Fusius Stål, 1862

Liu, Yingqi, Li, Hu & Cai, Wanzhi, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the African assassin bug genus Fusius (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 910, pp. 25-55 : 27-28

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2023.910.2357
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9B55EE63-2895-43E7-8BA5-CF558D4F0501
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10291054
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E887A4-D910-FF89-FD10-FDDDFAD7F838
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Fusius Stål, 1862
status

Treatment

Genus Fusius Stål, 1862 View in CoL

Figs 1–16 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Fusius Stål, 1862: 458 View in CoL . Type species by monotypy: Pirates rubricosus Stål, 1855 .

Fusius View in CoL – Stål 1865: 115. — Jeannel 1919: 243. — Schouteden 1931: 145. — Villiers 1948: 236. — Miller 1957: 59. — Dispons 1969: 1. — Maldonado Capriles 1990: 358.

Fusius View in CoL – Stål 1874: 57, as subgenus of Pirates .

Diagnosis

Macropterous, body color bright with black, red or yellowish brown in large part. Head roughly conical in dorsal view with postocular part elliptical; eye small, transverse width of eye shorter than half width of interocular space; ocelli tiny and not elevated, separated from each other; neck without lateral tubercle. Pronotum somewhat trapezoidal with anterior lobe slightly narrower than posterior lobe, collar process reduced; ventral surface of fore femora with a row of small denticles; fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 of tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 1/3 of tibial length. First seven abdominal sternites strongly compressed; total length of eighth abdominal sternite of female combined with female genitalia about half length of abdomen in ventral view; male genitalia large, about 1/3 length of abdomen in ventral view. Parameres broad, left paramere subtrapezoidal, right paramere subtriangular; phallus with basal plate longer than basal plate bridge; lateral phallothecal sclerite moderately sclerotized with a process on lower right corner; struts fused and long, nearly reaching end of phallosoma; venter of phallosoma with two transverse slender sclerites at basal portion.

Redescription

Macropterous male and female ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 10–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ).

COLORATION. Black and red ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 12–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig ), or black and yellowish brown ( Figs 10–11 View Fig View Fig ) in large part; hemelytron with some yellowish white markings ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 10–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ).

STRUCTURE. Body robust, small sized; body surface densely covered with golden to yellowish brown setae, except dorsal surface of anterior lobe of pronotum generally glabrous; anteocular part of head covered with yellowish white, decumbent, short pubescence; corium of hemelytron densely covered with yellowish brown, decumbent, short setae; legs covered with golden to yellowish brown, suberect, long setae ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 10–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ).

HEAD. Roughly conical in dorsal view, anteocular part longer than postocular, postocular part elliptical; eye small, transverse width of eye shorter than half width of interocular space in dorsal view, reniform in lateral view, not reaching dorsal and ventral margins of head; ocelli tiny and not elevated, separated from each other; antenna with scape thickest and slightly curved, pedicel longest and slender, basiflagellomere and distiflagellomere gracile; first and second visible labial segments thick, second segment longest and slightly swollen, third segment tapered; neck without lateral tubercle ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 10–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ).

THORAX. Pronotum somewhat trapezoidal, collar process reduced; anterior lobe nearly twice as long as posterior lobe, slightly narrower than posterior lobe, flat with a median, longitudinal, thin sulcus on posterior portion, sculpture thin and shallow; pronotal transverse sulcus deep; dorsal surface of posterior lobe of pronotum coarse and shallowly punctate; humerus round, posterior margin of pronotum arcuate, but nearly straight in middle. Scutellum subtriangular, width greater than length, Y-shaped ridges thick with apex of scutellar process knob-shaped and horizontal, disc of scutellum with an oval depression. Stridulitrum long with total-striate type of sculpture. Surfaces of pleura and sterna finely wrinkled and granulose; metapleural sulcus arcuate, located close to supporting sclerite; meso- and metasterna with a median longitudinal ridge. Fore femur strongly thickened but compressed laterally, ventral surface of fore femora with a row of small denticles; fore and mid tibiae clavate, gradually thickened to apex, fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 of tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 1/3 of tibial length. Hemelytron extending beyond tip of abdomen ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 10–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ).

ABDOMEN. Ellipsoidal, only slightly wider than posterior lobe of pronotum, with connexivum not dilated; first seven abdominal sternites strongly compressed ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 10–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ); total length of eighth abdominal sternite of female combined with female genitalia about half length of abdomen in ventral view ( Figs 2B View Fig , 7B View Fig ); male genitalia large, about 1/3 length of abdomen in ventral view ( Figs 1B View Fig , 3B View Fig , 4B View Fig , 6B View Fig , 8B View Fig , 10B View Fig , 11B View Fig , 12B View Fig , 13B View Fig ).

MALE GENITALIA. Pygophore oval in ventral view ( Figs 5A View Fig , 9A View Fig , 15A View Fig ), median pygophore process long, more than half length of pygophore ( Figs 5C View Fig , 9C View Fig , 15C View Fig ), oblique to right side in caudal view, ventral surface with a longitudinal ridge ( Figs 5B View Fig , 9B View Fig , 15B View Fig ). Parameres broad, left paramere subtrapezoidal ( Figs 5D View Fig , 9D View Fig , 15D View Fig ), right paramere subtriangular ( Figs 5E View Fig , 9E View Fig , 15E View Fig ), left paramere longer than right paramere; phallus with basal plate longer than basal plate bridge ( Figs 5F View Fig , 9F View Fig , 15F View Fig ), pedicel slightly curved and shorter than basal plate ( Figs 5H, 5I View Fig , 9H. 9I View Fig , 15H, 15I View Fig ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite strongly sclerotized and bent inward ( Figs 5F, 5H, 5I View Fig , 9F, 9H. 9I View Fig , 15F, 15H, 15I View Fig ); lateral phallothecal sclerite moderately sclerotized with a process on lower right corner ( Figs 5I View Fig , 9I View Fig , 15I View Fig ); struts fused and long, nearly reaching apex of phallosoma ( Figs 5F View Fig , 9F View Fig , 15F View Fig ); venter of phallosoma with two transverse slender sclerites at basal portion ( Figs 5G, 5H View Fig , 9G, 9H View Fig , 15G, 15H View Fig ).

Diversity and distribution

Four species, occurring in the Afrotropical Region ( Fig. 16 View Fig ).

Key to species of Fusius Stål, 1862 View in CoL

1. Body color black and yellowish brown in large part ( Figs 10–11 View Fig View Fig ); apical part of clavus without yellowish white marking ( Figs 10A View Fig , 11A View Fig ) ............ F. hflavus stat. rev. et comb. nov. ( Reuter, 1881)

– Body color black and red in large part ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 12–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig ); apex of clavus yellowish white ( Figs 1A View Fig , 2A View Fig , 3A View Fig , 4A View Fig , 6A View Fig , 7A View Fig , 8A View Fig , 12A View Fig , 13A View Fig , 14 View Fig ) .......................................................................... 2

2. Anterior lobe of pronotum entirely black ( Figs 6A View Fig , 7A View Fig , 8A View Fig ); legs black, without yellow markings ( Figs 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig ) .................................................................................................... F. distinctus Miller, 1957

– Anterior lobe of pronotum black and red ( Figs 1A View Fig , 2A View Fig , 3A View Fig , 4A View Fig , 12A View Fig , 13A View Fig , 14 View Fig ); legs blackish brown to black, with yellow markings ( Figs 1–4 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 12–14 View Fig View Fig View Fig ) ........................................................................... 3

3. Red stripes on anterior lobe of pronotum thin and obscure or even only anterior margin of anterior lobe red ( Figs 1A View Fig , 2A View Fig , 3A View Fig , 4A View Fig ); fifth abdominal sternite of male with a small process on left side ( Figs 1B View Fig , 3B View Fig , in red circles); sub-apical margin of sixth abdominal sternite of male normal ( Figs 1B View Fig , 3B View Fig , 4B View Fig ) ............................................................................................................ F. dilutus Miller, 1957 View in CoL

– Red stripes on anterior lobe of pronotum distinct ( Figs 12A View Fig , 13A View Fig , 14 View Fig ); fifth abdominal sternite of male without small process ( Figs 12B View Fig , 13B View Fig ); sub-apical margin of sixth abdominal sternite of male strongly sclerotized and distinctly irregular ( Figs 12B View Fig , 13B View Fig ) .................... F. rubricosus ( Stål, 1855)