Micronecta caperata, Tran, 2021

Ha, Tuyet Ngan & Tran, Anh Duc, 2021, Taxonomy of Micronectidae (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) from Vietnam, with descriptions of 11 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 756, pp. 1-82 : 70-72

Micronecta caperata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:826E598E-CEF2-4A77-AA7B-6403633B323C

Figs 21E , 24

Diagnosis

Body length 1.5–1.9. Pronotum distinctly shorter than median head length; lateral margin of pronotum very short. Dorsum colour yellowish brown. Hemelytron punctate, with scattered small light brownish spots; suture between clavus, corium, and membrane indistinct ( Fig. 21E ).

Males: fore femur with two spines in distal third dorsally; fore tibia without spine; palar claw narrow, evenly curved ( Fig. 24A ). Median lobe of sternite VII with angular apex and four long setae ( Fig. 24B ). Free lobe absent. Left paramere: shaft broad and flat, distal part with ca five transverse wrinkles, apex rounded; basal lobe longer than wide, sub-trapezoid ( Fig. 24D ). Right paramere: shaft relatively slender, tapering towards apex, gently curved at distal third, apex narrowly rounded ( Fig. 24C ); pars stridens processus with ca 30 ridges.

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the wrinkles on the left paramere.

Material examined

All are hindwing-brachypterous.

Holotype

VIETNAM • ♂; Nghe An Prov., Pu Mat N.P. , Khe Kem stream , site #3; 20 Dec. 2012; Q.H. Ngo leg.; NQH1205 ; ZVNU.

Paratypes

VIETNAM – Nghe An Prov. • 7 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same locality data as for holotype; ZVNU • 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Pu Mat N.P. , Khe Kem stream, site #4; 20 Dec. 2012; Q.H. Ngo leg.; NQH1206 ; ZVNU • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Pu Mat N.P. , Khe Kem stream, site #5; 20 Dec. 2012; Q.H. Ngo leg.; NQH1207 ; ZVNU • 6 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Pu Mat N.P. , Khe Kem stream, site #6; 20 Dec. 2012; Q.H. Ngo leg.; NQH1208 ; ZVNU • 3 ♂♂; Pu Mat N.P. , Khe Kem stream, site #5; 18 Apr. 2012; Q.H. Ngo leg.; TAD1314 ; ZVNU • 9 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Pu Mat N.P. , Chat stream, tributary of Choang stream; 1 Sep. 2020; A.D. Tran et al. leg.; TAD20-14 ; ZVNU • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; ZRC • 1 ♂; Pu Mat N.P. , Choang stream, near Ban Bu; 1 Sep. 2020; A.D. Tran and T.C. Nguyen leg.; TAD20-17 ; NHMW . – Cao Bang Prov. • 1 ♂; Hoa An, stream at Ban Say bridge; 17 Dec. 2013; A.D. Tran et al. leg.; TAD1372 ; ZVNU • 2 ♂♂; Quang Uyen, road 207, Doc Lap commune, stream #2; 18 Dec. 2013; A.D. Tran et al. leg.; TAD1374 ; ZVNU . – Phu Tho Prov. • 1 ♂; Xuan Son N.P. , Ban Coi, Coi stream, site 3, by the road to Tan Son; 7 Jun. 2013; A.D. Tran et al. leg.; TAD1339 ; ZVNU • 1 ♂; Xuan Son N.P. , Xoan stream, near its confluence with Ha Bang stream; 21°5.303′ N, 104°57.559′ E; 22 May 2015; T.S. Nguyen leg.; TS1507 ; ZVNU • 1 ♀; Xuan Son N.P. , Xoan stream, near its confluence with Ha Bang stream; 21°5.303′ N, 104°57.559′ E; 6 May 2016; T.S. Nguyen leg.; TS1607 ; ZVNU • 2 ♀♀; Xuan Son N.P. , Ha Bang stream, near its confluence with Xoan stream; 21°5.318′ N, 104°58.87′ E; 22 May 2015; T.S. Nguyen leg.; TS1506 ; ZVNU • 2 ♂♂; Xuan Son N.P. , Coi stream, site 1, by the road to Tan Son; 21°09.204′ N, 104°56.927′ E; 8 May 2016; T.S. Nguyen leg.; TS1617 ; ZVNU • 2 ♀♀; Ha Bang stream, Ha Bang village area; 21°04.343′ N, 104°59.182′ E; 7 May 2016; T.S. Nguyen leg.; TS1610 ; ZVNU . – Lam Dong Prov. • 1 ♂; Bao Loc, Damb’ri waterfall ; 19 May 2003; A.D. Tran leg.; TAD0326 ; ZRC .

Description

COLOUR ( Fig. 21E ). Frons and vertex light yellowish, eyes reddish. Pronotum light brownish yellow. Hemelytron light yellow with scattered small light brownish spots. Membrane with similar colour to corium, but more translucent. Hindwings absent. Venter of thorax and abdomen, and legs pale yellow.

Structural characteristics

HINDWING- BRACHYPTEROUS MALES. Body length 1.57–1.88 (holotype: 1.75), width 0.81–1.03 (holotype: 1.00). Head width 0.6–0.72 (holotype: 0.68). Head slightly wider than pronotum. Pronotum very short, mostly covered by head, about 7.2 times as wide as long (0.65: 0.09). Synthlips about 1.35 times as wide as posterior width of an eye (0.27: 0.20). Lengths of leg segments: fore leg: femur 0.24, tibia 0.13, pala 0.12; middle leg: femur 0.58, tibia 0.2, tarsus 0.29, claw 0.2; hind leg: femur 0.42, tibia 0.3, tarsus I 0.3, tarsus II 0.16, claw 0.05. Prestrigilar flap on segment V absent. Strigil present. Median lobe of sternite VII, and parameres as in diagnosis.

HINDWING- BRACHYPTEROUS FEMALES. Body length 1.56–1.9, width 0.86–1.03. Head width 0.6–0.74. Head slightly wider than pronotum. Pronotum very short, mostly covered by head, about 7 times as wide as long (0.67: 0.10). Synthlips about 1.4 times as wide as posterior width of an eye (0.29: 0.21). Lengths of leg segments: fore leg: femur 0.23, tibiotarsus 0.2; middle leg: femur 0.59, tibia 0.22, tarsus 0.26, claw 0.18; hind leg: femur 0.38, tibia 0.3, tarsus I 0.32, tarsus II 0.17, claw 0.05.

Distribution

Vietnam: Cao Bang, Phu Tho, Nghe An, Lam Dong.

Remarks

Micronecta caperata sp. nov. has a mixed set of characteristics that does not allow its placement in any of the currently recognised subgenera of Micronecta . It is probably the only species of Micronecta that has no free lobe of tergite VIII. Its palar claw is very narrow and constricted pre-apically, which is similar to that of the subgenus Indonectella (resepresented by only one species, M. grisea ). However, M. caperata sp. nov. has a strigil on segment VI, while the strigil is absent in Indonectella . The very short pronotum of this species is similar to that of M. johorensis Fernando, 1964 , M. dentifera Nieser, 2002 , and M. eucosmeta Hutchinson, 1940 , but the parameres of M. caperata sp. nov. are completely different from those of these three species. The left paramere is broad and flat, which is a characteristic of the nominate subgenus Micronecta .

The outline of the right paramere of M. caperata sp. nov. is relatively similar to that of M. ceylonica Wrósblewski, 1968 , but its left paramere is distinctly different from that of the latter. The left paramere, with wrinkles on distal part of shaft, is unique for M. caperata sp. nov.

Although this new species does not fit into any of the recognised subgenus, we refrain from establishing a new subgenus for a single species, until an intrageneric phylogenetic analysis of Micronecta becomes available. We thus temporarily do not assign this species to any of the current subgenera.

Figures

Fig. 21. Habitus photos of species of Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897 and Synaptonecta Lundblad, 1933, ♂♂. A. M. quadristrigata Breddin, 1905 (ZVNU). B. M. altera Wróblewski, 1972 (ZVNU). C. M. polhemusi Nieser, 2000 (ZRC). D. M. melanochroa Nieser, Chen & Yang, 2005 (ZVNU). E. M. caperata sp. nov., holotype (ZVNU). F. M. fugitans Breddin, 1905 (ZVNU). G. M. tarsalis Chen, 1960 (ZVNU). H. S. issa (Distant, 1910) (ZVNU). All to the same scale.

Fig. 24. Morphological features of Micronecta caperata sp. nov., ♂, paratype (ZVNU). A. Fore leg. B. sternite VII and median lobe. C. Right paramere. D. Left paramere.