Centrocnemis schaeferi Truong, Li & Cai

Truong, Xuan Lam, Li, Hu & Cai, Wanzhi, 2010, First record of the assassin bug subfamily Centrocnemidinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Vietnam, with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 2347, pp. 64-68 : 67

Centrocnemis schaeferi Truong, Li & Cai , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Description. Coloration: Body dark testaceous. First antennal segment (except a narrow longitudinal strip on upper surface testaceous), second (except apex whitish), basal portion of third and fourth antennal segments, rostrum (except a spot on inner and apical portion of second segment whitish), lateral stripe from eye almost to base and ventral portion of head, anteocular portion, spots and confluent suffusions on collar, posterior pronotal lobe and pleura, scutellum (except an annulation at base of apical spine whitish), clavus, confluent spots on membrane of forewings, tarsi, apical 2/3 of anterior tibiae (except a spot on outer surface subapically and on inner surface of process pale testaceous), apical portion of mid tibiae, hind tibiae (except basally testaceous), lower surface and a longitudinal suffusion on external surface of fore femora, basal portion of mid and hind femora, coxae, trochanters, and suffusion on connexival segments black ( Figs. 1 , 2 ); lateral spines on collar, discal tubercles on anterior pronotal lobe and lateral expansions on posterior pronotal lobe narrowly brown apically; corium dark brown, with many whitish tubercles; abdomen ventrally strongly suffused with brown; tubercles on body mostly white ( Fig. 1 ).

Structure: Body large and dorsoventrally depressed. Body clothed with tubercles. First antennal segment moderately thick with tubercles and apical spine, second segment somewhat compressed and much longer than first, apical 2/3 of third segment and fourth segment setose; head moderately elongate with a pair of spines at lateral emargination of eyes and a pair of spines on vertex; eyes sub-pedunculate, kidney-shaped in lateral view; ocelli small, protuberant and narrowly separated; basal rostral segment tuberculate, second longer than third and fourth segments combined ( Fig. 2 ). Pronotum tuberculate and spinose; collar processes short, with tubercles (apical angles rounded) laterally; discal tuberculous spines of anterior pronotal lobe erect and long; posterior pronotal lobe tuberculate and distinctly expanded laterally; scutellum tuberculate and with a long and recurved spine apically; lower surface of anterior tibiae and femora with short dense denticles, femora with spines and tubercles. Connexival segments with a variable number of spines at external apical angle; abdomen with flattened area mid-ventrally; apical and basal portions of corium suffused with whitish tubercles ( Fig. 1 ). Pygophore oblong, ventral surface clothed with rounded tubercles and short setae ( Figs 3– 5 ); paramere falculate, preapical portion with numerous long setae ( Fig. 6 ); basal plate short, basal plate prolongation thin, curving ( Fig. 7 ); phallotheca sclerotized dorsally and laterally, membranous ventrally, symmetrical; struts long, strut A thick, situated ventrally, strut B whiplike, recurved and extending outside of the phallosoma ( Figs. 7–9 ).

Measurements: Body length 28.56; abdomen width 14.20. Length head 3.8; length anteocular portion 1.40, length postocular portion 1.60; length synthlipsis 1.51; interocellar space 0.20; length antennal segments I–IV= 2.27, 6.30, 3.13, 2.43; length rostral segments I–IV = 0.64, 2.58, 1.14, 0.87; length anterior pronotal lobe 4.68, length posterior lobe 7.01; width thorax 11.70; length scutellum 2.84; length hemelytron 19.21.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype, 3, Phuoc Binh National Park, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam, 13-X-2008, Truong Xuan Lam leg.

Distribution. Vietnam (Ninh Thuan).

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Prof. Carl W. Schaefer of University of Connecticut for his great contributions to heteropterology and his kind help in our study of true bugs.

Remarks. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by the black spots and confluent suffusions on the posterior pronotal lobe ( Fig. 1 ), the rostrum ( Fig. 2 ) and the membrane of forewings, and whitish tubercles on the apical and basal portions of the corium ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Centrocnemis schaeferi Truong, Li & Cai, sp. nov, 3, holotype. Habitus. Scale bar = 3.69 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 9. Centrocnemis schaeferi Truong, Li & Cai, sp. nov, 3. 2, Head and pronotum, antennae removed; 3, apical part of abdomen; 4, 5, pygophore; 6, paramere 7, phallus; 8, 9, phallosoma; 2, 5, 7, lateral view; 3, 4, 8, ventral view; 9, dorsal view. Scale bar of 2, 3 = 1.67 mm; of 4, 5 = 1 mm; of 6 = 0.63 mm; of 7 – 9 = 1.43 mm.