Pseudoloxops clavolineatus Kim et Jung, 2024

Kim, Junggon, Jeon, Juhyeon, Jang, Geunho, Phan, Quoc Toan & Jung, Sunghoon, 2024, First record of the genera Pseudoloxopidea Yasunaga, 1999 and Pseudoloxops Kirkaldy, 1905 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 5541 (2), pp. 227-234 : 230-232

Pseudoloxops clavolineatus Kim et Jung sp. nov.

( Figs. 1C, D , 2G–K )

Specimen examined. [ CNU] Holotype: 1♂, Bach Ma National Park (16.2281, 107.8583), Loc Tri , Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, 25.vi.2023, by light trap, G. Jang leg.; [ ZCDTU] Paratype: 1♂, same data as holotype; [ ZCDTU] Paratype: 1♀, same location as holotype, 20.vi.2023, G. Jang leg.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Vietnam (Central).

Etymology. Named after the combination of the Latin words, clavo (from clavus), and lineatus (lined), referring to the prominent red line along the inner margin of the clavus.

Diagnosis. Recognized by elongate dorsum, creamy yellowish brown coloration with sanguineous patterns, partly covered with two types of pale and dark punctures, sparsely covered with two types of silvery (on head only) and dark setae; head entirely pale brown, except for reddish markings near clypeus, impunctate, sparsely covered with silvery and dark setae; antennae mostly pale brown with reddish markings; first segment mostly pale with reddish outer margins, densely covered with dark setae; second segment much longer than third segment; second and third segments with reddish middle and apical markings; 1/2 apical part of fourth segment reddish; pronotum bicolorous, with dark and pale punctures; scutellum sparsely punctate, with reddish rhombic marking mesially; hemelytra with clear sanguineous markings, with dark punctures, sparsely covered with dark setae; inner margin of clavus with reddish stripe; inner part of corium with large reddish tetragon markings; embolium entirely sanguineous; mid-leg entirely pale brown ( Fig. 1C, D ); left paramere flat, sensory lobe large and its outer margin blunt, hypophysis narrow and long, curved apically; right paramere question mark-shaped, sensory lobe narrow, hypophysis broad and blunt; endosoma sclerotized with club-shaped endosomal process and one flat and short spicule, apex of spicule sharp ( Figs. 2G–K ).

Description. MALE: Body elongated-oval, length 3.19–3.26, creamy yellowish brown with sanguineous patterns. Coloration: Head: mostly pale brown with reddish markings near compound eyes and clypeus; vertex and frons entirely pale brown; clypeus pale brown with reddish marking; juga and antennal socket with reddish markings; antennae mostly pale brown with sanguineous markings; first segment mostly pale brown with reddish lateral margins; second and third segments mostly pale brown with reddish middle and apical rings; 1/2 apical part of fourth segment reddish; labium entirely pale brown. Thorax: pronotum bicolorous, pale brown with lateral sanguineous band; scutellum entirely pale brown with reddish rhombic marking mesially; hemelytra pale brown with sanguineous patterns; clavus mostly pale brown, anterior part and inner margin sanguineous; corium pale brown, margins along claval suture with sanguineous band, inner part with large reddish tetragon markings; embolium entirely sanguineous; cuneus mostly tinged with sanguineous; membrane subhyaline, posterior area grayish; veins subhyaline, posterior part of veins tinged with sanguineous; mid leg entirely pale brown; fore and hind legs missing. Abdomen: entirely pale brown. Surface and vestiture: body somewhat matte, sparsely covered with two types of silvery and dark setae, with sparse pale and dark punctures; head impunctate, sparsely covered with silvery and dark setae; vertex and frons glabrous; clypeus densely covered with dark setae; first antennal segment densely covered with long dark setae; pronotum glabrous, with dark and pale punctures; scutellum glabrous, sparsely punctate; hemelytra sparsely covered with dark setae, with dark punctures. Structure: Head: somewhat prognathous; vertex width more than single compound eye width; antennae linear, shorter than body length; antennae shorter than body length; first segment thickest, subequal to head length, more than single compound eye width; second segment longer than combination of third and fourth segments; third segment longer than fourth segment; proportion of first to fourth antennal segments 0.4: 1.4: 0.5: 0.4; labium reaching apex of hind coxae. Thorax: pronotum trapezoid, longitudinal length shorter than 1/2 basal maximal width, posterior margin straight; calli slightly swollen; pronotal collar medial length very thin; scutellum somewhat small, anterior width longer than 1/2 basal pronotal width, longitudinal length more than pronotum longitudinal length, less than commissure; lateral margin of hemelytra almost straight; cuneus triangular, not elongate, anterior width subequal to cuneal length. Abdomen: rounded and short, not reaching to base of cuneus. Genitalia: pygophore asymmetrical with concave and convex margins ( Fig. 2G ); left paramere flat, sensory lobe broad, upper margin rounded, hypophysis narrow, long, and curved apically ( Fig. 2H ); right paramere question mark-shaped, sensory lobe narrow, hypophysis broad and blunt ( Fig. 2G, I ); endosoma largely sclerotized, with club-shaped endosomal process and one short, straight and flat spicule, apex of spicule sharp ( Fig. 2J, K ).

FEMALE: No sexual dimorphism found. Body elongated-oval, length 3.25. Coloration: as in male. Surface and vestiture: as in male. Structure: as in male. Genitalia: not examined.

Measurements (in mm). Male (n=2)/Female (n=1) Body length, clypeus–apex of membrane: 3.19–3.26/3.25; head length, excluding collar: 0.36–0.37/0.36; head width, including compound eyes: 0.63–0.64/0.64; vertex width: 0.31–0.32/0.36; 1 st antennal segment length: 0.43–0.44/0.44; 2 nd antennal segment length: 1.46–1.48/1.47; 3 rd antennal segment length: 0.56–0.58/0.58; 4 th antennal segment length: 0.47–0.48/0.47; total antennal length: 2.92– 2.98/2.96; mesial pronotal length: 0.35–0.37/0.37; posterior pronotal maximal width (straight): 0.96–0.98/0.98; anterior scutellar width: 0.76–0.77/0.77; mesial scutellar length: 0.55–0.57/0.56; commissure length: 0.81–0.83/0.83; maximal width across hemelytron: 0.55–0.56/0.57.

Remarks. This new species is most similar to the widespread congener, P. imperatorius ( Distant, 1909) , but it can be distinguished by: its dorsum being sparsely covered with setae (vs. densely distributed in the latter species); the antennae coloration patterns with a pale first segment with sanguineous lateral margins, and two small reddish annulations of the second segment (vs. mostly reddish first segment, and three annulations of the second segment); the inner margin of clavus with a distinct reddish stripe along the commissure (vs. yellowish); and the round upper margin of the left paramere (vs. projected upper margin). P. clavolineatus sp. nov. also resembles P. pardellus Yasunaga & Duwal, 2017 from Thailand, but can be distinguished by: its dorsum being sparsely covered with silvery and brown setae (vs. densely covered with long brown setae), the sparse pale and dark punctures on the dorsum (vs. dense dark punctures); the antennae coloration patterns with a pale first segment with sanguineous lateral margins, and the two small reddish annulations of second segment (vs. mostly reddish first antennal segment, and the three annulations of second segment); the pronotum with pale punctures and few dark punctures (vs. dense dark punctures); the scutellum with sparse pale punctures (vs. dense dark punctate); the inner margin of clavus with a distinct reddish band along commissure (vs. obscure reddish coloration); the round upper margin of left paramere (vs. projected upper margin); the broad and blunt hypophysis of right paramere (vs. sharp hypophysis tapered apically); and the broad endosomal spicule with sharp apex (vs. two short and flat endosomal spiculi).

Yasunaga & Duwal (2017) noted that P. imperatorius and P. pardellus exhibit similar sexual dimorphism in metafemur coloration, suggesting a close relationship between the two species. In this study, only one female specimen without legs was examined, revealing no additional sexual dimorphism, thus requring further sampling.

The genital structures in Pseudoloxops are diverse, as indicated by Yasunaga et al. (2022). The left paramere is similar to that of P. trukensis Carvalho, 1956 , but can be easily distinguished by the dorsal coloration pattern (see Carvalho (1956) for the original description). The right paramere is similar to that of P. palauensis Carvalho, 1956 , but can be distinguished by the pale scutellum with a rhombic marking (vs. the multiple coloration with the dark basal part). This suggest that genital structure patterns may not correlate with external characters (e.g., body habitus) within Pseudoloxops .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus images of Pseudoloxopidea and Pseudoloxops spp. A, B: Pseudoloxopidea ruberuniformis sp. nov., holotype, male; C: Pseudoloxops clavolineatus sp. nov., holotype, male; D: Pseudoloxops clavolineatus sp. nov., paratype, male; E: Pseudoloxops lateralis, female. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of Pseudoloxopidea and Pseudoloxops spp. A–F: Pseudoloxopidea ruberuniformis sp. nov.,; G–K: Pseudoloxops clavolineatus sp. nov.,; A, G: pygophore; B, H: left paramere; C, I: right paramere; D, E, J, K: endosoma; F: spicule. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.