Choerocoris DALLAS 1851

Gerry Cassis & Loren Vanags, 2006, Jewel Bugs of Australia (Insecta, Heteroptera, Scutelleridae), Denisia 19, pp. 275-398 : 355-357

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.12996779
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13715204
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0380878F-FFEF-FFCF-FDAB-FBB9C143F8AC
treatment provided by	Luisschmitz
scientific name	Choerocoris DALLAS 1851
status

Treatment

Choerocoris DALLAS 1851 ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, Table 7 View Table 7 )

CHoerocoris DALLAS 1851: 29 (gen. nov.); MAYR 1866: 22 (description); STÅL 1865: 33 (key); STÅL 1873: 13 (description); LETHIERRY & SEVERIN 1893: 21 (catalogue); SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 38 (description); KIRKALDY 1909: 291 (catalogue); GROSS 1975: 93 (description); MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: 558 (description); CASSIS & GROSS 2002: 592 (catalogue)

Type species: Cimex paganus FABRICIUS 1775 , subsequent designation: SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 28

Diagnosis: CHoerocoris is recognised by the following characters: elongate-ovoid ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f); bicoloured, orange or red with fuscous to dark blue markings, sometimes with green iridescence ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f); body punctate ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f); jugal margins of head carinate ( Fig. 31b View Fig ); metathoracic gland ostiole not hooded ( Fig. 31d View Fig ); peritreme narrow, elongate, arcuate, anteriorly-projected distally, medially sulcate ( Fig. 31d View Fig ); male pygophore caudally oriented ( Fig. 31e View Fig ); spermathecal reservoir large, oval; and, spermathecal bulb with proximal and distal flanges.

Description: Elongate-ovoid ( Figs 24 View Fig cf); strongly convex ( Figs 32b, d, f, h View Fig ); body moderately sized, males 8-14.7 mm, females 10-14.5 mm; dorsum densely punctate (Figs 24c-f), sometimes less so on pronotum ( Fig. 24d View Fig ); body glabrous ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f); appendages weakly setose; ground colour orange or red, with fuscous to blue-fuscous markings, often with iridescence ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f); forewing not surpassing tip of scutellum ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f). Head: moderately sized, suboval, transverse ( Fig. 31a View Fig ); lateral margins of postclypeus sul-cate; jugal margins sinuate, in profile cari-nate ( Fig. 31b View Fig ). Antennae: AI-AII(b), AIV cylindrical, AIII flattened; AII(a) shortest segment, a little shorter than AI, AIV longest segment. Labium: reaching between apices of metacoxae to abdominal sterna III; LII longest segment, little longer than LIII & LIV (latter two subequal). Pronotum: broad, trapezoidal, strongly convex (Figs 24c-f); anterior margin weakly excavate; an-terolateral margins rectilinear to weakly convex, strongly to moderately divergent ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f), carinate in profile ( Fig. 31b View Fig ); posterolateral margins rounded, carinate; posterior margin rectilinear. Scutellum: broadly U-shaped ( Figs 24 View Fig c-f), strongly convex; forewing visible at base; connexiva visible. Thoracic Pleura: anterior margin of proepisternum truncate to weakly explanate ( Fig. 31c View Fig ); mesepimeron with evaporative areas ( Fig. 31d View Fig ); external efferent system of metathoracic glands well-developed, covering most of metepisternum, raised ( Fig. 31d View Fig ); peritreme broad, sickle-shaped, anteriorly directed distally, medially carinate ( Fig. 31d View Fig ); evaporative areas barely surpassing peritreme distally, rugose ( Fig. 31d View Fig ). Pregenital Abdomen: posterior angles of SIV-VII or III-VII weakly to strongly nodulate ( Figs 32 View Fig a-h); males without sternal glands. Male Genitalia: pygophore moderately sized, lozenge-shaped, ventral margin rectilinear to weakly excavate ( Figs 31e, f View Fig , 32a, b View Fig , e-h, 35a, 36a); genital opening narrowly oval, dorsal in orientation, entire opening with setose patches; parameres with short to elongate stem, small to moderately hooked apex, sometimes with subdistal flange ( Figs 35b View Fig , 36b View Fig ); ductus seminis proximalis narrow, ( Figs 35c View Fig , 36c View Fig ); ejaculatory apparatus moderately developed, with convoluted ventral conducting canal, 4-5 convolutions ( Figs 35c View Fig , 36c View Fig ); ejaculatory reservoir subelliptoid, bag-like ( Figs 35c View Fig , 36c View Fig ); ductus seminis distalis and vesica greatly incrassate subapically, vesica sometimes with subapical, antler-like projections ( Figs 36c, d View Fig ). Female Terminalia: small, in terminal plane; paratergites VIII small and triangular; paratergites IX large, subelliptoid; gonocoxae large, subtriangular, undivided, weakly concave, medial margins weakly elevated. Spermatheca: short fecundation canal; reservoir oval, internally ribbed; proximal and distal flanges; bulb sclerotized, oval.

Diversity and distribution: CHoerocoris is an endemic Australian genus, which is composed of four species, including two new species, and are found commonly in continental Australia ( Fig. 34 View Fig ).

Included species: CH. grossi nov.sp. Australia CH. lattini nov.sp. Australia CH. paganus ( FABRICIUS 1775) Australia CH. variegatus ( DALLAS 1851) Australia

Remarks: CHoerocoris is a distinctive genus in the Scutellerinae , whose affinities are uncertain. The ejaculatory apparatus is typical of many scutellerines; with the ejaculatory apparatus possessing a convoluted ventral conducting canal and an enlarged ejaculatory reservoir. It shares some similarities with Cantao , in that the ductus seminis distalis is incrassate subapically. It is similar to many Australian scutellerines, with the first conjunctival appendages (CAI) absent. MCDONALD (1961) first proposed that the male aedaegus of Calliscyta and CHoerocoris were unlike, and MCDONALD & CASSIS (1984) latter synonymized the genera, adding that the female genitalia were also alike. On closer inspection, the aedeagus of Calliscyta stalii shows close resemblance to CHoerocoris paganus , in that the second conjunctival appendages are divided, with a conical lobal sclerite. However, this arrangement occurs in other scutellerines, and also the elvisurine SolenoticHus circuliferus . The two genera differ externally in that CHoero-coris has carinate jugal margins and a strongly arcuate (and medially sulcate) peritreme of the metathoracic glands.