Valleriola bui Li, Jin & Ye 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Li, Zihe
name: Jin, Zezhong
name: Polhemus, Dan A.
name: Ye, Zhen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Leptopodidae
Valleriola
Valleriola bui

description: Valleriola bui Li, Jin & Ye, sp. nov.
(Figs. 4, 9, 22–24, 32, 43–45, 49, 50, 57–59, 63)
Meterial examined. Holotype: male, LAOS, Vientiane, Vang Veihg, Kaeng Yui Waterfall, 15 November 2018, Zhen Ye leg. (NKUM). Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females, LAOS, Vientiane, same data as holotype (NKUM); 3 males, 3 females, THAILAND, Nong Bua Lamphu, Na Klang, 13 August 2018, Zhen Ye leg. (NKUM).
Diagnosis. Body length: 4.75–4.90, ground color dark-brown with yellowish spots and stripes dorsally. Head mainly yellowish except the frons and the posterior area around compound eyes black. Abdominal segments black in male but yellowish-white in female.
Comparative notes. Valleriola bui sp. nov. appears to be closely related to V. javanica. However, V. bui sp. nov. can be distinguished by its remarkable coloration of head: most of the head of V. bui sp. nov. is yellowish except the black frons and the posterior area around compound eyes, whereas the head of V. javanica is mainly blackish and only the clypeus and post-ocellar spot are yellowish (Figs. 22–27). Moreover, V. bui sp. nov. has other characteristics different from V. javanica: the stripes and spots on the sub-basal area of the hemelytra are relatively ambiguous, without distinct margins as in V. javanica (Fig. 32, 33); the stripe on the clavus is isolated and not merged with the apical spots (Fig. 32); the paramere is mushroom-like and apically extended with a small process on the inner side, without hook-like structure (Figs. 57–59).
Description. Male. Color: ground color dark-brown (Figs. 4, 9). Head mainly yellowish, clypeus orange, venter of head yellowish, frons and posterior area around compound eyes black, area behind ocelli with an orange spot; bucculae yellowish; labiomere I completely hidden beneath bucculae, labiomere II yellowish-white, labiomere III yellowish-brown, labiomere IV brown to blackish-brown; compound eyes and ocelli silvery; antennomere I yellowish, antennomeres II–IV dark-brown (Figs. 4, 9, 22–24). Pronotum mainly dark-brown, collar and callus blackish, median part of collar with an orange spot, merged with the spot behind ocelli, posterior lobe of pronotum dark-brown, posterior margin yellowish, median part with a yellowish stripe, posterior angles of pronotum shinning black; scutellum blackish, with a yellowish apex (Figs. 4, 9). Hemelytra mainly brown, margins of clavus yellowishbrown, clavus with a yellowish stripe in middle and a spot on apex, lateral margin of hemelytra pale, spots and stripes on corium and membrane pale yellowish, middle part of corium with a spot on the inner side of R+M vein, r cell and membrane cell IV with pale yellowish spots (Fig. 32). Legs yellowish, fore femur with a wide, brown stripe on outer side; all tibiae and tarsi infuscated (Figs. 4, 43–45). Abdominal segments black, with white sutures (Fig. 49). Paramere yellowish, with a dark-brown apex (Figs. 57–59). Structural characteristics: body elongated, bearing sparse, short, pale setae (Figs. 4, 9). Head short and wide, dorsally bearing dense, short pubescence except two circular areas, venter of head with three spines beneath each compound eye; compound eyes distinctly large, without sparse, short, spine-like setae; bucculae clearly visible; labium short, labiomere I completely hidden beneath bucculae, labiomere II with two spines on each side; antennomere I short and stout, antennomeres II–IV extremely long and slender (Figs. 4, 9, 22–24). Pronotum sub-triangular, densely punctured except callus; callus relatively rough, distinctly swollen, with a deep impression on median line; posterior angles of pronotum glossy, without punctures; scutellum triangular, medially with a sub-circular depression, laterally serrated, with a distinct process on each side (Figs. 4, 9). Hemelytra elongated, clavus and sc cell of corium with dense punctures; membrane opaque, with four closed cells (Fig. 32). Legs long and slender, fore coxa strong, slightly elongated, with two long spines anteriorly directed; fore femur incrassate, ventrally with seven large spines (three spines on outer side and four on inner side) and two rows of dense, small, black spines (Figs. 43–45); fore tibia ventrally with a row of dense, brown spines. Middle and hind legs slender, distinctly elongated. Abdomen slender, tubular-like (Fig. 49). Paramere small, apically with a mushroom-like extension, covered by dense punctures and long, curved hairs, with a spine-like process on inner side (Figs. 57–59).
Female. Color and structural characteristics similar to male, but abdominal segments of female are yellowishwhite except abdominal segment VII mainly brown (Fig. 50). Genital segments of female hidden in abdominal segment VII, not visible in vitro.
Measurements. Male. Body length: 4.75–4.90 (holotype: 4.80), body width across hemelytra: 1.25–1.35. Head width: 1.25–1.30, head length: 0.65–0.68, head width about 1.92 times head length; antenna about 1.31 times as long as body, length of antennomeres I–IV: 0.38, 0.90, 1.90, 2.88. Pronotum width across collar: 0.49–0.51, pronotum width across posterior angles: 1.15–1.20, pronotum length: 0.98–1.00; scutellum width: 0.53–0.56, scutellum length: 0.54–0.55; length of femur, tibia and tarsus (tarsomeres I+II+III): fore leg: 1.85, 1.48 and 0.42 (0.06+0.23+0.13), middle leg: 1.88, 2.10 and 0.50 (0.09+0.25+0.16), hind leg: 2.30, 3.00 and 0.52 (0.10+0.23+0.19). Female. Body length: 4.90–5.00, body width across hemelytra: 1.30–1.35. Head width: 1.29–1.31, head length: 0.63–0.64, head width about 2.06 times head length; antenna about 1.18 times as long as body, length of antennomere I–IV: 0.38, 0.86, 1.85, 2.75. Pronotum width across collar: 0.50–0.54, pronotum width across posterior angles: 1.20–1.30; pronotum length: 0.98–1.05; scutellum width: 0.56–0.60, scutellum length: 0.55–0.56; length of femur, tibia and tarsus (tarsomeres I+II+III): fore leg: 1.85, 1.48 and 0.38 (0.09+0.16+0.13), middle leg: 1.98, 2.10 and 0.53 (0.09+0.24+0.20), hind leg: 1.01, 1.60 and 0.57 (0.09+0.25+0.23).
Etymology. This species is named in honor of Prof. Wenjun Bu for his outstanding contributions to the study of taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of Heteroptera, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Remarks. Valleriola bui sp. nov. is sexually dimorphic in appearance, with the male having a black abdomen whereas that of females is yellowish-white (Figs. 49, 50). The third author (DP) has seen additional undescribed species from Thailand and Vietnam, to be described in a forthcoming work, that also share this interesting sexual dimorphism in regard to abdominal pigmentation.
Distribution. Laos, Thailand (Fig. 61).
description: Published as part of Li, Zihe, Jin, Zezhong, Polhemus, Dan A. & Ye, Zhen, 2023, Two new species of Valleriola (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Leptopodidae) and taxonomic notes on the tribe Leptopodini Brullé, 1836 from East and Southeast Asia, pp. 329-344 in Zootaxa 5256 (4) on pages 342-343, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5256.4.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7755108