Scientists at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources have discovered two new species of predatory bugs based on gene sequencing technology and morphological analysis.
The two new species are: Sycanus thuathienhuensis Truong & Ha, found in the Thừa Thiên Huế, Quảng Nam, Gia Lai, and Đắk Lắk regions, and Sycanus taynguyenensis Truong & Ha, discovered in the Đắk Lắk area. This research was conducted as part of a project supported by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) and was recently published in the journal Zootaxa.
The scientists identified the new species based on specimens collected, utilizing comparative morphological analysis and phylogenetic relationship analysis through the COI gene sequence.
According to the research team, the Sycanus thuathienhuensis Truong & Ha species features a reddish body; dark brown clavicles; and male pygophores that are yellow-brown with a dark brown or black abdomen in the middle.
Species Sycanus thuathienhuensis Truong & Ha. (Photo: Research Team).
The Sycanus taynguyenensis Truong & Ha species has a larger body size, with a light orange-brown color; a long, almost black head with a yellow-brown fluid around the outside of the eyes; and dark brown bases with interspersed yellow-brown and dark brown scales.
Species Sycanus taynguyenensis Truong & Ha. (Photo: Research Team).
According to Vast, the discoveries made by the scientists at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources are highly significant for assessing Vietnam’s biodiversity potential, particularly the potential application of predatory bugs in pest control in agriculture and forestry.
The Sycanus genus, Amyot & Serville, 1843, includes 72 species distributed across Africa and Asia. Of these species, 8—Sycanus atrocoeruleus Signoret, 1862, S. bifidus (Fabricius, 1787), S. croceus Hsiao, 1979, S. falli Stål, 1863, S. minor Hsiao, 1979, S. rubricatus Stål, 1874, S. sichuanensis Hsiao, 1979, and S. ventralis Distant, 1919—have been described and recorded in Vietnam.
