Physatocheila Fieber, 1844

Souma, Jun, 2019, Physatocheila nigrintegerrima sp. nov. from Japan: a first fruit-feeder of the genus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae), Zootaxa 4638 (2), pp. 264-272 : 265

Genus Physatocheila Fieber, 1844

Physatocheila Fieber, 1844: 80 . Type species by subsequent designation ( Oshanin 1912: 45): Acanthia quadrimaculata Wolff, 1804 [= Acanthia costata Fabricius, 1794 ].

Phyllochisme Kirkaldy, 1904: 280 . Type species by subsequent designation ( China 1943: 247): Acanthia quadrimaculata Wolff, 1804 [= Acanthia costata Fabricius, 1794 ]. Synonymized by Horváth (1906: 94).

Diagnosis. Recognized among other tingid genera by a combination of the following characters: body long-ovalshaped or diamond-shaped, 2–3 times as long as maximum width across hemelytra; head stout, shorter than its maximum width across compound eyes, with five cephalic spines; antennal segments I close to each other at their bases; bucculae short, less than 4 times as long as their maximum height, touching each other at anterior ends; rostrum not reaching abdominal sternite IV; pronotum convex in anterior part, tricarinate; hood roof-shaped or low-dome-shaped, lower than pronotum at highest part; pronotal carinae low, ridge-shaped; paranotum reflexed, expanding inward, not bulged upward throughout its length, not forming a cyst; outer margin of paranotum resting on pronotal disk throughout its length; maximum width across hemelytra less than 1.5 times as much as maximum width across paranota; anterior margin of hemelytron curved outward; costal area distinct; subcostal area subhorizontal or subvertical; discoidal area flat; boundary veins strongly carinate; hypocostal laminae with a single row of areolae throughout its length; ostioles well-developed, long-oval-shaped, not widened outward; metasternum as wide as mesosternum; metasternal laminae nearly parallel to each other; abdominal sternites IV to VIII in male (IV to VII in female) each with a transverse furrow throughout their width; and ovipositor with well-developed ovivalvula at base.

Remarks. The genera Physatocheila and Cysteochila Stål, 1873 are the most allied among tingid genera, and their delimitation has been discussed in the late 20th century. Physatocheila can be distinguished from Cysteochila by the following characters: paranotum not bulged upward in posterior part, not forming a cyst; outer margin of paranotum resting on pronotal disk throughout its length; metasternum as wide as mesosternum; metasternal laminae nearly parallel to each other; and ovipositor with well-developed ovivalvula at base (cf. Péricart 1979, 1982, 1983, 1992). Due to having the above characters, the new species described below belongs to Physatocheila without doubt. On the other hand, one Physatocheila species from Japan, P. fieberi has a feature similar to Cysteochila species such as the paranotum bulged upward in the posterior part, forming a cyst. Therefore, P. fieberi is in need of generic reassignment, but it is not the aim of this study.

This genus also resembles Pseudurentius Péricart, 1992 and Trachypeplus Horváth, 1926 in general appearance, but is easily distinguished from them by the following characters: paranotum not bulged upward throughout its length; and outer margin of paranotum resting on pronotal disk throughout its length.