Plinachtus refulgens, Brailovsky, Harry, 2007

Brailovsky, Harry, 2007, A revision of the tribe Gonocerini from Australia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae), Zootaxa 1530, pp. 1-18 : 13-15

Plinachtus refulgens n. sp.

( Figs. 2, 4, 10, 15 , 17 , 27)

Description. Holotype male. Head length 1.60; width across eyes 1.92; interocular space 0.94; interocellar space 0.44; preocular distance 0.82; antennal segment length I, 2.16, II, 3.16, III, 2.08, IV 2.84; pronotum length 2.36; width across humeral angles 4.12; scutellar length 1.76; width 1.82; maximum width of abdomen 4.08; total body length 13.30. Dorsal coloration.— Head shiny dark reddish, with lateral margin near eyes and ocellar tubercle shiny black; antennal segments I to III black, IV black, dark orange apically; pronotum dark brown to black with wide U-shaped inverted yellow mark; humeral spine pale brownish orange; scutellum dark brownish orange, apex dark brown; clavus and corium dark orange; hemelytral membrane dark yellow, basal angle dark brown; connexival segment II pale orange, III to VII pale orange with posterior third black; dorsal abdominal segments II to VI pale orange, VII dark brown. Ventral coloration.— Head shiny dark reddish, with lateral margin shiny black; rostral segment I pale yellow, II black with basal third pale yellow, III to IV entirely black; thorax shiny orange, acetabulae pale brown, following areas shiny black; large discoidal spot at metapleuron and near meta-acetabula, one elongate spot at upper margin of pro-, meso-, metapleura; legs shiny black to reddish brown; abdominal sterna shiny orange, with small pale brown spot at sternite IV; pleural margin shiny orange with posterior half or posterior third black; genital capsule shiny orange with two black elongate spots, lateral to middle line. Structure.— Head.— Pentagonal, elongate, surpassing the antenniferous tubercles; antenniferous tubercles unarmed; antennal segment I thicker than segments II and III, base slender, gradually incrassate apically, curved outward, longer than head, granulate; segments II and III slender, cylindrical, apically slightly broad, IV fusiform, slightly thicker than I; segments II>IV>I>III; rostrum reaching posterior border of metasternum( Figs. 2, 10,15). Thorax.— Pronotum.— Humeral angles thick at base, projection conspicuously large, narrow, acute, directed upward ( Fig. 4). Legs.— Unarmed; femora, tibiae finely granulate. Abdomen.— Connexivum with posterior angles unarmed. Genital capsule.— Posteroventral edge with prominent medial lobe, differentiated in two symmetrical secondary lobes directed laterally, with medial open concavity ( Fig. 17 ).

Female. Head length 1.84; width across eyes 2.20; interocular space 1.16; interocellar space 0.60; preocular distance 1.18; antennal segment length I, 2.52, II, 3.72, III, 2.36, IV 3.24; pronotum length 2.72; width across humeral angles 5.52; scutellar length 1.92; width 2.00; maximum width of abdomen 4.76; total body length 15.90. Coloration similar to male. Connexival segments VIII and IX orange with posterior half black; dorsal abdominal segments VIII and IX black; genital plates shiny orange with black elongate spot at gonocoxae I. Structure.— Abdominal sternite VII with plica and fissura; plica reduced, occupying anterior border of sternite; fissura overlapping, covering 2/3 or more of total length of sternite; gonocoxae I quadrate, enlarged anteroposteriorly, overlapping in caudal view; paratergite VIII triangular with spiracle visible; paratergite IX broad, squarish.

Variation. Colour markings vary considerably among the specimens examined. 1. Head, pronotum, scutellum, clavus, corium with greenish-blue reflections. 2. Head entirely pale reddish. 3. Antennal segments I to IV pale yellowish orange. 4. Antennal segment I shiny orange, II and III shiny orange with apical third black, and IV reddish orange. 5. Pronotum pale yellowish orange, with anterior margin, humeral section, and middle third of posterior margin pale brown to black. 6. Humeral spine of pronotum pale yellow. 7. Pro-, meso-, and metapleura shiny black and anterior and posterior borders shiny orange. 8. Legs pale yellowish orange or dark orange. 9. Scutellum pale yellowish orange, pale brown apically. 10. Clavus and corium shiny reddish. 11. Clavus pale yellowish orange. 12. Corium entirely pale yellowish orange, or with costal margin and exocorium pale brown. 13. Dorsal abdominal segments II to VI shiny orange and laterally black. 14. Paratergite IX black with posterior third shiny orange. 15. Female genital plates pale yellow.

Types. Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: Queensland, Townsville, 28-II-1968, P. Ferrar (ANIC). Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: 2 females Queensland, Booby Island, 10 º36’S 141º54’E, 3–4-III-1978, and 9–10- VII-1978 (without collector) (ANIC); 1 female, S Queensland, I-1967, E. Stutton (ANIC); 1 female, Queensland, Biggenden, 30-IV-1973, H. Frauca (ANIC); 1 female, Queensland, 27-V-1960, P. Aitken and N. Tindale (SAMA); 1 female, Queensland, Selwyn Mine, 160 km SE Mt. Isa, 10–23-VIII-1990, T. Woodger (AMUS).

Comments. Considerable variation in colour markings occurs even within a single population. This variation is found on either the dorsal or ventral surface. Plinachtus refulgens is easily distinguished from other species by its elongate head, its humeral angles being thick basally, and the humeral spine being remarkably large, narrow, acute, and directed upward ( Fig. 4), and by the shape of the posteroventral edge of the genital capsule ( Fig. 17 ).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the unusually bright and shining coloration of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 10 – 16. Head. 10 – 13. Dorsal view. 10. Plinachtus refulgens n. sp. 11. Cletomorpha mackayensis Distant. 12 – 13. Cletus spp. 12. Cletus saucius Stål. 13. Cletus similis Blöte. 14 – 16. Lateral view. 14. Cletus similis Blöte. 15. Plinachtus refulgens n. sp. 16. Cletomorpha mackayensis Distant.

FIGURE 17 – 22. Male genital capsule in caudal view. 17 – 18. Plinachtus spp. 17. Plinachtus refulgens n. sp. 18. Plinachtus melinus n. sp. Figure 19. Cletomorpha mackayensis Distant. 20 – 22. Cletus spp. 20. Cletus similis Blöte. 21. Cletus minutus Blöte. 22. Cletus saucius Stål.