Acanthaspis laoensis Distant 1919

(Figs 119–131, 215)

Acanthaspis laoensis Distant 1919: 243. Maldonado-Capriles 1990: 386.

Acanthaspis subinermis Hsiao 1976: 80; Hsiao & Ren 1981: 454; Ren 1987: 218; Maldonado-Capriles 1990: 388; Putshkov & Putshkov 1996: 187, new synonym.

Redescription. Colouration. Eyes brown; ocelli, spots laterad to ocellar area; irregular markings on pronotum and legs, apical spine of scutellum, posterior half of each connexival segment, irregular markings on wings, apical veins of membrane pale yellow to yellow, tarsi dark brown (Figs 119, 215).

Structure. Medium sized. Pronotum, scutellum, ventral side of head, femora and tibiae, basal portion of corium laterally clothed with long yellow setae; venter of abdomen with short and long setae. Head oblong, anteocular portion longer than postocular; longitudinal depression between eyes wider than in other species; mandibular plate between antennifers simple, as high as clypeus; maxillary plate rounded apically, little prominent; gena swollen basally, higher than maxillary plate; transverse constriction posteriad to eyes deep; postocular portion rounded; neck thin; first visible rostral segment slightly longer than second; first antennal segment shorter than head (Figs 119, 120). Collar processes not prominent, anterior margin concave. Anterior pronotal lobe with shallow sculptures; posterior lobe with strong transverse wrinkles; humeral angles round, slightly prominent; posterior margin nearly straight in middle. Scutellum triangular, wrinkled, apical spine short and thick. Hemelytron of male surpassing, of female not reaching abdominal apex. Paramere club-shaped, apical half swollen, subapical laterally with a big process (Figs 124–126); posterior margin of pygophore bilaterally convex, median process sheet-like (Figs 121–123); basal plate thick and long; basal plate bridge slender and short (Fig. 127); apical half of dorsal phallothecal sclerite sclerotized, surpassing apical portion of phallosoma; struts fused, reaching median portion of phallosoma; endosoma with two long and slender processes symmetrically, apical portion hooked (Figs 128–130). Female with visible eighth abdominal tergite semilunar, posterior margin straight; ninth and tenth terga fused, much longer than eighth tergite, obviously oblique downward, apical 1/3 wrinkled; first valvifer narrow and short, visible part of first valvula not surpassing styloid, apex blunt with dense setae; styloid visible from dorsal view, apex sharp.

Measurements [in mm, ♂ (n=3) / ♀ (n=4)]. Body length 14.2–15.1/15.4–16.0; maximum width abdomen 5.1–5.35/5.23–5.5; Head length 1.96–2.1/2.13–2.5; length of anteocular part 0.65–0.71/0.7–0.9; length of postocular part 0.76–0.82/0.69–0.73; length of synthlipsis 0.65–0.71/0.68–0.7; interocellar space 0.18–0.21/ 0.19–0.2; length of antennal segments I–IV= 1.57–1.61/1.3–1.45, 3.3–3.52/3.0–3.2, 3.97–4.1/3.7–3.93, 2.5–2.8/ 2.2–2.27; length of visible rostral segments I–III= 1.2–1.3/1.25–1.26, 1.0–1.1/1.1–1.23, 0.4–0.51/0.5; length of anterior lobe of pronotum 1.5–1.72/1.4–1.65; length of posterior lobe of pronotum 1.97–2.2/1.7–2.1; maximum width of thorax 4.3–4.53/4.5–4.61; length of scutellum 1.65–1.71/1.7–1.73; length of hemelytron 8.94–9.8/ 8.77–9.5.

Type material. Holotype, ♀, “Type, H.T.”[round, white with red circle, printed]; “ Laos, Luang Prabang; Sept. 1917; R. V. de Salvaza ” [rectangular, white, printed]; “1918-1”[rectangular, white, printed]; “BMNH_ENT, UCR_ENT 48487” [rectangular, white, printed]; “ Acanthaspis laoensis Dist ”[rectangular, handwritten] (BMNH).

Other specimens examined. 1 ♀, holotype, “ China, Yunnan, Cheli, Damenglong, 22.IV. 1957, 600 m, Liu Dahua ” [rectangular white]”; “same data in Russian ”; “ Acanthaspis fuscinervis Hsiao, holotype, det. Hsiao T. Y., 1965 [rectangular red]”; IOZ200826” (IOZ). 1♂, allotype, China, Yunnan, Cheli, Damenglong, 22.IV. 1957, 600 m, Liu Dahua”; “ Acanthaspis fuscinervis Hsiao, allotype, det. Hsiao T. Y., 1965”; “IOZ200827” (IOZ). Examined. 1♀, “ China, Yunnan ” (CAU). 1 ♂, “ Thailand, Na Haeo, 5.V.2001, Constant & Grootaert leg, light trap ” (ISNB). 1 ♂, “ Thailand, Na Haeo, 18–25.IX.2000, Malaise trap, P. Grootaert ” (ISNB).

Distribution in China. Yunnan (Cheli) (Fig. 131).

Distribution out China. Laos, Thailand.

Remarks. The colour pattern of this species is similar to those in A. inermis Stål from Philippines. It differs from A. inermis in body much larger and genital structure (vs. body size much smaller and endosoma lateral processes short and straight in A. inermis). After examination of the types of both A. laoensis Distant (at BMNH) and A. subinermis Hsiao (at IOZ), we found that they are conspecific.