Australocoris kurandae ( Kirkaldy, 1908 ) Malipatil, 2012

Malipatil, M. B., 2012, Australocorinae, a new subfamily of Geocoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea) from Australia, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species, Zootaxa 3554, pp. 75-88 : 79-81

Australocoris kurandae ( Kirkaldy, 1908) comb. nov.

( Figs. 1, 4, 8, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20)

Germalus kurandae Kirkaldy, 1908: 774–775 .

Scopiastes linearis Distant, 1918: 417–418 .

Germalus linearis Scudder, 1963: 316 (transferred to Germalus in Geocorinae ).

Germalus kurandae: Slater & O’Donnell, 1995: 70 .

Scopiastes linearis: Cassis & Gross, 2002: 202 (synonymised with Germalus kurandae Kirkaldy ).

Type specimens examined: Holotype male, “Cairns Q. [K in red ink in hand] Austr. 8.1904”, “Type of kurandae Kirk. ”, “ Germalus kurandae Kirk. ”, in BPBM.

It is not certain whether this is the holotype specimen because the specimen data in the original description is “Q.: Kuranda (Aug.; Perkins).

Syntype female, “N. Queensland Kuranda 1,100 ft ”, “ May 3 – June 20, 1913 ”, “ R. E.Turner 1913 – 438”, “ Scopiastes linearis Dist Type”, left 4 th antennal segment missing, in NHM. Synonymised by Cassis & Gross (2002) .

Other specimens examined: QUEENSLAND 4m, 1f, Cairns dist., F.P. Dodd, in SAM; 1m, 3f, Cairns dist., A.M. Lea, in SAM; 1f, Kuranda, Feb.1920, F.P. Dodd, in SAM; 1m, Tolga scrub, 18.ii.1984, I. D. Galloway, in QDPI; 1m, Atherton, 21.xi.1975, J.H. Barrett, Malaise trap, in QDPI; 1m, Bellenden Ker Range, cableway base stn, 100m, 17.x.–9.xi.1981, Pyrethrum knockdown, EARTHWATCH/QLD MUSEUM; 1m, 1f, same data except beating rainforest, all QM; 1f, Bellenden Ker Range, base stn, 17º 17' S 145º 54' E, 28.viii.–20.x. 1991, 100m, flight intercept trap, Monteith & Janetzki, in QM; 1m, 1f, Russel R. at Bellenden Ker landing, 5 m, 24.x–9.xi.1981, EARTHWATCH/ QLD MUSEUM, in QM; 1f, Palmerston Hwy 35 km W Innisfail, 2.ii.1975, at light, B. K. Cantrell, in QDPI; 1m, 1f, Danbulla State Forest, 23.2 km along Robson Creek track NW of Danbulla Forest Drive, 17º 06' 25" S 145º 32' 50"E, 26.iv.1998, G. Cassis (Q98-7), Casuarinaceae Allocasuarina torulosa (Aiton) , LAS Johnson (NSW42780) Host QLD 98-4, in AM.

Redescription. Coloration ( Fig. 1): Generally ochraceous; eyes reddish. Vertex with a short, thin dark longitudinal line apical of each ocellus, and two short median subcontiguous lines apically. Apex of labium blackish. Antennae with 3 rd, and apex of 2 nd segment, fuscous; 4 th segment lighter in basal half to two-thirds. Pronotum with a mid-longitudinal line, a very short sublateral line, and postero-lateral angles, fuscous; pronotum closely punctured with dark fuscous, except for the two immaculate ochraceous laevigate (calli) areas. Corium with three rows of dark punctures; extereolateral and apical margins narrowly black. Membrane hyaline, immaculate except for an irregular broad median longitudinal fuscous patch. Abdomen pale reddish-ochraceous. Prothoracic sterna, and all thoracic pleura, strongly fuscously punctured. Legs yellowish, femora with varying intensity dark spots and patches, apex of last tarsal segment and claws fuscous.

Measurements: holotype male Germalus kurandae , syntype female of Scopiastes linearis , followed by ranges of 8 non-type specimens within round brackets.

Body: Obovate, parallel-sided, length 5.10, 5.60 (5.06–5.42), maximum width about or slightly less than head width across eyes, 1.80, 1.80 (1.51–1.93).

Head ( Fig. 4): Eyes reniform, stalked, not wrapped around anterior margin of pronotum and not touching pronotum; interocular space about 0.7 or more times as wide as pronotal posterior margin. Head across eyes about equal to maximum body width. Clypeus rounded and exceeding jugae; head smooth, without punctures, particularly shiny between ocelli and eyes; bucculae (see Fig. 7, A. monticolus ). Length of head 0.70, 0.75 (0.70–0.84); width across eyes 1.67, 1.80 (1.65–1.93); interocular space about 3 or slightly more times interocellar space, 0.95, 0.98 (0.96–1.19); interocellar space 0.30, 0.34 (0.25–0.34); eye-ocellar space 0.30, 0.38 (0.32–0.37); eye length 0.49, 0.49 (0.46–0.50); eye width 0.34, 0.28 (0.25–0.32). Antennae relatively short and robust, 1 st segment shortest, exceeding apex of head by one-third, 2 nd clearly longest, 4 th slightly thicker than other segments particularly in distal half; length of segments: I 0.38, 0.34 (0.27– 0.41); II 0.77, 0.87 (0.73–0.94); III 0.49, 0.53 (0.46–0.57); IV 0.72, 0.79 (0.66–0.82). Labium ( Fig. 8) extending to about mid coxae, 1 st segment reaching base of head, 4 th shortest, other segments subequal in length; length of segments: I 0.60, 0.64 (0.57–0.69); II 0.57, 0.60 (0.48–0.62); III 0.57, 0.57 (0.48–0.59); IV 0.38, 0.45 (0.36–0.46). Labrum long, thin, needle-like, extending to about one-third of 2 nd labial segment.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Figs. 1, 4) rather trapezoidal, with lateral margins sinuate, gradually narrowed from posterior to anterior margin; median length 1.02, 1.15 (0.96–1.17); width at posterior margin 1.40, 1.50 (1.33–1.66). Thoracic pleura with large, dense fuscous punctation; coxal covers with smaller, paler punctation. Scutellum ( Figs. 1, 4) wider than long; length 0.65, 0.69 (0.59– 0.81); width 0.80, 0.79 (0.64–0.87). Hemelytra ( Fig. 1) hyaline, extending well beyond apex of abdomen. Corium with one almost complete row of punctures along inner margin, one almost complete sub-costal-marginal row, and one middle row, continuing onto apical margin. Clavus hyaline glass-like in distal two-thirds, with sparse punctures as follows: one almost complete outer row following claval suture, one inner row adjoining scutellum distinct near base and along claval commissure area. Length of hemelytra 3.54, 4.04 (3.31–3.91); length of corium 2.34, 2.57 (2.25–2.58); claval commissure 0.50, 0.50 (0.41–0.52). Hindwing with sclerotised 1A along almost entire length of anal fold; Pcu present; faintly sclerotised 2A present on basal two-thirds of anal lobe.

Abdomen: Male. Tergum VII indistinctly minutely punctuate, particularly in posterior half ( Fig. 12). Abdominal venter covered with fine long setae, more dense medially on posterior segments particularly III–VI, in addition to adpressed yellow pubescence. Internal apodeme on anterior margin of sternum VII broad, blunt, and extending up to half length of sternum VI. Pygophore foramen ( Fig. 19) in dorsal view with a minute invaginated process and a flap-like invaginated process on margin just above basal transverse foramen; dorsally and posteriorly covered with short bristly setae. Female. Abdominal terga slightly uniformly sclerotised not in any pattern. Sternum with only small irregular light fuscous spots on sublateral margins of sterna III–VI.

Male genitalia: Paramere blade broadly pointed, sickle-shaped ( Fig. 20). Aedeagus with phallotheca lightly sclerotised in a narrow band medially on dorsal aspect; vesical lobes indistinct in shape and number. Helicoid process with about 1.5 coils; ejaculatory duct inside vesica with 1–2 turns; gonoporal process beyond helicoid process thin, with 2–3 uniform coils; secondary gonopore slightly flaring.

Female genitalia: Spermatheca with bulb spherical, duct uniformly tubular, moderately long, with about 4 loose bends (Fig. 17). Ovipositor as in Figs. 14, 15.

Nymphs. Unknown.

Distribution. Only northern Queensland, from near Cairns to Bellenden Ker Range area, but mostly at lower altitudes.

Notes. The species exhibits considerable variation in colour markings and the intensity and pattern of punctation even within one population. The first antennal segment may be fuscous on the exterior side, and stramineous on the inner side. The second segment may be entirely fuscous, and the fourth segment is variable in colour from almost entirely fuscous to dirty white. The intensity and extent of fuscous markings on the pronotum are variable, the median line may be very faint to very distinct, the sublateral markings also may or may not be distinct, whereas in some, for example Dambulla State Forest specimens, these are very distinct and extend almost the entire length of the posterior lobe area.

In some specimens the abdominal sternum has small fuscous irregular spots or patches sublaterally on segments II–VI; these patches may be more extensive and extending to all abdominal segments. In the Dambulla State Forest female specimen, the terga are sclerotised only on segments IV–VI in the same pattern as in A. monticolus .