Rhopalimiris Yasunaga & Yamada & Tsai 2023, n. gen.

Rhopalimiris n. gen.

Diagnosis: Distinguished from any other known mirine genera by the following features: Unique shape reminiscent of certain species of Rhopalidae (Fig. 1F) or Coreidae (Fig. 3A), distantly related families of true bugs; sexually dimorphic general coloration and abdominal connexiva (Figs. 3C–D, 12H); roughened, impunctate, matte dorsal surface with irregular, transverse wrinkles (Figs. 11B–C, 12E); extremely short antennal segment IV (Fig. 12D); and genitalic structures, such as tiny parameres (Fig. 6A–B) and thin-rimmed, elongate-ovoid sclerotized rings (Figs. 4G, 6G).

Description. Male: Body relatively elongate, parallel-sided, similar in general shape to rhopalid; basic coloration dark brown; dorsal surface weakly shining, matte, roughened, with sparsely distributed, short, simple setae. Head: Vertical, narrow, weakly porrect; eyes small, contiguous to pronotal collar; vertex wide, with shallow, faint median sulcus (Figs. 11A, 12C); frons somewhat inflated (Fig. 12B). Antenna: Segment I about as long as or longer than head width across eyes; segment II almost equal to I in thickness, slightly incrassate toward apex; segments III and IV filiform; segment IV extremely shortened, much shorter than interocular space. Labium: Relatively slender, short, not exceeding posterior margin of mesepisternum or apical part of mesocoxa (Figs. 11D, 12A). Thorax: Pronotum matte, impunctate, roughened, carinate laterally, more than twice as wide as head across eyes, with sparsely distributed, short, simple, reclining setae; calli small, ovoid; scutellum somewhat elevated, with transverse wrinkles; scent efferent system with narrow peritreme (Fig. 11E, 12G). Hemelytron: Matte, impunctate, partly roughened, with sparsely distributed, short, simple, reclining setae. Legs: Long; tibial spines short, sparsely distributed; tarsomere III longer than I or II; parempodia lamellate, short; pulvilli relatively large (Fig. 11H). Abdomen: Wider than forewings, with developed connexiva. Genitalia (Fig. 6A–C): Pygophore relatively small (Fig. 12A); parameres short, with sparsely distributed sensory setae (Fig. 6A–B); left paramere weakly curved; right paramere inflated apically, with short hypophysis; vesica with a broad, apically clawed lobal-sclerite laterally, in addition to a slender spicule and a spinulate, triangular sclerite around secondary gonopore (Fig. 6C).

Female: Similar to male, but general coloration pale reddish brown and body wider, with more developed, expanded connexiva on lateral margins of abdomen. Genitalia (Figs. 4G–H, 6D–G, 11I–L, 12J–O): Sclerotized ring thin-rimmed, elongate oval (Figs. 4G, 6G).

Etymology. Named for similarity of the congeners to a certain species of rhopalid bugs(Heteroptera: Rhopalidae), in combination with the mirine generic name Miris Fabricius; gender masculine.

Type species. Rhopalimiris gagai Yasunaga, Yamada & Tsai, new species.

Distribution. Currently known only from Taiwan.

Discussion. Because of its specialized morphology, the present new genus is easily distinguished from any other known mirine taxa. The unique feature, reminiscent of a certain member of the Rhopalidae or Coreoidea, may be posited as wasp-mimicry, e.g., Cyllecoris spp. of Orthotylinae (Yasunag, 1999) and Pachypeltis humerale (Walker, 1873) of Bryocorinae (Yasunaga et al., 2018d). Based on the surface structures and vestiture pattern, Rhopalimiris appears to have some relationship with Cheilocapsus Kirkaldy, 1902 or Pantilius Curtis, 1833. However, the latter genera are significantly different in the genitalic structures of both sexes (cf. Yasunaga, 1992; 2018). The definitive systematic position of Rhopalimiris will depend upon the acquisition of DNA sequence data as well as biological information in the future.

The second species (described based on two female specimens), Rhopalimiris amplissimus n. sp. herein regarded as a congener of R. gagai n. sp., is at first sight rather like members of Eocalocoris or Heteropantilius. On the basis of similarity in the surface structures including vestiture pattern, extremely short antennal segment IV, tarsal structure, widened abdomen and shape of the female genitalia, we provisionally place amplissimus in Rhopalimiris (see below description).