Mimofulvius Schmitz 1978
Creators: name: Wolski, Andrzej
name: Yasunaga, Tomohide
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Miridae
Mimofulvius

description: Genus Mimofulvius Schmitz, 1978
Mimofulvius Schmitz, 1978: 185.
Mimofulvius – Schuh 1995: 31 (catalog); 2002–2013 (online catalog). — Gorczyca 2000: 9 (list); 2006: 53 (catalog). — Yeshwanth et al. (2016): 315 (diagnosis).
Type species
Mimofulvius pentatomus Schmitz, 1978 (original designation).
Diagnosis
In addition to the characters presented by Schmitz (1978) and Yeshwanth et al. (2016) for defining Mimofulvius, this genus can be distinguished from other cylapine genera by having the rudimentary stridulatory device (exocorium edge-hind femur, cf. Figs 8, 12–13) and the endosoma with lobal sclerites (Figs 4, 33).
Redescription
Macropterous; body elongate to elongate-oval (Figs 1–2, 6, 14–16, 24–27). Dorsum shiny, covered with sparse or dense, simple setae (Figs 6–9).
HEAD. Subhorizontal (Figs 1–2, 6–7, 14–16, 18, 24–27), rugose, covered with long, dense, semirecumbent setae (Figs 1–2, 6–7, 18); clypeal base situated above ventral margin of eye (Fig. 18); mandibular plate without sulcus posteriorly (Fig. 18); antennal insertion contiguous with sulcus between maxillary and mandibular plates (Figs 7, 18); eyes contiguous with pronotal collar, relatively large, reniform in lateral view (Figs 7, 18); antenna short, about ⅔ times as long as total body length; antennal segment I short, weakly surpassing apex of clypeus, cylindrical, weakly narrowed basally, covered with sparse, thick, erect and semirecumbent setae; segment II weakly broadened toward apex, covered with dense, erect and semirecumbent setae; segments III and IV as thick as segment II, covered with setae similar to those present on segment II; segment IV subdivided medially, forming pseudo-5-segmented (Figs 1, 6, 14–17, 25, 27); labial segment I subdivided medially; segment II subdivided subapically (Fig. 7).
THORAX. Pronotum. Pronotal collar relatively broad, approximately as wide as antennal segment II diameter; pronotal calli from narrow, restricted to medial part of anterior part of pronotum to broad, reaching pronotal lateral margins (Figs 1–2, 6, 14–16); dorsal surface of pronotum shiny, covered with sparse, semirecumbent setae (Figs 6, 18). Mesoscutum and scutellum. Covered with sparse, erect or semirecumbent setae; scutellum flat (Figs 1–2). Thoracic pleura. Covered with sparse, short, semirecumbent setae (Figs 7, 9, 18–19); metathoracic scent efferent system with narrow evaporative area and ovoid auricula, occupying ventral and posterior margins; peritreme flat, relatively broad (Figs 9, 19). Hemelytron. Shiny, covered with sparse or dense, simple setae (Figs 1–2, 7–8); exocorium with notched edge that may represent stridulitrum, or stridulatory device (Figs 8, 20). Legs. Short; covered with sort, semirecumbent and recumbent setae (Figs 1–2, 24–27); metafemur with short carina, probably plectrum of stridulatory mechanism (Figs 12–13, 21); pretarsal claw with tiny, subapical tooth (Fig. 10).
ABDOMEN. Covered with dense, reclining and semirecumbent setae (Fig. 7).
MALE GENITALIA. Genital capsule with dorsal wall long, weakly shorter than ventral wall, genital opening is terminal in orientation (Figs 7, 11, 28). Left and right paramere curved; paramere body covered with relatively dense setae dorsally (Figs 3, 5, 29–32). Left paramere. Apical process elongated, inner surface with small swelling basally (Figs 3, 29–30). Aedeagus. Seminal duct long and thin, sclerotized part of seminal duct expanded; endosoma membranous, with two long lobal-sclerites and with ovoid, large, membranous lobe basally embraced by expanded sclerotized part of seminal duct (Figs 4, 33).
FEMALE GENITALIA. As described and depicted by Yeshwanth et al. (2016: fig. 30).
Remarks
The present study adds the possession of a (presumed) stridulatory device (a set of a notched margin of the forewing and a metafemoral plectrum or keel) to the diagnostic characters for Mimofulvius (Figs 8, 13, 20–21). As stated by Yasunaga et al. (2019) and Tamada et al. (2020), many epigeic plant bug species of the tribe Hallodapini Van Duzee, 1916 (Phylinae) have a similar stridulatory mechanism which is used for intraspecific communication. However, the actual function of the Mimofulvius stridulatory device requires further verification.
Key to known species of Mimofulvius
1. Pronotum castaneous; posterior stripe on pronotum well developed; clavus concolorous; metafemoral plectrum composed of 3-rows of narrow keels; from Thailand (Figs 1, 13, 16, 26–27) .................... .......................................................................................................... Mimofulvius castaneus sp. nov.
– Pronotum black; posterior stripe of pronotum weakly developed; clavus with large, whitish patch medially; metafemoral plectrum with a single keel; known from India and Nepal (Figs 2, 15, 21, 24–25) ................................................................................ Mimofulvius pentatomus Schmitz, 1978
description: Published as part of Wolski, Andrzej & Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2025, First report of little-known cylapine genera Mimofulvius Schmitz and Rhinophrus Hsiao (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) from Thailand, with description of a new species, pp. 61-80 in European Journal of Taxonomy 987 on pages 62-64, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.987.2859, http://zenodo.org/record/15283597