Paralygocoris, Yasunaga, 2024

Paralygocoris , new genus

Type species. Paralygocoris balicus , new species.

Diagnosis. This new genus is externally similar to Lygocoris Reuter, 1875 and Neolygus Knight, 1917 , as evidenced by previous placements of two known species ( Lygocoris vittulatus and Neolygus meridionalis which are herein transferred to Paralygocoris , new genus). However, Paralygocoris , new genus, is distinct in having the following diagnostic characters: Body pale brown or ivory brown, with darkened clypeus, antennomere I, posterior pronotum, anterior-mesal scutellum, inner part of clavus and apical part of corium; tibiae with dark brown spines; hypophysis of right paramere reduced, small; vesica bilobate, with a single, elongate, apically curved spicule, lacking other noticeable sclerite; female genital chamber, along with sclerotised rings, narrow; posterior wall without lateral lobe; dorsal structure basally fused with interramal lobes; and interramal lobe spinulate only along posterior margin.

Description. Body, elongate oval, moderate in size, subparallel-sided; not sexually dimorphic in general shape (usually female is more oval); basic colouration pale or ivory brown, with similar dark pattern as in Fig. 12H, J, K, M, O View Fig ; dorsal surface shining, with uniformly distributed, pale, simple, reclining setae. Head: Shining, vertical in lateral view, almost glabrous; eyes large, contiguous to anterior margin of pronotal collar; vertex narrow, shallowly sulcate mesally, without noticeable basal transverse carina. Antenna: Widely darkened, slightly shorter than body, almost linear; antennomere I always dark, about as long as IV; antennomere II sometimes with pale base, longer than basal width of pronotum or labium; antennomeres III and IV filiform. Labium: Relatively short, reaching but not exceeding apex of mesocoxa, obviously shorter than metafemur. Thorax: Pronotum shiny, always darkened posteriorly (except for pale posterior margin), with rather sparsely distributed, short, semi-erect setae, lacking noticeable punctures; calli reduced, weakly demarcated; collar shagreened, narrow, flat, about as thick as antennomere III; propleuron not margined nor carinate; metathoracic scent efferent system subtriangular, with relatively flat peritreme; scutellum smooth, more or less darkened mesad, impunctate, flat. Hemelytron: Moderately shining, with similar dark pattern on clavus and corium, shallowly and irregularly rugose, with uniformly distributed, pale, simple, reclining setae; lateral margin of exocorium (embolium) slightly rounded. Legs: Moderate in length; metafemur apically with two brown or reddish brown rings; tibial spines dark brown to fuscous; meta-tarsomere II longer than III; pretarsal structures as in Figs. 31K View Fig , 33F View Fig . Male genitalia: Left paramere L-shaped, similar to that of Neolygus (e.g., Fig. 16A, B View Fig ); hypophysis of right paramere reduced, small; vesica bilobate, with a single, elongate, apically curved spicule and long spinulate lobe, lacking other noticeable lobal-sclerite; phallotheca rather expanded, with a subapical, thin, semi-circular fin-like process. Female genitalia: Genital chamber, along with sclerotised rings, narrow ( Fig. 16F View Fig ); posterior wall without lateral lobe; dorsal structure basally fused with interramal lobes; interramal lobe spinulate only along posterior margin.

Etymology. Named for the superficial resemblance to a mirine genus Lygocoris Reuter , with a Greek prefix, ‘ para- ’ (similar, apart from, etc.); gender masculine.

Discussion. This unique genus is established for three thermophilic members inhabiting the Oriental Region and Wallacea, and is distinct from superficially similar genera ( Lygocoris Reuter and Neolygus Knight ) by the diagnostic characters mentioned above. As mentioned in some related works (e.g., Yasunaga et al., 2012; Yasunaga, 2023, 2024), a large number of known species as well as undescribed ones (liable to be placed in such genera) occurring in the Oriental Region and Wallacea may be representatives of Miyamotolygus , Prolygus , and other (new) genera. In tropical Asia, ‘genuine’ members of Lygocoris and Neolygus are apparently restricted to cool montane zones.

Although many of the above-mentioned taxa have the similar-shaped left parameres, each group is distinct in the pattern of vesical sclerites and female genitalic structures, which is currently considered homoplasy. Further continuing endeavour is required to clarify relevant taxa as much as possible in order to elucidate their plausible phylogenetic relationships.