Metrocoris nepalensis, Distant, 1910

Jehamalar, E. Eyarin & Dash, Swetapadma, 2021, Three new species of Metrocoris Mayr, 1865 (Heteroptera: Gerridae) from India and establishment of species groups, Zootaxa 5082 (4), pp. 341-356 : 355

Metrocoris nepalensis group

Diagnosis. The venter of the meso- and metasterna is black, the anteromedian region of the mesosternum sometimes with a yellow mark; the sublateral black stripes of the mesonotum are very broad ( Chen & Nieser 1993a, Fig. 11); the male fore femur is slender, the flexor region medially without notch but apically with a small depression ( Chen & Nieser 1993 b, Fig. 180); the paramere is falciform ( Chen & Nieser 1993 b, Fig. 191); the ventral sclerite of the endosoma is surpassing well beyond the dorsal sclerite in lateral view ( den Boer 1965, Fig. 35); the sternum VII of the female is constricted laterally and is completely covering the genital segments.

Included Species: Metrocoris nepalensis and M. sikkimensis Basu, Chandra and Venkatesan, 2018 .

Distribution. Bhutan, India (N, NE), Nepal.

Remarks. Chen & Nieser 1993 b noted that the lateral sclerites are indistinct and in the illustration of the endosoma of M. nepalensis the first pair of the lateral sclerites are missing and a small accessory sclerite is present ( Chen & Nieser 1993 b, Fig. 199); however, both the pairs of the endosomal sclerites are present and the apical accessary sclerite is absent as per den Boer (1965) (see Figs. 34, 35). So a careful study of type materials or materials from type locality would help in the better understanding of the characteristics of M. nepalensis . The correct spelling of the place ‘Soondrijal’ mentioned in den Boer 1965 is Sundarijal located in the Kathmandu District of Nepal.