Nysius spectabilis Distant

Malipatil, M. B., 2010, Review and Revision of Nysius Dallas of Australia and South West Pacific (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Orsillidae), Zootaxa 2410 (1), pp. 29-44 : 42-43

Nysius spectabilis Distant

( Fig. 6 , 17 – 19 )

Nysius spectabilis Distant, 1901: 465 .

Type specimens examined: Lectotype female, “ Lectotypus female,” “ spectabilis Dist. ” “Christmas I., C.W. Andrews 98-20,” “North Coast Dec 1897,” “ Nysius spectabilis W.L. Distant. ” Left antenna, 4 th segment of right antenna missing; dissected genitalia in glycerine in microvial attached to specimen; in NHM.

Description: Measurements are of the lectotype female.

Body length 4.5; maximum width 1.40.

Coloration: Head, pronotum, and scutellum black. Antennae, anterior margin, posterior half of lateral margins, and a large irregular discal spot to pronotum pale yellow. Apex of 4 th antennal segment fuscous. Corium and membrane greyish-white. Apex of clavus, two somewhat large spots on posterior margins of corium and a small spot at apical angle black. Body beneath generally black. Legs, central area of abdomen, anterior margin and lateral angles of prosternum, lateral margins of meso-and metasterna, posterior margin of metasternum, antennae except tip of 4 th segment, and coxal spots, pale yellow. Legs (particularly femora) without fuscous spots or patches, only last tarsal segment fuscous.

Structure: Body generally with fine pubescence (mostly rubbed off in type specimen) but not with coarse bristly setae. Head coarsely punctate above, indistinctly punctate below, length of head 0.87; width across eyes 1.12; interocular space 0.64; interocellar space 0.29; eye-ocellar space 0.11; eye length 0.39; eye width 0.25. Buccula gradually diminishing posteriorly, ending before base of head, covered with few indistinct punctures all over. Labrum about as long as 1 st labial segment. Labium slender, extending to hind coxae, 1 st segment as long as buccula, not reaching base of head, length of segments: I 0.57; II 0.50; III 0.52; IV 0.36. Antennae with 4 th segment about as long as 3 rd segment, 1 st segment exceeding tip of head by 1/3; length of segments: I 0.37; II 0.87; III 0.69; IV missing.

Thorax: Pronotum coarsely punctae with a central impression; median length 0.92; width at anterior margin 0.88; width at posterior margin 1.38. Scutellum coarsely punctate, without setae; length 0.69; width 0.85. Hemelytra exceeding abdomen, without pubescence or setae, without punctures except clavus which has very faint punctures not arranged in distinct rows. Length of hemelytra 3.20; length of corium 2.16; claval commissure 0.46.

Abdomen: Venter shiny and pubescent. Ventral trichobothria on sterna III roughly in triangle, on IV in linear pattern.

Female: Spermatheca ( Fig. 17 ). Ovipositor with first ramus ( Fig. 18 ); second gonapophysis ( Fig. 19 ).

Distribution. Christmas Island (Indian Ocean).

Diagnosis. N. spectabilis differs from other species in the study area in the following colour markings: Head, pronotum, and scutellum black. Antennae, anterior margin, posterior half of lateral margins, and a large irregular discal spot to pronotum pale yellow. Apex of fourth antennal segment fuscous. Corium and membrane greyish-white. Apex of clavus, two somewhat large spots on posterior margins of corium, and a small spot at apical angle, black. Legs pale yellow, particularly femora without fuscous spots.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Habitus of Nysius spp. (1–3) N. vinitor. (1) Wemen, Vic male; (2–3), female, (2) Irymple, Vic; (3) Sealake, Vic. (4–5) N. caledoniae, (4) holotype male; (5) Colo River, NSW female. (6) N. spectabilis lectotype female.

FIGURES 16–19. (16) Nysius pulchellus, spermatheca; (17–19) Nysius spectabilis. (17) spermatheca; (18), (19), first and second gonapophysis. Scale line = 0.30 mm for 18, 19; 0.06 mm for 16, 17.