Coridromius hermosus, Tatarnic & Cassis, 2008

Tatarnic, N. J. & Cassis, G., 2008, Revision Of The Plant Bug Genus Coridromius Signoret (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2008 (315), pp. 1-95 : 61-63

Coridromius hermosus , new species Figures 4, 6, 12D–F, 13C–H, map 8

HOLOTYPE: Male: PAPUA NEW GUIN- EA: West Sepik Province: Victor Emanuel Range: Bokubet , 5.16666 ° S 141.66666 ° E, 2850 m, 04–09 Jul 1976, J.L. Gressitt ( AMNH _ PBI 00041507 ) ( BPBM type# 16730) ( BPBM).

DIAGNOSIS: C. hermosus is recognized by the following characters: proepisternum unilobed; frons and vertex glossy black without vittae; vertex nearly flat; antenna entirely black; scutellum orange; metepimeron extended as a long triangular lobe; metafemur less strongly swollen than in other species; saddlelike female paragenital structure on laterotergites II and III. C. hermosus , epithema , and nigrus all share similar paragenitalia, yet can be told from one another by their diagnostic coloration and variations in metepimeral lobe shape.

DESCRIPTION: COLORATION (figs. 4, 6): Head: Mostly black above frontoclypeal suture, orange-yellow below; vertex and frons black with yellow piping along posterior margin and adjacent to eyes; vittae absent; mandibular plates orange; maxillary plates, buccula, and gena pale with orange flecks; clypeus orange to orange-brown; labium pale, brown apically. Antenna: Entirely black. Thorax: Pronotal collar yellow, fading to black along margins; pronotum with pale medial stripe and large subanterior lateral black maculations, remainder orange-brown, margins with distinct yellow piping; mesoscutum black; scutellum orange; mesepisternum orange-brown, lower half black and smooth. Hemelytra: Mostly brown; clavus mostly dark brown; corium mostly pale brown with obscure dark maculations; embolium flecked with orange to almost entirely orange; membrane dull brown, veins darker. Abdomen: Orange-brown, lateral margins orange-chestnut fading to yellow ventrally. Legs: Pro- and mesofemora chestnut apically, remainder pale; metafemur pale with 7 dark diagonal stripes; metatibia pale. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (figs. 4, 6): Impunctate; head and dorsum with sparse distribution of short, pale, white, decumbent setae. STRUC- TURE (figs. 4, 6, 13C–E): Head: Broad, weakly tumescent medially; vertex without small tubercles adjacent to eyes; posterior margin of head nearly flat, with paired transverse foveae adjacent to eyes. Thorax: Pronotum broad, anterolateral margins weakly upturned and explanate, submarginal region of humeral angles weakly excavate, callar region undifferentiated; proepisternum unilobed (fig. 13C); posterior margin of metepimeron extended in a long, triangular lobe (fig. 13E); metanotum not flared (fig. 13D). Hemelytra: Costal margin thin and flared over its entire length and weakly sinuate. Legs: Metafemur only somewhat incrassate; metatibial spines short and thin. Abdomen: When viewed laterally, abdominal sternite II not distinctly angular. MALE GENITALIA (figs. 12D–F, 13G–H): Right paramere triangular and elongate (figs. 12E– F, 13G); left paramere sharply curved basally then continuing mostly straight, recurved at apex (figs. 12D, 13G); left ventral margin of pygophore with short mesal suture and broad ventral apical process (fig. 13H). FEMALE PARAGENITALIA (fig. 13E–F): Right laterotergites II and III swollen, laterotergite II transversely striate, depressed and membranous (fig. 13E–F), site of copulation thought to be intersegmental behind sternite II.

ETYMOLOGY: This species name is derived from Spanish, meaning ‘‘beautiful’’.

HOST: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea (map 8).

PARATYPES: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: West Sepik Province: Victor Emanuel Range:

Bokubet, 5.16666 ° S 141.66666 ° E, 2850 m, 04–09 Jul 1976, J.L. Gressitt, 43 (AMNH_ PBI 00041508–AMNH_PBI 00041511), 5♀ (AMNH_PBI 00041512–AMNH_PBI 00041516) (BPBM).