Aradus gaoligongensis, Bai & Heiss & Cai, 2010

Bai, X., Heiss, E. & Cai, W., 2010, New records, a synonymy and a new species of Aradus Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) from China, Zootaxa 2388 (1), pp. 59-68 : 65

Aradus gaoligongensis n.sp.

( Fig. 17 , Photo 9)

Material examined: 1♀ with following labels on the pin: CASENT / 600074 // China Yunnan Province / Gaoligong Shan, Nujiang / Prefecture , Nujiang State / Nature Reserve , Qiqi He // 9.9 air km W of Gongshan / N 27°715.42, E 98°565.29 / 9–14 July 2000 Malaise trap / H.-M. Yan, D. Kavanaugh // C.Grisnold, H.-B. Liang / D. Ubick, D.-Z. Dong / 2000m CEG-CH-2000-19A ( CAS) // Cleaned and remounted / by E. Heiss 2009 // Holotype ♀ / Aradus / gaoligongensis n.sp. / des. Heiss, Bai, Cai 2009.

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the Aradus transiens group with antennal segments II–IV densely beset with long erect setigerous tubercles. It shares the angularly projecting laterotergites with the Chinese taxa A. quinlingshanensis Heiss 2003a and A. emeiensis Heiss 2008 from Sichuan. It is however distinguished by differently shaped lateral projections of deltg II–VII and of the paranota (see Figs. 17–19 ).

Description. Holotype female, macropterous. Dorsal side of clypeus, vertex, carinae of pronotum, lateral margins of scutellum and veins of corium beset with long cylindrical tubercles; surface of head and pronotum, scutellum and clavus with scattered flat tubercles; antennal segment I smooth, II+III with long setigerous tubercles, IV with smaller ones and pilose apex;

General colouration ochraceous to light brown, dark brown to blackish are the smooth depressions of head, disk of pronotum except the anterolateral part of paranota which are whitish, posterior part of scutellum and posterior angles of deltg VII and VIII except a whitish border on inner side; antennal segment I and II are light brown, III whitish and IV darker brown; basal lateral expansions of corium are whitish, legs uniformly light brown without rings but darker apex of tibiae and tarsal segment II; membrane brown.

Head. Slightly wider than length from apex to anterior margin of smooth collar (26/25); lateral margins of clypeus parallel, apex and dorsal surface tuberculate; antenniferous lobes diverging anteriorly, apex subacute; antennae 2.23x as long as width of head (58/26), segment I shortest, II longest, III shorter than II but longer than IV; relative length of I/II/III/IV = 6/23/16/13; eyes globose protruding laterally, preocular tubercle distinct and acute; vertex with rows of erect tubercles, laterally flanked by smooth ovate depressions; postocular lobes rounded; rostrum arising from an open atrium reaching middle of prosternum.

Pronotum. About 3x as wide as long (61/20); paranota widely expanded laterally and reflexed, their margins irregularly dentate with a larger tooth anterolaterally, posterior margin concave at middle; disk with four longitudinal carinae, median ones reaching from anterior to posterior margin, diverging toward both ends, lateral ones are shorter; surface between carinae smooth with scattered round scales.

Scutellum. Triangular, much longer than wide at base (33/22) with straight carinate lateral margins; disk with scale-like granulation on basal half, smooth elsewhere.

Abdomen. Posterolateral angles of deltg II–VII angularly producing, paratergites VIII with a lateral tooth and a triangular cleft at middle; corium expanded and reflexed anterolaterally, then straightly converging posteriorly reaching posterior margin of deltg V; veins carinate and tuberculate, surface between them smooth or transversely crugose; membrane fully developed with four distinct veins, surface wrinkled; spiracles II–VII ventral, remote from lateral margins, VIII lateral and visible from above.

Legs. Long and slender, femora and tibiae cylindrical and straight, finely granulate.

Measurements. Length 8.2mm; width of corium at base 2.9mm; width of abdomen across tergite IV 3.75mm and across deltg VII 2.2mm; ratio length of antennae / width of head 2.23; ratio length of antennal segments III/II = 1.14.

The male sex is unknown.

Etymology. Named after Gaoligong Shan, the mountain range where it was collected.

Discussion. Although only a female specimen is available, it clearly represents a new taxon which is most closely related to two members of the “ transiens ”-group of Aradus species which share the characters of a dentate lateral margins of the pronotum and a laterally protruding deltg III–VII: A. quinlingshanensis Heiss 2003a and A. emeiensis Heiss 2008 . In gaoligongensis n. sp. the lateral angles of deltg II–VI are blunt, but they are more acute in both other species; furthermore, size, shape, and dentation of the paranota are different (figs.17–19); in addition emeiensis differs by a long acute preocular tubercles.

Figures

FIGURES 17–23. Habitus of Aradus species. 17—gaoligongensis n.sp., holotype female; 18—emeiensis holotype female; 19—quinlingshanensis holotype female; 20—tonkinensis male; 21—ditto female; 22—spinicollis male; 23— ditto female. Scale bar = 1mm.