New and little-known species of Ploiaria (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) from southeastern Asia

Summary

Ploiaria hamulosa n. sp. is described and illustrated based on specimens from northern Laos. This new species is characterized by the relatively long anteocular region of the head, the presence of a long erect seta on the fore trochanters, the elongate pygophore, and the strongly curved and barb-bearing parameres. Based on the examination of the holotypes, Lhostella rondoni Dispons, 1965 and Ploiaria maldonadoi Baena, 1992 are considered as junior synonyms of Ploiaria mellea McAtee & Malloch, 1926. The genus Ploiaria Scopoli, 1786 is recorded from Laos for the first time.

Résumé

Espèces nouvelles ou peu connues du genre Ploiaria (Hemiptera : Reduviidae : Emesinae) d’Asie du Sud-Est. Ploiaria hamulosa n. sp. est décrite et illustrée à partir de spécimens du nord du Laos. Cette nouvelle espèce se caractérise par la région antéoculaire de la tête relativement longue, la présence d'une longue soie dressée sur les trochanters antérieurs, le pygophore allongé et les paramères fortement courbés et portant des soies fortes. Sur la base de l'examen des holotypes, Lhostella rondoni Dispons, 1965 et Ploiaria maldonadoi Baena, 1992 sont considérés comme des synonymes juniors de Ploiaria mellea McAtee & Malloch, 1926. Le genre Ploiaria Scopoli, 1786 est pour la première fois signalé du Laos.

Keywords:

• Heteroptera
• Leistarchini
• morphology
• new species
• new synonym
• Laos
• Oriental Realm

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Michael D. Webb, Valérie A. Lemaître (BMNH), Dominique Pluot-Sigwalt and Eric Guilbert (MNHN) for their kind help during our examination of specimens under their care, to Hemant Ghate (Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, India) for sharing the information and type pictures of P. mellea, and to Manuel Baena (Córdoba, Spain) for sharing literature.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 32120103006], the China Scholarship Council [grant number 202106350082] and the 2115 Talent Development Program of China Agricultural University.