Ramivena zhengi, Fan & Liu, 2010

Pal, Amartya & Dash, Swetapadma, 2025, Record of Ramivena zhengi (Rider, 1998) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) from India, Current Science 128 (10), pp. 1046-1049 : 1046-1048

Taxonomy: Family: Pentatomidae; Subfamily: Pentatominae; Tribe: Pentatomini; Ramivena zhengi 4 ( Figures 1–12). Pentatoma venosa 6 (junior primary homonym of Pentatoma venosa 3). Pentatoma venosa 6. Pentatoma zhengi 4 (new name for venosa 2). Ramivena zhengi 1.

Diagnosis: Colouration ( Figures 1 and 2): Dorsal of body mottled brownish ochraceous and coarsely darkly punctuated; posterior margin of pronotal lateral angle impunctate and pale yellowish white; small yellowish patches scattered mainly on the scutellum and corium; apex of scutellum densely blackly punctuated; venter of the body pale ochraceous; rostrum concolorous with venter of the body except blackish brown tip; connexivum with alternate black and luteous transverse bands with incisures pale ochraceous. Head ( Figures 2 and 3): slightly wider (across eyes) than long (2.878: 2.445 mm); clypeus free and mandibular plates equal to clypeus in length; rostrum four-segmented, reaching to the posterior margin of hind coxae ( Figure 2); segment II longest; eyes are not pedunculate; two bulges each on the inner lateral portion of the eyes. Pronotum ( Figure 3): is not smooth, ridged and densely punctured; anterior-lateral margins serrated, lateral angles produced, trapeziform in shape with a narrow median concavity; two sub-triangular pronotal callus present on the anterior part of pronotum. Scutellum ( Figure 5): elongated, reaching more than half of the abdomen; the base of scutellum sparsely punctate and distinctly paler than surrounding areas, with four irregular black spots along the basal margin and two more or less triangular black spots nearly at the median portion. Hemelytra ( Figure 1): clavus narrowly triangular. corium roughly triangular with an outer margin narrowly convex and mottled with scattered yellowish spots. Thoracic sternum ( Figure 4): Ostiolar peritreme straight and shorter than 1/3 width of the evaporatorium. Abdomen ( Figure 2): abdominal segments are usually punctuated with small brown punctures except the median region; abdominal basal spine reaching up to the mid coxae; connexivum usually exposed. Legs ( Figure 2): ochraceous in colour; femora sparsely darkly punctuated. Male genitalia ( Figures 6–12). Pygophore ( Figure 6): lateral apexes of the ventral rim of pygophore bifurcate in lateral view, one plate-like process on each side of ventral rim in dorsal view; both dorsal and ventral rim with a central excavation. Paramere ( Figures 7 and 8): crown of the paramere trifurcate. Phallus ( Figures 9–12): phallotheca more or less pentagonal, processes of aedeagus (= penial lobes) is not dorsally sclerotised; apex of conjunctiva strongly sclerotised; a constriction present between phallotheca and endosoma; aedeagus short, tube-like and slightly longer than median penial plate but shorter than processes of aedeagus (= penial lobes). Measurements (in mm). Male: Body length, 12.83; head – length, 2.44; width (across eyes), 2.87; interocular width, 1.79; lengths of segments of rostrum: I, 1.53; II, 1.71; III, 1.42; IV, 0.99; pronotum: length, 2.87; width, 7.78; scutellum: length, 4.92 and width (at basal angles) 4.42.

Type locality: China: Yunnan Province: Yulong Mt.

Material examined: one ♂, India, West Bengal, Darjeeling district, Palmajua (2250 m), 27.0720°N, 88.0892°E, 30.vii.1958, coll. H. khajuria

Distribution ( Figure 13): China: Yunnan Province (Gaoligong Mt., Kunming City, Lijiang City, Longling County, Yulong Mt.) 1; India: West Bengal (Darjeeling district, Palmajua) (New record).

According to Fan and Liu 1, the genus Ramivena primarily distributed in southern China and India, but prior to this study, there had been no authenticated, first-hand record of any Ramivena species from India. R. zhengi closely resembles two other species of the genus Ramivena , namely R. nigrivitta and R. parazhengi, but can be differentiated from R. nigrivitta by its punctated posterior margins of pronotal lateral angles and from R. parazhengi by its ostiolar peritreme which is bent and longer, almost equal to the 1/2 width of the evaporate area in length.

Since the identification of species in Ramivena is primarily based on the male genitalia and some distinct morphological features, the specimen examined matches perfectly with the diagnostic features of R. zhengi as mentioned in the identification key by Fan and Liu 1. However, the body size of the Indian specimen seems to be smaller compared to those specimens described by Zheng and Ling 6 and the specimens examined by Fan and Liu 1 from China. According to Fan and Liu 1, the males including the holotype are 13–14 mm in length and 8.95 mm in pronotum width. The specimen reported here has a body length of 12.83 mm and a pronotum width of 7.78 mm. While a previous study noted the presence of this genus in India without specifying any locality, this is the confirmed report of the genus Ramivena in the country. It also includes the record of R. zhengi 4 from India, along with a description of the male.