Empicoris montanus
Creators: name: Ishikawa, Tadashi
name: Truong, Xuan Lam
name: Okajima, Shûji
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Reduviidae
Empicoris
Empicoris montanus

description: Empicoris montanus Ishikawa, Truong et Okajima sp. nov.
(Figs. 1–20)
Type material. Holotype: 3 (Figs. 1–4), Vietnam, “Nui Xe, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, 1930 m alt., N22°21ʹ14ʺ E103°46ʹ34ʺ, 27. V. 2011, T. Ishikawa et al.” (TUA). Paratypes: 83 16Ƥ (VAST and TUA) — [Vietnam] Same data as holotype: 23 (one for Fig. 5) 1Ƥ. Lao Cai Province: 13 (for Figs. 10–18) 2Ƥ, Ta Phin, Sa Pa, 1360 m alt., N22°22ʹ45ʺ E103°50ʹ51ʺ, 24.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 3Ƥ, Ta Phin, Sa Pa, 1355 m alt., N22°24ʹ13ʺ E105°50ʹ15ʺ, 24.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 13 2Ƥ, Cat Cat, Sa Pa, 1280 m alt., N22°19ʹ36ʺ E103°49ʹ51ʺ, 25.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 1Ƥ, Sin Chai, Sa Pa, 1600 m alt., N22°20ʹ57ʺ E103°47ʹ56ʺ, 26.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al. Vinh Phuc Province: 33 (one for Figs. 7–9) 6Ƥ (one for Fig. 6, other for Fig. 20), Tam Dao, 970 m alt., N21°28ʹ24ʺ E105°38ʹ22ʺ, 30.v.2011, T. Ishikawa et al.; 13 1Ƥ (for Fig. 19), Tam Dao, 1250 m alt., N21°27ʹ51ʺ E105°38ʹ45ʺ, 1.vi.2011, T. Ishikawa et al ..
Diagnosis. Recognized by a combination of the following characters: posterior lobe of head with small tubercle behind interocular furrow; eye large, exceeding (male) or just reaching (female) level of ventral surface of head in lateral view; posterior pronotal lobe with small, conical tubercle posteromedially (Figs. 3, 4); height of posteromedial conical tubercle on posterior pronotal lobe about one-tenth as long as posterior pronotal lobe; lateral carina developed throughout length of posterior lobe, weakly bent at anterior one-third of its length (Figs. 4); scutellar spine long, nearly straight, produced posteriad; profemur about 16 times as long as its maximum width, ventrally with small spines only (Figs. 10, 11); metafemur decorated with about 16 blackish annulations, and with apicalmost blackish annulation about one-third as long as distal whitish part (Fig. 9); pygophoral posterior process wide, flattened dorsoventrally, weakly incised at middle of posterior margin (Figs. 12–14); vesica bifurcate, slender and very long (Fig. 17); and styloides covered with 4 to 10 setae in middle part of posterior margin, with each arm of styloides strongly widened subbasaly (Figs. 19, 20). Body length 4.45–5.45 mm.
Description. Male (holotype): Head and thorax blackish. Antennal segment I whitish, with about 12 complete and incomplete, blackish annulations; width of blackish annulations variable and irregular; apicalmost brownish annulation about 4 times as long as distal whitish part; segment II blackish, with about 9 whitish annulations; segments III and IV pale brown to brown, with extreme base of segment III pale. Rostrum (Fig. 4) whitish to pale yellow, except basal half of segment II and apical half of segment III brownish; segment I (Fig. 4) with 2 blackish annulations. Posterior pronotal lobe (Figs. 3, 4) brownish, irregularly pale on disc, whitish at humeri, with posterior margin whitish; posteromedial tubercle whitish. Propleuron (Fig. 4) with area above acetabula and posterior margin whitish. Scutellum whitish along margin, with scutellar spine pale. Metathoracic spine whitish. Fore legs mostly brownish to dark brown; coxa pale, with brownish apical annulation and brownish ventral marking on basal onethird; femur (Fig. 8) pale and irregularly mottled with small to large brownish spots on basal half, with pale annulations on middle, apical one-third and apex; tibia (Fig. 7) pale in basal part, with pale narrow annulations on basal one-fifth and basal two-fifths, and pale wide annulation on apical three-tenths; tarsal segment I (Fig. 7) pale; segment II (Fig. 7) pale in basal one-third and brownish in apical two-thirds. Mesofemur pale yellow, with about 14 complete and incomplete, blackish annulations. Mesotibia pale yellow, apically brownish, with about 18 blackish annulations. Metafemur pale yellow, with about 16 complete and incomplete, blackish annulations; apicalmost blackish annulation (Fig. 9) about one-third as long as distal whitish part. Metatibia pale yellow, apically brownish, with about 25 blackish annulations. Hemelytron (Fig. 5) whitish to pale yellow, with irregular, small to large, dark spots; these spots within discal cell obscure, paler than those of other areas of hemelytorn; pterostigma (Fig. 5) whitish, with 3 small spots brownish. Abdomen dark brown, becoming paler basad, and with spiracles pale. Setae on body and appendages whitish to pale yellow.
Head (Figs. 3, 4) a little shorter than width across eyes, sparsely covered with long, suberect setae intermixed partially with dense, short pubescence, and with small tubercle behind interocular furrow; anteoculus (Fig. 4) as long as postoculus; interocular furrow (Fig. 3) slightly arcuate posteriad. Eye (Figs. 3, 4) large, a little exceeding level of ventral surface of head in lateral view, 1.9 times as long as postoculus in lateral view, 1.6 times as wide as interocular space in dorsal view. Antennal segment I a little shorter than segment II, covered with long, erect setae intermixed with decumbent setae; longest setae about 3 times as long as maximum width of segment I; segments II, III, and IV covered with short, decumbent setae; approximate proportion of segments I to IV 7.9: 8.3: 3.0: 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. 3, 4) 1.2 times as long as head, 1.05 times as long as humeral width; anterior lobe decorated with liner markings of dense pubescence (Figs. 3, 4), and with central pit at center; posterior lobe twice as long as anterior lobe, 0.7 times as long as humeral width, with conical tubercle posteromedially (Figs. 3, 4); height of posteromedial conical tubercle about one-tenth as long as posterior pronotal lobe; lateral carina (Fig. 4) low and wide, developed throughout length of posterior lobe, weakly bent at anterior one-third of its length, gradually more obscure posteriad. Scutellar spine long, nearly straight, produced posteriad, acute at apex. Metanotal spine erect, slightly curved posteriad, acute at apex. Fore leg (Figs. 10, 11) 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. 10) a little longer than pronotum, about 7 times as long as its maximum width; femur (Figs. 10, 11) slender, 2.2 times as long as coxa, about 16 times as long as its maximum width, with anteroventral and posteroventral series of spines; each series consisting of about 55 small spines; longest spines about 0.4 times as long as maximum width of profemur (Fig. 11); tibia (Fig. 10) 0.8 times as long as femur; tarsus (Fig. 10) about 0.2 times as long as tibia. Hemelytra exceeding apex of abdomen by about one-fourth of its length (Fig. 2); pterostigma (Fig. 5) well 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. 12, 13) about 1.7 times as long as its width, 1.4 times as long as its height; posterior process (Figs. 12–14) wide, flattened dorsoventrally, narrowed posteriad in ventral and lateral views, weakly incised at middle of posterior margin, with lateral margins arcuate inward; basal width of posterior process about 3 times as much as apical width; incision of posterior process about 0.15 times as deep as length of posterior process, about one-third as deep as maximum with of incision. Paramere (Figs. 15, 16) rod-shaped, gently curved inward in apical one-third, gradually tapered in apical one-third, acute at apex in dorsal view, covered with setae of variable length in apical two-fifths. Phallotheca of phallus (Figs. 17, 18) ovate in rest, sclerotized ventrally and laterally in apical half, with a pair of triangular sclerotized areas at basal one-fourth ventrolaterally (Fig. 17); struts (Figs. 17, 18) slightly sinuate in lateral view, Y-shaped, widened in basal one-fourth and bifurcate in apical one-third in dorsal view; arm of struts (Figs. 17, 18) slender, strongly curved downward. Vesica (Fig. 17) bifurcate, slender and very long.
Female (paratypes): In general appearance, almost similar to male. Head as long as width across eyes. Anteoculus slightly shorter than postoculus. Eye just reaching level of ventral surface of head in lateral view, 1.3 times as long as postoculus in lateral view, 1.2 times as wide as interocular space in dorsal view. Antennal segment I covered with short, decumbent setae only; approximate proportion of antennal segments I to IV 7.2: 7.4: 2.6: 1.0. Dark spots within discal cell of hemelytron rather vivid, as dark as those of other areas of hemelytorn (Fig. 6). Abdomen apically narrowed and rounded. Styloides (Figs. 19, 20) V-shaped, broad, covered with 4 to 10 setae in middle part of posterior margin; each arm of styloides (Fig. 19) strongly widened subbasaly, abruptly constricted at base.
Measurements (holotype). Body length 4.68 [paratypes: 4.45–4.95 in male (n=8), 4.55–5.45 in female (n=16)]. Head length 0.54; width across eyes 0.64; interocular space 0.15. Antenna length 8.76; lengths of segments I, II, III and IV 3.41, 3.61, 1.32 and 0.42. Rostrum length 0.80; lengths of segments I, II and III 0.36, 0.22 and 0.22. Pronotum length 0.68; length of anterior lobe 0.21; of posterior lobe 0.47; width across humeri 0.66. Hemelytron length 4.43. Lengths of femur, tibia and tarsus of fore leg 1.60, 1.32 and 0.21; of mid leg 3.03, 4.15 and 0.17; of hind leg 4.50, 6.30 and 0.19, respectively. Abdomen length 3.03.
Distribution. Vietnam: Lao Cai and Vinh Phuc Provinces.
Etymology. From Latin, montanus, referring to the habitat of this new species; an adjective.
Remarks. In general appearance, this new species most resembles and is thought to be closely related to Empicoris eburneus Ishikawa et Okajima, 2007, known from Bali and eastern Java, Indonesia; but it is separable from the latter (its characters given in parentheses) by the height of the posteromedial conical tubercle about one-tenth as long as the posterior pronotal lobe (about one-fifth); the scutellar spine produced posteriad and nearly straight (oblique and bent upward at the middle); the apicalmost blackish annulation of the metafemur about one-third as long as the distal whitish part (about 1.5 times); and the pygophoral posterior process weakly incised at the middle of the posterior margin in ventral view (triangular and obtuse at the apex).
Biology. Specimens of this new species were mostly collected from living leaf clusters of broad-leaved trees in mountainous areas of northern Vietnam at a height of 970–1,930 meters above sea level. No other biological information is available.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 47-57 in Zootaxa 3181 on pages 49-53, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.279977