Tondomiris, Yasunaga & Chérot & Schwartz, 2021

Yasunaga, Tomohide, Chérot, Frédéric & Schwartz, Michael D., 2021, New genera and species of the Oriental mirine plant bugs from Southeast Asia, with six new combinations (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae: Mirini), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 69, pp. 137-155 : 150-153

Tondomiris , new genus

Type species. Tondomiris puguis Yasunaga, Chérot & Schwartz , new species.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other known mirine genera by the following combination of characters: generally reddish brown, elongate, parallel-sided body; moderate size (6.3 mm in total length); almost glabrous dorsum; shiny, polished head and pronotum; shallow, indistinct longitudinal sulcus on vertex; long labium exceeding apex of metacoxa and reaching abdominal sternum VI ( Fig. 11A ); distinctly elevated scutellum ( Fig. 11B ); dark spots or annulations at bases of tibial spines; unique micro-spines on apical metatibia ( Fig. 11D, E ); almost smooth margin of pygophore without sharp process at base of left paramere ( Fig. 11G ); and a single, lobal-sclerite at apex of endosoma ( Fig. 9H ).

Description. Male. Body elongate, nearly parallel-sided. COLOURATION: Generally dark reddish brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsal surface almost glabrous ( Fig. 10A, B ); head polished, glabrous; pronotum shiny, glabrous, impunctate; scutellum transversely rugose; hemelytron somewhat matte, almost glabrous, impunctate. STRUCTURE: Head: Vertical ( Figs. 10C , 11B ), vertex with a shallow, faint median sulcus ( Fig. 10B ); clypeus weakly projected. Antenna: Segments I–III almost uniform in thickness, not incrassate; segment I longer than width of head across eyes, equal to mesal length of pronotum; segment III slightly longer than pronotal width. Labium: Relatively thick exceeding apex of metacoxa, reaching abdominal sternum VI, slightly shorter than metafemur ( Fig. 11A ). Thorax: Pronotum with flat but distinct calli ( Fig. 10B ); scutellum distinctly elevated anteriorly with rather flattened apex; scent efferent system subtriangular, with ear-like peritreme ( Fig. 11C ). Hemelytron: Cuneus narrow. Legs: Long; tibia with dark spots or annulations at bases of dark spines; apical part (outer surface) of metatibia densely covered with scaly spinules, or microspines ( Fig. 11D, E ); meta-tarsomere II as long as III; with wide, lamellate parempodia and pulvilli ( Fig. 11F ). Genitalia ( Fig. 9E–H ): Pygophore with almost smooth margin, lacking process at base of left paramere ( Fig. 11G ). Parameres as in Fig. 9E, F ; left paramere C-shaped, with widened apex ( Fig. 9E ); right paramere short, less than half as long as left ( Fig. 9F ); apex of phallotheca rounded; endosoma widely membranous, with a single, lobal sclerite that is twisted subbasally ( Fig. 9H ); ductus seminis almost cylindrical.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Named for Tondo (or Tundu), an ancient polity that existed in Luzon before colonisation of the Spanish Empire, combined with the mirine generic name Miris Fabricius ; gender masculine.

Discussion. The present new genus is externally similar to Liocapsus Poppius , Orientocapsus Yasunaga & Schwartz , or Philostephanus Distant , in having the similar colour pattern and polished, glabrous dorsal surface. Based on the male genitalic structure (e.g., an apical lobal-sclerite on the endosoma), however, Tondomiris is presumed to be related to Megacoelum Fieber. The former is distinguished from the latter by the oily, shiny head and pronotum, the long labium extending beyond apex of the metacoxa, the bulbously elevated anterior ⅔ of the scutellum, the clear dark spots or annulations on the tibiae, and the smooth pygophore lacking any spine or process at the base of left paramere, in addition to the unique, scaly micro-spines at apical part of the metatibia. The apical metatibial micro-spines ( Fig. 10D, E ) are currently considered as an autapomorphy for Tondomiris , as we have not recognised its presence in any other mirine genera. This structure is hardly visible by compound or stereoscopic microscopes ( Fig. 7I, J ) and can be observed only by scanning electron microscopes. The micro-spines are also furnished on the metatibiae of Neomegacoelum Yasunaga , including a single eastern Palearctic element N. vitreum (Kerzhner, 1988) , and Vairocanamiris Yasunaga but are obviously sparser and structurally different from those found in Tondomiris ( Fig. 11H, I ).

Vairocanamiris Yasunaga is also similar in general appearance to our new genus. However, this unique genus currently known only by V. jordiribesi Yasunaga, 2011 from Indian Sikkim is different from Tondomiris in the following characters: body even larger (9–11 mm in total length); vertex wider, with a narrow but recognisable longitudinal mesal sulcation; antenna slenderer; labium shorter, not exceeding apex of metacoxa; apical part of metatibia with sparsely distributed micro-spines; pygophore with a prominent, conical process at base of left paramere; and endosoma with a short lobal-sclerite and a bundle of hair-like appendages behind secondary gonopore (cf. Yasunaga, 2011).

Incidentally, Megacoelum currently comprises more than 50 species in the Old World ( Schuh, 2002 –2013; Aukema, 2018). However, at least 35 of these species are in all likelihood members of other genera (e.g., Adelphocorisella , Creontiades , Orientomiris ) as indicated by Chérot & Malipatil (2016). In the Oriental Region and eastern Asia, only Megacoelum formosanum Poppius, 1915 [ China, Taiwan] may be regarded as a true member of the genus (cf. Yasunaga, 1998), and all other taxa placed in Megacoelum require further verification. Our examinations on taxa described by Distant (1909) (deposited in BMNH) revealed that the following five species doubtlessly are members of Orientomiris ; accordingly, new combinations are herein proposed (all transferred from Megacoelum ): Orientomiris brunnetii ( Distant, 1909) , new combination [ India: Uttar Pradesh]; O. marginandus ( Distant, 1909) , new combination [ Sri Lanka], O. patruus ( Distant, 1909) new combination [ Sri Lanka], O. pervalidus ( Distant, 1909) new combination [ India: Darjeeling, Nepal: Bagmati-zone]; O. straminipes ( Distant, 1909) , new combination [ India: Himachal Pradesh, Nepal: Kasuki (new record, cf. Fig. 10D )]; and O. tibialis ( Distant, 1909) , new combination [ India: Himachal Pradesh] Images of all relevant type materials are available on BMNH ‘Data Portal’ site (https://data.nhm.ac.uk), except for the damaged holotype of O. tibialis .

On the other hand, the following seven Oriental species are currently regarded as ‘incertae sedis’ and need further verification: Megacoelum annulicorne Reuter, 1891 [ Indonesia: Java], M. celebense Poppius, 1915 [ Indonesia: Sulawesi], M. esmedorae Ballard, 1927 [ India: Tamil Nadu], M. hampsoni Distant, 1904 [ India: Tamil Nadu], M. horni Poppius, 1911 [ Sri Lanka], M. oberthuri Poppius, 1915 [ India: Karnataka], and M. picturatum Distant, 1904 [ Myanmar].

Figures

Fig. 11. Scanning electron micrographs of Tondomiris puguis, holotype male (A–G), Neomegacoelum vitreum, female (H), Vairocanamiris jordiribesi, holotype male (I),Pseudomegacoelum beckeri (Fieber), male from Bulgaria (J–M), and Megacoelum infusum (Herrich-Schaeffer), male from Romania (N, O, J). A, J, left lateral habitus; B, anterior body, left lateral view; C, K, scent efferent system; D, apex of metaleg (outer side); E, apex of metatibia (outer side); F, pretarsal structure of proleg; G, pygophore, left lateral view; H, I, apex of metaleg (outer side); L, metatarsus; M, apex of pygophore, left lateral view; N, head; O, pronotum, scutellum, and anterior forewing.

Fig. 9. Female (A–D) and male (E–H) genitalia, and apical part of metaleg (I–J) of Malayamiridius nigrotenuis (A, B); Sundacapsus flavonitidus (C, D) and Tondomiris puguis (E–J). A, C, gonapophysis II; B, D, gonapophysis I; E, left paramere; F, right paramere; G, phallotheca; H, endosoma. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 10. Habitus images of Tondomiris puguis (A–C) and other Asian mirines superficially similar to the present new taxa. A, T. puguis, holotype male, dorsal view; B, anterior body; C, left lateral view; D, Orientomiris straminipes (Distant) from Kasuki, Nepal; E, Poppiocapsidea biseratensis (Distant) from Ayutthaya, Thailand; F, Liocapsus langtang Yasunaga & Schwartz from Rasuwa, Nepal; G, Philostephanus rubripes (Jakovlev) from Nagasaki, Japan. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 7. Male (A–C) and female (D–E) genitalia of Sundacapsus kinabaluensis. A, left paramere, right lateral view; B, same, dorsal view; C, endosoma, anterior view; D, same, caudal view; E, posterior wall, anterior view; F, genital chamber, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.