Aphelocheirus menglaensis, Xie, Tong-Yin & Liu, Guo-Qing, 2015

Xie, Tong-Yin & Liu, Guo-Qing, 2015, A new species and notes on the genus Aphelocheirus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aphelocheiridae) from China, Zootaxa 4058 (3), pp. 437-443 : 439-441

Aphelocheirus menglaensis sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 A–B; 2A–K)

Type material. Holotype: ♂, CHINA: Mengla County (21.9487N 101.2457E), Yunnan Province, 24. III. 2001, Chang-fa ZHOU leg.. Paratypes: 2♂, 1♀, same date as holotype.

Diagnosis. This is the fourth known Oriental species of the genus which has strong modifications on the middle and hind legs of the male. Similar character states have been previously noted in A. femoratus , A. tuberculipes and A. longlingensis . The new species is morphologically similar to A. femoratus Polhemus & Polhemus 1989 , from which it can be separated by size of swellings, the shape of meso- and metatrochanters ( Fig. 2 B–C) and shape of the male parameres ( Figs. 2 D–I). The subgenital plate of the female is broadly subtriangular with the apex produced ( Fig. 2 K). Other distinguishing characters include the length of the head anterior to the eyes, which is moderately prolonged in A. menglaensis , more so than in A. femoratus and the angle and length of the inner projection on the propleuron ( Fig. 2 A).

Description. Brachypterous male. Body length 8.70–9.90mm, body width 5.10–5.90mm, large size for genus, form elongate. General colour dull brown with extensive blackish markings.

Male. Head. Light orange, shining, minutely alveolate; eyes reddish brown, shining, lateral margins weakly sinuate; Preocular portion of head moderately long, 0.7 times as long as eye length, space between eyes shiny, light orange but dark brown at apex. Antennae golden brown; rostrum gold at base and dark red at apex, glabrous, attaining posterior margin of hind coxae.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Fig.1 A, B) dull blackish brown, coarsely rugose, bearing very short recumbent golden setae, posterior portion expanded. Maximum width at posterolateral corners, 3.5 times median length. Lateral margins brown, each bearing a few short stout setae, posterolateral angles rounded. Scutellum dark brown, width/length = 2.8/1.0, surface coarsely rugose, lateral margins weakly sinuate. Lateral margins of hemelytra ( Fig. 1 A, B) dark brown, poster margins of hemelytra yellow, coarsely granulate, large, not reaching posterior margin of tergite II. Each hemelytron much wider than long and laterally with sharp triangular embolar process laterally.

Abdomen. Dorsal surface yellowish, lateral margins dark brown, surface coarsely rugose, sparsely covered with fine recumbent golden setae, posterolateral angles of segments III–VI ( Fig. 2 J, K) prolonged into slender spinose projections, IV–VI acute. Ventral surface dark brown, sparsely covered with fine recumbent gold setae; abdominal segments V–VII asymmetrical. Segments III-V with irregular glabrous pits adjacent to and inward of spiracular rosettes, III–VI weakly and broadly carinate medially, IV–VI each with median protruberance bearing 3–5 short stout setae, III with row of small glabrous pits extending inward from spiracular rosette and along base of segment.

Legs. Golden brown, shining, covered with fine recumbent gold setae; anterior trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus with thick hair pads on inner faces; fore, middle and hind coxae with combs of gold setae distally; middle and hind trochanters with raised brown swellings apically; hind femur with raised ovate brown swelling basally on ventral surface, many fine gold spines along anterior margin, transverse row of short gold spines apically. Middle femur, tibia and tarsus with thick pads of gold setae posteriorly; hind tibia sparsely set with stout golden spines anteriorly, transverse row of golden spines apically; hind tibia and tarsus with long swimming hairs posteriorly; claws obviously curving, gold, tips brown.

Genitalia. Left paramere wide and flat, apical part broadened ( Fig. 2 D–F). Right paramere ( Fig. 2 G–I) broadly expanded basally, apex rounded.

Female. Colour and vestiture generally as in male. Subgenital plate broadly subtriangular, lateral margins sinuate, apex produced ( Fig. 2 K).

Macropterous form. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan Province).

Etymology. Referring to the type locality of Mengla County.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus photographs of Aphelocheirus spp. A. A. menglaensis sp. nov. (♂); B. A. menglaensis sp. nov. (♀); C. A. ellipsoideus Liu & Ding (♂); D. A. ellipsoideus Liu & Ding (♀); E. A. ellipsoideus Liu & Ding (♂); F. A. ellipsoideus Liu & Ding (♀); (C – D: Brachypterous form; E – F: Macropterous form).

FIGURE 2. Aphelocheirus menglaensis sp. nov. A. Inner projection of left propleuron. B. Structures on metatrochanter and metafemur of male. C. Structures on mesotrochanter of male. D – F. Left paramere in different views. G – I. Right paramere in different views. J. Ventral view of posterior abdominal segments of male. K. Ventral view of posterior abdominal segments of female.