Sadoletus subpellucidus sp. nov.

(Figs. 12–13, 16, 19, 30–34)

Type Materials. Holotype: ♂, LAOS: 18°13'N, 102°28'E, alt. 195 m, Wat Par Ba Phong Khong, Vientiane Dist., 19.II.2010, Teruaki Ban (TUA) . Paratypes: LAOS: 7 ♂ 5 ♀, Same date as holotype; 1 ♂, Ban Nakha, Vientiane Dist., 19.II. 2010, Mika Watanabe & J. Kantoh (TUA); 1 ♂ 2 ♀, 15°15'N, 106°44'E, alt. 124 m, 13km South From Sekong, Champasak Prov., 15.II.2010, Teruaki Ban (TUA).

Diagnosis. Recognized among congeners of Sadoletus by a combination of the following characters: head, anterior lobe of pronotum and basal half of scutellum reddish brown (Figs. 12, 13); antennal segment IV 3 times longer than segment I; labium attaining metacoxae; posterior lobe of pronotum and legs pale yellow (Figs. 12, 13); femora and tibiae with pale brown annulations; hemelytra attaining apex of abdomen; corium subhyaline (Figs. 12, 13), with pale brown shallow punctures; hemelytral membrane hyaline; posterior margin of sternite VI weakly convex at middle (Fig. 16); dorsal sinus of posterior aperture of pygophore without collar (Fig. 30); cuplike sclerite fused to posterior margin of pygophore and arising in the middle of it (Fig. 30); paramere laminate at apex (Fig. 31).

Description. Male (holotype): Short decumbent setae on body silvery. Punctures on pronotum, scutellum, and corium brown. Head (Fig. 12) reddish brown. Clypeus pale yellow. Antennae brownish yellow. Labium (Fig. 16) pale yellow, apex of segment IV dark brown. Pronotum (Fig. 12) reddish brown in anterior lobe and pale yellow in posterior lobe, with 2 dark brown markings arranged transversely near posterior margin. Venter of mesothorax and metathorax reddish brown; peritreme brownish yellow. Scutellum (Fig. 12) reddish brown in basal half and brownish in remaining part. Apical half of scutellum with pale longitudinal stripe along meson. Corium (Fig. 12) and clavus subhyaline; hemelytral membrane hyaline. Coxae and trochanter pale yellow; femora and tibiae pale yellow with pale brown annulations; tarsi pale yellow, apex of tarsomere III dark brown. Abdomen brown; each laterotergite pale brown anteriorly and dark brown posteriorly; genital capsule brown.

Body length (Fig. 12) 3 times width across humeri, covered with pubescence. Head (Fig. 12) 1.7 times as wide as its length, covered with both rough and fine punctures; tylus tumid upwards; clypeus weakly projecting anteriad; juga with decumbent setae. Eyes occupying nearly half area of head in lateral view, not reaching anterior margin of pronotum. Antennae covered with suberect setae; proportional lengths of segments I to IV 1.0: 2.6: 2.2: 3.0. Labium attaining metacoxae; proportional lengths of segments I to IV 1.3: 1.9: 1.3: 1.0.

Pronotum (Fig. 12) a little more than 1.4 times as wide as its length, nearly trapezoidal, lacking collar, densely covered with punctures, and with lateral margin of anterior lobe weakly serrate; posterior lobe 1.3 times as long as anterior lobe, slightly more convex than anterior lobe; posterior margin weakly curved to posterior. Venter of prothorax, mesepisterna and metepisterna covered with rough punctures. Scutellum (Fig. 12) triangular, weakly tumid transversely in basal half, entirely covered with punctures. Hemelytra (Fig. 12) attaining apex of abdomen; apical margin of corium as long as claval suture. Profemur moderately expanded, armed with a spine ventrally at about apical third; tibiae and tarsi covered with long erect setae.

Abdomen wider than hemelytral width; sternum covered with fine punctures; posterior margin of sternite VI sinuate.

Genital structures of paratypes: pygophore (Fig. 30) nearly spherical in dorsal view, covered with suberect setae; maximum width of dorsal sinus of posterior aperture more than one-third as wide at middle as pygophore, without collar along anterior margin; cuplike sclerite fused to posterior margin of pygophore and arising in the middle of it; antero-lateral margin of cuplike sclerite acute. Paramere (Fig. 31) twisted at basal third, laminated at apex, covered with several erect setae, sensory processes absent. Phallosoma (Figs. 32, 33) twice as long as its width in ventral view, roundly concave and wrinkled at apical margin.

Female (paratypes): resembles male in general appearance. Body (Fig. 13) evidently wider; antennae and abdominal color paler than male; ovipositor (Fig. 19) straight, reaching sternite VI, approximate oviposital length 0.5 mm; the two hemiventrites of sternite VII are short therefore posterior margins of sternites III–V almost straight, sternite VI weakly sinuate (Fig. 19); spermatheca (Fig. 34) rounded at apex, as is typical in Sadoletus species (as in Scudder, 1962: 121, Fig. 14).

Measurements [♂ (n=10) / ♀ (n=7), value for holotype male in parentheses]. Body length 4.2–4.5 (4.4) / 4.75–5.2; body height between coxae and dorsum 0.95–1.15 (1.15) / 1.18–1.3; head length 0.65–0.75 (0.75) / 0.75– 0.9, head width across eyes 1.15–1.25 (1.25) / 1.2–1.35; length of antennal segments I–IV respectively 0.25–0.31 (0.25) / 0.25–0.35, 0.63–0.7 (0.65) / 0.63–0.73, 0.5–0.6 (0.55) / 0.53–0.63, 0.7–0.75 (0.75) / 0.7–0.78; length of rostral segments I–IV respectively 0.5–0.63 (0.5) / 0.55–0.7, 0.65–0.7 (0.7) / 0.69–0.75, 0.45–0.58 (0.5) / 0.45– 0.55, 0.35–0.4 (0.38) / 0.35–0.43; mesal pronotal length 0.9–1.1 (1.05) / 1.05–1.25; posterior pronotal width 1.35– 1.5 (1.5) / 1.25–1.75; mesal scutellal length 0.75–0.85 (0.8) / 0.8–1.0; basal scutellal width 0.75–0.88 (0.85) / 0.88– 1.0; hemelytral length 2.75–2.95 (2.9) / 2.9 5–3.4; maximum width across hemelytra 1.38–1.45 (1.45) / 1.55–1.75.

Distribution. Laos (Vientiane Dist., Champasak Prov.).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective “ subpellucidus ” (meaning subtransparent) referring to characteristic coloration of the corium.

Remarks. This new species is most similar in general appearance to S. pallescens Distant, S. valdezi Bergroth and S. validus Distant, but it can be distinguished from them by a combination of the following characters: labium attaining to metacoxae (in S. valdezi labium attaining to mesocoxae); hemelytra not surpassing apex of abdomen (vs. hemelytra surpassing apex of abdomen); corium subhyaline (vs. corium white); femora with pale brown annulations (vs. femora without annulation); posterior margin of sternite VI of female convex at middle (vs. concave at middle); dorsal sinus of posterior aperture of pygophore without collar (in S. valdezi, dorsal sinus of posterior aperture of pygophore with collar); apex of paramere laminate (in S. valdezi apex of paramere peaked); sensory processes of paramere absent (in S. validus sensory processes of paramere present).

Biological notes. The specimens were collected from fruiting trees of Ficus sp. in comparatively open forests adjacent to farmland and a temple.