Macroscytus aequalis ( Walker, 1867 )

Zhu, Geng-Ping, Liu, Guo-Qing & Lis, Jerzy A., 2010, A study on the genus Macroscytus Fieber, 1860 from China (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae), Zootaxa 2400, pp. 1-15 : 2-4

Macroscytus aequalis ( Walker, 1867)

( Fig. 1 )

Aethus aequalis Walker, 1867: 159 .

Macroscytus aequalis: Lis 1994: 212 [as distinct species], 2000: 374.

Diagnostic characters: Body length: 8.43–11.27 mm, body width: 4.56–5.88 mm. General colour ochraceous to almost black. Head dorsally with several punctures on paraclypei; clypeus without a pair of subapical hairlike setae; each paraclypeus with a single submarginal hair-like setae (sporadically with two or three setae); anterior half of gular plate densely punctate; 3rd antennal segment 1.00–1.29 times longer than the 2nd; ocular index 2.20–3.10, ocellar index 4.5–6.1, a distance between ocelli 4.8–7.0 times a distance of ocellus from eye. Pronotal transverse discal impression behind calli usually conspicuously developed; lateral pronotal margins with 5–6 submarginal setigerous punctures ( Fig. 1 a). Propleural depression and a basal half of posterior convexity distinctly punctate. Mesocorial disc almost evenly punctate ( Fig. 1 a); exocorium with very dense puncturation, punctures smaller than those on mesocorium; costa narrow, separated from exocorium almost along its entire length; costal margin with two setigerous punctures ( Fig. 1 a). Male hind femora with large subapical tooth on dorsal margin ( Fig. 1 c), and several smaller teeth on ventral margin; male hind tibiae carinated and bearing small subbasal tubercles ( Fig. 1 c); female hind femora with several strong setae on ventral margin, hind tibiae without tubercle. Abdominal sterna distinctly punctate in lateral two-thirds, sometimes puncturation of two last segments less distinct. Male pygophore as in Fig. 1 f (dorsal view), margins of its dorsal opening unsclerotized; paramere as in Fig. 1 e; aedeagus as in Fig. 1 d.

Material examined: (paraclypeus with a single submarginal seta): CHINA: Guizhou Province: Leishan county(26°22'N, 108°03'E), alt. 750m, 3 males, 1 female, 13.ix.2005, Chun-jing Niu leg.; 2 females, same data as above, Dan Ding leg.; Hainan Province: Wuzhishan county (18°89'N, 109°67'E), alt. 740m, 5 males, 6 females, 12.iv.2009, light-trapped, Geng-ping Zhu leg., 20 males, 39 females, 13.iv.2009, light-trapped, Geng-ping Zhu leg., 26 males, 16 females, 14.iv.2009, light-trapped, Geng-ping Zhu leg., 7 males, 14 females, 13.iv.2009, light-trapped, Yi-ran Mu leg., 1 male, 1 female, 16.iv.2009, light-trapped, Yi-ran Mu leg., 1 male, 17.iv.2009, light-trapped, Li Xi leg.; (paraclypeus with two or three submarginal setae): CHINA: Hainan Province: Wuzhishan county (18°89'N, 109°67'E), alt. 740m, 5 males, 2 females, 14.iv.2009, light-trapped, Geng-ping Zhu leg., 6 males, 3 females, 13.iv.2009, light-trapped, Geng-ping Zhu leg., 3 males, 14.iv.2009, light-trapped,Yi-ran Mu leg., 1 male 12.iv.2009, light-trapped, Geng-ping Zhu leg.

Distribution: China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, Yunnan), Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.

Notes: The species is very similar to M. dominiqueae , but can be separated from the latter by the characters given in the key to species. During our studies we found that several Chinese specimens of this species have the paraclypeus bearing two or three submarginal hair-like setae ( Fig. 1 b), which is at variance with its typical specimens bearing only a single preocular hair-like seta ( Fig. 1 a).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Macroscytus aequalis from China. (a) body outline; (b) head with cephalic chaetotaxy variation; (c) male hind leg, dorsal view; (d) aedeagus; (e) left paramere; (f) male genital capsule, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.