Metrocoris zhengi, Chen, Zhen Ye Ping-Ping & Bu, Wen-Jun, 2016

Chen, Zhen Ye Ping-Ping & Bu, Wen-Jun, 2016, Notes on the Metrocoris lituratus group (Heteroptera: Gerridae: Metrocoris) with descriptions of four new species in Sichuan Basin from China, Zootaxa 4117 (3), pp. 359-374 : 372-373

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4117.3.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:441C768B-FE38-47D6-819F-BE19CC167DB7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6063144
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/43435E3D-7217-E27C-FF40-4270FC4AFC77
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Metrocoris zhengi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Metrocoris zhengi View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 20 View FIGURES 13 – 20 , 28 View FIGURES 21 – 28 , 33 View FIGURES 29 – 33 , 38, 43, 48, 53, 58, 66, 71, 81–84)

Material examined. Holotype: apterous male, CHINA, Guizhou Prov., Zunyi city, Daozhen county, Dashahe Nature Reserve, Mopanshi (29°01'N, 107°41'E), 10 August 2013, 1100 m, leg. Zhen Ye ( NKUM). Paratypes: 1 apterous male and 1 apterous female ( NCTN), 1 apterous male and 1 apterous female ( NKUM), same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. The fore femur only with a subapical indentation and a small single apical tooth ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 39 – 43 ); the unmodified inner surface of the fore tibiae ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 39 – 43 ); the relatively large male abdominal segment VIII and pygophore ( Figs. 48, 53 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ); the proctiger laterally raised and with a pair of blackish dots ( Fig. 58 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ); the typically triangular shape of the paramere blade ( Figs. 66 View FIGURES 59 – 66 , 83 View FIGURES 72 – 83 ); accessory lateral sclerites of endosoma relatively thick in dorsal view ( Figs. 71 View FIGURES 67 – 71 , 81 View FIGURES 72 – 83 ); female abdominal sternum VII laterally constricted, apical half forming a relatively broad lobe, caudal margin without median notch (Fig. 38), are the diagnostic features of M. zhengi sp. nov..

Description. Apterous male ( Figs. 20 View FIGURES 13 – 20 , 28 View FIGURES 21 – 28 ). Body length 6.62–6.71, body width (across acetabula) 3.08–3.21. Colour: dorsal yellow with prominent black stripes; interocular dark mark usually arrowhead shaped, bifid posteriorly, along inner margin of eyes without narrow dark line; first antennal segment yellowish brown, remaining segments usually blackish; rostrum yellowish with black apex; pronotum with T-shaped black stripe, lateral pronotal stripe very broad; mesonotum with median slender longitudinally stripe, sublateral stripes broader than lateral stripes, nearly equal in width to transverse bands; longitudinal dark stripe of mesopleuron slender, running about 1/2 of its length, very close to anterior margin but far from short acetabular mark; anterior transverse stripe of metanotum laterally confluent with posterior stripe of metanotum; fore femora with apical dark ring and four longitudinal marks, ventral mark connected with ring, remaining marks not confluent, inner mark relatively pale and bright, external mark broad and blackish brown; middle and hind femora yellowish, tibiae and tarsi black; abdomen mainly blackish dorsally, abdominal tergites II–IV blackish, abdominal tergites V–VII blackish anteriorly and yellowish posteriorly; abdominal segment VIII with a large rectangular blackish mark in dorsal view, posteriorly with moderately bifid-shaped. Genital segments yellowish. Structural characters: head length 0.51– 0.55, head width 1.61–1.69, minimum interocular width 0.67–0.70; antenna about 0.90 times as long as body, lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 2.71, 1.40, 1.18, 0.70; pronotum slightly narrower than head, pronotum length 0.66–0.70, pronotum width 1.87–1.90; fore femora moderately incrassate ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 39 – 43 ), ratio length/width 4.5, inner side not modified, with a subapical indentation, and a small single apical tooth; inner surface of fore tibiae not modified ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 39 – 43 ); lengths of leg segments (femur, tibia and tarsus): fore leg: 3.12, 2.52 and 1.01 (0.10+0.91), middle leg: 8.21, 6.11 and 3.01 (2.62+0.39), hind leg: 8.02, 6.23 and 1.02 (0.52+0.50); dorsum of abdomen clothed with short shiny golden hair, venter of abdomen densely clothed with pale yellow hairs. Male terminalia: abdominal segment VIII more or less rectangle ( Fig. 48 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ), relatively large, length 1.58, width 1.08, about 1.46 times as long as wide, posterior margin with dense brown erect hairs ( Fig. 48 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ); pygophore subovate ( Fig. 53 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ), proctiger laterally raised and with a pair of blackish dots ( Fig. 58 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ); paramere stout and triangularly curved upwards, lateral part with distinctly angular projection, apex narrowed and blunt ( Figs. 66 View FIGURES 59 – 66 , 83 View FIGURES 72 – 83 ). Endosoma ( Figs. 71 View FIGURES 67 – 71 , 81, 82 View FIGURES 72 – 83 ): dorsal sclerite long and recurved proximally, apical accessory sclerites small, accessory lateral sclerites thick and straight, ventral sclerites present and long.

Apterous female ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 29 – 33 ). Body length 6.07–6.13, body width (across acetabula) 3.36–3.40. Colour similar to apterous male. Structural characters: head length 0.70–0.73, head width 1.57–1.61, minimum interocular width 0.62–0.65; antenna about 0.74 times as long as body, lengths of antennal segments I–IV: 2.01, 0.89, 0.91, 0.74; pronotum slightly narrower than head, pronotum length 0.47–0.50, pronotum width 1.67–1.71; fore femora slender without teeth, ratio length/width 6.9, inner surface of fore tibiae not modified; lengths of leg segments (femur, tibia and tarsus): fore leg: 2.75, 2.31 and 1.00 (0.12+0.88), middle leg: 6.81, 5.39 and 2.91 (2.31+0.60), hind leg: 6.78, 4.50 and 0.98 (0.53+0.45). Female terminalia: abdominal sternum VII relatively large, about as long as length of preceding abdominal sterna together, laterally constricted, apical half forming a broad lobe, caudal margin without median notch, not completely covering apex of abdomen in ventral view (Fig. 38).

Macropterous female and macropterous male. unknown.

Etymology. Named in honour of Prof. Leyi Zheng for his outstanding contribution to the studies on Heteroptera .

Distribution. China (Guizhou) ( Fig. 84 View FIGURE 84 ).

Comparative notes: M. zhengi sp. nov. fits the diagnostic characters of the M. lituratus group as defined by Chen & Nieser (1993). The general appearance of this new species is also similar to the M. sichuanensis Chen & Nieser, 1993 . However, the distinctive paramere blade of M. zhengi sp. nov. is rather stout and triangularly curved upwards, and the lateral part bears a distinctly angular projection, with the blade apex narrowed ( Figs. 66 View FIGURES 59 – 66 , 83 View FIGURES 72 – 83 ), while in M. sichuanensis the paramere blade is relatively slender and straight, lacks an angular projection laterally, and has the blade apex slightly extended ( Figs. 5 View FIGURES 1 – 5 , 10 View FIGURES 6 – 12 , 59–62 View FIGURES 59 – 66 ). In addition, the larger size of abdominal segment VIII and pygophore ( Figs. 48, 53 View FIGURES 44 – 58 ), the thicker accessory lateral sclerites of the endosoma in dorsal view ( Figs. 71 View FIGURES 67 – 71 , 81 View FIGURES 72 – 83 ), and the caudal margin of female abdominal sternum VII lacking a median notch in M. zhengi sp. nov. (Fig. 38), are other important differences between these two closely related species.