Scutiphora pedicellata ( KIRBY 1826)

Gerry Cassis & Loren Vanags, 2006, Jewel Bugs of Australia (Insecta, Heteroptera, Scutelleridae), Denisia 19, pp. 275-398 : 379-380

Scutiphora pedicellata ( KIRBY 1826) ( Figs 1e , 21i , 28b , 42 , 43 , 44 ) Iridescent Jewel Bug

Scutellera pedicellata KIRBY 1826: 517 (n.sp.); ScutipHora rubromaculata GUÉRIN 1831 : pl. XI Fig. 7 (n.sp.); LAPORTE 1832: pl. 55 fig. 3 (habitus); GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE 1838: 165 (description); STÅL 1873: 10 (synonymy) PeltopHora cruenta BURMEISTER 1835: 393 (n.sp.); STÅL 1873: 10 (synonymy) PeltopHora rubromaculata : HERRICH-SCHAEFFER 1836: 100, pl. 10, fig. 326 (new combination); BURMEISTER 1835: 393 (list); GERMAR 1839: 110 (list) ScutipHora picta GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE 1838: 165 (n.sp.); CASSIS & GROSS 2002: 599 (catalogue) PeltopHora picta : AMYOT & SERVILLE 1843: 35 (new combination); DALLAS 1851: 19 (description) PeltopHora pedicellata : STÅL 1873: 13 (list); LETHIERRY & SEVERIN 1893: 21 (catalogue); FROGGATT 1897: 104 (description; biology); FROGGATT 1901: 1594 (description; cherry pest); VAN DUZEE 1905: 188 (list); FROGGATT 1907: 327 (description; cherry pest) ScutipHora pedicellata : SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 28 (new combination); KIRKALDY 1909: 291 (catalogue); TILLYARD 1926: 149 (diagnosis); MCKEOWN 1942: 86 (biology); MCDONALD 1961: 176-177, 185 figs 9-13 (male genitalia); MCDONALD 1963a: 30 (male genitalia); MCDONALD 1963b: 231-232, figs 6,7 (female genitalia); MCDONALD 1963c: 293, figs 11-16 (life cycle); KUMAR 1964: 60 (male genitalia); KUMAR 1965: 41 (male genitalia); HELY et al. 1982: 124, 145, 165 (biology; pest status); MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: 522, figs 49,50 (description); CASSIS & GROSS 2002: 593 (catalogue)

Diagnosis: ScutipHora pedicellata is recognised by the following combination of characters: iridescent green with orange and fuscous markings ( Figs 1e , 28b ); AII(a) arcuate; AII(b) very short; labium reaching abdominal SIII; pronotum with deep transverse furrow ( Figs 1e , 28b ); scutellum with pair of submedial calli ( Figs 1e , 28b ); mesosternum striate; abdominal venter mostly orange, with SII/III fuscous, and SIV-SVII with sublateral iridescent green band of markings ( Fig. 21i ); and, male ( Figs 43 ad) and female genitalia as in generic diagnosis.

Description: Large species, males 13-15 mm, 12-15 mm.

Colouration. Dorsum iridescent green with orange and fuscous markings ( Figs 1e , 28b ). Head: mostly iridescent green, with anteclypeus and ocular regions fuscous; antennae mostly fuscous, AI sometimes with green iridescent tinge, AII(a) greatly elon-gate, AII(b) short. Pronotum: anterior and anterolateral margins orange, callosite region mostly fuscous, medially orange, disc uniformly iridescent green. Scutellum: iridescent green with four to six elliptical fuscous spots. Legs: coxae, trochanters and proximal 2/3 of femora orange, remainder of femora and tibiae iridescent green, tarsi fuscous. Pregenital Abdomen: venter mostly orange, with submarginal iridescent green markings ( Fig. 21i ). Terminalia: uniformly orange.

Texture. Iridescent green regions of body densely punctate; orange regions mostly impunctate ( Figs 1e , 28b ).

Vestiture. Body mostly glabrous ( Figs 1e , 28b ). Antennae: AI & AII(a) glabrous, AII(b)-AIV setose. Legs: ventral surface of femora weakly spinose; ventral surface of tibiae densely setose, with short thick setae.

Structure. Antennae: AII(a) arcuate, strongly in male; AII(b) longest segment; AII(b) very short; AIV little longer than AIII. Labium: reaching abdominal SIII. Pronotum: anterolateral margins very weakly excavate; post-callosite region with deep transverse furrow. Scutellum: with pronounced, submedial calli on anterior margin. Male ( Figs 43 a-d) and female genitalia as in generic description.

Measurements. MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: Table 3 .

Material examined: New South Wales: 1♀, Deua River National Park, near Woolli Homestead , G Cassis, 9 October 1988 ( AM) ; 1♂, Collaroy, 28 December 1981, BJ Day ( AM) ; 1♀, Frenchs Forest, La Sorlie Road , December 1987, T Ralph ( AM) ; 1♀, Cowan Field Station , 25-v-1981, M McDonald ( AM) ; 2♀♀, Ingleburn, 8 September 1985, R Bejsak ( AM) ; 15♀♀, Avoca Beach, 15 November 1985, S Hunter & AL Johnson ( AM) ; 5♂♂, NSW: Pearl Beach, 1-i-1986, C Urquhart, ex ground ( AM) ; 2♂♂ 1♀, Woodford, Blue Mountains , 30 November 1985, M Dingley ( AM) ; 1♂ 5♀♀, Mt Kaputar, 6-xii-1979, DJ Scambler ( AM) ; 1♂ 2♀♀, Mt Kaputar, Bullawa Creek , 27 November 1984, G Hangay ( AM) ; 5♂♂ 28♀♀, Mt Kaputar, 1500 m, 29 November 1984, G Hangay ( AM) ; Whiskers, 7 km WNW Hoskinstown , 23.241S 149.23E, 18 February 1990, MS Upton, ex privet bush ( ANIC) ; MT Goonoo State Forest, southside, 9 November 1987, DK McAlpine & R de Keyzer ( AM) ; 1♀, Mann River, near Grafton , 30 December 1978, BJ Day ( AM) ; 1♀, Clarence, 21 January 1990, R de Keyzer & GA Clark, 21 January 1990, ex Lep-tospermum ; Australian Capital Territory: Canberra (Farrer), 35.22S 149.05E, DCF Rentz, 3-cii-1986 ( ANIC) ; Tasmania: Aspley Gorge , 23 February 1994, J & A Leask ( AM) .

Distribution: ScutipHora pedicellata is broadly distributed in New South Wales, extending as far north as southeast Queensland and as far south as Tasmania ( Fig. 44 ). This species was erroneously recorded from New Zealand ( CASSIS & GROSS 2002, also references therein).

Host plants and biology: ScutipHora pedi-cellata is known from five host plants ( Table 1 ). MCDONALD (1963c) described its biology and found it feeding primarily on Dodon-aea triquetra .

Remarks: This species is remarkably homogenous, with colour patterning and male genitalia exhibiting little intraspecific variation. It is easily distinguished by the iridescent green body with orange markings ( Figs 1e , 28b ) and the male genitalia.

Figures

Fig. 1: Examples of Australian Scutelleridae species and their host plant species (a) adult aggregation of Calliphara regalis (b) Cantao parentum on Mallotus philippensis (c) Choerocoris paganus on Dodonaea viscoca (d) Lampromicra senator on unidentified host plant (e) Scutiphora pedicellata on unidentified host plant (f) Tectocoris diophthalmus on Brachychiton acerifolius.

Fig. 21: Colouration of Abdominal Venter in Australian Scutellerinae (a) Calliphara dimidiata cruenta (b) Calliphara imperialis (c) Calliphara nobilis (d) Calliscyta stalii (e) Cantao parentum (f) Lampromicra aerea (g) Lampromicra regia (h) Lampromicra senator (i) Scutiphora pedicellata.

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. 42: Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Scutiphora pedicelllata (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. Ea = evaporative areas; GO = genital opening; Pe = peritreme; P(r) = right paramere. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 43: Male genitalia of Scutiphora pedicellata (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; DS(D) = ductus seminis dorsalis; DS(P) = ductus seminis proximalis; Er = ejaculatory reservoir; GO = genital opening; Pt = phallotheca; S = stem of paramere; Sg = secondary gonopore; SP = setose patch; V = vesica; VCC = ventral conducting canal of ejaculatory apparatus; VM = ventral margin of genital opening.

Fig. 44: Distribution of Scutiphora pedicellata.

Fig. 7: Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Coleotichus costatus (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; Pe(k) = proepisternal keel, ventral view; EES = external efferent system. Scale bars = 1 mm.