Neolethaeus Distant

Li, Junlan & Bu, Wenjun, 2006, Three new species of Neolethaeus Distant (Hemiptera: Lygaeoidea: Rhyparochromidae: Lethaeini) from China, with a key to the Chinese species, Zootaxa 1270, pp. 45-56 : 46-47

Key to Chinese species of Neolethaeus Distant

1 Antennae with apical half of third segment yellow; body large, 10–12mm long, blackbrown........................................................................ Neolethaeus assamensis (Distant)

­ Apical half of third antennal segment not yellow, body less than 10mm .................... 2

2 Head with tylus strongly projecting; antennae with fourth segment (except basal and distal end) yellow ..................................................... Neolethaeus formosanus (Hidaka)

­ Head with tylus slightly projecting; antennae with fourth segment dark...................... 3

3 Body relatively small, 4.8–6.5 mm long; male with hind femora not incrassate, lacking protuberances; posterior margin of abdominal sternum VII lacking pointed processes.

...................................................................................................................................... 4 ­ Body larger, 6.5–7.2 mm long; male with incrassate hind femora armed with protuberances; posterior margin of abdominal sternum VII with three pointed processes ........ 5

4 Pronotum testaceous with calli and irregular maculae on posterior lobe black­brown; ventral surface of head with rather coarse, alveolate punctures joined with each other; paramere with outer projection more prominent, vertical with blade (Fig.4); sperm reservoir with sleeve apparent (Fig. 7, 8) .................................. Neolethaeus densus sp. n

­ Pronotum black­brown with posterior lateral angles yellow; ventral surface of head with relatively orderly punctures, not joined with each other; paramere with outer projection broadly rounded, not vertical with blade; sperm reservoir with sleeve fused with vesical seminal duct .................................................. Neolethaeus esakii (Hidaka)

5 Pronotum entirely black; antennae concolorous, testaceous........................................... ..................................................................................... Neolethaeus descriptus (Walker)

­ Pronotum with at least posterior lobe pale; antennae bicolored................................... 6

6 Corium lacking large pale macula before apical angle, but with small pale maculae near middle of claval suture, at fork of R+M vein, inner angle, and middle of apical margin; paramere as in Fig. 5; sperm reservoir as in Fig. 9, 10 ..................................... ..................................................................................... Neolethaeus maculacellus sp. n.

­ Corium with a large pale maculae before apical angle ................................................ 7

7 Pronotum black­brown; body sparsely and finely punctate, scutellum with Y­shaped carina nearly impunctate; paramere with blade shorter and apically strongly curved; sperm reservoir with sleeve apparent.................................. Neolethaeus dallasi (Scott)

­ Pronotum testaceous; body coarsely and thickly punctate, Y­shaped carina of scutellum with sparse but large punctures; paramere with blade relatively longer and only slightly curved in apical end (Fig. 6); sperm reservoir with sleeve only apparent near opening of vesical seminal duct (Fig. 11, 12) ............ ............................................................................................ Neolethaeus distinctus sp n.