Cysteochila monstrosa ( Scott, 1874 )

Souma, Jun & Ishikawa, Tadashi, 2022, Taxonomic review of the tingine genera Cysteochila, Hurdchila, Physatocheila, and Xynotingis from Japan, with description of a new genus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae), Zootaxa 5150 (1), pp. 1-42 : 7

Cysteochila monstrosa ( Scott, 1874)

Monanthia monstrosa Scott, 1874: 291 . Holotype: macropterous, sex unknown, Japan; BMNH.

Physatocheila monstrosa: Lethierry & Severin (1896: 21) (new combination).

Physatochila [incorrect subsequent spelling] monstrosa: Oshanin (1908: 449) (catalog); Takeya (1951: 20) (checklist: Japan). Cysteochila monstrosa: Drake & Ruhoff (1961: 145) (new combination); Drake & Ruhoff (1965a: 171) (catalog); Jing (1981: 328) (key to species: China); Golub (1988b: 146) (key to species); Miyamoto & Yasunaga (1989: 167) (checklist: Japan); Péricart & Golub (1996: 27) (checklist: Palaearctic); Vinokurov et al. (2010: 152) (checklist: eastern Russia); Yamada & Tomokuni (2012: 193) (monograph); Yamada & Ishikawa (2016: 430) (checklist: Japan).

Material examined. None.

Diagnosis. Recognized among other species of Cysteochila from Japan by a combination of the following characters: general color light brown; median spine on head extending beyond bases of frontal spines; lateral carinae of pronotum nearly parallel to each other in anterior part, concealed by paranotum in anterior part; paranotum incompletely covering pronotal disc in anterior part, not touching each other, not concealing median carina of pronotum, widened posteriorly; outer margin of paranotum nearly straight in its entire length; anterior margin of hemelytron gently curved outward in its entire length; costal area wider than subcostal area at widest part, with 2 rows of areolae in its entire length; and subcostal area with 2 rows of areolae in its entire length.

Remarks. In Japan, Cysteochila monstrosa was not collected after its original description ( Scott 1874). Takeya (1953a) claimed that the holotype (in BMNH) has been lost; however, photographs of the holotype are now available online (https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/5ad80150-4a05-471f-bf11-862ca691e98c/1582761600000).

Based on the original description ( Scott, 1874) and the above mentioned photograph of the holotype, C. monstrosa does not match the characteristics of Cysteochila mentioned in the Diagnosis section in the following three characteristics: maximum width across hemelytra narrower than maximum width across paranota; lateral margin of pronotum emarginate in anterior part; and paranotum bulged upward in posterior part, forming a cyst. Additionally, the structure of the sternal laminae of C. monstrosa has not been described to date. Therefore, C. monstrosa requires generic reassignment. However, no specimens of the species were examined in the present study. Therefore, the final decision regarding the generic affiliation of C. monstrosa is withheld until the specimens are examined.

Distribution. Japan, China, Russia, Vietnam.

Host plant. Unknown ( Drake & Ruhoff 1965a).

Biology. Unknown.