Agonosoma LAPORTE 1832

Gerry Cassis & Loren Vanags, 2006, Jewel Bugs of Australia (Insecta, Heteroptera, Scutelleridae), Denisia 19, pp. 275-398 : 329-330

Agonosoma LAPORTE 1832 ( Figs 16 , 17 , 18 , Table 6 )

Eurygaster (Agonosoma) LAPORTE 1832: 62 Agonosoma : SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 67 (generic status; description); AMYOT & SERVILLE 1843: 44 (description); STÅL 1867: 494 (description); KIRKALDY 1909: 278 (catalogue); EGER 1987: 339 (diagnosis); PALEARI 1992: 505 (description; revision) Agonocoris BERGROTH 1891: 235 (unnecessary nom. nov.)

Type species: Agonosoma flavolineata LAPORTE 1832 , monotypy

Diagnosis: Agonosoma is recognised by the following combination of characters: body elongate-ovoid ( Figs 16a, b ), moderately convex dorsum; body mostly glabrous ( Figs 16a, b ); densely punctate with small punctures ( Figs 16a, b , 17a ); head large, jugal margins weakly sinuate ( Fig. 17a ), thickened and rounded in profile; bucculae lateral margin anteriorly compressed ( Fig. 17b ); eyes small, contiguous with pronotum, overlapping anterolateral angles of pronotum ( Fig. 17a ); anterior margin of proepisternum moderately explanate ( Fig. 17b ); pronotum trapezoidal, anterior margin weakly excavate, anterolateral margins elongate, strongly divergent, posterior margin truncate ( Figs 16a, b ); scutellum strongly declivent posteriorly, rounded distally; mesepimeron with evaporative areas ( Fig. 17c ); external efferent system well-developed, peritreme sickle-shaped, medially sulcate, anteriorly recurved, evaporative area extending beyond peritreme ( Figs 17c, d ); abdominal SV-VI with stridulatory vittae ( Figs 17e, f ); and, SVII enlarged in both males and females covering terminalia. ( Fig. 17d ).

Diversity and distribution: Agonosoma has four species, which are endemic to the tropics of the Neotropical zoogeographic region ( KIRKALDY 1909; PALEARI 1992).

Included species: A. dohrni SCHOUTEDEN 1903 Mexico A. bicolor WESTWOOD 183 Brazil A. flavolineatum LAPORTE 1832 Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela A. trilineatum ( FABRICIUS 1781) Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, Venezuela, West Indies, Australia (introduced)

Remarks: Agonosoma was described as a subgenus of Eurygaster by LAPORTE (1832). SCHOUTEDEN (1904) redescribed the genus and provided a comprehensive synonymy for the species. EGER (1987) in revising Tiridates STÅL , recognised a group of genera ( Agonosoma, Crathis STÅL , Diolcus MAYR, Lobothyreus MAYR, Symphylus DALLAS and Tiridates ) with enlarged abdominal SVII (in both sexes), concealing the genitalia. Further, EGER (1987) provided differential diagnoses for Agonosoma and Tiridates , placing most importance on the external efferent system of the metathoracic glands, and secondary diagnostic value to the body and head shape. PALEARI (1992) redescribed Agonosoma and the constituent species, but did not detail the genitalia.

Figures

Fig. 16: Habitus of introduced Pachycorinae species (a-b) Agonosoma trilineatum (a) ♂ (b) ♀. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 17: Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Agonosoma trilineatum (a) Head, dorsal view (b) Head, lateral view (c) External efferent system of metathoracic glands, ventral view (d) male pygophore, dorsal view (e) Stridulatory areas, pregenital abdominal SV- SVI (f) Substructure of stridulatory area. Abbreviations: Ea = evaporative area; Pe = peritreme; P(r) = right paramere; S = stridulatory area; SVII = seventh abdominal sternite, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 18: Male genitalia of Agonosoma trilineatum (a) pygophore, dorsal view (b) paramere, lateral view (c) aedeagus, lateral view (d) apex of aedeagus, ventral view. Abbreviations: C = crown of right paramere; DS(D) = ductus seminis distalis; DS(P) = ductus seminis proximalis; Er = ejaculatory reservoir; F = flange at base of crown of paramere; GO = genital opening; Pt = phallotheca; S = stem of paramere; Sg = secondary gonopore; V = vesica; VM = ventral margin of genital opening.