, 19 ♀♀; District 7, Nguyen Van Linh Street , Tan My Lake ; 27 Apr. 2019; T.N. Ha leg.; NHSG19.01 ; ZVNU • 1 ♀; District 2, Cao Duc Lan Street, Hai Ho Park , small lake ; 1 May 2019; T.N. Ha leg.; NHSG19.03 ; ZVNU • 19 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀; District 2, Cao Duc Lan Street, Hai Ho Park , large lake ; 1 May 2019; T.N. Ha leg.; NHSG19.04 ; ZVNU. – Ba Ria- Vung Tau Prov . • 1 ♀; Con Dao, Dam Trau area, Ong Ta stream; 13 Apr. 2010; A.D. Tran et al. leg.; TAD1009 ; ZVNU . – Ca Mau Prov. • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Tran Hoi commune, Vo Doi hamlet, Doi 1; 16 Apr. 2018; T.A.N. Nguyen leg.; CM1814 ; ZVNU • 1 ♂; Tran Hoi commune, Vo Doi hamlet, Doi 1; 16 Apr. 2018; T.A.N. Nguyen leg.; CM1817 ; ZVNU • 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀; U Minh District, Khanh An commune, hamlet #14; 17 Apr. 2018; T.A.N. Nguyen leg.; CM1821 ; ZVNU . – Kien Giang Prov. • 1 ♀; Phu Quoc Island, Tranh stream (at lower section); 30 Nov. 2010; A.D. Tran et a l. leg.; TAD1021 ; ZVNU .

Distribution

Vietnam: Hanoi ( Wróblewski 1967); first records for Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ca Mau, and Kien Giang (Phu Quoc Island).. Other countries: widespread from India, Sri Lanka ( Hutchinson 1940; Wróblewski 1972a), Thailand ( Wróblewski 1968), Cambodia ( Zettel et al. 2017), Indonesia ( Nieser & Chen 1999), Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore ( Nieser 2002b) to Solomon Islands ( Tinerella 2013).

Remarks

Besides structural characteristics, M. ludibunda can usually be recognised by a pair of dark oval marks on the pronotum. This characteristic, however, is variable. In some specimens of M. ludibunda , the dark oval marks on the pronotum are fragmented, less distinct, or even absent. Micronecta ludibunda is also considered related to M. malayana Leong, 1966 , from Peninsular Malaysia, in both the colour pattern of the pronotum and the general form of the left paramere ( Nieser 2002b). The characteristics for separating these two species are the apical part of the left paramere, which is broader in M. malayana , and the pattern of hemelytra, which is more reticulate, without distinct stripes in M. malayana . Also see Remarks under M. sahlbergi .

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus photos of species of MicronectaKirkaldy, 1897. A. M. scutellaris (Stål,1858), ♂ (ZVNU). B. M. sedula Horváth, 1905, ♂ (ZVNU). C. M. siva (Kirkaldy, 1897), ♀ (ZVNU). D. M. jaczewskii Wróblewski, 1962, ♂ (ZVNU). E. M. decorata Lundblad, 1933, ♂ (ZRC). F. M. desertana Distant, 1920, ♂ (ZVNU). G. M. ludibunda Breddin, 1905, ♂ (ZVNU). All to the same scale.

Fig. 4. Morphological features of species of Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897, ♂♂. A–C. M. ludibunda Breddin, 1905 (ZVNU). D–G. M. sahlbergi (Jakovlev, 1881) (ZVNU). A, D = free lobe; B, E = right paramere; C, F = left paramere; G = apical part of left paramere.