Sphedanolestes zhengi, Zhao, Ping, Ren, Shuzhi, Wang, Baohai & Cai, Wanzhi, 2015

Zhao, Ping, Ren, Shuzhi, Wang, Baohai & Cai, Wanzhi, 2015, A new species of the genus Sphedanolestes Stål 1866 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from China, with a key to Chinese species, Zootaxa 3985 (4), pp. 591-599 : 592-598

Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov.

( Figs 1–24 )

Diagnosis. This species is one of smallest members in Sphedanolestes , 7.5–8.2 mm in males and 8.0– 8.4 mm in females. It can be easily separated from other Chinese congeners by its more robust and small-sized body, and thickened legs. The new species resembles S. albipilosus in the small-sized body, but is much darker than S. albipilosus and connexivum is unicolourously red ( Figs 1 , 20−23 ) (vs. paler with bicolorous connexivum in S. albipilosus ); and endosoma with 5−7 pairs of large processes (endosoma with over 20 large processes in S. albipilosus ).

Description. Colouration. Body blackish brown to black, slightly shiny. Eyes, rostrum, antenna, posterior pronotal lobe, hemelytron, leg, abdomen (except pale markings) dark brown to blackish brown; ventral surface of head yellow, brown to black; marking between ocelli and eyes yellow to brown; median longitudinal part of abdomen beneath white to yellowish brown; connexivum unicolorously red ( Figs 20−23 ).

Structure. Body small-sized, somewhat robust. Body clothed with pale oblique setae; dorsal surface of head and pronotum with long, thick, pale brown setae; sterna of thorax, anterior margin and middle of pronotum and propleuron densely clothed with depressed short setae covered by white wax; head beneath laterally with pale short bent setae; fore wing densely with yellowish white depressed short setae. Head robust, postocular part globose and distinctly wider than anteocular, constricted behind eyes, neck short; eyes somewhat produced laterally; first visible rostral segment long and extending to middle of eye, but slightly shorter than second segment; first antennal segment somewhat shorter than second and third segments together in length, third segment slightly shorter than fourth, second segment shortest and distinctly shorter than third in male (but second segment slightly shorter than third in female) ( Figs 1 , 2 , 20–23 ). Collar processes obtuse horn-shaped, produced laterally; anterior pronotal lobe round and bulged, middle longitudinal sulcus deep at basal half; posterior pronotal lobe centrally shallowly depressed; posterior margin nearly straight; all femora thicker, subnodular; hemelytron slightly extending beyond abdominal tip ( Figs 1 , 2 , 20–23 ). Pygophore elliptic and densely with thick setae, median pygophore process broadly posteriorly produced and laterally with two tiny processes ( Fig. 10 ); paramere clavate, middle part somewhat curved, apical half densely with thick setae ( Figs 10–12 ); basal plate of phallobase subequal to plate bridge in length and thickness ( Fig. 3 ); phallosoma elliptic ( Figs 4–6 ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite sclerotized and flat ( Fig. 5 ); lateral phallothecal sclerite long and narrow ( Figs 4, 7 ); endosoma apically laterally with 5–7 pairs of larger processes ( Figs 7–9 ). Apical part of first valvifer obtuse, apical part of first valvulae round, anterior fibula wave-like ( Fig. 13 ); second valvifer and second valvulae short and small ( Fig. 14 ); apical part of two styloids connected and densely with setae apically ( Fig. 15 ).

Measurements [♂ (n= 5) / ♀ (n= 9), in mm]. Body length 7.50–8.23 / 8.00–8.47; maximal width of abdomen 2.17–2.67 / 2.17–2.50. Head length 1.60–1.83 / 1.67–1.73; length of anteocular part 0.47–0.50 / 0.50–0.57; length of postocular part 0.63–0.67 / 0.60–0.73; length of synthlipsis 0.40–0.47 / 0.43; distance between ocelli 0.33 / 0.33; length of antennal segments I–IV= 1.70–2.10 / 1.70–1.87: 0.77–0.83 / 0.85:1.27–1.47 / 1.07: 1.60–1.77 / 1.37; length of visible rostral segments I–III= 0.80–0.90/ 0.80–0.85: 0.83–0.90 / 0.80–0.97: 0.17–0.18 / 0.17; length of anterior pronotal lobe 0.50–0.63 / 0.57–0.63; length of posterior pronotal lobe 1.03–1.07 / 0.93–1.03; maximal width of pronotum 1.83–2.10 / 1.83–2.20; length of scutellum 0.50–0.53 / 0.50–0.60; length of hemelytron 4.95– 5.17 / 4.83–5.33

Type material. Holotype: ♂, China, Guizhou, Weining, Caohai National Nature Reserve, 2014-VII-29, 2170 m, Li, Hongxia & Zhao, Ping leg ( CAU). Paratypes: 2♀, same as holotype ( CAU); 1♀, China, Guizhou, Weining, Heishitou, 1979-VII-16, Dong, Hua leg ( CAU); 1♂, China, Yunnan, Kunming, Panlong, Xiaohe, 2006-VII-29, Wang, Hesheng leg ( CAU); 1♀, China, Yunnan, Gejiu, 1974-IX-16, Zheng, Zhemin leg ( CAU); 1♂, China, Yunnan, Kunming, Tiefeng, 1942-VII-1 ( CAU); 1♀, China, Yunnan, Lijiang, Mt. Yulong, 1979-VIII-12 (NKU); 1♀, China, Yunnan, Ludian, 2000 m, 1980-V-30 (NKU); 1♀, China, Yunnan, Nanhua, Luowu, 1978-V-24, on pine (NKU); 2♂, 2♀, Sichuan, Luding, Moxi, 1500–1600 m, 1983-VI-17–18, Wang, Shuyong leg (IZB).

Distribution ( Fig. 24 ). China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan).

Etymology. The new species is named after Prof. Zhemin Zheng at Shaanxi Normal University for his outstanding contributions to insect taxonomy, especially Orthoptera.

Remarks. The body of new species is somewhat robust and the legs are thickened, which are the characteristics of the closely related genus Rhynocoris . But the distinctly depressed posterior pronotal lobe and the nodulous legs place this species in the genus Sphedanolestes . The systematic position of this species needs further analyses using both morphological and molecular evidence.

Miller (1958) named 20 species of Sphedanolestes from New Guinea and noted that “The pygophore provides, so far as I have been able to judge, the only reliable structural character for the separation of species”. To our experience, pygophore structures, such as the length and width, are useful characters in the species delimitation in most species. The pygophore of the new species is wide and very short and can be easily distinguished from other congeners in China. However, the pygophore structures of some species in this genus are variable to some extent, especially in details of the apical processes. The validity of some of Miller’s species in this genus need further careful study.

Bionomics. One living female of the new species was collected on July 29, 2014 from Caohai National Nature Reserve of Guizhou Province. It was reared under laboratory condition and was fed on first and second instar larvae of Bombyx mori (L.) and the larvae of Plutella xyllostella (L.). It laid seven eggs on the surface of a plant leaf ( Figs 16, 17 ). The newly laid eggs are pale yellowish brown ( Fig. 16 ), then turned reddish brown before hatching ( Fig. 17 ), and its operculum is white ( Figs 16, 17 ). All these eggs hatched on August 10, 2014, then the nymphs developed from first to fifth instars from mid August to mid October ( Figs 18, 19 ). Finally, we obtained three adults, one male and two females. The first instar nymphs took nine days to develop (2014-VIII-10–VIII-19), the second instars took seven days (2014-VIII-19–VIII-26), the third instars took respectively seven, eight and 12 days (2014-VIII-26–IX-2, 3, 7), the fourth instars took respectively 10, 12 and 13 days (2014-IX-2, 3–IX-15, 2014- IX-7–IX-17), the fifth instars took respectively 22 and 28 days (2014-IX-15–X-7, 2014-IX-17–X-15). The emergence of adults occurred at October 7 and 15, 2014. We obtained 2 female and 1 male adults. The adults were observed copulating on October 19, 2014. The clasping and riding behavior continued five minutes, followed by mating that lasted for 35 minutes. The female did not eat anything for three days before oviposition that occurred on November 15, 2014.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov., ♂. Habitus. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 9. Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov., ♂. 2, Head and pronotum, antennae removed; 3, phallobase; 4, phallus; 5 – 9 phallosoma. 2, 4, 7, lateral view; 5, 8, dorsal view; 6, 9, ventral view. Scale bar of 2 = 0.88 mm; of 3 – 6 = 0.44 mm; of 7 – 9 = 0.54 mm.

FIGURES 10 – 15. Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov., 10 – 12, ♂, 13 – 15, ♀. 10, 11, Pygophore; 12, paramere; 13, first valvifer, first valvula and anterior fibula; 14, second valvifer and second valvula; 15, styloid and oviduct. 10, 14, dorsal view; 11, lateral view; 13, 15, ventral view. Scale bar of 10 – 12 = 0.43 mm; of 13 – 15 = 0.45 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 20. Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov. 16, Eggs; 17, eggs before hatching; 18, first instar nymph; 19, fifth instar nymph; 20, adult.

FIGURES 21 – 23. Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov., ♂. Habitus. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 24. Geographical distribution map of the new species Sphedanolestes zhengi sp. nov.