Ctenipocoris asiaticus 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 : 672-673

Ctenipocoris asiaticus Montandon, 1897

( Figs. 16–20 )

Ctenipocoris asiaticus Montandon, 1897a: 374

Material examined. — SINGAPORE: 1 immature, Lower Peirce Forest , stream ‘E’, pool under bamboo, coll. D. H. Murphy, 31 Oct.1991 ( ZRC) ; 1 male, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve , 6 Dec.1995, coll. H. K. Lua, NS 204 ( ZRC) ; 1 immature, McRitchie Reservoir, SICC, nr. Plot #4, 28 May 1993, NS104 ( ZRC) ; 1 male, Sime Road , 24 Apr.1996 ( ZRC) ; 1 male, Nee Soon swamp forest and drain, 13 Oct.1986, CL 2214, coll. D. A. & J. T. Polhemus ( USNM) . MALAYSIA, Pahang: 1 male, Kuala Lipis, small streamlet leading to Sungai Jelai , 11 Apr.1997, coll. K. L. Yeo, YKL901E ( ZRC) . Selangor: 1 female, 5 immatures, Ulu Gombak [ upper Gombak River ], 15 Nov.1995, coll. C. M. Yang, YCM78 ( ZRC) . Johor: 1 male, Gunung Pulai , 4 Mar.1992, coll. C. M. Yang & K. L. Yeo, Y781A ( ZRC) ; 1 female, Mawai – Sedili , 6 km, 29 Apr.1961, coll. Fernando ( JTPC) .

Extralimital material examined. — INDONESIA, Java, Jawa Barat Prov.: 1 male, Bandoeng [Bandung], 700 m., 28 Jun.1940, coll. J. Olthof ( LIPI); 1 female, same locality but 750 m., 10 Jul.1938, coll. F. C. Drescher ( LIPI) . MALAYSIA, Borneo , Sabah: 1 female, Mt. Trus Madi , 1800 ft., 18–28 Aug.1977, coll. M. E. Bacchus ( BMNH) . VIETNAM, Lam Dong Prov.: 2 females , Lam Dong Prov., small stream nr. Lan Hanh, 31 km E. of Di Linh , 825 m., 11°36'15"N, 108°19'17"E, water temp. 24°C, 27 Mar. 2001, CL 3094, coll. J. T . Polhemus ( USNM) . Kontum Prov.: 1 male, 1 female, stream in dry forest hills 29 km NE of Kontum on Hwy. 24, 565 m., 14°27'01"N, 108°09'12"E, water temp. 20.5°C, 19 Mar.2001, CL 4284, coll. D. A. Polhemus, J. T . Polhemus & P. Nguyen ( JTPC); 1 male, stream in laterite hills 70 km NE of Kontum on Hwy. 24, 1100 m, 14°36'48"N, 108°20'24"E, water temp. 27°C, 20 Mar.2001, CL 4306 coll. D. A. Polhemus, J. T . Polhemus & P. Nguyen ( JTPC) . Gia Lai Prov.: 1 male, Canh Stream, small trib. to Ngoe Ba River, 12 km S. of An Khe , 455 m., 13°53'24"N, 108°35'00"E water temp. 27°C, 11 Mar.2001, CL 4289, coll. J. T . Polhemus & P. Nguyen ( JTPC) . Bac Kan Prov.: 1 female, Ba Be Nat. Park, riverside spring nr. Ba Be Falls , 170 m, 22°25'N, 105°38'E, water temp. 20.5°C, 20 Mar.2000, CL 4364, coll. J. T . Polhemus & P. Nguyen ( JTPC) . THAILAND, Chiang Mai Prov.: 1 male, stream 10 km NW of Mae Rim , 19 Nov.1985, CL 2204, coll. D. A. & J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) . LAOS, Vientiane Prov.: 1 male, Ban Van Eue , 30 Nov.1965, coll. native collector ( BPBM) .

Diagnosis. — Male length 7.8–8.7 mm, maximum width (across abdomen) 4.5–5.1 mm; female length 8.2–8.3 mm, maximum width (across abdomen) 4.7–5.0 mm. Body form ovate ( Fig. 16 ); head and pronotum shining yellowish brown; eyes triangular when viewed from above, reaching greatest degree of anterior convergence ventrally ( Fig. 17 ); pronotum with lateral margins narrowly explanate; scutellum shining reddish brown, lateral margins dark yellow, entire scutellar surface bearing numerous tiny pale punctures; hemelytra dull dark brown, bearing numerous tiny pale punctures, outer portion of embolium translucent pale brown, wing membrane poorly defined, venation not evident, hemelytral corium and wing membrane bearing scattered fine, pale, recumbent setae, these setae more numerous on wing membrane; abdominal laterotergites medium brown, bearing long, fine, golden setae, lacking spines; legs short, stubby, bearing short, stout spines. Male phallotheca symmetrical ( Fig. 18 ); male parameres symmetrical, elongate ( Figs. 18, 20 ).

Distribution. — Ctenipocoris asiaticus was originally described by Montandon (1897) from a single specimen taken in Burma by Fea in 1888. Based on Fea’s notes in the Genoa Museum, the type locality of Carin, “Asciui Chebà” lay at 1200–1300 m. in the modern Karen state of Burma, somewhere in the vicinity of Leito. A number of Fea’s localities, including “Asciui Chebà”, refer the territories occupied by tribal divisions of the Karen people, rather than to specific towns or localities. Therefore “Chebà” pertains to this tribe of the Karen, also known as the Biapo. Montandon’s type specimen was subsequently figured by Distant (1906) in the Fauna of British India; the specimen is deposited in the Genoa Museum, is in good condition, and has been examined by the authors.

Based on our current concept of this species, it is widespread in Southeast Asia, from Burma through Indochina and the Malay Peninsula to the Greater Sunda Islands. Fernando & Cheng (1974) recorded this species from Peninsular Malaysian state of Johor. We provide new records for Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysian states of Pahang and Selangor, as well as additional records from Thailand and Vietnam. Based on our experience, C. asiaticus is an uncommonly encountered species, and most of the material we have seen consists of singletons or pairs taken from widely scattered localities.

Discussion. — This species may recognised by its distinctive head morphology, with eyes that are triangular when viewed from above and reach their greatest degree of inner convergence on the ventral side of the head ( Figs. 16 , 17 ), the distinctive male genitalic strucutures, particularly the symmetrical phallotheca ( Figs. 18–20 ), and the short, posteriorly truncate female subgenital plate ( Fig. 21 ).

Ctenipocoris asiaticus is a relatively small, ovate naucorid, typically found along the margins of swamp forest streams and other slow water lotic habitats. It is easily separated from the superfically similar Heleocoris montandoni , with which it sometimes co-occurs, by the unusual stucture of the eyes (see previous discussion); the very stout reddish spines on the middle and hind tibiae; the rather stubby forelegs which bear two apical claws in both sexes; the symmetrical male phallotheca (compare Figs. 18 and 25 ); the well-developed male parameres; and the shape of the female subgenital plate (compare Figs. 21 and 31 ).

Figures

Fig. 16. Ctenipocoris asiaticus Montandon, female, dorsal habitus, specimen from Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., nr. Lan Hanh, CL 3094 (Young Sohn illustration).

Figs. 17–20. Ctenipocoris asiaticus Montandon, structural details, specimen from Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., nr. Lan Hanh, CL 3094. 17. Head, ventral view. 18. Male phallotheca. 19. Medial process of male phallotheca. 20. Male left paramere.

Fig. 21. Ctenipocoris asiaticus Montandon, female terminal abdomen showing shape of subgenital plate, specimen from Malaysia, Johor, Mawai-Sedili.

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.

Figs. 31, 32. Heleocoris species, female terminal abdomen, ventral view, showing shape of subgenital plate. 31. Heleocoris montandoni Lundblad, specimen from Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., CL 3094. 32. Heleocoris malayensis, new species, specimen from Malaysia, Perak, Kerunai River, CL 2078.