Limnostatua, Souma & Ishikawa, 2022

Souma, Jun & Ishikawa, Tadashi, 2022, Taxonomic review of the tingine genera Cysteochila, Hurdchila, Physatocheila, and Xynotingis from Japan, with description of a new genus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae), Zootaxa 5150 (1), pp. 1-42 : 7-8

Limnostatua , gen. nov.

Type species by present designation: Leptodictya ? lewisi Scott, 1880 .

Diagnosis. Recognized among other tingid genera by a combination of the following characters: body rhomboid; maximum width across hemelytra wider than maximum width across paranota; head shorter than its maximum width across compound eyes, with five spines; antennal segments I close to each other at their bases; bucculae contiguous with each other at anterior ends; rostrum reaching posterior margin of mesosternum; pronotum convex in anterior part, tricarinate; lateral margin of pronotum not emarginate in anterior part; hood semi-globose, higher than pronotal disc at highest part; pronotal carinae carinate; paranotum reflexed, expanding inward, without longitudinal ridge, bulged upward in posterior part, forming a dome opening inward; outer margin of paranotum resting on pronotal disc at anterior and posterior ends; posterior process well-developed; anterior margin of hemelytron strongly curved outward; costal area distinct; subcostal area subhorizontal; discoidal area flat; Cu (cubital) and R+M (radiomedial) veins carinate; hypocostal lamina with a single row of areolae in its entire length; ostiolar peritreme well-developed; metasternum wider than mesosternum; metasternal laminae separated from each other at posterior ends; abdominal sternites IV–VIII in male and IV–VII in female each with a transverse furrow throughout their width; pygophore elevated at center of venter; ovipositor with well-developed ovivalvula at base; and paratergite IX in female unilobed.

Remarks. Limnostatua gen. nov. comprises a single species, namely L. lewisi ( Scott, 1880) comb. nov., distributed in Japan, China, and Korea ( Scott 1880; Drake & Maa 1953; Lee 1967).

Limnostatua gen. nov. closely resembles Hurdchila , with H. togularis (Drake & Poor, 1936) ( Fig. 20A–E ) as the type species, in general appearance, but can be distinguished by the following characteristics: hood semiglobose; pronotal carinae carinate ( Fig. 4A–C ); median carina of pronotum lower than hood at maximum height; paranotum forming a dome opening inward; outer margin of paranotum resting on pronotal disc at anterior and posterior ends; subcostal area of hemelytron subhorizontal; and metasternum wider than mesosternum ( Fig. 4D ). In contrast, Hurdchila presents the following characteristics: hood semi-ellipsoid; pronotal carinae rounded; median carina of pronotum as high as or higher than hood at maximum height; paranotum forming a cyst closed inward; outer margin of paranotum not resting on pronotal disc in its entire length; subcostal area of hemelytron subvertical; and metasternum as wide as mesosternum.

Limnostatua gen. nov. resembles Cysteochila in the shape of pronotal carinae, but it differs from the latter genus in the followint characters: lateral margin of pronotum not emarginate in anterior part; hood semi-globose ( Fig. 4A–C ), higher than pronotal disc at highest part; paranotum bulged upward in posterior part, forming a dome opening inward; outer margin of paranotum resting on pronotal disc at anterior and posterior ends; and metasternal laminae separated from each other at posterior ends. Limnostatua gen. nov. can be distinguished from the allied genera by the remarkable and unique shape of the pronotum as described above.

Etymology. The generic name is formed from the Latin noun limne, meaning pond, and the Latin noun statua, meaning statue, referring to the habitat and the scraggy stature of the type species of the genus designated below; the gender is feminine.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Habitus images of Limnostatua lewisi comb. nov. from Japan. Dried specimen, dorsal, dorsolateral and lateral views (A–C). Ventral structures: rostrum (D), male terminalia (E) and female terminalia (F). Scale bars: A–C, 1.0 mm; D–F, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 20. Habitus images of Hurdchila togularis from Thailand. Dried specimen, dorsal and lateral views (A, B). Ventral structures: rostrum (C), male terminalia (D) and female terminalia (E). Scale bars: A, B, 1.0 mm; C–E, 0.2 mm.