Pherolepis robustus, Zhang, Xu & Liu, Guo-Qing, 2009

Zhang, Xu & Liu, Guo-Qing, 2009, Revision of the pilophorine plant bug genus Pherolepis Kulik, 1968 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), Zootaxa 2281, pp. 1-20 : 17-20

Pherolepis robustus sp.nov.

( Figs. 10, 11 , 61–72 )

Type specimens: Holotype: male, CHINA: Qixia County (37°17'N, 120°50'E), Yantai City, Shandong Province, alt. 300–700m, 25. VII. 2007, Xu Zhang leg.. Paratypes: 8 females, same data as holotype; 1 female, CHINA: same data as holotype, alt. 300–400m, 27. VII. 2007, Hua Guo leg..

Diagnosis: Recognized by the large body size ( Figs. 10, 11 ), the black, smooth and shining pronotum, the deep castaneous hemelytron, the smooth, polished pronotum with extremely sparse, suberect, short simple setae, the decumbent, recurved, shining, sericeous setae and appressed simple setae on hemelytron ( Fig. 62 ), and the distinctive form of male genitalia ( Figs. 67–71 ). Most similar to P. amplus Kulik and P. a e n e s c e n s (Reuter) in appearance and coloration of dorsum, but distinguished from P. amplus ( Figs. 3, 4 ) by the entirely black pronotum, the much darker coloration of dorsum, the obviously sparse, short, simple setae on pronotum, and from P. aenescens ( Figs. 1, 2 , 13 ) by absence of silvery, flattened, lanceolate scalelike setae arranged on hemelytron, the relatively large size of body, as well as from both by different form of vesica in male.

Description: Male ( Fig. 10 ): Macropterous, large-sized.

Coloration: Body deep brown, castaneous to almost black; head brown-black; antennal segment I, and proximal 3/4 of segment II yellow-brown, distal part of segment II, segment III and IV deep brown to black; labium deep castaneous with segment IV darkened; pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum, mes- and metepisternum nearly black; hemelytron deep brown to castaneous; coxae white-yellow, femora yellowish brown, pro- and meso-tibia dirty yellow, metatibia yellow-brown; abdominal segments almost black with central surface deep brown.

Surface and Vestiture: Body surface generally smooth, head, pronotum, scutellum weakly polished and shining; short, appressed, simple setae scattered on pronotum extremely sparse; hemelytron covered with recumbent simple setae and flattened, weakly shining, recumbent or appressed, shining sericeous setae ( Fig. 62 ); mesepisternum rugulose, polished, strongly shining, mesepimeron with adpressed, shining sericeous setae forming a somewhat irregular band, metepisternum with sericeous setae arranged into several patches ( Fig. 63 ).

Structure: Head ( Fig. 61 ): Weakly transverse in dorsal view, clypeus projecting anteriorly beyond anterior margin of eyes by distance almost equal to length of an eye; vertex broad, posterior margin weakly concave in dorsal view, forming a complete rounded carina; mandibular plate broadly triangular, flattened; maxillary plate weakly elongate and swollen; buccula narrowly elongate; labium stout, reaching to posterior margin of mesocoxae; eyes oval, protuberant laterally; antennal segment I short and stout, narrow at base, segment II cylindrical, distally not enlarged, segment III subequal to segment IV in diameter and length. Thorax: Pronotum broad, trapezoidal, humped, lateral margin weakly convex, posterior margin slightly concave mesially, anterolateral angle rounded, with a relatively soft, suberect, easily being rubbed out, simple setae; mesoscutum slightly exposed, hardly visible in lateral view; scutellum flattened, mesially weakly swollen; hemelytron broad, exterior margin weakly convex, clavus slightly elevated along claval commissure; cuneus elongate, weakly declining; coxae stout, femora flattened; protibiae cylindrical, slightly curved, meso- and meta-tibiae slender and straight, with several rows of deep brown spine; protarsi stout, curved, relatively short; meso- and meta-tarsi relatively long, slender. Abdomen: Stout and broad, generally covered with recumbent, pale, simple setae.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 67–71 ): Vesica L-shaped, mesial, lanceolate, spinelike projection with two tiny denticles ( Fig. 67 ); left paramere boat-shaped with elongate hypophysis, sensory lobe blunt and curved ( Figs. 68, 69 ); right paramere leaf-shaped ( Fig. 70 ); phallotheca beaklike apically ( Fig. 71 ).

Female ( Fig. 11 ): Macropterous, surface and coloration similar to male, body weakly bigger and broader than male.

Female genitalia: Structure as figure 72. Host: Pinus sp..

Distribution: China (Shandong).

Etymology: Named for the distinctly large and stout body.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Habitus views of Pherolepis spp. 1. aenescens (male); 2. aenescens (female); 3. amplus (male); 4. amplus (female); 5. kiritshenkoi (male); 6. longipilus (male); 7. longipilus (female); 8. nigrinus (male); 9. nigrinus (female); 10. robustus (male); 11. robustus (female)

FIGURES 61 – 66. Scanning electron micrographs of morphological structures of P. robustus (male): 61. Lateral view of head; 62. sericeous setae on dorsum; 62 – 64. Scent-gland evaporatory area; 65 – 66. Parempodia

FIGURES 67 – 72. Pherolepis robustus sp. nov.: 67 – 71. Male genitalia (scale = 0.10 mm): 67. Vesica; 68. Left paramere; 69. Left paramere, apical view; 70. Right paramere; 71. Phallotheca. 72. Female genitalia (scale = 0.20 mm), dorsal view

FIGURES 12 – 15. Scanning electron micrographs of morphological structures of P. aenescens (male): 12. Lateral view of head; 13. Scalelike setae on dorsum; 14. Parempodia; 15. Scent-gland evaporatory area