A review of the species of the reduviid genus Tiarodes ( Heteroptera : Reduviidae : Reduviinae ) from China

The species of the genus Tiarodes Burmeister from China are reviewed. Three species are recognized, described or rede­ scribed, illustrated and keyed. T. venenatus Cai et Sun and T. pictus Cai et Tomokuni are described as new species. The T. versicolor (Laporte) previously reported from China by Hua is in fact T. salvazai Miller.


INTRODUCTION
Species of the genus Tiarodes Burmeister are easily recognized by their bright shiny coloration and strange head structure.Some are found in decaying vegetable debris and under the loose bark of dead trees.Miller (1959) reviewed the genus.He described 45 species, which he divided into 4 species groups, i. e., nigrirostris, waterstradti, cruentus and versicolor groups.Eighty-two species are now known.
T. salvazai Miller and T. versicolor (Laporte) have pre viously been recorded from China (Hsiao, 1976;Hua, 1983).Unfortunately, Hua's T. versicolor is T. salvazai.The examination of material in Chinese and Japanese institutions, revealed another two species of this genus from Zhejiang, Fujian and Taiwan Provinces were found.
The following abbreviations are used for the institu tions where the type specimens are deposited: BMNH, The Natural History Museum, London; CAU, China Agricultural University, Beijing; KU, Kyushu University, Fukuoka; NIAES, National Institute of Agro Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba; NSMT, National Sci ence Museum, Tokyo; NWAFU, Northwestern Agricul tural & Forestry University, Yangling; RNH, Rijksmu seum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden; and TAU, Tokyo Agricultural University, Tokyo.All the measurements are in millimeters.
Distribution.Oriental Region (including New Guinea).Diagnosis.The colour pattern on the hemelytron is similar to that in T. bukit Miller and T. elongatus Miller, but in this species has a bluish black pronotum and heme lytron that is not maculate at base.

Key to Chinese species of the genus
Description.Colour.Bluish-black with metallic shiny.Eyes greyish brown; antennae, apices of tibiae and tarsi blackish brown to black; most of femora, third and fourth segments of connexivum (except base), third and fourth abdominal tergites and sternites, sometimes distal portion of the second sternite and middle portion of the fifth ster- Structure.Eyes somewhat large, protruding laterally; transverse constriction distinct; anteocular portion twice as long as postocular portion (Fig 6), above with many weak wrinkles; first rostral segment longest, subequal to the remaining segments in males and slightly shorter than remaining segments in females; first antennal segment shortest, not reaching tip of head; second antennal seg ment in male distinctly longer than in female, 2.8 times as long as third segment in male and just twice as long as third segment in female; mandibular plate well developed, slightly surpassing tip of anteclypeus.Collar processes rounded; anterior pronotal lobe relatively small, trans verse constriction deep, middle longitudinal depression nearly reaching posterior pronotal margin; lateral pronotal angle rounded, middle portion of posterior margin of pronotum convex.Basal portion of scutellum depressed.Hemelytron surpassing abdominal tip.Clasper clavate, bent, inner side of apex with angular process (Figs 11,12).Median pygophore process small, not extending beyond outer posterior margin of pygophore in dorsal view (Fig. 10).Basal plate of phallus thick and short; basal plate bridge slender and long, pedicel wide and short (Fig. 13).Phallosoma wide; dorsal phallotheca Etymology.From the Latin, venenatus (venomous).According to the collector of the holotype, the specimen bit his finger, which was very painful, caused the finger to swell, and turn a dark green colour for more than four hours.
Notes.This species belongs to Miller's versicolor group as its meso-and metasternum lack a median longitudinal carina and the mesosternum also lacks a median sulcus.
Redescription.Colour.Red, shiny.Two basal antennal segments, basal portion of fore and mid tibiae and most of hind tibiae blackish brown; distal antennal segments and tarsi brown to dark brown; top of head, apices of femora, scutellum, most of second to fifth segments of connex- ivum dark reddish brown to brownish black, tinged a shiny metallic blue; hemelytron black except for basal reddish portion; spots on second to fifth segments of connexivum, sixth and seventh abdominal segments yellow to reddish yellow.
Structure.Head nearly cylindrical in dorsal view, nar rower anteriorly in lateral view; eyes relatively small; mandibular plate well developed, projecting beyond tip of anteclypeus; first antennal segment slightly projecting beyond anterior end of mandibular plate; anteocular por tion nearly twice as long as postocular portion, with fine wrinkles dorsally; first segment of the rostrum longest, second segment reaches posterior part of head (Fig. 17).Collar process well developed, roundly produced; middle of pronotum with a deep longitudinal depression and a transverse constriction, lateral angles rounded, middle portion of posterior margin nearly straight; anterior por tion of prothoracic sternum with two processes.Scutellum short, basal portion depressed, apex rounded.Hemelytron reaches tip of abdomen in female and pro jecting beyond it in male.Abdomen dilated in female.Clasper clavate, apical portion distinctly bent and slightly dilated, inner side with a rounded process (Figs 21,22).Median pygophore process small, apex sharp, not extending beyond outer posterior margin of pygophore in ventral and dorsal view (Fig. 20).Basal plate of phallus strong, basal plate bridge long and slender, pedicel rela tively long and narrow (Fig. 23).Phallosoma ovate; struts well developed, apical portion slightly dilated; dorsal phallotheca sclerite strongly sclerotized (Fig. 24); vesica processes highly sclerotized, apices angularly produced (Fig. 25).
Distribution.China (Hainan), Vietnam, Laos.Diagnosis.The general body shape and colour pattern on the hemelytron is somewhat similar to that in T. assamensis Miller, but this species lacks blue shiny head, the apical portion of hemelytron has a large reddish brown mark and the connexivum is unicoloured.
Description.Colour.Red to brownish red, shiny.eyes, markings on postocular portion, collar, disk of posterior pronotal lobe, markings near lateral pro notal angles, apices of femora and bases of tibiae dark brown to brownish black; most of pronotum yellowish brown, tinged with red; scutellum and most of hemelytron black; base of corium and sometimes middle of costal margin dark yellow to brown; triangular (usually in female) or trapezoid (usually in male) marking on apex of corium orange to reddish brown; meso-and metathoracic pleura and sterna bluish black; tarsi pale yellow to dark yellow; dark markings (Figs 27-30) on venter purplish black; sometimes posterior pronotal lobe wholly bluish black in male.