Phyllomictis chinensis, Xun & Gao & Yin, 2024

Xun, Harvey, Gao, Hao-Ran & Yin, Zi-Xu, 2024, A remarkable new genus and species of Mictini from southern China (Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae), Zootaxa 5555 (1), pp. 105-115 : 108-112

Phyllomictis chinensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Type material. Holotype. 1♂, China, Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Jinghong City, Xiazhai , 21.9570°N, 101.0687°E, alt. 1 012 m, 21-II-2024, Zhu-De Li leg. Paratypes. 2♂ 1♀, same data as holotype ; 1♂ 1♀, China, Guizhou Province, Tongren City, Shiqian County, Jufeng Township , Liuping Village , 27.3491°N, 107.9839°E, alt. 840 m, 27-V-2024, Xiao-Fei Li leg. ; 1♂, China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Baise City , Tianlin County, Langping Town , 24.4872°N, 106.3524°E, alt. 1 174m, 8-VII-2024, Wan-Xiang Chen leg.

Diagnosis. This is the only known species of Phyllomictis gen. nov. and can be recognized based on the characters given for the genus.

Description. Color and vestiture. Red-brown, ventral surface and antennae lighter reddish-brown; head and body covered with short, suberect, yellow setae; antennal segments I–III, antenniferous tubercle, lateral sides of head, midline of ventral body surface, femora, and base of connexivum covered with short, suberect, white setae; pronotum and dilation of each tibia with round, black spots; abdominal spiracles black.

Head. Quadrate, antennae long, relatively stout, relative lengths of antennal segments I> IV> II> III, antennal segments IV curved; rostrum short, reaching midpoint of mesosternum.

Thorax. Pronotum steeply declivent, extremely extended anterolaterally, smooth; anterior margins with 3–4 sharp spines, lateral margins faintly serrate, humeral angles pointing forward, over the top of the head, posterior margin flat, smooth, wavy. Scutellum. Smooth, with obscure transverse striations; apex flat, white. Hemelytra. Extending slightly beyond the tip of abdomen. Legs. Fore and mid femora smooth, slightly incrassate (both sexes), hind femora more incrassate (especially in male), all femora ventrally with two subdistal spines; male hind femora curved, with faint tubercles, ventral basal quarter with a large spine; female hind femora smooth, with faint tubercles; fore and mid tibiae dilated dorsally for about the mid half of their length; hind tibiae dilated dorsally and ventrally, ventral dilation of male with a big spine at midpoint ( Figs. 2C, D ).

Abdomen. Laterally expanded, the connexivum visible dorsally; abdominal spiracles small, round, and closer to anterior than to lateral margins of their sterna.

Male genitalia. Male genitalia capsule. Opening nearly square, with small golden setae; ventral rim broadly and shallowly depressed; lateral rims with small, broadly half-rounded internal projection; the cuplike sclerite small, broadly rounded ( Figs. 2A, B ; 3A ). Parameres. Small, base stout, apical 1/3 curved, with small, narrow, curved tip; central base to apical part with several large setae and ribbing; external surface of base with deep, wide, transverse grooves ( Figs. 3B–D ).

Measurements. See Table 1.

Molecular results. The Bayesian phylogenetic tree supports that Phyllomictis is a distinct genus ( Fig. 4 ). Within Phyllomictis , two clades were recovered: one clade consists of the sister populations from Yunnan and Guizhou, whereas the population from Guangxi forms a separate clade (BPP: 1). The uncorrected genetic distance (p-distance) among these three populations is 3.1% ( Table 2). Given their high morphological consistency and low genetic divergence, these populations are classified as a single species.

Etymology. The new species is named after China.

Host plant. Sageretia sp. ( Rhamnaceae ).

Distribution ( Fig. 5). China: Yunnan (Jinghong), Guizhou (Tongren), Guangxi (Baise).

Chinese common name. 中华叶Dzø.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Phyllomictis chinensis sp. nov., habitus: A–C. holotype, male; D–F. paratype, female. A, D. dorsal; B, E. lateral; C, F. ventral. Scale in 10 mm.

FIGURE 2. Phyllomictis chinensis sp. nov., holotype, male: A. apex of abdomen, posterior; B. apex of abdomen, ventral; C. right hind femur, dorsal; D. right hind tibia, dorsal. A–B. scales in 1 mm; C–D. Scales in 10 mm.

FIGURE 3. Phyllomictis chinensis sp. nov., holotype, male: A. genital capsule, dorsal; B–D. left paramere in their different aspects. Abbreviations: cs = cuplike sclerite; lr = lateral rim infolding; pr = proctiger; vr = ventral rim. A. scale in 1 mm; B–D. Scale in 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Mitochondrial genealogy of the Mictini inferred by Basyesian analyses based on the COI gene. Numbers at each node indicate Bayesian posterior probabilities. Photos by Chen Wang, Hao-Ran Gao, and Si-Ke Shen.