Cheirochela, Hope, 1841

Dan, Polhemus, John, Polhemus & Sites, Robert, 2008, A Revision Of The Indochinese Genera Cheirochela And Gestroiella Heteroptera Naucoridae And A Review Of The Tribe Cheirochelini, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (2), pp. 255-279 : 259

KEY TO SPECIES OF CHEIROCHELA

1. Large, robust species, body length usually exceeding 26 mm; overall body form broad ( Fig. 2 ), ratio of total body length/ body width across embolia falling in range of 1.50–1.65/1.00; posterolateral angles of pronotum highly produced and acuminate, ratio of maximum pronotal width/pronotal length along midline in submacropterous individuals falling in range of 3.78–4.21; male paramere shape as in Fig. 8 .................... ................................................................ C. feana Montandon

– Slightly smaller and more elongate species, body length usually less than 26 mm; overall form more elongate ( Fig. 2 ), ratio of total body length/body width across embolia falling in range of 1.74–1.95/1.00; posterolateral angles of pronotum only moderately produced, not highly acuminate, ratio of maximum pronotal width/pronotal length along midline in submacropterous individuals falling in range of 3.15–3.60 ............................ 2

2. Abdominal sternite V lacking a posteriorly directed medial tubercle; medial tubercle on sternite IV small and flattened, usually not projecting posteriorly over the base of sternite V when viewed laterally; preocular head 0.8 × the inner length of an eye or greater ( Fig. 2 ); male paramere shape as in Fig. 10 ; northern Vietnam........................ C. tonkina new species

– Abdominal sternite V with a well developed, posteriorly developed medial tubercle, tip of this tubercle sharply angulate ( Figs. 5, 6 ); medial tubercle on segment IV also well developed, raised and angulate ( Fig. 6 ), often projecting over base of sternite V when viewed laterally; preocular head 0.7 X the inner length of an eye or less; Burma, Thailand, or northeastern India.. 3

3. Smaller species, body length less than 22 mm; medial tubercles on abdominal sternites IV and V not strongly produced posteriorly or projecting over basomedial sections of subsequent sternites ( Figs. 5, 6 ); male paramere bearing a short, thumb-like process on basal half separated from main body of paramere by a deep incision ( Fig. 7 ); Bramaputra River basin of northeastern India........................................................ C. assamensis Hope

– Larger species, body length exceeding 23.5 mm; medial tubercles on abdominal sternites IV and V produced posteriorly over bases of following segments when viewed laterally; male paramere lacking a short, thumb-like process on basal half separated from main body of paramere by a deep incision ( Figs. 9, 11 ); Burma, Laos and Thailand........................................ 4

4. Anterolateral angles of pronotum strongly produced and spinose; male paramere lacking a deep notch at apex ( Fig. 9 ); medial process of genital capsule notched at apex (Fig. 13); Burma and Laos.................................... C. birmaniensis Montandon

– Anterolateral angles of pronotum sharply angulate, but not strongly produced and spinose; male paramere bearing a deep notch at apex ( Fig. 11 ); medial process of genital capsule with apex truncate, not notched (Fig. 15); Thailand and Laos....... ..................................................... C. thailandana new species

Figures

Fig. 2. Cheirochela tonkina Polhemus & Polhemus. Male, dorsal habitus. Drawn by Young Sohn.

Figs. 7–11. Cheirochela species, male right paramere: 7, C. assamensis, holotype; 8, C. feana, paratype. 9. C. birmaniensis, holotype; 10, C. tonkina, paratype; 11, C. thailandana, paratype.

Figs. 3–6. Cheirochela assamensis Hope, holotype male, structural details: 3, Dorsal habitus; 4, Left antenna, dorsal view; 5, Terminal abdomen, ventral view; 6, Medial processes on abdominal ventrites IV and V, lateral view.