Saldula bengali Cobben, 1986

Saldula bengali Cobben, 1986 View in CoL

( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 23 View FIGURES 20–24 , 31 View FIGURE 31 )

Saldula bengali Cobben, 1986: 225 View in CoL .

Chinese common name. Î加ȗãø.

Material examined. Holotype: female. INDIA: West Bengal: Kurseong, E. Himalayas, 4 July 1908, 5000 feet (BMNH). None-type specimens: CHINA: Xizang: 3 males, 3 females, Linzhi city, Motuo county, Gedang village, 17 August 2024, 29.4982°N, 95.4964°E, 1555 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 2 males, 1 female, Linzhi city, Motuo county, Motuo village, 17 August 2024, 29.4180°N, 95.4064°E, 802 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 1 male, Linzhi county, Motuo county, Beibeng village, 16 August 2024, 29.2108°N, 95.1533°E, 1630 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 2 males, 2 females, Linzhi city, Motuo county, Damu village, 18 August 2024, 29.6076°N, 95.4757°E, 1481 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 3 males, 3 females, Linzhi city, Motuo county, Damu village, 19 August 2024, 29.5320°N, 85.4145°E, 1569 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 1 male, 3 females, Linzhi city, Motuo county, Renqingbeng Temple, 20 August 2024, 29.3501°N, 95.3567°E, 1936 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 2 males, 2 females, Rikaze city, Yadong county, Linhaiyinhe Waterfall, 7 August 2024, 27.2683°N, 89. 0138°E, 1939 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 3 males, 2 females, Rikaze city, Yadong county, Baxia Waterfall, 7 August 2024, 27.3568°N, 88.9766E, 2483 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 3 males, 3 females, Rikaze city, Yadong county, Xiayadong village, 7 August 2024, 27.2948°N, 89.0098°E, 2021 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM); 3 males, 3 females, Rikaze city, Nielamu county, Zhangmu town, 10 August 2024, 27.9885°N, 85.9818°E, 2208 m, Zihe Li leg. (NKUM).

Diagnosis. Body relatively small, dorsum with dense, suberect setae ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ). Head short and wide, antennomere II yellowish-brown, antennomeres III–IV dark-brown; mouthpart sclerites including outer margin of gular lobe yellowish, labiomeres III+IV yellowish; preocellar spots nearly circular, relatively small, base of second tritrobothirum with a pair of yellowish spots. Pronotum short and wide, lateral margin nearly straight, with pale markings on lateral margin ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ); lateral margin of hemelytra pale-yellowish, corium with white and yellowish spots, clavus with a yellowish spot on basal part and a yellowish spot on apical part ( Fig. 3b–d View FIGURE 3 ); legs almost concolorous, mainly yellowish, femora with pale brown spots and stripes, tibiae with infuscate apex, tarsomere III of each leg infuscate. Male paramere with sparse, long hairs on dorsal side, processus hamatus relatively slender, processus sensualis with a small tuft of short setae ( Fig. 3e–g View FIGURE 3 ); parandria blunt, inner half with weaker sclerotization ( Fig. 3h View FIGURE 3 ); median endosomal sclerite slender. Female subgenital plate nearly trapezoidal, apical half pale.

Comparative notes. Saldula bengali is similar to S. taiwanensis . It can be distinguished from S. taiwanensis by longer setae on the dorsal side of the head and yellowish markings on the lateral side of the pronotum.

Discussion. Upon examination of the specimens of S. bengali , we suggest that this species should not be placed in Saldula (s.str.) for lack of synapomorphic characters (i.e., eye spot on median cell of endocorium and laminar projection on the male median endosomal sclerite). The lack of a secondary hypocostal ridge and spermathecal flange also support that S. bengali does not belong to Saldula (s.str.) In addition, S. bengali seems to be consistent with the genus Rupisalda for hemelytral color pattern and lack of a secondary hypocostal ridge and spermathecal flange. However, S. bengali has a smaller body size than any other species of Rupisalda and lacks pale markings on the antennomeres, which are distinctly different than other species of Rupisalda from India and China (i.e., R. austrosinica , R. championi , R. edita and R. thailandana ). Therefore, the generic placement of S. bengali needs more investigation on related species in the Himalaya region and should temporarily remain in the genus Saldula .

Habitats. Saldula bengali can be found on the vertical surface of wet rocks, including artificial concrete walls. Moreover, this species can also occupy gravelly ground near streams or temporary ponds ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 20–24 ).

Distribution in China. This species is here recorded for the first time from China, Xizang

General distribution. Saldula bengali was originally described from West Bengal, India, with a wide distributional region along southern foothills of Himalayas ( Cobben, 1986).