Brachysandalus longifemoratus Malipatil & Liu, 2024

Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2024, Revision of Australian Brachysandalus with the description of nine new species including one cavernicolous species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), and observations on male extragenital structure and leg teratology, Zootaxa 5490 (1), pp. 1-112 : 67-70

Brachysandalus longifemoratus Malipatil & Liu , sp. nov.

( Figs. 34 , 35 )

Type specimens. Holotype male, Australia, Western Australia, Buningonia Spring (Well), 31°26’S 123°33’E, W. Aust. 18–25.xi.1978, T.F. Houston et al. 225-10, Collected at night in light trap, WEST. AUST. MUSEUM DEPT. BIOL. SURVEY SITE BSR 2, ( WAM) . Paratype: 1 male (dissected), 29.48S 119.50E, Johnson Rocks Area , Western Australia, mulga area, 1.i.1979, A.M. & M.J. Douglas ( WAM) .

Diagnosis.

Only macropterous male known, body medium sized. Generally dark brown ( Fig. 34 ), hemelytron with a small circular oval yellowish white spot involving apical 1/3 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins PCu+1A and Cu, sometimes expanded to base of membrane ( Fig. 34A ). Anterior lobe of pronotum with integument finely granulate ( Fig. 34A ); fore femur very elongate and thin, about 4X as long as maximum width, armed below with irregular rows of bristly setae with minute tubercles at their bases, these separated by a faint median groove along length of fore femur, mid femur with a few indistinct tubercles below ( Fig. 34B&C ); fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 1/3 to 1/4 of tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa only about 1/4 its length ( Fig. 34B&C ); in male, abdominal sternite VII lacking extragenital process ( Fig. 34C ); male genitalia with median pygophore process straight, tapered with apex tiny knob-shaped, venter strongly ridged in caudal view ( Fig. 35B ), and spine-like, gradually narrowing to a point at apex while near base bent and constricted in lateral view ( Fig. 35C ); inner margin of lateral phallothecal sclerite smooth with lower half distinctly expanding backward ( Fig. 35I ).

Description.

Macropterous male ( Fig. 34 )

Colouration ( Fig. 34 ): Generally dark brown, head, pronotum and scutellum sub-shiny blackish brown. Hemelytron with a small circular oval yellowish white spot involving apical 1/3 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins PCu+1A and Cu, sometimes expanded to base of membrane, and an inconspicuous yellowish white, thin, curved stripe or line near base of costal margin on membrane. Legs and antennae brown with yellow tinge; joints of femur and tibia of all legs slightly lighter than remainder of legs.

Structure ( Figs. 34 , 35 ): Body medium sized, narrow elongate in shape, generally covered with fine short pubescence, with sparse longer bristles obvious on legs and antennae. Scutellum and pronotum sub-shiny.

Head: elongate fusiform, wholly covered with short whitish pilosity and sparse longer bristly setae, prominent on mandibular plates, dorsal aspect of head and between eyes, and on dorsal aspect of first labial segment.Anteocular region narrow elongate triangular, clypeus near its base slightly elevated and knobbed above mandibular plates. Interocular region with arcuate convex sulcus at posterior border of eyes. Postocular region almost rounded to neck. Neck with lateral tubercles obvious. Antennae with all segments cylindrical, with short whitish pilosity and sparse longer setae, scape thickest, pedicel thinner, then basi-and distiflagellum thinnest. Eye very large, globose, reniform, reaching dorsal and ventral margins in lateral view. Ocelli well developed, conspicuously raised on ocellar tubercle, separated from each other by about diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by slightly less than diameter of single ocellus. Labium with second and third visible segments sparsely covered with longish setae.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum with integument finely granulate, sulci indistinct, except shallow median longitudinal sulcus in basal half. Posterior pronotal lobe large, arcuately quadrate, integument finely rugulose, with short pilosity, humeri rounded, posterior margin almost smoothly rounded, posterior angles not developed. Scutellum triangular, disc slightly depressed and finely irregularly granulate, sides slightly carinate, integument pilose, apex of scutellar process roundly pointed and upwardly directed. Propleuron with integument finely granulate, smoothly pilose, set off from dorsal surface by a faint carina. Mesopleuron integument minutely finely granulate, finely densely pilose. Metapleuron with integument and distinctly minutely granulate similar to mesopleuron but granules not striate, metapleural sulcus distinctly bicarinate and curved, pilose with silvery dense hairs posteriorly. All sternites smooth and shiny, moderately pilose. Mesosternum slightly carinated in middle, metasternum with disc tumid, minutely granulate. Hemelytron well developed, well exceeding and fully covering abdomen, narrowly exposing connexiva of abdominal tergites IV–VI.

Legs: Fore leg with coxa with whitish pilosity; trochanter unarmed, sparsely hairy; femur very elongate and thin, about 4X as long as maximum width, incrassate near base and gradually narrowing distally, only moderately thicker than other femora, armed below with irregular rows of bristly setae with minute tubercles at their bases, these separated by a faint median groove along length of fore femur, in addition sparsely pilose laterally and above; tibia cylindrical, more or less straight but apex slightly reflexed, fossula spongiosa occupying about 1/3 to 1/4 of tibial length; tarsi cylindrical, denser pilosity ventrally. Mid leg with coxa globular; femur only slightly thickened and with a few indistinct tubercles below, tibia with short whitish pilosity for whole length, with fossula spongiosa only about 1/4 its length. Hind leg with femur cylindrical; tibia with brush of setae, denser at apex like on mid tibia.

Abdomen: Elongate, venter of abdomen with a median ridge running from posterior portion of second abdominal sternite to posterior portion of seventh abdominal sternite and curved slightly to right side of body ( Fig. 34C ); sternum shiny, smooth with sparse longer hairs in addition to pilosity; sternite VII without extragenital structure ( Fig. 34C ). Connexivum with golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum. Spiracles situated below connexival suture, about halfway between anterior and posterior margin of each segment. Each spiracle postero-ventrally with impressed spots not obviously visible.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 35 ): Median pygophore process straight, tapered with apex tiny knob-shaped, oblique to right side, venter strongly ridged in caudal view ( Fig. 35B ); spine-like, gradually narrowing to a point at apex while near base bent and constricted in lateral view ( Fig. 35C ). Parameres ( Fig. 35D&E ) broad falcate, apices somewhat truncate, left paramere ( Fig. 35D ) slightly longer than right paramere ( Fig. 35E ). Phallus ( Fig. 35F–I ) in resting condition with basal plate subequal to basal plate bridge ( Fig. 35F ), pedicel nearly straight and slightly longer than basal plate ( Fig. 35H&I ); length of struts longer than half length of phallosoma ( Fig. 35F ); apex of dorsal phallothecal sclerite rounded ( Fig. 35F ); lateral phallothecal sclerite subquadrangular, inner margin smooth with lower half distinctly expanding backward ( Fig. 35I ); pair of slender sclerites near base of venter of phallosoma weakly sclerotized ( Fig. 35G ).

Measurements: [of holotype male]. Body length 15.60; maximum width of abdomen 4.35; length of head 2.20; length of anteocular region 0.76; length of postocular region 0.41; width of head across eyes 1.82; width of interocular space 0.45; width of interocellar space 0.22; length of eye in dorsal view 0.87; width of eye in dorsal view 0.72; lengths of antennal segments I–IV 1.14 / 2.77 /? /?; length of visible labial segments I–III 0.83 / 1.21 / 0.48; length of pronotum 3.00; length of anterior pronotal lobe 1.67; length of posterior pronotal lobe 1.40; width of anterior pronotal lobe 2.09; width of posterior pronotal lobe 3.60; length of scutellum 1.71; maximum width of scutellum 1.97; length of hemelytron 10.92; length of fore tibia 2.66; length of fossula spongiosa on fore tibia 0.79.

Distribution. Australia (Western Australia).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective ‘ longifemoratus’, alluding to the long and slender fore femora.

Comparative notes. This species may be readily distinguished by its generally elongate and narrow body, and the unusually long and slender fore femur, and lacking a male extragenital process.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Brachysandalus longifemoratus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., holotype, macropterous male, habitus. A, dorsal view; B, lateral view; C, ventral view. Red arrow indicates median carina on abdomen. Scale bar = 3.00 mm.

FIGURE 35. Brachysandalus longifemoratus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., male genitalia. A–C, pygophore; D, left paramere; E, right paramere; F–I, phallus. A, G, ventral view; B, caudal view; C, H, I, lateral view; D, E, outer ventrolateral view; F, dorsal view. Abbreviations: bp, basal plate; bpb, basal plate bridge; dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite; lps, lateral phallothecal sclerite; mpp, median pygophore process; ped, pedicel; st, struts. Scale bar = 1.00 mm (for A–C); 0.80 mm (for D–I).