Physopelta trimaculata, Stehlík & Jindra, 2008

Stehlík, Jaroslav L. & Jindra, Zdeněk, 2008, New taxa of the Largidae and Pyrrhocoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the Oriental Region, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48 (2), pp. 611-648 : 629-630

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5341841
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5444385
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EB782C-FFB6-0F4E-FE28-E976D65105A4
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Physopelta trimaculata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Physopelta trimaculata View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 17 View Figs , 21 View Figs )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, INDIA: MAHARASTRA: Mahabalestwar env., 70 km SSW of Pune, 1400 m a.s.l., 30.ix.-2.x.2005, J. Bezděk lgt. ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: INDIA: MAHARASTRA: 4 km S of Lonavala, Bhushi dam env., 500 m a.s.l., 24.-28.ix.2005, 1 J 1 ♀, J. Bezděk lgt. ( NMPC) ; Mulshi env., 40 km W of Pune, 30.ix.-2.x.2005, 1 ♀, F. Kantner lgt. ( ZJPC) ; Wai env., 70 km S of Pune, 3.-8.x.2005, 1 ♀, F. Kantner lgt. ( ZJPC) ; Western Ghats Mts., Panchgani, Wai env., 3.-5.vi.2006, 2 ♀♀, O. Šafránek lgt. ( MMBC: coll. P. Baňař) .

Description. Colouration ( Fig. 21 View Figs ). Terracota red on head, labium, pronotum, scutellum (to varying extent), clavus, profemora (except of apices) and bases of meso- and metafemora, pronotal epipleuron, hypocostal lamina, dorsal and ventral laterotergites. Callar and pronotal lobe (except of margins) darkened but never black. Pronotal margins concolorous with remaining pronotal surface. Antennae black, only antennomere 4 basaly slightly paler. Apices of profemora, mid and hind legs (except bases), and all tibiae and tarsi black. Corium medially with two rounded black spots (larger median one situated between cubital vein and median cleft, smaller lateral one between median cleft and costal margin) and one round apical spot (occupying entire corial apex). Sternum black; ventrites blackish, ventrites IV-VI laterally with crescent-shaped velvety black spot.

Structure. Body large and wide. Head, antennae, and legs comparatively short. Antennomere 1 rather short and distinctly widened towards apex. Callar lobe in males strongly gibbous. Lateral pronotal margins very narrow; pronotal lobe flat, slightly elevated. Male profemora ventrally on both sides of longitudinal furrow with larger and smaller teeth, in basal half with 3-4 larger ones (not larger than remaining femoral teeth), additional larger teeth situated apically. Female profemora only with apical teeth. Meso- and metafemora of males with longitudinal furrow developed only in apical part; mesofemora with small denticles along its entire length, denticles on metafemora nearly obsolete. Female meso- and metafemora without longitudinal furrows and denticles. Male protibiae curved, with small denticles on ventral side along its entire length, apically with 1-3 larger teeth; female tibiae straight, without denticles.

Pygophore. Ventral two-thirds of genital capsule straight and not gibbous in lateral view, with horizontal furrow under ventral rim; ventral rim medially slightly elevated, inclined into genital chamber. Lateral rim strongly rounded, indistinctly verging into slightly concave lateral rim infolding. Dorsal rim lower than lateral one. Anal tube reaching about half-length of genital chamber and laterally touching rim infolding. Genital capsule with long pale hairs (making inner structures less distinct). Processus hamatus of paramere apically bent. Body of paramere robust. Processus sensualis at base of its upper margin concave, in apical part produced into blunt tip, dish-like excavated; dish-like depression with pale sensoric hairs, longest ones situated near apex. Basal part of paramere as robust as body, only slightly narrowing towards base ( Fig. 17 View Figs ).

Punctation. Pronotal lobe (except elevated lateral margins and posterior margin), scutellum, clavus and corium regularly punctate; corium laterally and posteriorly with punctation less distinct; costal margins impunctate.

Pilosity. Body covered with fine silvery pubescence; callar lobe with dense, very short setae.

Measurements (all in mm). Male (holotype first, paratype second). Body length 15.66/14.63; head: width (including eyes) 2.43/2.32, interocular width 1.35/1.35; lengths of antennomeres: 1 – 2.38/2.27, 2 – 2.43/2.27, 3 – 1.84/1.73, 4 – 2.48/2.27; pronotum: length 3.73/3.24, width 5.02/4.48; scutellum: length 2.21/1.84, width 2.81/2.32; corium: length 7.83/7.34, width 2.70/2.48.

Female (n = 5). Body length 13.79 (13.18-14.53); head: width (including eyes) 2.24 (2.11- 2.35), interocular width 1.34 (1.30-1.40); lengths of antennomeres: 1 – 1.91 (1.73-2.00), 2 – 2.11 (1.92-2.21), 3 – 1.62 (1.51-1.67), 4 – 2.20 (2.05-2.27); pronotum: length 2.76 (2.59- 2.94), width 4.39 (4.16-4.59); scutellum: length 2.16 (1.89-2.38), width 2.41 (2.32-2.54); corium: length 7.54 (7.02-7.94), width 2.54 (2.43-2.59).

Differential diagnosis. Physopelta trimaculata sp. nov. ( Fig. 21 View Figs ) differs from all other Physopelta species known from the Indian subcontinent with a dark round median spot on the corium (i.e., Ph. cincticollis ( Fig. 10 View Figs ), Ph. gutta gutta (Burmeister, 1834) , Ph. indra Kirkaldy & Edwards, 1902 , Ph. quadriguttata Bergroth, 1894 , and Ph. slanbuschii (Fabricius, 1787)) by having an additional small spot on the corium mesad of a much larger median spot, and entirely black antennomere 4 that is only slightly paler basally (all but one other species have the base of antennomere 4 more widely whitish). Only in Ph. slanbuschii is antennomere 4 entirely black, but at the same time the median corial spot is small, the pronotal lobe has two rectangular black spots, and the pronotum is lustrous and red.

Collecting notes. The type series was collected in the following habitats: margins of low primary forest in mountain area (Mahabalestwar env.), meadows with scattered groups of trees near a water reservoir (Bhushi dam env., Mulshi env.), a transition from small fields at a city margin into meadows with solitary trees (Wai env.) (J. Bezděk, pers. comm.).

Etymology. The species epithet is composed from the Latin numeral tres (= three) and the adjective maculatus (= spotted), referring to the three characteristic black spots on corium.

Distribution. Western India, Maharastra state.