Empicoris laocaiensis

Ishikawa, Tadashi, Truong, Xuan Lam & Okajima, Shûji, 2012, The emesine assassin bug genus Empicoris (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 47-57 : 53-57

Empicoris laocaiensis Ishikawa, Truong et Okajima sp. nov.

( Figs. 21–38 )

Type material. Holotype: 3 (for Figs. 21–27 ), Vietnam, “ Sin Chai, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, 1600 m alt., N22°20ʹ57ʺ E103°47ʹ56ʺ, 26. V. 2011, T. Ishikawa et al.” (TUA). Paratypes: 63 4Ƥ ( VAST and TUA) — [ Vietnam] Same data as holotype: 13 (for Figs. 29, 30 ) 1Ƥ (for Fig. 28 ). Lao Cai Province: 1Ƥ, Ta Phin, Sa Pa, 1360 m alt., N22°22ʹ45ʺ E103°50ʹ51ʺ, 24.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 33 (one for Figs. 31–37 ), Ta Phin, Sa Pa, 1355 m alt., N22°24ʹ13ʺ E105°50ʹ15ʺ, 24.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 13, Cat Cat, Sa Pa, 1280 m alt., N22°19ʹ36ʺ E103°49ʹ51ʺ, 25.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 1Ƥ, Nui Xe, Sa Pa, 1930 m alt., N22°21ʹ14ʺ E103°45ʹ34ʺ, 27.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 2Ƥ (one for Fig. 38 ), O Quy Ho, Sa Pa, 6.viii.2000, T. Ishikawa and S. Okajima.

Diagnosis. Recognized by a combination of the following characters: male antennal segments II covered with long, suberect setae in basal one-third; posterior lobe of head lacking tubercle behind interocular furrow; posterior pronotal lobe provided with a pair of longitudinal whitish stripes, and with small, conical tubercle posteromedially ( Figs. 23, 24 ); lateral carina developed throughout length of posterior lobe, weakly bent at anterior two-fifths of its length ( Figs. 24 ); scutellar spine short, gently curved upward, acute at apex; profemur irregularly pale brown in the basal two-fifths, about 15 times as long as its maximum width, ventrally with small spines only ( Figs. 26 , 29, 30 ); metafemur decorated with about 16 blackish annulations, and with apicalmost blackish annulation about two-thirds as long as distal whitish part ( Fig. 27 ); pterostigma of hemelytron a little exceeding apex of discal cell ( Fig. 28 ); pygophoral posterior process wide, flattened dorsoventrally, roundly concave at middle of posterior margin ( Figs. 31–33 ); styloides V-shaped, lacking setae ( Fig. 38 ). Body length 5.00–6.00 mm.

Description. Male (holotype): Head and thorax dark brown to blackish. Antennal segment I whitish, with about 13 complete and incomplete, blackish annulations; width of blackish annulations variable and irregular; apicalmost brownish annulation about 2.5 times as long as distal whitish part; segment II brownish yellow, with about 12 blackish annulations; segments III and IV pale brown to brown, with extreme base and apical part of segment IV dark. Rostral segment I ( Fig. 24 ) pale yellow, with 2 blackish annulations; segment II ( Fig. 24 ) blackish, with pale yellow marking at apical one-third; segment III ( Fig. 24 ) pale yellow in basal half and blackish in apical half. Posterior pronotal lobe ( Figs. 23, 24 ) dark brown discally, whitish at humeri and along posterior margin, with a pair of longitudinal whitish stripes; longitudinal whitish stripes not reaching both anterior lobe and posterior margin of pronotum; posteromedial tubercle dark brown. Propleuron ( Fig. 24 ) with area above acetabula and posterior margin whitish. Scutellum brown along margin, with scutellar spine pale yellow to brown. Metathoracic spine whitish. Fore legs mostly dark brown to blackish; coxa pale, with blackish annulations on basal one-third and apical onethird, and with extreme apex blackish; femur ( Fig. 26 ) irregularly pale brown in basal two-fifths, with pale annulations on middle, apical one-third and apex; tibia ( Fig. 25 ) pale in base, with pale narrow annulations on basal oneseventh, basal two-fifths, and pale wide annulation on apical one-third; tarsal segment I ( Fig. 25 ) pale; segment II ( Fig. 25 ) dark brown. Mesofemur pale yellow, with about 13 complete and incomplete, blackish annulations. Mesotibia pale yellow, apically brownish yellow, with about 17 blackish annulations. Metafemur pale yellow, with about 16 complete and incomplete, blackish annulations; apicalmost blackish annulation ( Fig. 27 ) about two-thirds as long as distal whitish part. Metatibia pale yellow, apically brownish yellow, with about 20 blackish annulations. Hemelytron ( Fig. 28 ) whitish to pale yellow, densely mottled with irregular, small to large, dark spots; pterostigma ( Fig. 28 ) dark brown, apically whitish, with 1 to 2 pale spots. Abdomen dark brown, with spiracles pale; laterotergite III to VII pale in basal half. Setae on body and appendages whitish to pale yellow.

Head ( Figs. 23, 24 ) a little longer than width across eyes, sparsely covered with long, suberect setae intermixed partially with dense, short pubescence; anteoculus ( Fig. 24 ) shorter than postoculus; interocular furrow ( Fig. 23 ) slightly arcuate posteriad. Eye ( Figs. 23, 24 ) large, just reaching level of ventral surface of head in lateral view, 1.2 times as long as postoculus in lateral view, 1.4 times as wide as interocular space in dorsal view. Antennal segment I as long as segment II, covered with long, erect setae intermixed with decumbent setae; longest setae about 2.5 times as long as maximum width of segment I; segments II covered with long, suberect setae in basal one-third intermixed with decumbent setae; segments III and IV covered with short, decumbent setae; approximate proportion of segments I to IV 5.9: 5.9: 2.2: 1.0. Rostrum sparsely covered with erect and suberect setae; approximate proportion of segments I to III 1.6: 1.0: 1.0.

Pronotum ( Figs. 23, 24 ) 1.1 times as long as head, 1.2 times as long as humeral width; anterior lobe decorated with liner markings of dense pubescence ( Figs. 23, 24 ), and with central pit at center; posterior lobe 1.9 times as long as anterior lobe, 0.8 times as long as humeral width, with conical tubercle posteromedially ( Figs. 23, 24 ); height of posteromedial conical tubercle about one-sixth as long as posterior pronotal lobe; lateral carina ( Fig. 24 ) developed throughout length of posterior lobe, weakly bent at anterior two-fifths of its length. Scutellar spine short, gently curved upward, acute at apex. Metanotal spine erect, straight, acute at apex. Fore leg ( Figs. 29, 30 ) covered with short to long, erect and suberect setae on coxa, trochanter and femur, and with short, suberect and decumbent setae on tibia and tarsus; coxa ( Fig. 29 ) as long as pronotum, about 7.5 times as long as its maximum width; femur ( Figs. 29, 30 ) slender, 2.3 times as long as coxa, about 15 times as long as its maximum width, with anteroventral and posteroventral series of spines; each series consisting of about 50 small spines; longest spines about half as long as maximum width of profemur ( Fig. 30 ); tibia ( Fig. 29 ) 0.8 times as long as femur; tarsus ( Fig. 29 ) about 0.2 times as long as tibia. Hemelytra exceeding apex of abdomen by about one-fifth of its length ( Fig. 22 ); pterostigma ( Fig. 28 ) a little exceeding apex of discal cell.

Abdomen covered with dense, short pubescence; tergite I with erect spine; tergite VII with rounded posterior margin produced behind.

General structure of paratypes: Pygophore ( Figs. 31, 32 ) about 1.4 times as long as its width, 1.3 times as long as its height; posterior process ( Figs. 31–33 ) wide, flattened dorsoventrally, gradually narrowed posteriad in ventral and lateral views, roundly incised at middle of posterior margin; basal width of posterior process about 3 times as much as apical width; incision of posterior process about one-fourth as deep as length of posterior process, about three-fifths as deep as maximum width of incision. Paramere ( Figs. 34, 35 ) rod-shaped, strongly curved inward in apical one-third, gradually tapered in apical two-fifths, round at apex in dorsal view, covered with setae of variable length in apical two-fifths. Phallotheca of phallus ( Figs. 36, 37 ) elongate in rest, sclerotized ventrally and laterally in apical half, with a pair of triangular sclerotized areas at base ventrolaterally ( Fig. 37 ); struts ( Figs. 36, 37 ) Yshaped, weakly widened in basal half and bifurcate in apical one-third in dorsal view; arm of struts ( Figs. 36, 37 ) strongly curved downward.

Female (paratypes): In general appearance, almost similar to male. Antennal segments I and II covered with short, decumbent setae only. Abdomen apically narrowed and rounded. Styloides ( Fig. 38 ) V-shaped, broad at middle, lacking setae; each arm ( Fig. 38 ) slightly widened subbasaly, abruptly narrowed at base.

Measurements (holotype). Body length 5.12 [paratypes: 5.00– 5.40 in male (n=6), 5.80–6.00 in female (n=4)]. Head length 0.68; width across eyes 0.62; interocular space 0.18. Antenna length 8.77; lengths of segments I, II, III and IV 3.45, 3.43, 1.30 and 0.58. Rostrum length 0.95; lengths of segments I, II and III 0.43, 0.26 and 0.26. Pronotum length 0.73; length of anterior lobe 0.25; of posterior lobe 0.48; width across humeri 0.64. Hemelytron length 4.58. Lengths of femur, tibia and tarsus of fore leg 1.65, 1.30 and 0.25; of mid leg 3.14, 4.57 and 0.18; of hind leg 4.79, 6.77 and 0.20, respectively. Abdomen length 3.27.

Distribution. Vietnam: Lao Cai Province.

Etymology. Named after the type locality of this new species, Lao Cai Province; an adjective.

Remarks. This new species is very similar to Empicoris spectabilis Ishikawa, 2008 described from Japan, but it can be distinguished from the latter (its characters given in parentheses) by the male antennal segments II covered with long, suberect setae in basal one-third (lacking such setae); the profemur irregularly pale brown in the basal two-fifths ( Fig. 26 ) (uniformly dark brown to blackish); the apicalmost blackish annulation on the metafemur about two-thirds as long as the distal whitish part ( Fig. 27 ) (as long as or a little shorter); the basal width of the pygophoral posterior process about 3 times as much as the apical width ( Fig. 33 ) (about 1.7); and the styloides Vshaped, broad at the middle, lacking setae ( Fig. 38 ) (U-shaped, narrow entirely, covered with about ten setae medially).

Biology. Specimens of this new species were captured from living leaf clusters of broad-leaved trees in the mountainous areas of Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam over 1,200 meters high. No other biological information is available.

Figures

FIGURE 21 – 28. Empicoris laocaiensis sp. nov. 21 – 22, Habitus, male, lateral (21) and dorsal (22) views; 23 – 24, head and prothorax, male, dorsal (23) and lateral (24) views; 25, tibia and tarsus of fore leg, lateral view; 26, femur and trochanter of fore leg, lateral view; 27, apical part of metafemur, lateral view; 28, hemelytron. Scales: 2.0 mm for 21 – 22, 28; 0.5 mm for 23 – 27.

FIGURE 29 – 38. Empicoris laocaiensis sp. nov. 29, Left fore leg, lateral (outer) view; 30, basal part of profemur, lateral (inner) view; 31 – 32, pygophore (with parameres), setae of right side omitted, lateral (31) and dorsal (32) views; 33, posterior process of pygophore, posteroventral view; 34 – 35, left paramere, dorsal (34) and lateral (outer) (35) views; 36 – 37, phallus, dorsal (36) and left-lateral (37) views; 38, styloides, dorsal view. Scales: 1.0 mm for 29; 0.2 mm for 30 – 38.