Peritropis cheroti 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 : 417-419

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

( Fig. 3 )

Diagnosis. Recognized by the following combination morphological and coloration characters: dorsum generally pale with tinged with red; head mostly pale brown; first and second antennal segments thick, first segment as thick as second segment, entirely pale brown with indistinct reddish marking subapically; second segment mostly pale brown, apical part slightly reddish; third and fourth segments pale brown, thin; third segment shorter than fourth segment; pronotum mottled pale brown, with dark spots medially; calli region with a pair of dark spots; hemelytra brown with numerous pale spots; embolium tinged with red; cuneus mostly dark reddish brown, with pale spot at inner part; membrane greyish without any spots ( Fig. 3A–C ); left paramere with broad hypophysis and long and sharp apex ( Fig. 3D ); right paramere scythe-shaped, sensory lobe broad and projected laterally ( Fig. 3E–F ); endosoma with three spicules, two spicules slightly angled at middle ( Fig. 3G–H ).

Description. MALE: Coloration: partly pale brown and brown tinged with red, with numerous pale spots. Head: mostly pale brown with brownish and reddish markings; antennae mostly pale brown; first segment mostly pale brown, weakly tinged with red subapically; second segment mostly pale brown, tinged with red apical part; third and fourth segments entirely pale brown; labium mostly pale brown; first segment tinged with red. Thorax: pronotum mostly mottled pale brown with dark markings medially; calli region with a pair of dark marking reaching pronotum anterior margin; scutellum entirely dark reddish brown, except for pale apex; hemelytra mostly brown with numerous small, dense pale spots; inner margin of clavus tinged with red; corium entirely brown with pale spots, inner margin tinged with red; embolium brown with pale spots, tinged with red, apical part entirely pale; cuneus mostly brown with a pale circular marking at inner angle, tinged with red, apex pale; coxa entirely pale brown; femur, tibia and tarsus missing. Abdomen: reddish brown. Surface and vestiture: body shagreened, sparsely covered with pale setae. Structure: Body coarsely sculptured, elongated-oval, length 3.37–3.43. Head: prognathous, width longer than length; vertex depressed, width more than single compound eye width; antennae partly thick and thin, shorter than body length; first segment as thick as second segment, slightly longer than vertex width, subequal to, or slightly shorter than the 1/3 length of second segment; second segment linear, longer than combined length of third and fourth segments; third segment shorter than fourth segment; proportion of first to fourth antennal segments 0.36: 1.08: 0.33: 0.53; labium reaching VIII abdominal segment. Thorax: pronotum trapezoid, wide, longitudinal length shorter than 1/2 maximum basal width, posterior margin concave; calli clearly swollen; scutellum raised, anterior width longer than length, longer than 1/2 basal pronotal width, longitudinal length longer than commissure length; lateral margin of hemelytra slightly rounded; cuneus triangular, small. Abdomen: conical ventrally, not reaching to apex of cuneus. Genitalia: parameres scythe-shaped, similar in length; left paramere with broad hypophysis, apex long and sharp, as long as diameter of hypophysis ( Fig. 3D ); right paramere with a narrow hypophysis and broad sensory lobe, sensory lobe projected laterally ( Fig. 3E–F ); endosoma with long ductus seminis (ds) and with three spicules; one spicule long and straight, two spicules weakly angled at middle ( Fig. 3G–H ). FEMALE: Unknown.

Measurements (in mm). See Table 1 .

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Thailand (Central).

Etymology. Named after Frédéric Chérot, who has studied the mirids of Southeast Asia including this genus; a noun in the genitive case.

Material examined. [ TNHM] Holotype: 1♂, Doi Inthanon National Park (18.5886°N, 98.4857°E, 2565 m altitude), Ban Luang, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, 07.vii.2023, by light trap, T.S. Keetapithchayakul leg. (TNHMIHH0001) ; [ ZCDTU] Paratypes: 4♂♂, same data as holotype (DTUHMM0057- 0060) .

Remarks. Although all individuals of the new species P. cheroti sp. nov. lack femora, tibiae and tarsi and the tarsal structure has been considered one of the diagnostic characters, other characters place this species as a member of Peritropis , according to the generic diagnosis provided in Wolski & Henry (2012).

The new species P. cheroti sp. nov. is easily distinguished from congeners by the pale dorsum with mottled spots; the first and second antennal segments mostly pale; and the membrane without spots. According to Gorczyca (2006), this new species may be assigned to the P. suturella group based on the unspotted membrane. In addition, among the Peritropis species, this new species is probably closest to P. setosicornis Bergroth, 1920 , which was placed in P. suturella group by Gorczyca (2006), but can be distinguished by the small body size, approximately 3.4 mm (vs. large body, more than 4 mm); second antennal segment as thick as first segment (vs. second segment thinner than first segment); embolium mostly brownish except for pale apical part (vs. embolium entirely brownish); and cuneus with pale circular marking at inner part (vs. cuneus entirely dark brown). Peritropis cheroti sp. nov. is also distinguished from another congener in P. suturella group, P. heissi Gorczyca, 2006 , by the first antennal segment as thick as second segment (vs. first segment much thicker than second segment); second antennal segment mostly pale (vs. second antennal segment with dark annulations); head and pronotum mostly pale brown with small markings (vs. head and pronotum mostly dark brown); and corium brown with tiny spots (vs. corium translucent). This new species is also easily distinguished from another congener, P. suturella Poppius, 1914 , by generally pale dorsum with tiny spots (vs. dorsum generally dark brown); pronotum pale brown with dark spots (vs. pronotum mostly dark brown with a pale medial stripe); and cuneus with pale circular marking at inner part (vs. cuneus entirely dark brown).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Habitus and male genitalia of Peritropis cheroti sp. nov. A: Holotype male in dorsal view; B–C: Paratype male in ventral (B) and lateral (C) views; D: left paramere; E–F: right paramere; G–H: endosoma; ds: ductus seminis; sp: spicule. Scale bar: A–B: 1 mm; C–H: 0.1 mm.