Sphedanolestes albipilosus, Ishikawa, Tadashi, Cai, Wanzhi & Tomokuni, Masaaki, 2007

Ishikawa, Tadashi, Cai, Wanzhi & Tomokuni, Masaaki, 2007, Sphedanolestes albipilosus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), a new harpactorine species from the Ryukyus and Taiwan, Zootaxa 1388, pp. 45-50 : 46-48

Sphedanolestes albipilosus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Male. Body ( Fig. 1 ) mostly blackish, covered with whitish decumbent setae on head and thorax. Venter of head, lateral areas anterior to eyes, longitudinal stripe on anterior lobe of head, small spot between ocelli, humeri and lateral margins of pronotum, middle along posterior margin of pronotum, apex of scutellum, and lateral areas of coxal cavities pale yellow. Antennae dark brown. Rostrum yellowish brown, darkened at base of first segment. Coxae and trochanters dark brown, brownish yellow ventrally; femora yellowish brown, with both ends dark; tibiae brown, darkened apically, each with an inconspicuous pale annulation subbasally; tarsi dark. Hemelytra ( Fig. 1 ) brown, with yellow bases. Abdomen pale yellow, with dark longitudinal stripe on each side; second laterotergite with brown spot; fifth, sixth, and seventh laterotergites each with a dark spot. Pygophore pale yellow, with elliptic spots laterally and longitudinal dark stripe ventrally.

Head ( Fig. 3 ) covered with erect setae intermixed with short, decumbent setae, about 1.7 times as long as width across eyes, about 1.1 times as long as pronotum; anteoculus 0.83 times as long as postoculus. Eyes 0.5 times as wide as interocular space in dorsal view. Proportional lengths of first to fourth antennal segments 7: 3: 3: 4, those of first to third rostral segments 7: 10: 2.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3 ) 0.85 times as long as humeral width, slightly protuberant posteriad at posterior angles, with a conical tubercle on each anterolateral angle; anterior lobe 0.6 times as long as posterior lobe, with some linear markings composed of short, decumbent setae; posterior lobe furnished with erect setae intermixed with short, decumbent setae, and with straight posterior margin. Hemelytra ( Fig. 1 ) exceeding apex of abdomen by one­tenth of its length; coria covered with short, decumbent setae. Legs furnished with fine, suberect setae intermixed with longer erect setae; fore femora densely covered with short erect setae ventrally.

Abdomen furnished with suberect and curved setae. Pygophore dorsoapically with pair of small, conical, apically obtuse projections ( Fig. 4 ). Parameres weakly constricted at apical third, inwardly curved in apical part, rounded at apex, furnished with erect setae of variable length ( Fig. 5 ). Phallus with a longitudinal sclerite ( Fig. 7 , ls) on each ventrolateral side; endosoma provided basally with large, membranous, saclike lobe ( Figs. 6–7 , msl) on each side, armed dorsobasally with pair of apically acute, spoon­like sclerites ( Figs. 6–7 , ss), and with several conical projections in apical part.

Female. Almost the same as male ( Fig. 2 ). Third antennal segment 0.8 times as long as second segment. Ninth abdominal tergite pale yellow, with a central dark marking. First valvifers darkened marginally; first valvulae blackish.

Measurements (mm; holotype, and paratypes in parentheses). Body length 8.75 (8.35–8.90 in males, n=29; 8.95–9.75 in females, n=25). Head length 1.85, width across eyes 1.08; length of anteoculus 0.62, of postoculus 0.72; antenna length 6.96; rostrum length 2.22. Length of pronotum 1.65, width across humeri 2.00; length of anterior pronotal lobe 0.60, of posterior pronotal lobe 1.04. Hemelytron length 5.90. Lengths of femur, tibia, and tarsus of proleg 3.00, 3.44, and 0.58; of mesoleg 2.77, 2.88, and 0.60; of metaleg 3.70, 4.55, and 0.66, respectively.

Type series. Holotype: ɗ (NSMT­I­He­7816), “[ Japan] the Ryukyus, Ishigaki­jima Is., Mt. Omoto­dake, 24. V. 2000, Tadashi Ishikawa” ( NSMT). Paratypes: Mt. Omoto­dake, Ishigaki­jima Is., Japan, 2ɗ (NSMT­I­ He 7817, 7818, 2.vi.1973, Y. Kurosawa ( NSMT), 3Ψ, 17.v.1993, Y. Nakatani ( TUA), 2ɗ, 4Ψ, 2.vi.1999, T. Ishikawa ( TUA), 11ɗ, 9Ψ, 24.v.2000, T. Ishikawa ( CAU, TUA), 1Ψ, 24.v.2000, H. Mizushima ( TUA), 1ɗ, 1Ψ, 13.vi.2002, T. Tsuru ( TUA), 3ɗ, 1Ψ, 11.vi.2003, T. Ishikawa ( TUA), 8ɗ, 4Ψ, 6.v.2003, T. Kurihara ( ELEU). Nadara­gawa Riv., Iriomote­jima Is., Japan, 1Ψ, 9.v.1998, K. Takahashi ( TUA); Funaura, Iriomotejima Is., Japan, 1ɗ (NSMT­I­He 7819), 18.iv.1998, K. Takahashi ( NSMT). Habong, Nantou Hsien, Taiwan, 1Ψ, 22.vii.1994, K. Matsumoto ( TUA).

Distribution. Japan, Ryukyu Islands (Ishigaki­jima Is., Iriomote­jima Is.); China, Taiwan (Nantou Hsien).

Remarks. In general appearance, this new species is very similar to Sphedanolestes subtilis ( Jakovlev, 1893) known from mainland China, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the body shorter than 10.0 mm, the fourth antennal segment distinctly longer than the third segment, the abdomen with a dark longitudinal stripe only on each side; in S. subtilis , the body is a little longer, ranging 10.0–11.0 mm, the fourth antennal segment is as long as the third segment, and dark transverse stripes are present on the abdomen beneath throughout.

Biology. Despite of the repeated surveys made by our colleagues and ourselves almost throughout the Ryukyu Islands, Sphedanolestes albipilosus has been found exclusively from Mt. Omoto­dake in Ishigakijima Island and, with the exception of two individuals from Iriomote­jima Island. On Mt. Omoto­dake the adults appear only in a short period from May to June within an extremely restricted area around the top (526 m alt.), where they were often found on leaves of trees and grasses under plentiful sunshine. It is likely that the population density of this species is maintained relatively high at least in this area.

Etymology. From the Latin, albipilosus , referring to the white setae on the head and thorax; an adjective.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sphedanolestes albipilosus sp. nov., adult male (holotype) (body length: 8.75 mm).

FIGURE 2. Sphedanolestes albipilosus sp. nov., adult female (paratype) (body length: 9.40 mm).

FIGURE 3 – 7. Sphedanolestes albipilosus sp. nov., 3, head and prothorax, setae omitted, lateral view; 4, apical part of pygophore, dorsal view; 5, left paramere, lateral view; 6 – 7, phallus with endosoma in everted condition, dorsal (6) and lateral (7) views. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (3); 0.5 mm (4 – 7). Abbreviations: ls, longitudinal sclerite; msl, membranous, saclike lobe; ss, spoon­like sclerites.