Omoplax karubei Souma, 2022

Souma, Jun, 2025, An illustrated key to the lace bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae) from “ Oriental Galapagos ” (the Ogasawara Islands, Japan), with descriptions of three new species of the endemic genus Omoplax Horváth, 1912, ZooKeys 1250, pp. 243-284 : 243-284

Omoplax karubei Souma, 2022

Figs 1 E , 2 E , 3 E , 4 E , 5 E , 6 E , 7 E , 8 E , 9 E , 10 E , 11 E , 12 E , 13 E , 14 E

Omoplax karubei Souma, 2022 a: 118. Holotype: ♂; type locality: Japan • “ 東京都小笠原村, 聟島 ” [= Ogasawara Islands, Mukojima Group, Mukojima Island]; KPMNH.

References.

Shimamoto and Ishikawa (2023: 94) (catalog); Souma (2023: 9) (monograph).

Material examined.

Non-types, Japan • 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀; Ogasawara Isls, Mukojima Is.; Rhaphiolepis indica var. tashiroi ; 15–16 Jul. 2024; S. Yagi, M. Kimura & J. - H. Park leg.; SIHU .

Diagnosis.

Omoplax karubei is recognized among the other Omoplax species based on a combination of the following characteristics: rostrum reaching posterior margin of metasternum (Fig. 11 E ); pronotal disc pale brown (Figs 3 E , 4 E , 5 E , 6 E ); hood more than 0.5 times as wide as maximum width of head across compound eyes, reaching beyond apex of clypeus (Fig. 14 E ); paranotum with areolae throughout its length; anterior margin of hemelytron not curved downward in apical half (Figs 7 E , 8 E , 9 E , 10 E ); subcostal and discoidal areas of hemelytron not united; costal area narrower than combined width of subcostal and discoidal areas; Sc (subcosta) vein of hemelytron distinct in apical part of dorsal view; R + M (fused radius and media) vein of hemelytron distinct, carinate; and ventral surface of body in various shades of brown (Figs 12 E , 13 E ).

Remarks.

Omoplax karubei can be distinguished from O. mukojimensis , whose distribution range is consistent with that of O. karubei ( Souma 2022 a) , based on the following six main characters (Figs 3 E , 4 E, H , 5 E , 6 E, H , 7 E , 8 E, H , 9 E , 10 E, H , 11 E, H , 14 E, H ): rostrum reaching posterior margin of metasternum (reaching middle part of mesosternum in O. mukojimensis ); hood reaching beyond apex of clypeus (not reaching apex of clypeus in O. mukojimensis ); anterior margin of hemelytron not curved downward in apical half (strongly curved downward in apical half in O. mukojimensis ); subcostal and discoidal areas of hemelytron not united (united in O. mukojimensis ); Sc (subcosta) vein of hemelytron distinct in apical part of dorsal view (indistinct in apical part of dorsal view in O. mukojimensis ); and R + M (fused radius and media) vein of hemelytron distinct, carinate (indistinct, not carinate in O. mukojimensis ). Morphological differences between O. karubei and the five other Omoplax species are presented in the identification key below.

Distribution.

Japan: Ogasawara Islands: Mukojima Group (Mukojima Island) (Fig. 19 ) ( Souma 2022 a). Omoplax karubei is endemic to Mukojima Island.

Host plant.

Only Rhaphiolepis indica var. tashiroi ( Rosaceae ) (Fig. 17 G ), which is also known as “ Shimasharinbai ”, was confirmed as a host plant for Omoplax karubei by the field observation of adults, suggesting the possibility of monophagy for this lace bug species.

Bionomics.

Omoplax karubei inhabits an evergreen broad-leaved forest with a subtropical climate in the Ogasawara Islands ( Souma 2022 a), and sucks sap on the abaxial side of the leaves of Rhaphiolepis indica var. tashiroi , causing irregular yellowing on the adaxial side (Fig. 17 G ). Adults were collected in June and July; nymphs are unknown ( Souma 2022 a).

Figures

Figure 1. Males of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae.

Figure 2. Females of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 3. Male pronota of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae.

Figure 4. Female pronota of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 5. Male pronota of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsolateral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii B. Omoplax desecta C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae.

Figure 6. Female pronota of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsolateral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 7. Male hemelytra of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae.

Figure 8. Female hemelytra of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 9. Male hemelytra of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsolateral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae.

Figure 10. Female hemelytra of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsolateral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 11. Rostra of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, ventral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 12. Male terminalia of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, ventral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae.

Figure 13. Female terminalia of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, ventral view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis.

Figure 14. Line drawings of pronota of eight tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, dorsal view. A. Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. Omoplax desecta; C. O. hisasuei sp. nov.; D. O. inugusu sp. nov.; E. O. karubei; F. O. kobugashi sp. nov.; G. O. majorcarinae; H. O. mukojimensis. Abbreviations: ca, calli; co, collar; fs, frontal spine; ho, hood; mc, median carina; ms, median spine; os, occipital spine; pa, paranotum; pd, pronotal disc; pp, posterior process.

Figure 17. Host plants of seven tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. A. Machilus kobu from Ototojima Island, damaged by Acanthomoplax tomokunii; B. M. thunbergii planted in northern Honshu, damaged by A. tomokunii in captivity; C. Rhaphiolepis indica var. tashiroi from Chichijima Island, damaged by Omoplax desecta; D. Calophyllum inophyllum from Chichijima Island, damaged by O. desecta; E. Neolitsea sericea var. aurata Hahajima Island, damaged by O. hisasuei sp. nov.; F. M. boninensis from Hahajima Island, damaged by O. inugusu sp. nov.; G. R. indica var. tashiroi from Mukojima Island, damaged by O. karubei (photographs taken by Jinhyeong Park); H. M. kobu from Chichijima Island, damaged by O. kobugashi sp. nov.; I. N. sericea var. aurata Ototojima Island, damaged by O. majorcarinae.

Figure 19. Collection sites of six tingid species endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Red-filled areas = localities based on the present study only; blue-filled areas = localities based on the previous and present studies; green-filled areas = localities based on the previous studies only. The map was created with map data provided by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) (https://maps.gsi.go.jp).