Ectomocoris australicus ( Reuter, 1881 )

Malipatil, M. B., Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2023, Revision of Australian Ectomocoris with the description of nine new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Zootaxa 5263 (4), pp. 451-504 : 454-457

Ectomocoris australicus ( Reuter, 1881)

( Figs. 1–3 )

Eumerus (Eumerus) australicus Reuter, 1881: 316 .

Ectomocoris australicus: Lethierry & Severin (1896: 122) ; Maldonado (1990: 350).

Type specimen examined. Lectotype (present designation), macropterous female, Nov. Holl, Caming, Eumerus australicus Reut. n. sp. Typ., 3209, Typus , Zool. Mus. Berlin ( MFN).

Other specimens examined. [ all macropterous]. AUSTRALIA. QUEENSLAND . 1 female, Saibai Is., Torres Straits, N. Queensland. Aug. 1912. F.H. Taylor. 1912-461a. ( NHM) ; 3 females, Kowanyama, 7.i.1977, D. L. Hancock ( QM) ; 1 female, Wulguru, Townsville, at light, iii.1990, K. L. Dunn ( VAIC) ; 1 male, Split Rock, 14 km S of Laura, 23-26.vi.1975, G. B. Monteith ( QM) . NEW SOUTH WALES. 1? (abdomen missing), Manning River, Kundibakh, G. Dennes. B.M. 1927-170. ( NHM) . NORTHERN TERRITORY. 2 males, 2 females, 1? (abdomen missing), Alligator R., from P. Cahill Esq , 22.ix.14 ( MV) ; 2 males, 1 female, Oenpelli, 12.18, D.P. Cahill ( MV) ; 1 male, Darwin, 24.ii.1982, J. R. Hanley ( NTM) ; 1 male, 12.40S 132.22E, CSIRO HQ, Kapalga, MV Light, 19.vii.1979, G. B. Monteith & D. Cook ( QM) . WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 1 male, Monsmont Rock Shelter on bank of Ord River on Argyle Downs Stn, x.1971, M. & E. Archer ( WAM) ; 1 female, Wyndham, 10.vii.1990, R.P. McMillan ( WAM) . PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 1 male, H. 40 Papua Port Moresby x-xii. 1946 L. Jones, IMP. INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 10608, Pres. by Imp. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1947-29 ( NHM) .

Redescription.

Macropterous male and female ( Fig. 1 )

Colouration ( Fig. 1 ): Blackish brown to black, legs (except tarsi yellowish brown) and abdominal sternites dark brown; clavus with basal half black and apical half dark brown, hemelytra with two yellow patches: one subbasal elongate stripe adjoining claval suture; second a similar sized but rather irregularly shaped transverse spot on basal area of membrane, almost entire spot located within AIC, two cells on membrane blackish brown; also connexiva with about anterior one third to half of segments III–VII yellow (in dorsal aspect these yellow patches narrowed to appear like triangles towards inner margin of individual connexivum).

Structure ( Figs. 1–3 ): Head: Elongate fusiform, wholly covered with short whitish pilosity and sparse brown longer bristly setae prominent on mandibular plates and dorsum of head. Anteocular region elongate triangular, about 2.8 times as long as postocular region, postocular region almost rounded to neck and slightly protruding laterally, clypeus near its base slightly elevated above surface. Ventral surface of head tumid before eyes. Neck with lateral tubercles indistinct. Antennae with all segments cylindrical, with short pilosity and sparse longer setae, scape also with brown bristly scattered setae. Scape thickest, pedicel thinner and markedly longer than scape, both basi-and distiflagellum thinnest. Eyes moderately developed, not reaching ventral margin in lateral view. Ocelli small, slightly raised, separated from each other by slightly more than diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by less than diameter of single ocellus. Labium curved at base, second visible segment tumid narrowing distally, second and third sparsely covered with longish setae.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum about 2.5 times as long as posterior lobe, collar armed with rounded tubercles at lateral ends, integument of stripes on anterior lobe pilose and rough, sulci indistinct, except shallow middle long sulcus in basal half. Posterior pronotal lobe arcuately quadrate, integument finely rugulose, with short pilosity, humeri rounded, posterior margin almost smoothly rounded. Scutellum triangular, slightly wider than long, disc deeply depressed, sides carinate, integument pilose, apical process projected and short, pointed horizontal, apex covered with several bristles. Propleuron with integument very finely granulate, smoothly pilose, set off from dorsal surface by a carina. Mesopleuron integument also granulate, smoothly pilose. Metapleuron with integument with slightly more distinctly and uniformly granulate, pilose with silvery dense hairs posteriorly. All sternites moderately pilose. Pronotum densely pilose laterad of labial groove. Metasternum with disc more or less tumid. Macropterous, hemelytra surpassing tip of abdomen in males but not reaching tip of abdomen in females, exposing connexiva.

Legs: Coxa of fore leg with whitish pilosity; trochanter unarmed, sparsely hairy; femur armed below with rows of fine bristly setae, in addition sparsely pilose laterally and above; tibia cylindrical, more or less straight but apex slightly reflexed, fossula spongiosa occupying about 3/4 tibial length; tarsal segments with denser short pilosity ventrally. Mid leg with coxa globular, femur only slightly thickened, tibia with short whitish pilosity for whole length, with fossula spongiosa occupying slightly over half of tibial length. Hind leg with femur cylindrical, scarcely thickened, tibia with brush of setae, denser at apex.

Abdomen: Male with abdominal sternum medially indistinctly carinate ( Fig. 2A ), extragenital process on sternite VII present, shape and degree of development of process slightly variable between individuals, venter with bristly posteriorly directed setae in addition to golden pilosity ( Fig. 2A ). Connexivum with golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum, abdominal sterna and terga entire. Spiracles situated near connexival suture, about halfway between anterior and posterior margin of each segment. Each spiracle postero-ventrally with a small circular shiny impressed spot, also a smaller irregularly shaped impressed spot close to anterior margin of each sternite. Such impressed spots present on dorsal aspects of corresponding segments also but covered by hemelytra.

Female with abdominal sternum pilose as in male, intersegmental sutures strongly curved anteromedially, all visible sterna appearing narrower medially except VII very enlarged ( Fig. 1B ).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 ): Median pygophore process short, laterally spatulate and pointed at apex, base of spatulate blade with two ridged notches on its posterior surface ( Fig. 3A ). Parameres with small process on apex ( Fig. 3B&C ), left paramere paddle shaped ( Fig. 3B ), right paramere broad falcate ( Fig. 3C ). Phallus ( Fig. 3D–F ) in resting position with length of pedicel similar with length to basal plate ( Fig. 3D ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite broad, slightly curved ( Fig. 3E&F ); lateral phallothecal sclerite somewhat rectangle with a small process at basal portion of inner margin, apex rounded ( Fig. 3E ).

Measurements: [of holotype male when available, followed by those of one male and one female]. Body length 14.62, 13.01 (♁), 13.22 (♀); maximum width across abdomen 3.74, 3.12 (♁), 3.40 (♀); length of head 2.43, 2.21 (♁), 2.20 (♀); width of head 1.62, 1.37 (♁), 1.38 (♀); length of anteocular region 1.02 (♁), 1.02 (♀); length of postocular region 0.40 (♁), 0.31 (♀); width of eye in dorsal view 0.44 (♁), 0.40 (♀); width of interocular space 0.63, 0.50 (♁), 0.57 (♀); width of interocellar space 0.27, 0.20 (♁), 0.20 (♀); lengths of antennal segments I–IV 1.26, 1.15 (♁), 1.04 (♀) / 2.43, 2.26 (♁), 2.00 (♀) / 2.16, 2.03 (♁),? (♀) / 2.25,? (♁),? (♀); length of visible labial segments I–III 0.78 (♁), 0.70 (♀) / 1.37 (♁), 1.17 (♀) / 0.70 (♁), 0.61 (♀); length of pronotum 3.87, 3.10 (♁), 3.01 (♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe 2.22 (♁), 2.15 (♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe 0.88 (♁), 0.86 (♀); width of anterior pronotal lobe 2.50 (♁), 2.52 (♀); width of posterior pronotal lobe 3.87, 3.22 (♁), 3.19 (♀); length of scutellum 1.71, 1.40 (♁), 1.26 (♀); width of scutellum at base 2.25, 1.58 (♁), 1.36 (♀); length of hemelytra 9.69, 8.30 (♁), 7.99 (♀).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Western Australia, and also South Australia ( Cassis & Gross, 1995)) and Papua New Guinea.

Notes. The species occurs only as macropterous form.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ectomocoris australicus (Reuter, 1881), lectotype, female, habitus. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view. Abbreviations: 1A, first analis; AEC, apical external cell; AIC, apical internal cell; Cu, cubitus; M, media; Pcu, postcubitus; R, radius; Sc, subcosta. Scale bar = 2.00 mm.

FIGURE 2. Ectomocoris australicus (Reuter, 1881), male abdomen. A, abdomen in ventral view; B, posterior sternites; C, close-up of extragenital process. Orange arrow indicates median carina on abdomen; blue arrow indicates extragenital process.

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia of Ectomocoris australicus (Reuter, 1881). A, pygophore; B, left paramere; C, right paramere; D–F, phallus. A, E, F, lateral view; B, C, outer ventrolateral view; D, ventral view. Abbreviations: bp, basal plate; bpb, basal plate bridge; dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite; kb, knob on median pygophore process; lps, lateral phallothecal sclerite; mpp, median pygophore process; ped, pedicel.