Peritropis andrzeji Kim, Taszakowski & Jung, 2025

Kim, Junggon, Taszakowski, Artur, Keetapithchayakul, Tosaphol Saetung, Phan, Quoc Toan & Jung, Sunghoon, 2025, Note on the genus Peritropis Uhler (Hemiptera: Miridae: Cylapinae), with descriptions of two new species from the Indochina Peninsula, Zootaxa 5673 (3), pp. 411-423 : 413-417

Peritropis andrzeji Kim, Taszakowski & Jung , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1A–D , 2 )

Diagnosis. Recognized by the dorsum mostly fuscous with pale markings and brownish patches and stripes (coalescent patches), densely covered with silvery short setae; head wider than long; antennae mostly brown to dark brown; first antennal segment longer than third segment; second antennal segment brown to dark brown, linear, 2.8 times as long as first antennal segment; third segment shorter than fourth segment; pronotum mostly dark brown, with pale marking medially, posterior margin with brownish patches; scutellum brown to dark brown, pale marking apically; cuneus elongate inwardly; tibiae dark brown with pale band at middle ( Fig. 1A–D ); left paramere narrow with downturned hypophysis ( Fig. 2A–C ); endosoma with two long spicules, one spicule as long as membrane, and one shorter ( Fig. 2G–H ).

Description. MALE: Coloration: mostly fuscous with pale markings and brownish patches and stripes. Head: mostly fuscous with brownish diagonal stripes from vertex to clypeus in dorsal view; vertex with slightly angled stripe; carina brownish transversely; antennae partly brown and dark brown; first segment mostly brown, pale brown basally; second segment partly brown and dark brown, apical 1/3 dark brown, indistinctly tinged with red at middle; third and fourth segments dark brown; labium entirely dark brown. Thorax: pronotum mostly dark brown with small brown patches and transverse pale marking medially, anterior and lateral margins pale brown, posterior margin with brownish patches; scutellum mostly dark brown, brownish markings medially, with pale apical marking; hemelytra mostly fuscous with brownish patches, markings and stripes (those from continuously aligned patches); clavus with four continuous brownish stripes, second stripe loosely aligned with dark spots, apical part of clavus pale; corium mostly dark brown, brownish stripes medially interrupted by dark markings, with one narrow and loosely aligned stripe aligned along submarginal vein; embolium dark brown with numerous brownish patches, apical part narrowly pale brown; cuneus mostly dark brown with numerous small brownish patches; membrane dark gray, with scattered pale spots; legs partly pale and dark brown; coxa entirely pale brown; femur mostly dark brown, basal part and apex pale brown; tibia mostly dark brown with medial pale spot, with pale ring apically. Abdomen: entirely dark brown. Surface and vestiture: body mostly shagreened, with smooth and glossy patches overlaid; only patches with appressed pale setae, setae absent on shagreened area. Structure: body coarsely sculptured, elongated-oval, length 3.82. Head: prognathous, width longer than length; vertex width longer than single compound eye width; antennae linear, shorter than body length; first segment linear, longer than vertex width, 1/3 of second segment and third segment, respectively, diameter thicker than second segment diameter; second segment linear, longer than combined third and fourth segments; third segment shorter than fourth segment; proportion of first to fourth antennal segments 0.39: 1.09: 0.32: 0.47; labium reaching VII abdominal segment. Thorax: pronotum trapezoid, wide, longitudinal length shorter than 1/2 maximum basal width, posterior margin concave; calli weakly swollen; scutellum flat, anterior width longer than length, longer than 1/2 basal pronotal width, longitudinal length longer than commissure length; lateral margin of hemelytra rounded; cuneus small, elongate inwardly, cuneal fracture parallel with cuneal inner margin. Abdomen: round, reaching apex of cuneus. Genitalia: left paramere narrow and long, with downturned hypophysis, hypophysis narrow and rounded in dorsal view, sensory lobe narrow ( Fig. 2A–C ); right paramere relatively thick, hypophysis narrow, apex blunt but with a beak-like projection ( Fig. 2D–F ); endosoma membranous with two long spicules, one spicule reaching apical part of membrane, other relatively short, not reaching apex of membrane ( Fig. 2G–H ). FEMALE: Coloration: as in male except for second antennal segment brown and dark brown with small pale spot in dorsal side ( Fig. 1B ), ventral side without distinct pale marking, showing only trace ( Fig. 1D ). Surface and vestiture: as in male. Structure: as in male. Genitalia: posterior wall membranous with narrow interramal sclerite (irs) ( Fig. 2I ); bursa copulatrix with a pair of sclerotized rings (sr) ( Fig. 2I ); sr oval, apical part sharp.

Measurements (in mm). See Table 1 .

Biology. This species was collected from the trunk surface of a dead tree. However, the tree was in a well-lit, sun-exposed area, and no fungi or other microorganisms were visible on its surface to the naked eye, although their microscopic presence cannot be ruled out.

Distribution. Vietnam (Central).

Etymology. Named after our late colleague Dr. Andrzej Wolski ( Taszakowski et al. 2025), in recognition of his contributions to the taxonomy of Miridae and his pioneering work on the subfamily Cylapinae ; a noun in the genitive case.

Material examined. [ ZCDTU] Holotype: 1♂, Hoa Trung Lake (16.0891°N, 108.0425°E, 90 m altitude), Hoa Lien Ward, Hoa Vang District , Da Nang City, 6.ii.2025, J. Kim leg. (DTUHMM0050); [ ZCDTU] Paratypes: 1♂ 4♀♀, same data as holotype (DTUHHM0051-0055) .

Discussion. The new species Peritropis andrzeji sp. nov. is clearly assignable to the P. poppiana group, based on the key Gorczyca (2006) provided as well as a combination of morphological characters, including general body coloration, the pattern of longitudinal stripes on the hemelytra, and the structure of the male paramere.

In previous studies of Gorczyca (2006), as well as in subsequent works, species within this group have been distinguished primarily based on characters such as antennal coloration, body size, and the detailed characters of the striped hemelytral pattern (e.g., whether patches are continuous or densely clustered). Gorczyca & Wolski (2007) employed similar diagnostic characters and, notably, were the first to describe the male parameres of several species within this group.

To date (except for P. similis Poppius, 1909 ) most species in the P. poppiana group are known from few specimens. Peritropis poppiana Bergroth, 1918 and P. javanica Poppius, 1909 , for example, have only been recorded from the Philippines ( P. poppiana was recently reported from Brunei ( Gorczyca et al. 2024)), and P. javanica is known only from the female holotype. Peritropis similis , by contrast, has a relatively wide distribution and is therefore represented by a larger number of records and specimens. However, despite this, its diagnostic characters remain poorly understood. In fact, a new species has been described from specimens previously identified as P. similis ( Gorczyca & Wolski 2007) , highlighting the cryptic nature of the group ( Gorczyca 2006; Gorczyca et al. 2024).

In the present study, we aim to reassess the morphological variation and interspecific boundaries within this cryptic group, based on previously published records, numerous Peritropis specimens which J. Gorczyca and A. Wolski had studied, and newly collected specimens. For the new species described herein, multiple specimens were examined and our observations reveal a certain degree of variation and continuity in the striped patterns of the hemelytra (the position, size, and density of the pale patches are variable, resulting in differences in the shape and continuity of the stripes in clavus and corium; Fig. 1A–B ), which complicates species delimitation based solely on these markings. Similarly, antennal coloration, a character commonly used in keys, was found to exhibit substantial variation (attributed to sexual dimorphism; Fig. 1A–B, D ), rendering it unreliable as a diagnostic character.

Gorczyca (2006) noted the presence of a pale ring or patch on the second antennal segment as a character for species within the P. poppiana group. Our examination revealed that this feature varies significantly among species: the pale ring is distinct in P. similis ( Fig. 1E ), but obscure or indistinct in P. poppiana ( Fig. 1F ). In P. javanica , the marking appears as a pale narrow ring, though only a single specimen is available (fig. 9 in Gorczyca (2006)), and, therefore, additional material is needed to confirm its consistency. In the new species P. andrzeji sp. nov., the marking is barely visible in males, whereas in females it appears more distinct, although in the form of a small spot rather than a complete ring. Depending on the viewing angle, it may appear ring-like, suggesting this species exhibits an intermediate state. Based on our observations, we conclude that – except for P. similis and P. javanica – the shape and presence of this marking are not reliable for species-level identification within the P. poppiana group.

Our observations also indicate that color patterns show greater intraspecific variation than previously recognized. In contrast, structural features, such as segment length, proportional ratio, thickness and shape, are more stable and congruent within species. Therefore, we propose that morphological diagnoses within this group should be based primarily on structural characters. When examined in this framework, the new species is clearly distinguished from all other known species. The new species P. andrzeji sp. nov. is distinguished from P. similis by the thin and linear second antennal segment without pale ring in male and with small pale spot in female (vs. thick and clavate second antennal segment with distinct pale ring in middle part); first antennal segment longer than 1/3 the length of second segment (vs. first antennal segment slightly shorter than 1/3 the length of second segment); third segment distinctly shorter than fourth segment (vs. third segment subequal to fourth segment; p. 26 in the original description by Poppius (1909), and p. 414 in Gorczyca (2006)); hypophysis of left paramere downturned (vs. hypophysis not downturned; fig. 7 in Gorczyca & Wolski (2007) and fig. 47 in Yeshwanth et al. (2016)); and endosoma with two long spicules (vs. endosoma without long spicules but with setae-shaped structures; fig. 48 in Yeshwanth et al. (2016)). This new species is also distinguished from P. poppiana by first antennal segment longer than 1/3 the length of second segment (vs. first antennal segment subequal to 1/3 the length of second segment); first segment longer than third segment (vs. first segment shorter than third segment); third segment shorter than fourth segment (third segment subequal to fourth segment) (p. 119 in the original description by Bergroth (1918)); and hypophysis of left paramere downturned (vs. hypophysis upturned; fig. 5 in Gorczyca & Wolski (2007)). Peritropis andrzeji sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. javanica by somewhat large body, more than 4 mm in female (vs. small body, about 3.3 mm in female in original description by Poppius (1909), but about 3.6 mm in Gorczyca (2006)); first antennal segment longer than 1/3 the length of second segment (vs. first antennal segment clearly shorter than 1/3 the length of second segment). In terms of the proportion of first and second antennal segments and subequal length of third and fourth antennal segments, this new species is similar to P. ernsti Gorczyca, 2006 , but it can be distinguished by large-sized body, more than 3.8 mm (vs. small-sized body, about 2.4 mm); and tibia dark brown with pale rings at middle (vs. tibia pale with a brownish longitudinal stripe).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Peritropis andrzeji sp. nov., P. similis and P. poppiana. A: Holotype male in dorsal view; B: Paratype female in dorsal view; C: Holotype male, in ventral view; D: Paratype female, in ventral view; E: P. similis, female; F: P. poppiana, female. An arrow indicates a pale spot on second antennal segment. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Male and female genitalia of Peritropis andrzeji sp. nov. A: left paramere; B–C: hypophysis of left paramere; D–E: right paramere; F: hypophysis of right paramere; G–H: endosoma; I: posterior wall; J: genital chamber. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.