Chilocoris pallidus, Lis, 2001

Chilocoris pallidus n. sp.

(Figs 1-4)

ETYMOLOGY Named after pale body colour.

DIAGNOSIS Ch. pallidus n. sp. belongs to the species-group of the subgenus Statanus DIST. , characterised by clearly bicolorous dorsal body surface (head, pronotum and scutellum distinctly darker than corium, the latter translucent or yellowish white). In general habitus the new species resembles Ch. campbelli J.A. LIS from India. Nevertheless, the former is smaller (body length 2.83 mm and 3.54 mm, respectively), and its dorsal surface is clearly paler than in Ch. campbelli ( Ch. pallidus - head, pronotum and scutellum pale brown, corium colourless and translucent, only basally somewhat milky white, almost all punctures colourless except for darker short row of punctures on clavus and one row of darker punctures on mesocorium; Ch. campbelli - head, pronotum and scutellum castaneous, corium yellowish white, all punctures brown, clavus and mesocorium both with two rows of dark punctures).

However, since only single males of both species are known to date, the shape of paramere seems at present to be the best character for distinguishing the new species from all other within this group of species.

DESCRIPTION B o d y. Dorsally bicolorous; head, pronotum and scutellum pale brown, corium almost colourless and translucent, basally somewhat milky white.

H e a d. Dorsally alutaceous, slightly polished, impunctate except for setigerous punctures; clypeus as long as paraclypei, basally narrow, medially broadened, tapering apically, clypeal apex with a pair of dark brown sharply ended pegs (Fig. 1); each paraclypeus with submarginal row of 8 setigerous punctures (5 pegs and 3 hair-like setae) (Fig. 1); eyes large, reddish brown, ocular index 2.13; ocelli reddish brown, ocellar index 3.4, interocellar distance about 14 times larger than a distance between ocellus and eye; antennae slightly paler than head, 2 nd segment minute; rostrum yellowish brown, reaching mid coxae.

P r o t h o r a x. Pronotum (Fig. 2) almost impunctate, bearing a few hardly visible punctures in its postero-lateral parts; pronotal disc divided into two distinct lobes by uninterrupted transverse impressed line, additionally accompanied by a few colourless punctures; lateral margins with 3 setigerous punctures bearing long hair-like setae. Propleuron yellow, polished; anterior and posterior convexities impunctate, median depression with single colourless punctures close to coxae.

M e s o t h o r a x. Scutellum (Fig. 2) with a few irregularly scattered punctures somewhat larger than those on pronotum; basal and lateral rows of punctures weakly developed, the lateral ones ending far from scutellar apex. Corium almost entirely colourless and translucent, only basally somewhat milky white, puncturation sparse and hardly visible; clavus with one short row of darker punctures; mesocorium with one row of darker punctures paralleling clavo-corial suture; costal margins dark brown, straight in basal two thirds, bearing no setigerous punctures; membrane colourless and translucent, large, surpassing the tip of abdomen. Mesopleuron with evaporatorium typical of the genus.

M e t a t h o r a x. Metapleuron with evaporatorium and peritreme typical of the genus.

L e g s. Whitish yellow, tibial spines dark brown; hind tibiae somewhat flattened.

A b d o m e n. Sterna yellowish brown, impunctate and polished, laterally with short light hair-like bristles. Ventral surface of male pygophore impunctate; paramere as in Fig. 4.

M e a s u r e m e n t s (in mm): body length 2.83; body width 1.54; head length 0.53; head width 0.69; pronotum length 0.82; pronotum width 1.50; scutellum length 0.74; scutellum width 0.90; antennal segments: 0.15: 0.05: 0.21: 0.24: 0.33.

TYPE MATERIAL Holotype male: Sulawesi, Gunung, Tangkoko, 10/X/85, ex. R. HOŁYÑSKI coll. (in the collection of the Department of Biosystematics, Division of Zoology, University of Opole, Poland) .

REMARKS Among the species of the subgenus known from Sulawesi so far, Ch. pallidus n. sp. is similar only to Ch. bosmansi J.A. LIS (both species have sharply bicolorous dorsal body surface, with entirely translucent or milky white corium); fortunately, they can easily be separated on the basis of puncturation of dorsal body surface (it is almost impunctate in Ch. pallidus n. sp., whereas it is clearly punctate in Ch. bosmansi J.A. LIS).