Dashymenia artchawakomi Wolski & Yasunaga, 2016

Wolski, Andrzej & Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2016, Taxonomic review of the fungal-inhabiting plant bug genera Bothriomiris and Dashymenia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae: Bothriomirini), with descriptions of two new species of Dashymenia from Thailand, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 64, pp. 176-186 : 182-183

Dashymenia artchawakomi Wolski & Yasunaga , new species

( Figs. 1, 2 , 11–13 , 20–25 )

Diagnosis. Recognised by the following set of characters: antennal segment II brown, with an indistinct brown spots; segment IV yellow, with a relatively broad annulations situated basally and apically; endosoma as presented below and depicted on Fig. 11 .

Most similar to D. conspersa and D. gorczycai in sharing antennal segment II with a brown spots along entire length and endosoma with similar shape of the MES.

Description. Male. COLORATION ( Figs. 1, 2 , 20–23 ). Mostly black. Head. Vertex, frons, gula, basal half of mandibular plate, and posterior half of buccula dark yellow, apical half of mandibular plate, clypeus and anterior half dark brown; antennal segment dark yellow, with a yellow annulation basally, blackish annulation beneath base and dark brown annulation apically; segment II with basal two thirds dark brown with indistinct, blackish spots, apical one third blackish; segments III and IV blackish, segment IV with a broad, yellow annulation medially; labium mostly blackish, except for weakly paler, dark brown segment I.

Thorax. Pronotum, scutellum, mesoscutum, thoracic pleura, hemelytron, and abdomen black; apex of corium with a dirty yellow, round, relatively small patch apically. Legs. Coxae dark brown; femora dark brown with dirty yellowish and reddish tinges; tibiae fuscous with a indistinct, narrow, dirty yellow annulation apically; tarsi fuscous. STRUCTURE, TEXTURE, AND VESTITURE ( Figs. 1–2 , 20–23 ). Dorsum covered with dense, relatively dense, semirecumbent setae.

Head. Covered with irregularly distributed, dense, long setae; vertex with two shallow tubercles, each contiguous with an occipital carina and inner margin of each eye; antennal segment I covered with sparse, thick, semirecumbent setae; antennal segment weakly broadened toward apex, mixed with dense, semirecumbent, relatively long setae and with sparse, protruding, thick setae; segments III and IV about two times thinner than segment II, covered with long, protruding, thick, bristlelike setae; labium extending to metacoxae. Thorax. Mesoscutum and scutellum. Arched. Legs. Tarsi bisegmented; tarsomere II subdivided medially; pretarsal claw without a subapical tooth.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus ( Fig. 11 ). Endosoma weakly membranous; DSS long, almost reaching endosoma apically, weakly broadened apically, strongly sinuate at apical half, relatively thin; AES relatively small, occupying basal one fourth of endosoma, nearly triangular at basal two thirds, nearly semicircular on apical one third; MES strongly enlarged, occupying entire surface of endosoma, nearly cylindrical at basal half, strongly broadened on apical half; PES relatively large, occupying more than basal half of endosoma, nearly ellipsoidal on basal two thirds, apical one third serrate, except for smooth extreme apex, weakly curving, strongly tapering and sharply pointed. Left paramere ( Fig. 12 ). Apical process weakly tapering toward apex; paramere body relatively thin, not strongly thicker than apical process basally; sensory lobe weakly convex. Right paramere ( Fig. 13 ). Curved along entire length, nearly crescent–like; paramere body weakly tapering toward apex, right lateral margin with a weak swelling basally.

Measurements (paratype female/ holotype). Body. Length 5.3/5.1, width 2.4/2.65. Head. Length 0.35/0.25, width 1.3/1.35, interocular distance 0.6/0.65. Antenna. Length of segment I 0.53/0.5, II 1.75/1.4, III 0.7/0.7, IV 0.9/1.0. Labium. Length of segment I 0.45/0.53, II 0.5/0.55, III 0.38, IV 0.18. Pronotum. Length 1.4/1.6, width of anterior margin 1.15/1.1, length of lateral margin 1.25/1.35, width of posterior margin 2.38/2.35.

Etymology. Named after Taksin Artchawakom, director of SERS, who positively supported our research activities in Thailand.

Biology. More than 30 late instar immatures were found on a pile of fungous rotten logs in a dry tropical forest during rainy season. Some of these nymphs were successfully reared on fungi and developed into adults after a few days. Our observations suggest that this species is mycophagous ( Figs. 22–25 ).

Distribution. Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima).

Type material. Holotype male: Thailand: Nakhon Ratchasima: Sakaerat Silvicultural Research Station [N14 ° 27’49.1” E101 ° 52’15.3”], coll. A. Wolski & T. Yasunaga, 25 September 2013 ( DOA) . Paratypes: 3 males and 1 females: same data as holotype ( USNM & TYCN). All available type materials were late-instar nymphs when captured, and emerged after a few days .

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Dorsal habitus photographs: 1, 2, Dashymenia artchawakomi (1. holotype, 2, paratype, male); 3, 4, D. capillosa (3. Female, Thai: Nk. Ratchasima: Sakaerat Environ. R.S., upper tower, coll. T. Yasunaga, 29 October 2008, 4. Female, Ryukyus: Ishigaki: Mt. Nosokodake, coll. T. Nakata, 14 August 2002); 5, 6, D. gorczycai (holotype).

Figs. 7–19. Male genitalia. 7–9, Bothriomiris ernsti; 10, B. lugubris; 11–13, Dashymenia artchawakomi; 14–16, D. capillosa; 17–19, D. gorczycai. 7, 10, 11, 14, 17, Endosoma (dorsal view); 8, 12, 15, 18, Left paramere (right lateral view); 9, 13, 16, 19, Right paramere (dorsal view). AES = anterior endosomal sclerite; APR = apical process; BPR = basal process; DSS = sclerotized portion of ductus seminis inside endosoma; MES = medial endosoma sclerite; PES = posterior endosomal sclerite; PB = paramere body.

Figs. 20–25. Dashymenia artchawakomi. 20–22 & 23 (left). Male adult; 23 (right) & 24, Final (5th) instar nymph; 25, Fourth instar nymph.