Fulvius nozawai Yasunaga & Wolski

Yasunaga, Tomohide & Wolski, Andrzej, 2017, A new species and a new synonymy of the plant bug genus Fulvius from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae), Zootaxa 4232 (4), pp. 588-592 : 590-592

Fulvius nozawai Yasunaga & Wolski , sp. n.

Fig. 1 A–F, 2A–B, 3

Fulvius dimidiatus: Yasunaga, 2000: 189 , 207 (diag., key); 2001: 126 (diag.); Yasunaga & Miyamoto, 2006: 131 (diag.,

key) [nec F. dimidiatus Poppius, 1909 ].

Diagnosis. Recognized by its elongate oval body ( Fig. 1 D, 2B); generally dark brown basic coloration; tumid antennal segment II with yellowish white apex (apical 1/7–1/6); very long labium reaching genital segment ( Fig. 1 E); basal 2/3 of each corium and clavus pale; creamy yellow, crescent spot at apex of exocorium across apex of corium; almost wholly pale or yellow brown femora, with narrowly reddish apices ( Fig. 1 D–F); generally tumid parameres ( Fig. 3 A–B); and densely distributed sclerotized spines on the endosoma ( Fig. 3 C). Most similar to Fulvius dimidiatus Poppius sharing similar general coloration and shape; F. nozawai can be distinguished by the more ovoid body, longer labium reaching the genital segment, wider pale region on the hemelytron, almost uniformly yellowish femora usually with the reddish apex, and even more densely distributed sclerotized spines on the endosoma. This new species also at first sight resembles F. anthocoroides (Reuter) and F. ussuriensis Kerzhner (currently known only from Russian Primorski Territory); the latter two species have identical collar patterns different from F. nozawai (significantly wider dark corium and clavus, cf. Fig. 1 G, 2C).

Description. Body generally dark brown, partly tinged with red, elongate oval, moderate in size (significant sexual dimorphism is not exhibited but the female is larger than the male); dorsal surface weakly shining, with uniformly distributed, simple, short setae. Head weakly shining, porrect, conical, longer than wide; vertex with ovoid depression at middle; clypeus with somewhat pale apex. Antenna dark brown; segment I about as thick as segment II; apex (apical 1/ 7–1/6) of segment II yellowish white; segments III and IV filiform; segment IV longer than III. Pronotum somewhat matte, trapezoidal; calli weak; scutellum flat; pleura fuscous; ostiolar peritreme pale brown to brown. Hemelytron widely stramineous brown, sometimes tinged with red at base, with darkened apical 1/3–2/5; basal 2/3–3/5 of corium and basal 2/3 of clavus pale; apex of exocorium across apex of corium with a creamy yellow, crescent mark; membrane smoky brown, with dark brown veins. Coxae and legs pale or yellowish brown; basal part of procoxa and/or apical part of metafemur weakly darkened; apex of each femur more or less tinged with red; tarsi two-segmented. Abdomen fuscous, in female usually pale reddish brown ventrally. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 ): Parameres generally tumid; left paramere curved at right angle, with thick sensory lobe ( Fig. 3 B); sensory lobe of right paramere with a protuberance at inner apex ( Fig. 3 A). Endosoma bilobate, with densely distributed, sclerotized spines ( Fig. 3 C).

Measurements (♂ / ♀): Body length 2.9–3.1/ 3.4–3.7; head width including eyes 0.49–0.52/ 0.53–0.58; head length 0.53–0.57/ 0.60–0.63; vertex width 0.23–0.24/ 0.24–0.26; lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 0.35–0.37, 0.88–0.90, 0.36–0.40, 0.49–0.54/ 0.36–0.37, 0.85–0.92, 0.39–0.41, 0.49–0.60; labial length 2.10–2.17/ 2.32–2.45; mesal pronotal length 0.48–0.50/ 0.60–0.63; basal pronotal width 0.85–0.96/ 0.98–0.99; width across hemelytron 1.02–1.11/ 1.21–1.23; lengths of metafemur 1.10–1.17/ 1.22–1.28, tibia 1.43–1.55/ 1.55–1.62, and tarsus 0.39–0.47/ 0.40–0.47.

Etymology. Named after Mr. Masami Nozawa, who enthusiastically undertook collecting of this new bug as well as shared the materials and biological information.

Biology. The adults and final instar nymphs of this new species were found to inhabit surface of logs (mostly Fagaceae trees) that are partly covered with fungi of the Auricularaceae and Polyporaceae ( Fig. 1 A). Collection records suggest this mirid may be univoltine, with adults appearing in late summer.

Discussion. This new species corresponds to what has been called F. dimidiatus originally described from the Malay Peninsula ( Poppius, 1909). Poppius (1915) also recorded F. dimidiatus from Taiwan, based on an additional male specimen ( Fig. 2 A). Yasunaga (2000) compared a female Japanese specimen captured on Tsushima Island with the Taiwanese male, and considered both as belonging to F. dimidiatus . However, a recent work ( Yeshwanth et al., 2016), treating F. dimidiatus from the Oriental tropic suggests that Japanese (and most probably Taiwanese) populations are different from those occurring in the Oriental Region.

After reevaluation of the characters, at least the Japanese specimens were found to represent an undescribed species, presumably adapted to survive in the temperate climate zone. Judging from the general shape, the Taiwanese specimen ( Fig. 2 A) exhibits greater similarity to the Japanese one. Nonetheless, we herein refrain from a definitive treatment for the Taiwanese specimen, until enough material is available for further examination including the genitalic structures.

According to Mr. Nozawa, F. nozawai was found from log stock (for traditional charcoal production) in typical Satoyama habitat (the border zone or area between mountain foothills and arable flat land) in central Honshu ( Fig. 1 A). This mirid was observed to co-occur with other cylapines Punctifulvius kerzhneri Schmitz and Peritropis advena Kerzhner , and a fungal-feeding beetle Ceropria sp. ( Tenebrionidae ), but the population density of Fulvius nozawai was sparse.

Holotype ♀, JAPAN: Honshu: Saitama Pref., Ogano, San’yama , N36°02' 17˝ E138°54' 35˝, 250 m, 6 Sep 2016, M. Nozawa ( AMNH _PBI 00380473) ( NIAES) . Paratypes. JAPAN: same data as for holotype, 1♀ ( TYCN) ; Saitama Pref., Ogano, Ryokamisusuki , N36°01' 11˝ E138°55' 19˝, 21 Aug 2016, 1♂ ( TYCN) ; Shiga Pref., Hino, Kitawaki , N35°03' E136°14', 2♂ ( TYCN) . Tsushima Island: Nagasaki Pref., Kofunakoshi , N34°19' E129°21', 3 Sep 1968, I. Fujiyama ( NIAES) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Fulvius species known from Japan. A. Habitat of Fulvius nozawai. B. F. nozawai, female. C – E. Ditto, holotype female (AMNH _ PBI 00380473). F. Ditto, male. G. F. anthocoroides (Reuter) (photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal). H. F. subnitens Poppius (in C. Thailand).

FIGURE 2. Dry-preserved specimens of Fulvius spp. A. Male reported as F. dimidiatus Poppius from Taiwan (body length ca 3.0 mm, ZMUF) B. F. nozawai, paratype male (3.0 mm). C. F. ussuriensis Kerzhner, paratype female (ca 3.3 mm, ZMAS). D. F. subnitens Poppius (a holotype female of F. nakatai Yasunaga & Miyamoto, 4.3 mm, TYCN).

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia of F. nozawai. A. Right paramere. B. Left paramere. C. Endosoma.