Physoderes mysorensis, Hwang & Weirauch, 2017

Hwang, Wei Song & Weirauch, Christiane, 2017, Uncovering hidden diversity: phylogeny and taxonomy of Physoderinae (Reduviidae, Heteroptera), with emphasis on Physoderes Westwood in the Oriental and Australasian regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 341, pp. 1-118 : 91-93

Physoderes mysorensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BF5118FD-0E1D-403B-AAAA-DE0D038FD2EE

Figs 8 , 13 , 15 , 18–19 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Physoderes by the scape reaching the apex of the clypeus, the small eye, the antero-lateral projection of the anterior pronotal lobe being acute and oriented anteriorly, the anterior pronotal lobe being wide, wider than the posterior lobe in males, only slightly narrower than the posterior lobe in females, the rounded parascutellar lobe, the dark brown scutellum, the scutellar process being straw-colored, subacute and short, and the hemelytron attaining the tip of the abdomen. This species is most similar to P. anamalaiensis sp. nov. and can be differentiated by the larger size (10.69–10.96 mm), by having an apodeme on mediosclerite 8, a broad transverse bridge of the pygophore, and the margin of the anterior opening of the pygophore rounded in lateral view and with a sclerotized, angular ductifer.

Etymology

The name mysorensis is a noun in apposition as a tribute to the type locality Mysore, Karnataka, India where three out of the six specimens examined here were collected.

Material examined

Holotype INDIA: ♂, Kerala, Trivandrum Co., Ponmudi Range , 8.78638° N, 77.30361° E, 914 m, no date provided, S. Nathan leg. ( UCR_ENT 00068943 ) ( AMNH).

Paratypes

INDIA: Kerala: 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype ( UCR _ENT 00068940) ( AMNH); 1 ♂, May 1971, S. Nathan leg. ( UCR _ENT 00068944) ( AMNH). – Karnataka: 1 ♂, Mysore Co., Agumbe Ghat, 14.49666° N, 75.0825° E, 610 m, May 1974, S. Nathan leg. ( UCR _ENT 00068945) ( AMNH); 2 ♀♀, same collection data as preceding ( UCR _ENT 00068946, UCR _ENT 00047705) ( AMNH).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Large, total length 10.82 mm, SD ± 0.14 (Appendix).

COLORATION ( Figs 15 , 18 ). Dark brown. Head dark brown. Scape, pedicel and basiflagellomere of antenna brown, distiflagellomere basally brown, apically straw-colored. First segment of labium basally brown, apically straw-colored, second segment straw-colored, third segment brown. Pronotum of thorax dark brown, parascutellar lobes lighter in color, scutellum dark brown, scutellar process straw-colored, pleuron dark brown with brown and straw-colored suffusion, sternum dark brown. Corium of hemelytron dark brown, membrane dark brown. Femur of legs straw-colored with medial and apical brown annulations, tibia brown with basal and apical straw-colored brown annulations, tarsus and claw straw-colored. Abdomen dorsally yellowish-orange, ventrally dark brown with suffusion of straw-color and brown, anterior half of connexivum dark brown, posterior half straw-colored, exposed part of pygophore brown.

VESTITURE. Sparsely setose. Head with widespread curved setae, ventral surface of postocular lobe with two rows of small, setigerous tubercles, with pair of long, straight setae on postocular lobe posterior to ocelli. Anterior lobe of thorax with irregular row of tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and short, setigerous tubercles dispersed on dorsal surface, posterior lobe with short, curved setae on humeral angle and sparsely distributed along dorsal surface. Corium of hemelytron with short, curved setae. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibia with regular rows of tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Connexival margin of abdomen with no prominent setae.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape reaching apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view, less than 1/5 length of head; height of anteocular lobe level with postocular lobe.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections acute; surface of anterior lobe with low ridges; median pronotal depression not contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina weakly defined; anterior pronotal lobe longer and wider than posterior lobe, higher than posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe rounded; scutellum rounded triangular, scutellar process short, apex subacute; mesosternite with median irregular tuberculated protrusion between fore and mid coxae.

HEMELYTRON. Attaining tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Same as genus description.

ABDOMEN. Connexival margin slightly undulating, posterior margin not elevated.

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 undulating, with medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore broad, margin of anterior opening rounded, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening smooth; cup-like sclerite apically rounded and rim ventrally sclerotized; arms of basal plate converging; ductifer with sclerotized angular ring; endosomal struts conical, with subacute apex, divided into two arms basally; shape of dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute with lateral broad, platelike prolongations, with short, rounded lateral plates.

Female

Similar to males except anterior pronotal lobe slightly narrower than posterior lobe and median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus.

Ecology

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Distribution

This species is known from two localities in Southwestern India: Agumbe Ghat, Mysore District, Karnataka and Ponmudi Range, Trivandrum District, Kerala.

Remarks

This species possesses the enlarged anterior pronotal lobe characteristic of Physoderes , along with the associated pronotal modifications, and is thus placed in this genus. The females possess an enlarged anterior pronotal lobe, although not as exaggerated as that of the males, which is quite unique. It is most likely to be closely related to the other Physoderes species native to India, P. anamalaiensis sp. nov. described above.

Figures

Fig. 8. Dorsal view of the male pygophore in species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov., Macrophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see keys on pages 37 and 66.

Fig. 13. Distribution map for species of Nanophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (in part).

Fig. 15. Dorsal habitus images for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). For an explanation of the colored arrows, see key on page 66. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 18. Ventral habitus images for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 19. Dorsal view of the phallus in species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial).