Brancucciana (Rubriascopus) orientalis Stehlík & Jindra, 2008

Figs 1, 2 Chinese common name: 东方华红蝽

Brancucciana (Rubriascopus) orientalis Stehlík & Jindra, 2008: 632: Aukema et al. 2013: 402.

Diagnosis.

The subgenus Rubriascopus has two species, Brancucciana (Rubriascopus) pygmaeus Distant, 1903 and Brancucciana (Rubriascopus) orientalis Stehlík & Jindra, 2008 . In B. (R.) pygmaeus, the legs and antennomeres are greyish yellow according to Stehlík and Jindra (2006 a: fig. 5) [vs legs and antennomeres black in B. (R.) orientalis].

The specimens recently collected from Guangxi and Hainan are morphologically mostly consistent with the original description of B. (R.) orientalis according to the description by Stehlík and Jindra (2008). However, based on these Chinese specimens, the body is mostly red, with black markings (vs pale brown with a reddish tinge in the specimen of this species from Indonesia and the Philippines (Stehlík and Jindra 2008). The structure of their male genitalia is consistent with B. (R.) orientalis, therefore we consider the differences in colouration as intraspecific variation.

The male genitalia are redescribed in detail here (Fig. 2). The pygophore is oval, the median pygophore process is armed with a posteriorly produced protrusion, its two lateral margins are parallel and the posterior margin of apical part is nearly straight and medially a little concave (Fig. 2 a, b); the ventral rim infolds and falls into genital chamber, and forms a special structural interior process, a cup-like sclerite of pygophore, its apical part acute, as shown in Fig. 2 c, d; the paramere is clavate, gradually attenuated, its apical part has a pair of minute denticles (Fig. 2 e); the phallosoma is elliptic; the phallobase is shown as in Fig. 2 f; the endosoma is shown in Fig. 2 g – i, the vesical seminal duct (gonopore) extends to the apical part of the vesica.

Measurements

[male (n = 1) / female (n = 1), in mm]. Body length 9.88 / 11.66; maximal width of abdomen 4.13 / 4.70. Head length 1.30 / 1.70; Head width 1.78 / 1.94; length of synthlipsis 0.97 / 1.30; length of antennal segments I – IV = 1.27 / 1.46, 1.36 / 1.62, 0.91 / 0.97, 1.82 / 1.78; length of labial segments I – IV = 1.13 / 1.16, 1.30 / 1.30, 1.13 / 1.13, 1.13 / 0.97; length of pronotum 3.29 / 3.56; width of pronotum 3.40 / 3.73; length of anterior pronotal lobe 0.81 / 0.81; length of posterior pronotal lobe 1.13 / 1.30; length of scutellum 1.13 / 1.62; length of hemelytron 7.45 / 8.42.

Material examined.

2 males, 1 female, China, Guangxi, Longzhou, Nonggang, 2021 - VI- 14, by light, Ping Zhao & Yingqi Liu leg., deposited in CAU ; 1 female, China, Hainan, Dongfang city, Guangyin road, 2023 - VI- 28, Jianyun Wang leg., deposited in CAU .

Distribution.

China [Guangxi (Longzhou), Hainan]; Indonesia, Philippines (Stehlík and Jindra 2008). New record from China

Biology.

B. (R.) orientalis demonstrates positive phototaxis when exposed to artificial light sources during nocturnal periods.