Heleocoris strabus Montandon, 1897

Polhemus, Dan A. & Polhemus, John T., 2013, Guide To The Aquatic Heteroptera Of Singapore And Peninsular Malaysia. Xi. Infraorder Nepomorpha- Families Naucoridae And Aphelocheiridae, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61 (2), pp. 665-686 : 679-680

Heleocoris strabus Montandon, 1897

( Figs. 23, 28 )

Helecoris strabus Montandon, 1897a: 372

Extralimital material examined. — THAILAND, Chiang Mai Prov.: 5 females, Fang Dist., Nam Chai River above hydro intake, near Fang Horticultural Station , 500 m, 15 Nov.1985, CL 2197, coll. D. A. & J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) ; 1 male, 5 females, Fang Dist., Huay Hia Creek, Fang Horticultural Station , 500 m, 15 Nov.1985, CL 2198, coll. D. A. & J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) . VIETNAM, Lam Dong Prov.: 1 male, small steeply dropping stream at Mother Mary Shrine, along Hwy. 20, 18 km W. of Bao Lac, 800 m, water temp. 76°F., 7 May 1998, CL 3076, coll. J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) . Ninh Thuãn Prov.: 2 males, 10 females, first small stream on E. side of Belleview Pass ( Ngoan Muc Pass ), 66 km NW of Phan Rang, 900 m, pools and cascades, water temp. 76°F., 12 May 1998, CL 3087, coll. J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC). Vinh Phu Prov .: 2 females, stream at Tam Dao , NW of Hanoi, 940 m, 21°28'00"N, 105°38'00"E, water temp. 17°C, 18 Mar.2000, CL 4359, coll. J. T . Polhemus & P. Nguyen ( JTPC) . Nghê An Prov.: 2 males, Bac stream, nr. Pu Mat Nature Reserve , 200 m, water temp. 24°C, 2 Apr.2000, CL 4388, coll. J. T . Polhemus & P. Nguyen ( JTPC) . LAOS, Bokeo Prov.: 2 males, Tonpheng [Ton Pheung Dist.], 16 Dec.1966, coll. native collector ( BPBM) . BURMA, Kachin Division : 1 male, 1 female, stream at Mularshidi village, 12 km S. of Putao , 500–550 m, 27°15.13'N, 97°24.95'E, 31 May 1999, coll. H. Schillhammer ( USNM) ; 1 female, stream on E. slope of pass from Hopin to Indawgyi Lake , 380 m, 24°59.51'N, 96°24.31'E, 26 May 1999, coll. H. Schillhammer ( USNM) .

Diagnosis. — Length 11.5–12.5 mm, maximum width (across abdomen) 8.3–9.0 mm, general body form ovate. Head and pronotum dull yellowish brown extensively flecked with small dark brown spots; scutellum brown, basal angles and apex sparingly yellow; hemelytra dark blackish brown, outer half of embolium broadly yellow, wing membrane black; abdominal laterotergites uniformly yellow. This species may recognised by its moderately large size, the distinctive shape of the embolium which is produced posterolaterally and then cut sharply inward ( Fig. 23), and the distinctive male genitalic strucutures ( Fig. 28 ).

Distribution. — Described from southern Burma (Tenasserim), and subsequently recorded from India (Meghalaya), China (Yunnan), Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam ( Ding & Liu, 2005; Sites & Vitheepradit, 2011).

Discussion. — Originally described from Burma, H. strabus is widespread in Indochina north of the Isthmus of Kra, and as such is included in this treatment on the possibility that it may occur in far northern Peninsular Malaysia.

Figures

Figs. 24–28. Heleocoris species, male phallotheca. 24. Heleocoris malayensis, new species, specimen from Malaysia, Terengganu, Sungai Brang. 25. Heleocoris montandoni Lundblad, specimen from Singapore, Nee Soon swamp forest. 26. Heleocoris nebulosus Montandon, specimen from Indonesia, Bali, Melangit River. 27. Heleocoris ovatus Montandon, specimen from Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., Pongour Falls, CL 3091. 28. Heleocoris strabus Montandon, specimen from Thailand, Chiang Mai Prov., Huay Hia Creek, CL 2198.