Tetraphleps Fieber, 1860

Yamada, Kazutaka & Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2021, The tribe Anthocorini in Japan (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae): descriptions of new species, review of distribution and bionomics, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2), pp. 375-426 : 387

Genus Tetraphleps Fieber, 1860

Tetraphleps Fieber, 1860: 262 . Type species by monotypy: Anthocoris vittatus Fieber, 1836 (= Anthocoris bicuspis Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835 ).

Tetraphleps (selected references): Fංൾൻൾඋ (1861): 38, 135 (in key, redescription); Rൾඎඍൾඋ (1875): 62–63 (in key); Rൾඎඍൾඋ (1884): 56, 85 (in key, description); LൾඍHංൾඋඋඒ & Sൾඏൾඋංඇ (1896): 245 (catalogue); KංඋKൺඅൽඒ (1906): 120 (listed); Pඈඉඉංඎඌ (1909): 28 (in key); SඍංർHൾඅ (1958):12 (in key); SඍංർHൾඅ (1960): 358 (catalogue, fauna of Palaearctic); Kൾඅඍඈඇ &Aඇൽൾඋඌඈඇ (1962):1307 (diagnosis, list of N.America); KൾඋඓHඇൾඋ (1964):696, 698 (in key, diagnosis); Cൺඋൺඒඈඇ (1972): 345 (listed); Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ (1972): 78, 154 (in key, description, fauna of W.Palaearctic); Eඅඈඏ (1976):370 (in key);HൾඋඋංඇG (1976):145–146 (figure, in key); Kൾඅඍඈඇ (1978): 18, 25 (in key, description, fauna of Canada andAlaska); MඎඋൺඅൾൾൽHൺඋൺඇ &AඇൺඇඍHൺKඋංඌHඇൺඇ (1978): 8 (in key); Fඈඋൽ (1979): 58 (check list of the world); Hൾඇඋඒ (1988): 17 (catalogue,N.America);KൾඋඓHඇൾඋ (1988): 770, 774 (in key, note); Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ (1996): 120 (catalogue, Palaearctic); Lൺඍඍංඇ (2000): 622 (bionomics); Bඎ & ZHൾඇG (2001): 109, 169 (in key, redescription, fauna of China);YൺඌඎඇൺGൺ (2001b): 283 (diagnosis, fauna of Japan); WൺർHආൺඇඇ et al. (2006):202 (distribution, habitat); Hඈඋඍඈඇ (2008): 2403 (listed); JඎඇG et al. (2013): 422 (listed); JඎඇG & Lൾൾ (2017): 34, 39 (in key, listed, fauna of Korea).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from the other genera of Anthocorini by the combination of the following characters: body shiny, generally pubescent; labium almost reaching or exceeding procoxae; hemelytra densely covered with setigerous punctures; ostiolar peritreme ( Fig. 5D ) apically projected, tongue-like and protruding above the surface of evaporatorium, its apex sometimes reaching outer margin of metapleuron and not continued by a fine carina; metasternum apically triangular; metacoxae contiguous with each other. Remarks. Tetraphleps currently contains 16 species distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Ten of them are known from the Palaearctic, five from the Nearctic, and one from India and Kenya (Hൾඇඋඒ 1988, Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ 1996, Bඎ & ZHൾඇG 2001, TඈඇG & Nඈඇඇൺංඓൺൻ 2008, Bൺඅඅൺඅ et al. 2018). Tetraphleps raoi Ghauri, 1965 , known from Kenya, was introduced in India as a biological control agent against serious pests of Pinus spp. ( CH ൺർKඈ 1973, Kൺඋൺඇඃൺ & Aඅඈඈ 1990).

Species of the genus are found exclusively on conifers (e.g., mostly on Pinus , sometimes on Abies , Larix , Picea , and Pseudotsuga species ), where they feed mainly on aphids (Rൾඎඍൾඋ 1908, Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ 1972, Kൾඅඍඈඇ 1978, Lൺඍඍංඇ & Sඍൺඇඍඈඇ 1992).

Figures

Fig. 5. Scanning electron micrographs of diagnostic characters of Japanese anthocorids. A–C – Acompocoris brevirostris Kerzhner, 1979, female (A) and male (B–C); D–F – Tetraphleps aterrima (J. Sahlberg, 1878), male.A, D – ostiolar peritreme and evaporatorium, left lateroventral view; B, E – pygophore with paramere, dorsal view; C, F – paramere, dorsal views. Abbreviations: eva ‒ evaporatorium; mf ‒ median furrow; op ‒ ostiolar peritreme; prm ‒ paramere; pyg ‒ pygophore.