Ptilocerus kanoi Esaki, 1931

Rédei, Dávid & Tsai, Jing-Fu, 2011, The assassin bug subfamilies Centrocnemidinae and Holoptilinae in Taiwan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 411-442 : 433-436

Ptilocerus kanoi Esaki, 1931

( Figs. 54–64 , 66 )

Ptilocerus kanoi Esaki, 1931: 261 . HOLOTYPE: ♂, [ Taiwan:] ‘ Urai’ [= Wulai]; KUEC.

References. ESAKI (1932): 1655 (redescription, habitus illustration); KATO (1933):[plate 22] (colour photo); HSIAO & REN (1981): 411 (redescription); MALDONADO CAPRILES (1990): 339 (catalogue, distribution); PUTSHKOV & PUTSHKOV (1996): 171 (catalogue, distribution); LIN (2003): 128 (listed, distribution).

Specimens examined. TAIWAN: TAIPEI CITY: ‘ Sôzan’ [= Yangmingshan], 16.v.1937, leg. M. Chujo (1 ♀, NTU). TAIPEI COUNTY: ‘ Taihoku’ [= Taipei], 27.iv.1931, leg. J. Sonan (1 ♂ [ Figs. 54–60 ], NTU) ; same locality, 19.iv.1932, leg. R. Takahashi (1 ♂ [ Figs. 61–64 ], NTU) ; same locality, 1. iv.1940, leg. Musayama (1 ♂, NTU) ; ‘ Wulai, Taipei’, 20.iii.1963, leg. K.S. Lin (1 ♂, TARI). NANTOU COUNTY: Lienhuachih , 31.vii.2008, leg. H.T. Shih (1 ♂, TARI) .

Diagnosis. The species can be distinguished from other speces of Ptilocerus by the combination of the following characters: pronotum broad, humeral angles dilated; fore wing ( Fig. 66 ) with corium short, occupying about one fourth of total length of wing; anterior margin of membrane nearly straight, apices of membranes of the two wings directed caudolaterad and not overlapping in resting position of wings; membrane with several irregularly distributed, small, rounded, light spots; venation simple, without reticulate veins. The species seems related to P. guttifer (Walker, 1873) (Borneo) and P. venosus (Walker, 1873) ( Singapore) by the structure of the wing (anterior margin of membrane straight, corium very short), but it is easy to distinguish from these by the simple venation and the strongly different colour pattern of the wing.

Redescription of pregenital abdomen and genitalia. Pregenital abdomen (♂, ♀) rounded in dorsal view (♂: Fig. 54 ), sternites III–VI each with a short median longitudinal ridge ( Fig. 55 ); epipleurites VII of male fused along midline posteriad to tergite (= mediotergite) VII; segment VIII of male membranous dorsally. Male genitalia. Genital capsule ( Figs. 57–58 ) elongate, dorsally membranous, anterior and posterior apertures not separated by distinct dorsal sclerotized bridge-like portion therefore seemingly confluent. Parameres ( Figs. 59–60 ) curved, curved portion provided with hair sensilla, apical one-fourth forming an elongate, apically obtusely truncate process. Phallus ( Figs. 61–64 ): articulatory apparatus ( Fig. 64 ) small, restricted to the extreme base of the phallus; basal plates short, thick; support bridge complex with 2+2 capitate processes of lateral position, continued in 1+1 greatly elongate, narrow support bridge prolongations ( Fig. 64 : sbp) separated at base but adjacent at most of their length; phallosoma with a large, membranous basal aula ( Fig. 61 : ba) provided with a pedicel ( Fig. 61 : ped); phallotheca elongate, with a dorsal sclerotized plate ( Fig. 61 : dsp); phallotheca mouth situated ventrally, relatively far from the apex of the phallotheca; endosoma tubular, membranous, with processes as follows: 1+1 struts subdivided into two portions: basal portions ( Figs. 61–62 : strb) thick, broadened towards apex, apical portions ( Figs. 61–62 : stra) articulated to apex of basal portions of struts, thickened and curved basally, elongate, whiplike, narrowing towards apex, far protruding from phallotheca; 1+1 elongate lateral sclerites ( Figs. 61–62 : lsc); 1+1 elongate, membranous lobes, their basal portions surrounding bases of apical portions of struts ( Fig. 63 ).

Distribution. Taiwan!

Figures

Figs. 54–58. Ptilocerus kanoi Esaki,1931, male. 54 – abdomen, dorsal view; 55 – same, ventral view; 56 – same, lateral view; 57 – genital capsule with segment VIII, lateral view; 58 – genital capsule, dorsal view. Legend: s2 = sternite II. Scales in mm.

Figs. 59–64. Ptilocerus kanoi Esaki, 1931, male genitalia. 59–60 – left paramere, two different aspects; 61 – phallus, lateral view; 62 – same, ventral view; 63 – endosoma, dorsal view; 64 – articulatory apparatus, anterior view. Legends as in Figs. 15, 22–24. Scales in mm.

Figs. 65–67. Left fore wings of Holoptilinae spp. 65 – Locoptiris taiwanensis sp. nov.; 66 – Ptilocerus kanoi Esaki, 1931; 67 – P. immitis Uhler, 1896. Scales in mm.