Solenotichus circuliferus (WALKER, 1867)

Gerry Cassis & Loren Vanags, 2006, Jewel Bugs of Australia (Insecta, Heteroptera, Scutelleridae), Denisia 19, pp. 275-398 : 319-320

Solenotichus circuliferus ( WALKER 1867) ( Figs 3b , 6 , 9 , 10 )

Sphaerocoris circuliferus WALKER 1867: 7 (n.sp.) Solenotichus brevipes MARTIN 1897: 264 (n.sp.); MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: 545, Figs 24-29 (synonymy; male and female genitalia) Damelia circuliferus : DISTANT 1899: 32 (new combination) Solenotichus circuliferus : SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 7 (new combination); BERGROTH 1908: 139 (de-scription); KIRKALDY 1909: 313 (catalogue); GROSS 1975: 86 (description); CASSIS & GROSS 2002: 586 (catalogue)

Diagnosis: Solenotichus circuliferus is recognised by the following combination of characters: body mostly orange-brown, with brown markings mediolaterally on scutellum ( Fig. 3b ); endocorium dark; AI-AIII subequal in length; LI and LIV subequal, LII longest segment; male and female genitalia as in generic description ( Figs 10 a-d).

Description: Body ovoid; moderately-sized species, males 9.3-10.7 mm, females 8.7-11.8 mm.

Colouration. Body yellow-brown to red-brown, often with lateral pair of arcuate darker markings at half length of scutellum, sometimes with yellow tinge anterior to dark markings; punctures often red; appendages concolorous with body, sometimes with tibiae more red; exocorium sometimes darker at base, endocorium mostly fuscous.

Texture. Body with dense distribution of shallow punctures.

Vestiture. Body almost glabrous; appendages sparsely setose.

Structure. Antennae: segments roughly subequal in length, AIII and AIV a little longer than previous segments. Labium: reaching apices of metacoxae, LII longest segment; and, male ( Figs 10 a-d) and female genitalia as in generic description.

Measurements: MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: Table 2 .

Type material examined: Lectotype, ♂, Australia, ‘58-124’, ‘B.M. Hem. Type No. 372’ ( BMNH ; here designated); Paralectotype, ♂, same data as lectotype (BMNH; here designated). WALKER (1867) described from two male specimens, presumably from the same locality (given as ‘Australia’ in original description and label data).

Other material examined: Queensland: 1♂, Bluff Range, via Biggenden , 1000 m, 16 August 1974, H Frauca ( ANIC) ; 1♂, Bluff Range, via Biggenden , 16 December 1971, H Frauca ( ANIC) ; 1♀, Coast Range, via Boompa , 18 April 1977, H Frauca ( ANIC) ; Southern Australia: 1♀, 51 km NW of Morgan, 33.835S, 140.800E, 150m, G Cassis, RT Schuh & G Gross, 1 November, 1995, Site L95-44, at light ( AM) ; Northern Territory: 2♂♂ 2♀♀, Alice Springs, 5 September 1992, R Patterson, at light ( ANIC).

Distribution: Solenotichus circuliferus is broadly distributed across Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory ( Fig. 6 ). It is known as far north as Rockhampton in Queensland and Alice Springs in central Australia.

Host plants and biology: This species is relatively rare in collections and its biology remains unknown. Based on specimen locality data, CASSIS & GROSS (2002) recorded it from the Desert Gum, Eucalyptus gongylo-carpa ( Myrtaceae ). There is no evidence whether this record is a food-preference, overwintering site or sitting record.

Remarks: GROSS (1975) and MCDONALD & CASSIS (1984) redescribed Soleno-tichus circuliferus , with the latter authors documenting the male and female genitalia. A female from Western Australia has not been included in this work. This specimen is significantly larger than all other specimens of S. circuliferus , but the other morphological attributes are consistent with the definition of the species.

Figures

Fig. 3: Habitus of Australian Elvisurinae species (a) Austrotichus rugosus, Oi (b) Solenotichus circuliferus, Oi (c) Coleotichus artensis, Oi (d) Coleotichus costatus, Oi (e) Coleotichus excellens, Oi. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 6: Distribution of Australian Elvisurinae species.

Fig. 9: Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Solenotichus circuliferus (a) Head, dorsal view (b) Head, lateral view (c) Head and thorax, ventral view (d) External efferent system of metathoracic glands, ventral view (e) male pygophore, ventral view (f) male pygophore, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Ea = evaporative area; Ms(k) = mesosternal keel; Pe = peritreme; P(r) = right paramere. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 10: Male genitalia of Solenotichus circuliferus (a) pygophore, dorsal view (b) paramere, lateral view (c) aedeagus, lateral view (d) aedeagus, ventral view. Abbreviations: C = crown of right paramere; CAII(L) = second conjunctival appendage, lateral branch; CAII(M) = second conjunctival appendage, medial branch; CAIII = third conjunctival appendage; DCC = dorsal conducting canal; DS(D) = ductus seminis dorsalis; DS(P) = ductus seminis proximalis; Er = ejaculatory reservoir; F = flange at base of crown of paramere; GO = genital opening; S = stem of paramere; Sg = secondary gonopore; V = vesica; VCC = ventral conducting canal of ejaculatory apparatus; VM = ventral margin of genital opening.

Fig. 24: Habitus of Australian Scutellerinae species (a) Calliscyta stalii, ♀ (b) Heissiphara minuta nov.sp., ♀ (c) Choerocoris lattini nov.sp., ♀ (d) Choerocoris paganus, ♂ (e) Choerocoris grossi nov.sp., ♂ (f) Choerocoris variegatus, ♂. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 25: Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Calliscyta stalii (a) Head, dorsal view (b) Head, lateral view (c) Head and thorax, ventral view (d) External efferent system of metathoracic glands, ventral view (e) male pygophore, ventral view (f) male pygophore, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Ea = evaporative area; Go = genital opening; P = pronotum; P(al) = anterolateral margin of pronotum; Pe = peritreme; Pe(k) = keel of anterior margin of proepisternum; P(r) = right paramere; Pr = proctiger; EES = external efferent system.

Fig. 26: Male genitalia of Calliscyta stalii (a) pygophore, dorsal view (b) paramere, lateral view (c) aedeagus, lateral view (d) apex of aedeagus, ventral view. Abbreviations: C = crown of paramere; CAI(V) = ventral branch of first conjunctival appendage; CAI(D) = dorsal branch of first conjunctival appendage; CAII(L) = lateral branch of second conjunctival appendage; CAII(M) = medial branch of second conjunctival appendage; CAIII = third conjunctival appendage; DCC = dorsal conducting canal; DS(D) = ductus seminis distalis; DS(P) = ductus seminis proximalis; Er = ejaculatory reservoir; GO = genital opening; Pt = phallotheca; S = stem of paramere; Sg = secondary gonopore; SP = setose patches of male genital opening; VCC = ventral conducting canal; V = vesica; VM = ventral margin of genital opening.

Fig. 27: Distribution of Scutellerinae species (a) Calliscyta stalii (b) Cantao parentum (c) Heissiphara minuta nov.sp.

Fig. 28: Habitus of Australian Scutellerinae (a) Cantao parentum, Oi (b) Scutiphora pedicellata, ♀ (c) Lampromicra aerea, Oi (d) Lampromicra regia, Oi (e) Lampromicra senator, Oi. Scale bars = 1mm.

Fig. 29: Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Cantao parentum (a) Head, dorsal view (b) Head, lateral view (c) Head and thorax, ventral view (d) External efferent system of metathoracic glands, ventral view (e) male pygophore, ventral view (f) male pygophore, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Ea = evaporative area; Go = genital opening; P = pronotum; P(al) = anterolateral margin of pronotum; Pe = peritreme; Pe(k) = keel of anterior margin of proepisternum; P(r) = right paramere; Pr = proctiger; EES = external efferent system. Scale bars = 1 mm.