Abelocephala araiorum, Ishikawa, Tadashi, Cai, Wanzhi & Tomokuni, Masaaki, 2015

Ishikawa, Tadashi, Cai, Wanzhi & Tomokuni, Masaaki, 2015, The assassin bug subfamily Tribelocephalinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Japan, with descriptions of eight new species in the genera Opistoplatys and Abelocephala, Zootaxa 3936 (2), pp. 151-180 : 164-165

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3936.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:157EDA4A-00A3-469F-8234-7E7175BF13E7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6112388
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038E87FC-FFD3-136A-FF43-BD6FFA8CA7C3
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Abelocephala araiorum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Abelocephala araiorum View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 43, 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 , 55, 56 View FIGURES 53 – 58 , 66 View FIGURES 65 – 69 , 71 View FIGURES 70 – 75 , 77 View FIGURES 76 – 80 , 87–92 View FIGURES 81 – 92 , 115 View FIGURES 114 – 119 , 121 View FIGURES 120 – 125 , 127, 133, 139, 145, 150)

Diagnosis. This species is recognized by the following combination of character states: body approximately 3 mm long; head 1.6 to 1.7 times longer than width across eyes; mandibular plate nearly right-angled at anterior corner and weakly projected anteriorly in dorsal view; posterior pronotal lobe brownish yellow; outer (larger) cell of hemelytral membrane acutely angled apically; and posterior process of pygophore wide with weakly curved apical margin in dorsal view.

Description. Male (macropterous). Body ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ) mostly brownish. Antennae, rostrum, and legs brownish yellow. Antennal flagella pale yellow. Posterior pronotal lobe brownish yellow except for median longitudinal sulcus and posterior marginal area brownish. Hemelytra brown, with basal part pale yellow to pale brown; corial cell evenly pale ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ). Abdomen yellowish brown to brown.

Head ( Figs. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 , 55, 56 View FIGURES 53 – 58 , 71 View FIGURES 70 – 75 ) approximately 1.6 times longer than width across eyes, 1.1 times longer than pronotum; anteoculus longer than postoculus; mandibular plate ( Fig. 56 View FIGURES 53 – 58 ) nearly right-angled at anterior corner and weakly projected anteriorly in dorsal view. Eye ( Figs. 52, 71 View FIGURES 70 – 75 ) approximately 0.3 times as wide as interocular space in dorsal view. Antennal segment I slender, approximately 8 times longer than its maximum width, as long as segment II ( Figs. 87, 88 View FIGURES 81 – 92 ); flagellum as long as segment I ( Fig. 89 View FIGURES 81 – 92 ). Rostral segment I stout, 1.5 times longer than segment II ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 70 – 75 ).

Pronotum ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ) approximately 0.8 times as long as humeral width; anterior lobe 0.7 times as long as posterior lobe along midline, 0.7 times as wide as humeral width. Hemelytron ( Figs. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 , 115 View FIGURES 114 – 119 ) wide, twice as long as its maximum width, exceeding apex of abdomen by approximately 0.3 times of its length; outer (larger) cell of membrane ( Fig. 115 View FIGURES 114 – 119 ) acutely angled apically.

Pygophore ( Fig. 121 View FIGURES 120 – 125 ) elliptical in lateral view; posterior process (Fig. 127) wide, with weakly curved apical margin in dorsal view. Parameres ( Fig. 133 View FIGURES 132 – 137 ) weakly curved in apical two-thirds, with obtuse, inwardly projected apex in dorsal view. Struts of phallus ( Fig. 139 View FIGURES 138 – 143 ) tapering apicad, gently widened at around apical two-fifths, obtuse at apex, and with lateral walls thinned at its base in dorsal view.

Female (micropterous). At a glance, quite different from male because of micropterous condition ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ). Head ( Figs. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 , 66 View FIGURES 65 – 69 , 77 View FIGURES 76 – 80 ) approximately 1.7 times longer than width across eyes, 1.4 times longer than pronotum. Eye ( Figs. 66 View FIGURES 65 – 69 , 77 View FIGURES 76 – 80 ) small, approximately 0.2 times as wide as interocular space in dorsal view. Antennal segment I stouter and shorter than that of male, approximately 5.5 times longer than its maximum width, a little longer than segment II ( Figs. 90, 91 View FIGURES 81 – 92 ); flagellum approximately 1.2 times longer than segment I ( Fig. 92 View FIGURES 81 – 92 ). Anterior pronotal lobe 1.5 times longer than posterior lobe along midline, 1.1 times wider than humeral width ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ). Hemelytra ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ) small, pad-like, reaching to posterior margin of abdominal tergite II; venation inconspicuous. Abdominal tergite IX ( Fig. 145 View FIGURES 144 – 148 ) with lateral projection at each basal angle; lateral projection short and wide, rounded at apex. Valvifer I ( Fig. 150 View FIGURES 149 – 153 ) oblong; valvula I ( Fig. 150 View FIGURES 149 – 153 ) with approximately 2 setae.

Measurements [in mm, ♂ (n=5) /♀ (n=2), holotype in parentheses]. Body length 3.00–3.19/3.36–3.55 (3.00). Head length 0.68–0.77/0.77–0.81 (0.70), width across eyes 0.48–0.50/0.49–0.51 (0.50). Lengths of antennal segments I and II 0.69–0.79/0.60–0.63 (0.72) and 0.66–0.77/0.53–0.57 (0.67), respectively. Lengths of rostral segments I and II 0.49–0.55/0.55–0.56 (0.49) and 0.33–0.35/0.37–0.39 (0.33), respectively. Pronotum length 0.60–0.68/0.49–0.60 (0.67), width across humeri 0.82–0.96/0.66–0.70 (0.88). Hemelytron length 2.53–2.75/ 0.50–0.52 (2.74). Lengths of femur and tibia of fore leg 0.84–0.98/0.83–0.88 (0.85) and 0.87–0.98/0.84–0.88 (0.90); of mid leg 0.79–0.93/0.79–0.84 (0.84) and 0.84–0.93/0.78–0.85 (0.84); of hind leg 1.10–1.27/1.03–1.12 (1.12) and 1.16–1.30/1.09–1.14 (1.19). Abdomen length 1.45–1.73/1.88–2.00 (1.56), maximum width 1.23–1.32/ 1.46–1.70 (1.32).

Holotype. ♂ ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ), “[ JAPAN] Kubura-dake, Yonaguni-jima Is., Ryûkyû Islands, 9–12. IX. 2004, FIT, Koji & Shiho Arai” ( LETUA IC 2014-00128) ( TUA).

Paratypes (4 ♂, 2 ♀). JAPAN [Yonaguni Is.] Mt. Kubura-dake: 2 ♂ (one shown in Figs. 121 View FIGURES 120 – 125 , 127, 133, 139), 1 ♀ ( Figs. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 , 66 View FIGURES 65 – 69 , 77 View FIGURES 76 – 80 , 90–92 View FIGURES 81 – 92 , 145 View FIGURES 144 – 148 , 150 View FIGURES 149 – 153 ), 16.vi.2001, S. Arai ( LETUA IC 2014-00129–00131) ( TUA, CAU), 1 ♂ ( Figs. 55, 56 View FIGURES 53 – 58 , 71 View FIGURES 70 – 75 , 87–89 View FIGURES 81 – 92 , 115 View FIGURES 114 – 119 ), 28.iv.–2.v.2004, FIT-M, T. Ishikawa et al. ( LETUA IC 2014-00132) ( TUA), 1 ♀, 10.ix.2004, K. & S. Arai ( LETUA IC 2014-00133) ( TUA), 1 ♂, same data as holotype ( LETUA IC 2014-00134) ( NSMT).

Distribution. Japan: Ryukyu Islands (Yonaguni Is.).

Etymology. Named after Mr. Koji Arai and his wife Shiho, who collected the type specimens of this species; a noun in the genitive case.

Remarks. Only macropterous males and micropterous females are known in this species. In general appearance, this new species is very similar to A. albula sp. nov. The male of A. araiorum sp. nov. is distinguished from the male of A. albula sp. nov. by its larger head [approximately 1.6 times longer than the width across the eyes ( Fig. 55 View FIGURES 53 – 58 ) vs. approximately 1.4 times longer than the width across the eyes ( Fig. 53 View FIGURES 53 – 58 )], the corial cell evenly pale ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ) [vs. more or less fuscous ( Fig. 41 View FIGURES 41 – 51 )], the posterior process of the pygophore with a weakly curved apical margin in dorsal view (Fig. 127) [vs. with a straight apical margin in dorsal view (Fig. 126)], and the struts of the phallus gently widened at approximately two-fifths in dorsal view ( Fig. 139 View FIGURES 138 – 143 ) [vs. not widened in dorsal view ( Fig. 138 View FIGURES 138 – 143 )]. The female of A. araiorum sp. nov. is distinguished from the female of A. albula sp. nov. by its larger head [approximately 1.7 times longer than the width across the eyes ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 65 – 69 ) and approximately 1.4 times longer than the pronotum ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ) [vs. approximately 1.5 times longer than the width across eyes and approximately 1.2 times longer than the pronotum ( Figs. 42 View FIGURES 41 – 51 , 65 View FIGURES 65 – 69 )], the length of the anterior pronotal lobe [1.5 times longer than the posterior lobe along the midline ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41 – 51 ) vs. 1.1 times longer than the posterior lobe along the midline ( Fig. 42 View FIGURES 41 – 51 )], the lateral projections of abdominal tergite IX wide in the apical parts and rounded at the apices ( Fig. 145 View FIGURES 144 – 148 ) [vs. tapering in the apical parts and obtuse at the apices ( Fig. 144 View FIGURES 144 – 148 )], and valvula I with approximately two setae ( Fig. 150 View FIGURES 149 – 153 ) [vs. with approximately four setae ( Fig. 149 View FIGURES 149 – 153 )].

Abelocephala araiorum sp. nov. was collected from FIT-Ms placed on the forest floor and by using a Tullgren funnel. These observations suggest that, similar to A. albula sp. nov., this new species is a ground inhabitant.