Coleotichus (Epicoleotichus) excellens Walker, 1867

Tsai, Jing-Fu & Rédei, Dávid, 2010, Taxonomical notes on Oriental and Pacific jewel bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae), Zootaxa 2572, pp. 25-47 : 27-30

Coleotichus (Epicoleotichus) excellens Walker, 1867 sensu lato

Figs. 9 –27

Coleotichus excellens Walker, 1867: 3 . Lectotype ( Cassis & Vanags 2006: 315) (Ψ): unknown locality; BMNH. Coleotichus handlirschi Schouteden, 1905: 332 . Syntypes (ɗ): Australia; NHMW! Synonymized by McDonald & Cassis 1984: 540, 542.

References. Lethierry & Severin 1893: 15 (catalogue); Distant 1899: 30, 31, 49 (diagnostic characters, records); Schouteden 1904a: 6 (catalogue, distribution); Schouteden 1905: 320 (in key), 328 (redescription, diagnostic characters, figures); Bergroth 1908: 139 ( handlirschi , catalogue); Kirkaldy 1909: 313 (catalogue, distribution); Taeuber 1930: 225, 233 (distribution); McDonald & Cassis 1984: 540 (redescription, hind wing, male and female genitalia, synonymy); Fischer 2001: plate 11 (spermatheca); Cassis & Gross 2002: 585 (catalogue, Australia); Cassis & Vanags 2006: 314 (diagnosis, redescription, photo, records, host plants, distribution, biology, synonymy).

Specimens examined. INDONESIA. Alor Island: Nusa Tenggara, 5 km NW of Kalabahi, 150 m, 1–8. III. 2006, leg. S. Jakl (1 ɗ [ Figs. 9–12 , 21–23], NHMW> HNHM). Tanimbar Islands: Yamdena Is., 21 km N of Saumlaki, Mams village, 27. XI–11. XII. 2005, leg. J. Horák, coll. P. Baňař (5 ΨΨ, MMBC); Yamdena Is., 20 km NE of Saumlaki, 1–30. I. 2007, leg. M. Obořil, coll. P. Baňař (1 Ψ, MMBC). — PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Morobe Province: Bulolo River, 4 km NE of Wau, 9. XII. 1988, leg. R. Hołyński (1 ɗ [ Figs. 13– 16 , 24–25], HNHM). — AUSTRALIA. Queensland: Conway Range National Park, 22. III. 1981 (No. 226), leg. Gy. Hangay & A. Vojnits (4 ΨΨ [ Figs. 34–35 ], HNHM). — FIJI. Viti Levu: Tholoisuva, 12 km NW of Suva, 11. X. 1985, leg. G.F. Bornemissza (10 ɗɗ [ Figs. 17–20 , 26–27], 9 ΨΨ, HNHM); Suva, 20–25. X. 1985, leg. G.F. Bornemissza (1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, HNHM); SW of Suva, 20–25. X. 1985, leg. G.F. Bornemissza (1 ɗ, HNHM). — NEW CALEDONIA. “Île d’Art” [= Art Island], 7–8. III. 1995, leg. M. Boulard (1 ɗ, MNHN); unspecified locality, coll. Germain, 1875 (1 ɗ, MNHN).

Discussion. Coleotichus excellens is a polytypic species or maybe rather a complex of several unrecognized, externally highly similar species. Specimens from Indonesia (Alor Island), Papua New Guinea, and Fiji were examined during the present study. Males differed strongly in their genitalia. The specimen from Papua New Guinea was apparently identical with the specimen figured by McDonald & Cassis (1984: 543, figs. 13–14) from Australia. Among the males examined by us, the shape of the 2+2 lateral conjunctival processes (CP-II) as well as the 1+1 ventrolateral conjunctival processes (CP-III) was remarkably distinct; these differences are very probably of species-level importance (see Table 1). On the other hand, no differences could be observed in the ectodermal female genitalia of females from Indonesia (Tanimbar Island), Australia, and Fiji. Because the lectotype and the two paralectotypes of C. excellens are all females of unknown localities, but females of this species complex are virtually identical morphologically, currently it is impossible to decide which of the above mentioned forms does the lectotype represent; therefore the identity of C. excellens is ambiguous. In the present study we only focus on the differences of C. borealis in contrast to the broadly understood C. excellens complex.

FIGURES 21–27. Phalli of Coleotichus excellens Walker, 1867 sensu lato specimens from three localities (21–23, Indonesia; 24–25, Papua New Guinea; 26–27, Fiji). 21, 24, 26, lateral view; 22, 25, 27, ventral view; arrow in Fig. 21 shows the aspect of Fig. 23. Lettering: CP-II1, CP-II2 and CP-II3: branches of lateral conjunctival process; CP-III: ventrolateral conjunctival process.

Indonesia: Alor Island Papua New Guinea Fiji

( Figs. 9–12 , 21–23) ( Figs. 13–16 , 24–25) ( Figs. 17–20 , 26–27)

1. infolding of lateral rim of pygophore infolding of lateral rim of pygophore steeply declivous gradually declivous

2. ventral rim of pygophore flattened ventral rim of pygophore rounded, convex

3. infolding of dorsal rim of pygophore with 1+1 tubercle-like, broadly infolding of dorsal rim of pygophore separated processes ( Figs. 9, 13 ) with 1+1 broad projections joined

medially ( Fig. 17 : if)

4. cuplike sclerite of pygophore with cuplike sclerite of pygophore with cuplike sclerite of pygophore with rod-like median process ( Fig. 9 : mp) subquadrate median process ( Fig. 13 : subtriangular median process (Fig.

mp) 17: mp)

5. CP-II symmetrical, with 2+2 CP-II symmetrical, with 2+2 CP-II asymmetrical, with 3+3 branches; basoventral region branches; basoventral region without branches (proximal branch

provided with tiny tooth-like granules; apices provided with long membranous); apices of apical granules; apices provided with short and curved sclerotizations branches provided with long and and stout sclerotizations sharp sclerotizations

6. CP-III narrowly separated, relatively CP-III broadly separated, robust, CP-III narrowly separated, relatively short and narrow, claw-like, sharply and abruptly bent ventrally at short and narrow, sharply and gradually curved ventrally (Fig. 21), ca. 90° (Fig. 24) abruptly bent ventrally (Fig. 26), sharply tapering towards apex sinuate apically

Coleotichus borealis was synonymized with C. excellens by Cassis & Vanags (2006). By examination and comparison of several specimens from Taiwan and other localities, it was concluded that the specimens from Taiwan are not conspecific with specimens of C. excellens sensu lato from Indonesia and the Australian Region. As a conclusion, C. borealis is recognized by us as a distinct species.

The two species are rather similar externally, but C. borealis is usually much lighter in colour, the punctures of the body lack or have only weak metallic lustre (in living specimens usually purple), and the abdominal venter is uniformly stramineous. On the contrary, specimens of C. excellens sensu lato from Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Fiji, the body is usually darker, and the abdominal venter is usually decorated with distinct transverse brown stripes. Specimens from Indonesia (Alor Island, Tanimbar Island) examined by us has uniformly light venter. Important diagnostic characters between C. borealis and C. excellens sensu lato are presented in Table 2.

Of C. borealis , we only could examine specimens from Taiwan. The records from the Philippines, Bismarck Archipelago, and Solomon Islands ( Black 1968) need confirmation. Coleotichus schultzei Taeuber, 1930 , described from the Philippines, was synonymized with C. excellens by Cassis & Vanags (2006: 314). The type of C. schultzei has not been examined by us; however, because Cassis & Vanags (2006) confused C. excellens and C. borealis , we treat the above synonymy as in need of confirmation, and we did not list schultzei under the synonyms of excellens .

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 20. Pygophores in dorsal view (9, 13, 17) and parameres in three different aspects (10 – 12, 14 – 16, 18 – 20) of specimens of Coleotichus excellens Walker, 1867 sensu lato from three localities (9 – 12, Indonesia, Alor Island; 13 – 16, Papua New Guinea; 17 – 20, Fiji). Scale in mm. Lettering: if: projection of infolding of dorsal rim or pygophore; mp: median process of cuplike sclerite.

FIGURES 28 – 35. Coleotichus borealis Distant, 1899 (Taiwan) (28 – 31) and C. excellens Walker, 1899 sensu lato (Australia: Queensland) (32 – 35): 28, 32, head, dorsal view; 29, 33, head, lateral view; 30, 34, gynatrial complex, dorsal view, tergite VIII fully removed; 31, 35, apical receptacle of spermatheca. Scales in mm. Lettering: fec: fecundation sclerite; mp: median pouch of vagina; pt 8: inner surface of paratergite VIII; rs: ring sclerite.