Pilophorus maeharai Yasunaga & Duwal

Yasunaga, Tomohide & Duwal, Ram Keshari, 2016, Three new species of the ant-mimetic plant bug genus Pilophorus from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Pilophorini), Zootaxa 4117 (2), pp. 172-182 : 175

Pilophorus maeharai Yasunaga & Duwal , n. sp.

( Figs. 1 E–G, 2, 3)

Diagnosis. Distinguished from any other congeners by a combination of the following characters: relatively tiny, antlike body; short labium; polished pronotum; alternately fragmented bands of scalelike setae on hemelytron; small parameres like as leucophoropterine; and shortened, weakly curved male endosoma, medially with a short, Lshaped flagellum.

Description. Body generally chestnut brown, tiny in overall appearance, weakly to moderately constricted (HCR = 0.81–0.85); dorsal surface with uniformly distributed, simple, semierect setae. Head shiny fuscous; head with eyes a little wider than height; vertex relatively wide. Antenna dark brown; segment I, basal half of II, and extreme bases of III and IV yellowish brown; segment II weakly clavate. Labium shiny chestnut brown, slightly exceeding apex of mesocoxa. Pronotum shiny black, polished; scutellum shiny fuscous, with scalelike setae aggregated on each corner; ostiolar peritreme dirty yellow. Hemelytron matte, with rather sparsely distributed, simple, semierect setae; corium with alternately fragmented bands of scalelike setae; posterior 1/3 of clavus and paracuneus each with a short band of slivery setae ( Fig. 1 E); membrane smoky brown. Coxa and leg chestnut brown; apex of mesocoxa and whole metacoxa creamy white; metafemur weakly curved; all tarsi pale brown. Abdomen shiny fuscous. Male genitalia ( Figs. 2–3 ): Genital segment small, trapezoidal; apex of phallotheca with a small, thumb-like projection. Left paramere generally small, not splayed-out, reminiscent of Leucophoropterini , with sensory lobe terminated laterally in a slender process. Endosoma simple in form, weakly curved, with a short, L-shaped median projection.

Measurements. ♂/♀: Total body length 2.2−2.3/ 2.4−2.7; length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 1.94/ 1.86−1.90; width of head across eyes 0.72/ 0.68−0.74; head height 0.57/ 0.59−0.62; width of vertex 0.32/ 0.33−0.37; lengths of antennal segments I −IV 0.19, 0.95, 0.29, 0.29/ 0.16−0.19, 0.74−0.76, 0.28−0.32, 0.29−0.36; basal width of pronotum 0.97/ 0.86−0.95; minimum width across hemelytron 0.92/ 0.83−0.88; maximum width across hemelytron 1.13/ 1.02−1.05; and length of metafemur, tibia and tarsus 0.93, 1.51, 0.36/ 0.90−0.95, 1.40−1.46, 0.35−0.38.

Etymology. Named after Mr. Satoshi Maehara, who collected all available specimens of this new species.

Biology. Adults of this new species were found on bark of wild Sakura-cherry, Prunus jamasakura Sieb. ex Koidz. (Rosaceae) and observed to move agilely on the bark. Because of its unique habitat preference and agility, it is difficult to collect the specimens in good number (Maehara, pers. comm.). A univoltine life cycle is assumed for this pilophorine.

Holotype: ♂, JAPAN: Honshu: Tochigi Pref., Nikko, Hinata, 4 Aug 2009, S. Maehara ( AMNH _PBI 00380411) ( AMNH).

Paratypes. Honshu: Tochigi Pref., Nikko, Chugu City, 10 Aug 2013, S. Maehara, 1♀ ( TYCN); Tochigi Pref., Nikko, Shobugahama, 5 Aug 2010, S. Maehara, 2♀( TYCN).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus images of new Japanese Pilophorus spp. A. P. nakatanii, holotype male (AMNH _ PBI 00380410). B. Same, dry-preserved condition, right lateral view. C. P. tagoi, male. D. Same, female. E. P. maeharai, holotype male (00380411). F. Same, ventral view. G. Same, female.

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia (genital segment and parameres) of new Japanese Pilophorus spp. named on the figure.

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia (endosoma) of new Japanese Pilophorus spp. named on the figure.