Rubrocuneocoris albescens Yasunaga

Duwal, Ram Keshari, Schwartz, Michael D. & Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2019, A new species of the plant bug genus Rubrocuneocoris (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 4652 (1), pp. 165-173 : 170

Rubrocuneocoris albescens Yasunaga

Figures 1 A–D, 3, 4

Rubrocuneocoris albescens Yasunaga, 2001a: 117 (n. sp.); Yasunaga 2001b: 179 (diag., host, color habitus images, Fig. 133ab); Schuh 2002 –2014 (cat. on web); Aukema 2018 (cat. on web).

Diagnosis. Recognized by its light creamy yellow coloration; almost uniformly darkened antennal segment I; apical part of each femur speckled with sanguineous maculae; and stout endosoma sigmoid and twisted with serrated apical margins. Total body length 3.3 mm, maximum width across hemelytron 0.97–1.05 mm. Habitus images and brief diagnoses of both sexes were provided by Yasunaga (2001b).

Description. MALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 4 A–D): Endosoma ( Fig. 4D ): Stout, strongly sigmoid and twisted at middle, with serrated apical margin. Phallotheca ( Fig 4A ): Comparatively elongate, tapered towards apex, not strongly curved nor bent. Parameres: Left ( Fig. 4B ): Typical phyline form. Right ( Fig. 4C ): Small, with rather wide sensory lobe. FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 4 E–I): Genital chamber roundly margined; sclerotized rings U-shaped; posterior wall simple, with interramal sclerite V-shaped.

Measurements. (n= 1♂ / 2♀). Total body length 3.31/ 3.30–3.31; head width 0.68/ 0.62–0.69; vertex width 0.27/ 0.32; lengths of antennal segments I-IV 0. 26, 1.10, 0.45, 0.32/ 0.23–0.24, 0.93–0.96, 0.42–0.47, 0.32–0.35; labial length 1.20/ 1.19–1.20; basal width of pronotum 0.98/ 1.02–1.05; maximum width across hemelytron 1.32–1.23– 1.35; and lengths of metafemur, tibia and tarsus 1.05, 1.65, 0.38/ 1.05–1.10, 1.65–1.68, 0.38–0.41.

Remarks. As suggested by Yasunaga (2001a), Rubrocuneocoris albescens is most closely related to R. quercicola known from the Korean Peninsula and Russian Primorsky Territory, based on the present examination of the male genitalia. However, R. albescens has the different color pattern (generally creamy yellow dorsum, uniformly dark antennal segment I and reddish apical part of each femur) and medially twisted endosoma that is not coiled, in addition to being associated with Pterostyrax corymbosus Siebold & Zucc (Styracaceae) , whereas R. quercicola was reported from Quercus dentata Thunb. (Fagaceae) (Kerzhner 1988).

Type material. Holotype, ♀. JAPAN: Shikoku, Kochi Pref., Monobe Village [= current Kami City, Monobe Township], Nishikuma Valley , 33°48'N 134°00'E, 1,000 m alt., UV light trap, 8 Jul 2000, M. Takai ( TYCN) . Additional specimens examined. 1♂ 1♀, same locality and collector as for holotype, sweep-netting on Pterostyrax corymbosus , 28 Jul 2001 ( TYCN) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus images of Rubrocuneocoris spp. A–D, R. albescens. E–I, R. vietnamensis. A, C, E—Dorsal view. B, D, F—Lateral view. C–Head, front view. D—Thoracic segments, lateral view. E—Metafemur, ventral view. Scale bars: A–D: 2 mm, E–I: 0.5 mm

FIGURE 4. Genitalic structures of Rubrocuneocoris albescens. A–D, Male. E–I, Female. A—Phallotheca. B—Left paramere. C—Right paramere. D—Endosoma. E—Bursa copulatrix, dorsal view. F—Bursa coppulatrix, ventral view. G—Posterior wall. H. Gonapophysis I. I—Gonapophysis II. Abbreviation: Male: ds: dorsal strap, sg: secondary gonopore, vs: ventral strap; Female: dlp: dorsal labiate plate, pm: posterior membrane, sclr: sclerotized ring, smrcpt: seminal receptacle.