Loricula miyamotoi Yasunaga and Yamada, 2017

Yasunaga, Tomohide & Yamada, Kazutaka, 2017, Review of the microphysid genus Loricula Curtis in Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Microphysidae), with descriptions of three new species, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (21 - 22), pp. 1209-1227 : 1218-1222

Loricula miyamotoi Yasunaga and Yamada , sp. nov.

( Figures 1 (a,b), 2(a–c), 3(c–e), 4, 5(a–c), 6(c,g), 7)

Type material

Holotype. Male, JAPAN, Shikoku, Ehime Pref., Shikoku-chuoh City , Kinshako Reservoir , Iwanabe , 33.9310°N, 133.5480°E, on fern under Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) forest, 30 May 2014, M. Takai ( AMNH _ PBI 00380523 ) ( TKPM).

Paratypes. JAPAN, Shikoku : Ehime Pref ., same data as for holotype, 1 male ( TYCN); Kagawa Pref ., Aya’ uta-gun, Ayakami-cho , 7 May 2002, 2 females ( NIAES, TYCN); Honshu: Tochigi Pref ., Nikko City, Hosoo-cho, Umakoshi , 36°7166N 139°5166E, 27 May 2003, S . Maehara , 2 males ( TYCN); same data except for date, 2 June 2003, 1 female ( AMNH _ PBI 00380524 ) ( TYCN); Nikko City, Chugushi, 36.7474°N, 139.4215°E, 21 June 2003, S . Maehara , 2 females ( AMNH, TYCN); Nagano Pref ., Kijimadaira Village, Kamikijima , UV light trap, 30 May 2001, K . Yamada , 2 males ( NIAES, TKPM); Osaka, Minoo City, Saigahara, 27 May 2006, Y . Sawada , 1 female ( TKPM); Hyogo Pref ., Kawanishi City, Kurokawa , at Quercus acutissima forest floor, 20 July 2007, S . Nagashima , 1 female ( TYCN) .

Diagnosis

Male recognised by its generally brownish, small-sized body; nearly symmetrical parameres; and somewhat bulbous apical part of right paramere. Female recognised by its brown, chocolate brown or dark reddish brown general colouration; antennal segment III longer than mesal pronotal length; and sharp, triangular basal angle of pronotum. Most closely related to L. pilosella Miyamoto ; best distinguished by (male) smaller size and nearly symmetrical parameres ( Figure 6 (g)), and (female) shorter antennal segment III and triangularly pointed posterior process of narrower pronotum ( Figure 3 (d,e)).

Description

Male. Body elongate-ovoid; basic colouration shiny fuscous; dorsal surface with sparsely distributed, silky, short, semierect setae. Head shining, porrect but not much elongate anteriorly; vertex with a narrow, somewhat elongate depression between ocelli. Antenna wholly dark brown when alive, with sensory setae short; segment I and basal part of II yellowish brown in dried specimen. Labium dark reddish brown; apical half of segment III and entire IV somewhat paler. Pronotum weakly matte, with a broad, mesal depression posteriorly; calli clearly demarcated by a median, transverse carina; mesoscutum with a shallow, ovoid, mesal depression along pronotal margin; scutellum weakly produced distally; pleura dark brown, matte; scent efferent system yellowish brown. Hemelytron grayish brown, weakly shining; cuneus pale sanguineous, with whitish or semitransparent base; membrane pale smoky brown, semitransparent, with an ovoid cell and short processus corial. Coxae and legs reddish brown; all femora and tibiae yelloworange in dried specimen; all tarsi pale brown. Abdomen shiny dark reddish brown. Male genitalia as in Figures 5 (a) and 6(g). Parameres short, nearly symmetrical; left paramere slightly shorter than right one; right paramere bulbous apically.

Female. Body rounded, with coleopteroid fore wing; basic colouration brown or reddish brown; dorsal surface matte, with uniformly distributed, silky, semierect setae. Head reddish brown, shagreened, porrect but not much elongate anteriorly, with length anterior to antennal tubercle about as long as antennal segment I; vertex shallowly and coarsely punctate. Antenna chocolate brown; segment I somewhat paler. Labium reddish brown; apical half of segments III and entire IV creamy yellow. Pronotum sombre reddish brown, with triangularly produced posterolateral angle, faintly with a pair of shallow, ovoid canals; posterior margin of mesoscutum pointed mesally; scutellum slightly produced distally; pleura uniformly reddish brown. Coxae and femora reddish brown; all tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown. Abdomen dark reddish brown; apodemal process [cf. Figure 4 (b), AP, possibly modified abdominal sternum I, connected by intersegmental muscle fibers or membrane to posteromesal part of thoracic metasternum; this structure corresponding to ‘sclerotised lobes’ sensu Jung and Lee (2012)] rather short and broad, weakly bilobate anteriorly, not deeply bifurcate. Female genitalia as in Figure 5 (b). Valvula II rounded anteriorly; median membranous area wide.

Measurements

Male (n = 2)/female (n = 4): Total body length 2.43–2.47/2.10–2.15; width of head across compound eyes 0.39–0.41/0.38–0.40; length of head 0.39–0.41/0.46–0.48; lengths of antennal segments I–IV 0.13–0.15, 0.47–0.49, 0.36–0.37, 0.38–0.42/0.12–0.14, 0.38–0.41, 0.34–0.35, 0.36–0.38; total length of labium ca. 0.55–0.57/0.50–0.62; mesal length of pronotum 0.22–0.25/0.28–0.31; basal width of pronotum 0.66–0.68/0.52–0.58; maximum width across hemelytron 0.96–0.98/1.09–1.11; and lengths of metafemur, tibia and tarsus 0.62–0.65, 0.85–0.86, 0.12–0.15/0.61–0.68, 0.80–0.86, 0.13–0.14.

Etymology

Named in honor of the late Dr S. Miyamoto (Fukuoka, Japan), who first studied Japanese microphysid fauna.

Biology

Male adults of this new species were occasionally attracted to light. In western Japan, two females were found on a rotten log (possibly Prunus jamasakura Sieb. ex Koidz. , Rosaceae ) densely covered with polyporaceous fungi, and a female was collected at the floor of Quercus acutissima Carruth. (Fagaceae) (S. Nagashima, personal communication). One female was also collected by using a Tullgren (or Berlese) funnel (from leaf-twig litter and soil sampled at a deciduous forest floor). These observations suggest that the female adults predominantly inhabit forest floors.

Continuing observations in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, by an enthusiastic colleague of ours, S. Maehara (personal communication), suggest that the immature form of every instar of L. miyamotoi was found in leaf-twig litter under well-preserved, humid deciduous forests dominated by Quercus crispula Blume (Fagaceae) and Ulmus davidiana Planch. (Ulmaceae) ; these immature forms often co-occurred with litter bugs ( Ceratocombidae ). The female adults were found crawling under litter and on barks, lichens and fungous rotten logs. Based on his collection record, a univoltine life cycle is assumed for L. miyamotoi ; the early (1st and 2nd) instar nymphs were observed from early to mid May, and the adults were found from early June to mid July. This bug seems to hibernate in the egg stage.

Distribution

Japan (Honshu, Shikoku).

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus images of live individuals for Japanese Loricula species, and two other cimicomorphan bugs for comparison. (a) Loricula miyamotoi sp. nov., male (from Ehime, Shikoku). (b) Same (Tochigi, Honshu). (c) L. pilosella Miyamoto, coleopteroid female (Hokkaido). (d) Xylocoris ampoli Yamada and Yasunaga (Anthocoridae), macropterous female, with abdomen expanded due to matured eggs (from Suphan Buri, Thailand). (e) Same, brachypterous female. (f) Hallodapus kyushuensis Miyamoto (Miridae: Phylinae), male (Nagasaki, Japan). (g) Same, brachypterous female (Okinawa, Japan, courtesy of Mr M. Takai).

Figure 3. Habitus images (a–e: head and thorax, f–g: whole body) of Japanese Loricula species. (a) L. nikko sp. nov. (b) L. pilosella Miyamoto. (c–e) L. miyamotoi sp. nov. (f–g) L. yakushima sp. nov.

Figure 4. Compound microscope images showing detailed morphology for L. miyamotoi sp. nov., female specimen. (a) Dorsal habitus. (b) Ventral habitus. (c) Compound eye. (d) Head, ventral view. (e) Thorax, dorsal view. (f) Antenna and labium. (g) Thorax, ventral surface. (h) Thorax, with basal fore wing. (i) Metathoracic scent efferent system. (j) Protarsus. (k) Metatarsus. Abbreviations: AP, apodemal process; CX, coxa; EV, evaporative area; Ms: meso; Mt: meta; OS, ostiole; ST, sternum.

Figure 5. Male genital segment (a,d), female genitalia (b,f), abdomen (e) and egg (c) of Loricula species. (a–c) L. miyamotoi sp. nov. (d–f) L. yakushima sp. nov.

Figure 6. Dorsal habitus (a), female pronotum (b–e) and male genital segment with parameres (f–h) of Loricula pilosella Miyamoto (a,b,f), L. nikko sp. nov. (d). L. miyamotoi sp. nov. (c,g) L. yakushima sp. nov. (e, h) Figures (a) and (f) redrawn from Miyamoto (1965).