Micronecta (Dichaetonecta) johorensis Fernando, 1964

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 : 20

Micronecta (Dichaetonecta) johorensis Fernando, 1964

Fig. 3G–I

Micronecta johorensis Fernando, 1964: 17–18 , figs 1–9 (type locality: Johor, Peninsular Malaysia).

Micronecta johorensis – Nieser 2000: 287 (key); 2002b: 265, 267–268 (diagnosis, key).

Diagnosis

Body small, ovate, length 1.5–1.8 (brachypterous). Pronotum shorter than median head length. Dorsum colour pale yellowish. Pronotum with a pair of transverse brown marks. Dark patterns on hemelytra reticulate; embolium with five dark patches; membrane reduced.

Males: fore femur with a pair of spines in proximal third ventrally, a large and two small spines in distal third, and a pair of spines distally; fore tibia with one spine on middle third, and a pair of spines on distal margin; palar claw narrow, parallel sided, apically bent ( Fig. 3G ). Median lobe of sternite VII with two long setae and a serrated triangular apex. Free lobe: mesial angle broadly rounded, lateral angle produced, posterior margin straight, two long setae restricted to lateral angle. Left paramere: shaft relatively short and flattened, on mesial side near the middle with a large triangular tooth, apex of shaft narrowly rounded; basal part with a prominent projection on opposite side of large subovate basal lobe ( Fig. 3I ). Right paramere: shaft stout, longitudinally striated, apex rounded ( Fig. 3H ).

Material examined

VIETNAM – Phu Tho Prov. • 1 ♂ (brachypterous); 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 .

Distribution

First record for Vietnam. Other countries: Malaysia, Singapore ( Nieser 2002a).

Remarks

Nieser (2002a) already noted the similarities and differences between three closely related species M. johorensis , M. dentifera Nieser, 2002 , and M. eucosmeta Hutchinson, 1940 . These three species can be placed in the subgenus Dichaetonecta as they possess a rather narrow palar claw, and the median lobe of sternite VII bears two long setae. The longitudinally striated shaft of the right paramere is a unique diagnostic characteristic for M. johorensis . Also see Remarks under M. sahlbergi .

Figures

Fig. 3. Morphological features of species of Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897, ♂♂. A–C. M. decorata Lundblad, 1933 (ZVNU). D–F. M. desertana Distant, 1920 (ZVNU). G–I. M. johorensis Fernando, 1964 (ZVNU). A, D = free lobe; B, E, H = right paramere; C, F, I = left paramere; G = fore leg.