Haematoloecha merkli Santillan & Rédei, 2025

Santillan, Ian Gabriel C. & Rédei, Dávid, 2025, A new micropterous species of Haematoloecha from Vietnam (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Zootaxa 5575 (2), pp. 295-304 : 296-300

Haematoloecha merkli Santillan & Rédei , new species

Figs. 1–22

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ VIETNAM, Yen Bai Prov., Mu \ Cang Chai Distr., Che Tao \ commune, Mu Cang Cai \ Species & Habitats Cons. Area, \ 21.7641ºN, 104.0430ºE,” [printed], “ around Cong Troi (Gate to \ Heaven) Pass , 2040 m, upper \ montane evergreen forest, \ swept & hand-collected, \ 24–29.IX.2016 (#11), \ Ottó Merkl & Phu Pham Van ” [printed]; intact, mounted on card, deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest . Paratypes (15 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀): with same locality labels as holotype (5 ♂♂ in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, 2 ♂♂ in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung); “ VIETNAM, Yen Bai Prov., Mu \ Cang Chai Distr., Che Tao \ commune, Mu Cang Cai \ Species & Habitats Cons. Area, \ 21.7695ºN, 104.0435ºE,” [printed], “ around Cong Troi (Gate to \ Heaven) Pass , 2000 m, upper \ montane evergreen forest, \ hand-collected in forest at \ night, 24–29.IX.2016 (#12), \ Ottó Merkl & Phu Pham Van ” [printed] (8 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ in the Hungarian Natural History Museum). All type specimens weres provided with adequate type labels .

Diagnosis. This species is easily differentiated from all described species of Haematoloecha due to its microptery ( Figs. 1–6 ), the distinct papillar elevations on the anterior lobe of the pronotum that contrast in colour with the surrounding areas ( Figs. 7, 9 ), and the conspicuously bicoloured legs (dark-brown, with femoro-tibial articulations broadly yellow to red) ( Figs. 11, 12 ). A detailed analysis of the diagnostic characters of the species is provided under Discussion.

Description. Micropterous male and female.

Colour. General colour brown; dorsal surface of head reddish-brown, median third of anterior lobe (between submedian longitudinal sulci, particularly between antenniferous tubercles) clypeus, and labrum distinctly darkened; posterior lobe pale-brown, with distinct reddish pigmentation on ocellar tubercle; ventral surface (ventrad of level of antenniferous tubercles, including entire maxillary plates and bucculae) dark-brown to blackish-brown; labium dark-brown, distal portions of visible labiomeres somewhat lighter; antenna dark-brown, flagellum gradually lighter towards apex, scape with a distinct light-yellowish annulus proximally; pronotum dark-brown, papillar elevations of anterior lobe yellow (frequently with distinct reddish shade), humeral lobes of posterior lobe yellow in their entire length; scutellum dark-brown; mesothoracic wings yellow; exposed portions of metathorax yellowishbrown, distinctly darker-brown posteriorly; thoracic pleuron and sternum dark-brown, sometimes with more or less distinct paler suffusion on supracoxal lobes and on prosternal stridulatory sulcus; legs dark-brown, proximal and distal parts of coxae and proximal parts of trochanters yellowish, femora with more or less distinct dark suffusion proximally and with a contrasting reddish annulus distally (occupying approximately distal third of prothoracic, distal fourth of mesothoracic and somewhat less than distal fifth of metathoracic femora), pro- and mesothoracic tibiae with pale-yellow annulus proximally, metathoracic tibia entirely pale-yellow or light-brown with pale-yellow annulus proximally; tarsi pale-yellow; abdomen dark-brown dorsally and ventrally, tergum I yellowish anteriorly, laterotergites II–VII each yellowish anteriorly, ventral surface also with corresponding yellowish spots at anterior portion of each sternum laterally; tergum IX of female yellowish laterally.

Structure. Body surface and vestiture. Body rather dull dorsally, subshining ventrally. Integument of head more or less deeply transversely rugose dorsally and ventrally, rugae particularly deep and coarse on submedian sulci of head and elevated median area enclosed by them and ventrolaterad to eyes; anterior lobe of pronotum with distinct, broad, conspicuous, symmetrically arranged papillar elevations on disc, transversely rugose on lateral surface neighbouring lateral carina; posterior lobe of pronotum deeply, coarsely rugose between humeral sulci, humeral lobes smooth; scutellum and thoracic pleuron coarsely rugose; abdominal tergum I finely, tergum II strongly (but less deeply than posterior lobe of pronotum), remaining pregenital terga and all exposed pregenital ventrites very finely rugose. Body glabrous dorsally, with scattered, semi-erect whitish setae on clypeus and base of labium, with several isolated, long and fine whitish setae arranged symmetrically as follows: a pair below ventral margin of maxillary plate, two pairs (an anterior and a posterior) close to mesal margin of eye, and three pairs on anterior part of anterior lobe of pronotum; antenna with short, fine, adpressed to semi-erect, whitish pilosity intermixed with sexually dimorphic longer setation: ♂ with several strongly erect to perpendicular brownish setae several times (on pedicel about 3–4 times) longer than diameter of antennomeres, ♀ with much less strongly erect yellowish setae restricted to pedicel and flagellum (their density increasing towards distal part of antenna), somewhat shorter than in male (on pedicel about 2–3 times longer than its diameter); coxae and trochanters with a few relatively long, semi-erect setae, femora and tibiae with short, relatively sparse, fine, semi-erect pilosity (more dense ventrally), with a few isolated long, almost perpendicular setae scattered on femora and tibiae anteroventrally and posteroventrally, most conspicuously on prothoracic legs; abdomen glabrous dorsally, with a few fine, semi-erect setae scattered on its venter.

Head ( Figs. 7–10 ) 2.00–2.05 (♂) / about 1.75 (♀) times as broad as interocular distance, anteocular part 0.5–0.6 (♂) / about 0.5 (♀) times as long as length of head; clypeus relatively low, gradually and continuously declivous anteriad; median portion of head between submedian longitudinal sulci highly elevated, strongly convex, but depressed immediately anteriad of transverse sulcus (more strongly in ♂); eye relatively small, semiglobular, approaching but not reaching dorsal, far remote from ventral outline of head in lateral view, length subequal to length of postocular portion of head in dorsal view in both sexes; ocellar lens reduced to various extent, usually lacking, but remnants might be present (usually only on one side); pedicel 1.25–1.30 (♂) / 1.15–1.20 (♀) times as long as scape; first visible labiomere reaching to about level of anterior margin of eye. Thorax ( Figs. 7–10 ). Pronotum short, 1.25–1.30 (♂) / 1.30–1.45 (♀) times as broad across humeri as total length; anterior lobe 1.40–1.55 (♂) / 2.0–2.3 (♀) times as long as posterior lobe, dorsally convex, elevated emerging only slightly (♂) or highly (♀) above level of posterior lobe; posterior lobe shortened, about 1.15–1.25 (♂, ♀) times as broad across humeri as greatest width of anterior lobe; scutellum short and broad, slightly shorter along midline than posterior lobe of pronotum, apical prongs more pronounced in males, shorter and more obtuse in females; fore wing strongly reduced, forming a uniformly sclerotized, almost circular flap, distance between its tip and posterior margin of metanotum about half its length. Legs. Fore femur of considerably variable thickness in both sexes, in males relatively narrow, with dorsal and ventral outlines subparallel in lateral view, 4.30–5.45 times as long as its greatest diameter, whereas that of females strongly thickened, with dorsal outline distinctly convex in lateral view, 3.10–3.45 times as long as its greatest diameter; ventral face anteroposteriorly compressed, forming a distinct longitudinal carina that is coarsely granulate along its entire length; fore tibia straight, relatively gracile, fossula spongiosa occupying about apical 10% of its total length in both sexes ( Figs. 11, 12 ). Abdomen elliptical, distinctly broader in females than in males, 1.3–1.4 (♂) / 2.0–2.3 (♀) times as long as its greatest width, males with distinct cleft at posterior margin of abdomen; posterior margin of tergum VII distinctly notched at midline in males.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 14–21 ). Genital capsule ( Figs. 14–15 ) markedly constricted at level of dorsal margin of posterior aperture in dorsal view, dorsoapical process relatively robust in most exposed view, apically blunt, gradually diverging towards base and forming a pair of small tubercles laterally somewhat below middle, then forming a sub-parallel stem ( Fig. 16 ). Paramere ( Figs. 17–19 ) rather robust, terminal part broadly globose, apical denticle large and placed distinctly subapically. Phallus ( Figs. 20–21 ) with dorsal sclerotized plate broad, heavily rugulose; phallotheca with a pair of short lobes below dorsal sclerotized plate; evaginated endosoma externally with a pair of short, rounded lobes distally below phallotreme, and with a broad, dorsoventrally flattened, elongate inner sclerite characteristic for the genus, moderately broadened distally and truncate apically. Female genitalia ( Fig. 21 ). Tergum VIII very short, anterior and posterior margins nearly straight; tergum IX nearly vertical, surface depressed sublaterally on both sides, posterior margin deeply, subtrapezoidally emarginated; valvifer VIII broadly rounded; valvula VIII relatively narrowly exposed, morphological posterior (= topographic dorsal) margin protruding posteriad (= dorsad) medially. Due to the scarcity of available females (only two individuals) the internal female genitalia were not examined.

Measurements (holotype / males, n = 5 / females, n = 2). Body length 8.45 / 7.94–9.06 / 2.41–2.53; length of head 1.95 / 1.63–2.17 / 2.41–2.53, length of anteocular part 1.13 / 1.01–1.13 / 1.17–1.27, width across eyes 1.44 / 1.40–1.55 / 1.64–1.68, interocular distance 0.72 / 0.68–0.77 / 0.93–0.95; lengths of visible labiomeres (I) 1.34 / 1.19–1.37 / 1.52–1.57, (II) 0.66 / 0.64–0.79 / 0.78–0.86, (III) [concealed by coxae, not measured] / 0.31–0.39 / 0.39–0.42; length of scape 2.30 / 1.98–2.30 / 2.01–2.08, pedicel 2.51 / 2.49–2.96 / 2.40–2.41, proximal basiflagellite 1.22 / 1.22–1.25 / 1.17–1.22, distal basiflagellite 0.89 / 0.83–0.97 / 0.88–1.01, distiflagellum (4 distiflagellites combined) 1.47 / 1.68–1.83 / 1.74; length of pronotum 1.95 / 1.87–2.04 / 2.40–2.42, of anterior lobe 1.17 / 1.08–1.23 / 1.56–1.72, of posterior lobe 0.78 / 0.69–0.88 / 0.69–0.86, width of anterior lobe 2.16 / 2.02–2.18 / 2.68–2.81, width of posterior lobe 2.51 / 2.33–2.65 / 3.15–3.48; median length of scutellum 0.62 / 0.62–0.82 / 0.78–0.86, width at base 1.38 / 1.27–1.56 / 1.56–1.73; length of fore wing 0.49 / 0.37–0.62 / 0.42–0.51; length of fore femur 2.84 / 2.82–3.27 / 3.37–3.42, greatest width 0.66 / 0.56– 0.70 / 0.98–1.07; length of abdomen (in dorsal view from base to apex of tergum VII) 5.89 / 5.74–6.33 / 7.34–7.42, greatest width 4.26 / 4.07–4.84 / 5.62–5.86.

Etymology. Patronym dedicated to the late Dr. Ottó Merkl, former Curator of Coleoptera at the Hungarian Natural History Museum, who collected the type series.

Distribution. Vietnam (Yên Bái Province).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Haematoloecha merkli sp. nov. 1, male, dorsal view; 2, same, lateral view; 3, same, ventral view; 4, female (individual with posterior part of abdomen slightly distorted), dorsal view; 5, same, lateral view; 6, same, ventral view. Scale bar in mm.

FIGURES 7–13. Haematoloecha merkli sp. nov. 7, head and thorax of male, dorsal view; 8, same, lateral view; 9, head and thorax of female, dorsal view; 10, same, lateral view; 11, left prothoracic leg of male, posterior (external) view; 12, left prothoracic leg of female, posterior (external) view; 13, terminalia of female, posterior view. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURES 14–22. Haematoloecha merkli sp. nov. 14, male, genital capsule, dorsal view; 15, male, genital capsule and segment VIII, left lateral view; 16, male, dorsoapical process of genital capsule, posterior view; 17–19, right paramere, three different views; 20, phallus, dorsal view; 21, same, left lateral view; 22, terminalia of female, posterior view. Scale bars in mm.