Abelocephala baliensis, Forthman, 2021

Forthman, Michael, 2021, Two new species of Abelocephala (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Taiwan, Zootaxa 4920 (2), pp. 278-286 : 279-283

Abelocephala baliensis sp. nov.

( Figures 1 , 4–9 )

DIAGNOSIS: Males recognized among other species of Abelocephala by the yellow-brown vestiture on the body and relatively pale brown head and pronotum, subequal lengths of visible labial segments I and II, and acutely angled apex of the distal M+Cu cell of the hemelytron. This species is similar to A. thai ( Fig. 2 ) by the relatively pale vestiture and coloration of the body (head and anterior pronotal lobe much darker in all other described species) but can be distinguished by the first visible labial segment being subequal to the second segment (three times longer than the second segment in A. thai ), the synthlipsis 3 times the width of an eye (subequal in A. thai ), and the acutely angled apex of the distal M+Cu cell (rounded in A. thai ). This species also resembles A. albula Ishikawa, Cai & Tomokuni, 2015 ( Fig. 3 ) by the small body size, acutely angled apex of the distal M+Cu cell, fuscous corial cell in macropterous morphs, and broad medial pygophore process. However, this species can be distinguished from A. albula by the much paler vestiture, lighter shades of brown on the head and anterior pronotal lobe integu-ment (dark brown in A. albula ), subequal lengths of the first two visible labial segments (longer than the second in A. albula ), medial pygophore process narrow and straight in lateral view and apex rounded in dorsal view (wide basally and gradually narrowing apically with apex truncated in dorsal view and posteriorly curved in lateral view in A. albula ).

DESCRIPTION: Small body size (length [with/without hemelytra]: 4.06/ 3.03 mm, holotype). COLORATION ( Fig. 1 ): Body yellow-brown, except: brown head, anterior pronotal lobe, posterior area of medial longitudinal depression on pronotum, and scutellum; orange-brown ventral body surface; basi- and distiflagellomeres and longitudinal line parallel between posterior margin of hemelytron and distal 1A vein gray-whitish; tarsi pale yellow; corium with lighter brown or more orange base, apex, and (on the left hemelytron) sub-basal spot on the proximal M+Cu vein; corial cell suffused with fuscous coloration, much like the hemelytral membrane; and membrane with dark brown spots at base of distal M, Cu, and 1A veins, with rest of veins brown except paler anteroapical portion of distal M vein. VESTITURE ( Fig. 1 ): Head, anterior pronotal lobe, scutellum, marginal areas of thoracic pleura, thoracic sterna, and base of ventral abdomen densely covered with yellow-brown bulbous trichomes interspersed with pale yellow suberect short and long setae; labium, legs, corial veins, lateral and posterior margins of the abdomen, and posterior margin of abdominal sternite VII also with numerous pale yellow-brown long and short suberect and decumbent setae; remainder of abdominal venter with sparse, short, suberect setation. Scapus and pedicellus with yellow to dark brown long and short erect setae, up to three times the diameter of the corresponding antennal segment. STRUCTURE: HEAD ( Figs. 1 , 4, 5 ): Largely obscured by vestiture; ovoid head shape; 1.3 times longer than wide; about as long as pronotum; anteocular (apex of clypeus to anterior eye margin) and postocular (posterior eye margin to constriction between head and collum) regions subequal in length in lateral view; postocular region moderately broad in dorsal view; synthlipsis about 3 times width of eye; antennal shield not concealing antennal insertion in lateral view; eyes large, reniform, not reaching dorsal and ventral margins of head; gula flat, with glabrous c-shaped region; first visible labial segment reaching posterior eye margin, subequal in length to second visible labial segments; third visible labial segment very short; scapus and pedicellus subequal in length. THORAX: Pronotum ( Figs. 1 , 4 ) wider than long; anterior pronotal lobe obscured by vestiture, about 0.7 times as wide and 0.5/0.6 (medial/greatest) times as long as posterior pronotal lobe; posterior pronotal lobe smooth; medial longitudinal depression of pronotum wider posteriorly, not reaching the posterior margin; lateral depressions distinct on posterior pronotal lobe, smooth; pleura smooth; prosternal stridulatory process very wide; meso- and metasterna obscured by vestiture; legs slender, unarmed; hemelytron ( Figs. 1 , 6 ) about 1.9 times as long as wide, exceeding apex of abdomen by almost 0.3 times its length; distal part of R vein faintly present but not forming R+M cell; base of distal M+Cu cell as wide as distal Cu+1A cell; distal M+Cu cell acutely angled apically, with M vein not extending beyond apical junction of cell. AB-DOMEN ( Fig. 1 ): Apex rounded; tergites obscured by hemelytron; ventral intersegmental sutures obsolete (sternites fused); sternites medially flat; spiracles small, round, positioned near ventral laterotergite. GENITALIA ( Figs. 7–9 ): Medial pygophore process relatively broad and as long as wide in dorsal view, narrow and relatively straight in lateral view, directed dorsoposteriad, with apex rounded in dorsal view; paramere as in Fig. 7 ; basal plate damaged; basal plate extension shorter than basal plate; dorsal phallothecal sclerite subtruncate at apex; endosomal struts gradually widening at midlength, distinctly constricted at apical fourth with apex slightly wider than constricted area, reaching apex of dorsal phallothecal sclerite; endosomal struts-dorsal phallothecal sclerite fusion area more heavily sclerotized, ovate.

MEASUREMENTS: Male holotype: total length with hemelytra 4.06, without hemelytra 3.03; head length without neck 0.72, with neck 0.75; head width across eyes 0.55; anteocular region 0.20; postocular region 0.21; synthlipsis width 0.33; length of first visible labial segment 0.42; length of second visible labial segment 0.39; scapus length 0.63; pedicellus length 0.60; anterior pronotal lobe greatest length 0.29, medial length 0.25, greatest width 0.64; posterior pronotal lobe greatest length 0.49, medial length 0.46, greatest width, 0.94; scutellar length 0.22, width 0.40; hemelytral length (base of hemelytron to extreme apex) 2.71, greatest width 1.45; abdominal length 1.39, width 1.27.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet, an adjective, is based on the Bali District of New Taipei City, Taiwan, where the holotype was collected .

DISTRIBUTION: Taiwan.

HOLOTYPE: MALE: TAIWAN: New Taipei City; Bali District ; farmer’s pomelo fields; 25.145°N, 121.427°E; 270m; 8–17.vi.2019; Malaise Trap; AD Young, SL Winterton, Bill Wu; CSCA19 L405.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal, lateral, and ventral habitus of Abelocephala baliensis sp. nov. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 4–9. Abelocephala baliensis sp. nov. 4, head and pronotum, dorsal view; 5, head, lateral view; 6, hemelytron; 7, pygophore and paramere, dorsal view; 8, pygophore, lateral view; 9, phallus, dorsal view.

FIGURES 2–3. Dorsal habitus, 2, Abelocephala thai Maldonado, 1996, male holotype; 3, male of Abelocephala albula Ishikawa, Cai, & Tomokuni, 2015, reproduced from Ishikawa et al. (2015) with permission from the copyright holder (© Magnolia Press). Scale bars: 1 mm