Oncophysa hae, Guilbert & Pham & Soulier-Perkins, 2018

Guilbert, Eric, Pham, Hong Thai & Soulier-Perkins, Adeline, 2018, New species and new records of Tingidae (Insecta: Heteroptera) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 4387 (3), pp. 591-600 : 596-597

Oncophysa hae sp.nov.

( Figs. 5 , 6 )

Type material. Holotype, 1M, Cuc Phuong NP,20°15’51.4”N, 105°42’10.7”E, 19-IX-2015, beating canopy (Ficus), Guilbert rec., IEBR coll.; allotype, 1 F, same data as for holotype, MNHN coll.

Description. Body long and narrow, length, 4.84; width, 1.25; brown, the head, antennae, legs, body beneath, and a spot on sutural area of hemelytra darker; legs, antennae, and abdomen with short setae.

Head short, covered with short setae, armed with five long spines an occipital and a frontal pairs and a median spine; occipital pair of spines long, lying on the head, extending forward and surpassing the anterior margin of eyes; frontal and median spines joined together, directed forwards, the apices at the same level; bucculae three areolae wide, joining in front; antennae long and moderately stout, antennal segment measurements, I, 0.2; II, 0.3; III, 1.4; IV, 0.54; rostrum short, reaching middle of mesosternum.

Pronotum much longer than wide, length, 2.25; width 1.25; tricarinate, carinae uniseriate, median carina with small areolae, lateral carinae with larger areolae, raised under the reflexed paranota; paranota developed; eight-nine areolae wide at widest part, reflexed above the pronotum, reaching median carina, elevated as to form a cyst coverin the laeral carinae at swollen part of pronotum; collar wide, with two rows of areolae; rostral sulcus narrow, mesosternal laminae subparallel, metasternal laminae oval and widened, open behind; metathoracic scent gland opening with an auricle.

Hemelytra long and same width than pronotum; costal area narrow, ridge-like on anterior third, then uniseriate with areolae elongated; subcostal area narrow, biseriate with areolae larger than on costal area, directed downwards; discoidal area longer than half the length of hemelytra, four areolae wide at widest part, areolae larger than on subcostal area; sutural area large, eight areolae wide at widest part.

Female genitalia. Paratergite IX wide, with a carina on posterior margin, and two swollen spots near each lateral margin.

Diagnosis. The paranota elevated but not meeting above the pronotum, the discoidal area four to five areolae wide and the subcostal area six areolae wide and directed downwards distinguish this species from the others.

Etymology. This species is name in honor of Chu Thi Thu Ha (IEBR, Vietnam) who greatly helped in organizing LIA FV-TEL project.

Comments. This new species shares characters from Oncophysa and Cysteochila species. It has the paranota reflexed and raised above the pronotum as to form a vesicle like on Cysteochila monstrosa (Scott) and Cysteochila endeca Drake. It differs from the only know Cysteochila species from Vietnam C. consueta Drake by the shorter and wider body, the costal area anteriorly biseriate. However, the habitus is clearly similar to species of Oncophysa . Oncophysa constantis Drake (emended to Cysteochila constans by Drake & Poor 1937 without any explanation), has the costal area uniseriate but areolae are larger than on O. hae , the discoidal area is four-five areolae wide at widest part and the paranota is elevated but not that close above the pronotum as on O. hae . Oncophysa vesiculata (Stål) does not have costal area. The subcostal area is directed downwards, the paranota form a cyst on each side of the pronotum but not close above like on O. hae , the discoidal area is six areolae wide at widest part and wider than on the new species. Oncophysa leai Drake and O. rufescens Hacker have the same hemelytral margins than O. vesiculata , i.e., no costal area and a subcostal area directed downwards, the vesicle formed by the paranota are diverging above the pronotum and the discoidal area is five areolae wide at widest part and then a little wider than on the new species. Oncophysa leai differs from O. rufescens by the cyst formed by the paranota, which is much raised and higher than the one of O. rufescens . This new species was collected in a ficus canopy at 25 meters above the ground. Oncophysa and Cysteochila are very similar genera. Oncophysa groups three species, all restricted to Australia, while Cysteochila groups around 135 species widespread, 32 being recorded in Oriental region. The position of the new species described here would enlarge the distribution of Oncophysa to Oriental region. A taxonomic revision is needed to delimit clearly the two genera, but it is not the aim of this study.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Dorsal habitus of Oncophysa hae (scale bar is 1 mm).

FIGURE 6. Lateral habitus of Oncophysa hae (scale bar is 1 mm).