Platychiria murrayi (Signoret, 1858)

Krüger, Andreas, 2019, Notes on Afrotropical Enicocephalidae and Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with emphasis on vehicle-mounted net samples from Liberia, West Africa, Zootaxa 4688 (2), pp. 232-248 : 241

Platychiria murrayi (Signoret, 1858)

( Fig. 4J )

Material examined: LIBERIA: Bong county, Bong mine tailings pond area at Dam 12, 6°46′15″N 10°18′33″W, 140 m, 8.–9.vi.1989, hand-collected, leg. Rolf Garms (1 ♂) ; Bong county, Weadea creek, Haindi , 6°52′N 10°21′W, 130 m, 1.vi.1989, leg. Rolf Garms (2 ♀♀) .

Distribution: Intertropical Africa, Guinea, Liberia.

Remark: Type specimen image under: http://www2.nrm.se/en/het_nrm/n/petalocheirus_nigropustulatus.html.

The specimen figured by Swanson (2017) appears to be aberrant, as it lacks the characteristic black macula in the discal cells of the hemelytra, perhaps due to color fading (as the general pale color suggests). However, its other features agree with P. murrayi , which is the most widespread species of the murrayi group and its only species with both sexes known to science (see also below).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Reduviidae. A, Nagusta sp. near carayoni; B, N. gracilis; C, Oncocephalus subspinosus; D, O. zumpti; E, Peirates maurus; F, Peirates sp., lateral view of pygophore, and parameres; G, Peprius nodulipes; H, Petalocheirus rubiginosus, protibia, head and thorax; I, Pisilus tipuliformis; J, Platychiria murrayi, protibia and dorsal habitus; K, P. ugandensis, protibia and dorsal habitus; L, Parapirates cachani, dorsal habitus, pygophore spine, right and left parameres in lateral views. Scale bars of habitus pictures: A–E, G, I–L, 5 mm.