Himalisundacoris, Yasunaga, 2024

Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2024, New genera and species of the ‘ Lygus-complex’ ranging from the Himalaya-Oriental to the Wallacea region (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 72, pp. 371-423 : 392

Himalisundacoris , new genus

Type species. Himalisundacoris duwalae , new species.

Diagnosis. Based on the similar surface and male genitalic structures, Himalisundacoris , new genus, is assumed to be most closely related to Sabactiopus Zheng & Lin, 2002 , from which Himalisundacoris , new genus, is distinguished readily by the following unique characters: Body generally larger; vertex smooth, lacking basal transverse carina (that is faintly recognisable in some species); left paramere with flattened sensory lobe and distinctly hooked (or shovel-headed or spade-shaped) apex; right paramere very tiny, with bulbous sensory lobe; interramal lobe with densely distributed, scaly microstructures. Himalisundacoris , new genus, is also at first sight reminiscent of the European genus Liocoris Fieber, 1858 (e.g., similar colour pattern and body shape, and shiny dorsum); however, the latter has the punctate dorsum and completely different genitalic structures (cf. Schwartz & Foottit, 1998).

Description. Body small to moderate in size, ovoid, relatively stout, not sexually dimorphic in general shape; basic colouration pale brown to fuscous; dorsal surface polished, oily shiny, impunctate, with sparsely distributed, pale, simple, semi-erect setae but nearly glabrous in some species. Head: Smooth, shining, somewhat oblique in lateral view, with sparsely distributed, short setae; eyes contiguous to anterior margin of pronotal collar; vertex shallowly sulcate or concaved mesally, without basal transverse carina; clypeus infuscate. Antenna: Slightly longer than or as long as body, almost linear; antennomeres I and II similar in colour pattern to those of Chelyolygus , new genus, darkened apically (or at apex); antennomere II more or less darkened at base, relatively short, shorter than antennomeres III+IV antennomeres III and IV filiform; antennomere III as long as or longer than width of head across eyes. Labium: Relatively long, reaching or slightly exceeding apex of metacoxa. Thorax: Pronotum shiny, highly polished, almost glabrous or with sparsely distributed, short, semi-erect setae, impunctate; calli not clearly demarcated; collar shagreened, narrow, about as thick as antennomere III; thoracic pleura shining; propleuron not margined nor carinate; metathoracic scent efferent system, with small peritreme ( Fig. 2B, K ); scutellum polished, impunctate, weakly arched. Hemelytron: Oily shiny, variable in colour, impunctate, declivous at cuneal fracture, with sparsely (sometimes rather densely) distributed, pale, simple, semi-erect setae. Legs: Relatively long; tibial spines pale brown or reddish brown; meta-tarsomere II about as long as III; pretarsal structures as in Fig. 26I, O ; parempodium relatively short. Male genitalia: Parameres highly asymmetrical; left paramere with hypophysis flattened, distinctly hooked (or shovel-headed or spade-shaped) apically and sensory lobe more or less projected basally; right paramere very tiny, with bulbous sensory lobe and simple, small hypophysis; vesica with at least two spinulate lobal-sclerites, without spicule; secondary gonopore thick-rimmed, small, rounded; apex of phallotheca smooth. Female genitalia: Genital chamber with relatively wide dorsal sac; sclerotised rings narrow, thin-rimmed, separated to each other mesally; posterior wall lacking dorsal structure or lateral lobe; interramal lobe relatively developed, densely covered with scaly microstructures instead of spinules.

Etymology. Named for distribution pattern of the congeners of this new genus, known widely from the Himalayas and Sundaland, combined with Greek noun, ‘koris’ (= heteropteran bug); gender masculine.

Discussion. This new genus is assumed to be sister to Sabactiopus Zheng & Lin, 2002 (see below). Both genera share the following characters: Dorsal surface shiny, well-polished, almost impunctate; head smooth, only with sparse vestiture; clypeus infuscate; pronotum and scutellum shiny, without puncture nor wrinkle; vesica widely membranous, with two spinulate lobal-sclerites, lacking spicule; secondary gonopore rounded, thick-rimmed; posterior wall lacking dorsal structure nor lateral lobe. However, Sabactiopus is separable from Himalisundacoris , new genus in having definitive characters, including presence of basal transverse carina on vertex ( Fig. 34K, M ); antennomere III as long as or slightly longer than IV; scutellum fuscous, surrounded by creamy yellow margin ( Fig. 7G–H ); right paramere conventional in shape and size ( Fig. 35E, K ); narrower sclerotised ring ( Fig. 35G ); and interramal lobe densely covered with spinules instead of scaly microstructures (cf. Figs. 27H, M vs. 35I, O).

Incidentally, the extremely tiny, shortened right paramere possessed by Himalisundacoris , new genus is not commonly found in the tribe Mirini . So far as I am aware, members of Charagochilus Fieber, 1858 have similarly reduced right parameres. However, Charagochilus species are characterised by the heavily punctate dorsum, and totally different structures of the vesica and female genitalia (cf. Yasunaga, 2023). Therefore, the remarkable asymmetry of the parameres shared by the two genera is simply interpreted as a homoplasy. Additional undescribed congeners are remaining in Indonesia (Schwartz MD, pers. comm.), and further investigation is encouraged to clarify the whole fauna of Himalisundacoris , new genus.

Figures

Fig. 2. Male (A–E) and female (F–H) genitalia of Chelyolygus bipuncticollis (A–E) and C. tabananicus, new species (F–H). A, B, Vesica; C, left paramere; D, E, right paramere; F, genital chamber with sclerotised rings and adjacent structures; G, posterior wall; H, apex of ovipositor (gonapophysis I). Scale bars 0.2 mm.

Fig. 26. Scanning electron micrographs of Himalisundacoris duwalae, new species (A–I) and H. omiae, new species (J–O). A, Left lateral habitus; B, head and anterior pronotum, dorsal view; C, dorsal habitus; D, scutellum, clavus and corium, dorsal view; E, apical forewing, dorsal view; F, thoracic pleura, left lateral view; G, M, metathoracic scent efferent system; H, N, metatarsus; I, O, pretarsal structure of metaleg; J, head and thorax, left lateral view; K, head and anterior pronotum, frontal view; L, scutellum and clavus, dorsal view.

Fig. 34. Scanning electron micrographs of Paralygocoris vittulatus (A–I), Sabactiopus schuhi, new species (J–L) and S. sauteri (M–O). A, head and pronotum, left lateral view; B, scutellum and hemelytron, left lateral view; C, metathoracic scent efferent system; D, metatarsus; E, pygophore, dorsal view; F, vesica; G, sclerotised ring; H, I, posterior wall; J, left lateral habitus; K, anterior body, dorsal view; L, O, thoracic pleura, left lateral view; M, anterior body, left lateral view; N, head, dorsal view.

Fig. 7. Habitus images and habitats (J, L) of Chelyolygus wolskiorum, new species (A–C), C. parsanus, new species (D), Himalisundacoris duwalae, new species (E, F), Sabactiopus schuhi, new species (G, H) and S. sauteri (K). A, E, G, K, Adult male; B, D, F, H, I, adult female; C, final (5th) instar immature form; J, deciduous-broadleaf mixed forest with Urtica dioica, on which Himalisundacoris duwalae, new species, and Sabactiopus schuhi, new species, coexist (Lalitpur, Nepal); L, Styrax formosanus inflorescences, one of the breeding hosts of Sabactiopus sauteri (Nantou, Taiwan).

Fig. 35. Scanning electron micrographs of Sabactiopus schuhi, new species (A–I) and S. sauteri (J–O). A, J, metathoracic scent efferent system; B, M, metatarsus; C, pretarsal structure of metaleg; D, left paramere; E, right paramere; F, L, vesica; G, sclerotised ring; H, I, N, O, pygophore with parameres, dorsal view.

Fig. 27. Scanning electron micrographs of Himalisundacoris duwalae, new species (A–I) and H. omiae, new species (J–O). A, B, K, Apical part of left paramere; C, right paramere; D, L, vesica; E, secondary gonopore; F, genital chamber; G, ovipositor (gonapophysis I); H, J–N, posterior wall; I, posterior wall and ovipositor (gonapophysis II); O, sclerotised ring.