Austrokatanga monteithi, Weirauch, Christiane, Rabitsch, Wolfgang & Redei, David, 2009

Weirauch, Christiane, Rabitsch, Wolfgang & Redei, David, 2009, Austrokatanga, gen. nov., new genus of Ectrichodiinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 2094, pp. 1-15 : 7-12

Austrokatanga monteithi , new species

( Figs 1 –8)

Etymology: Named for the collector of most of the known specimens, Geoff Monteith.

Material: HOLOTYPE: Male: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: White Rock road, 27.7 ° S 152.85 ° E, 100 m, 29 Jan 2005 – 30 Jan 2005, G. B. Monteith, 13 (00217702) (QM). Deposited in the Queensland Museum, Australia. PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Little White Rock, 27.68333 ° S 152.85 ° E, 70 m, 29 Jan 2005 – 30 Jan 2005, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217703) (QM). Mt Pollux, SW base, site 1, 22.47367 ° S 147.8697 ° E, 400 m, 12 Jan 2006 – 05 Mar 2006, C.J. Burwell, 63 (00217723-00217728), 4Ƥ (00217729-00217732) (QM, AMNH). West Burleigh, 2.5 km WSW, 28.11666 ° S 153.41666 ° E, 40 m, 28 Jan 2006 – 01 Feb 2006, D. Cook, 23 (00217710, 00217711), 11Ƥ (00217712-00217722) (QM); 23 (217886, 217887), 2Ƥ (217888, 217889) ( NHMW). White Rock road, 27.7 ° S 152.85 ° E, 100 m, 29 Jan 2005 – 30 Jan 2005, G. B. Monteith, 2Ƥ (00217704, 00217706) (QM). White Rock, 2nd road jcn., 27.7 ° S 152.85 ° E, 90 m, 29 Jan 2005 – 30 Jan 2005, G. Monteith, 13 (00217701), 4Ƥ (00217705, 00217707-00217709) (QM, HNHM). OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 13 mi NW of Byrock, 30.53894 ° S 146.3076 ° E, 25 Feb 1960, R. Mackay, 13 (00090644) (AM). Howes Valley, 32.84425 ° S 150.8357 ° E, 23 Feb 1971, D. A. Doolan, 13 (00090643) (AM). Wallambine Creek, 18 mi N of Wiseman's Ferry, 33.1652 ° S 151.0346 ° E, 29 Nov 1967, Britton and Misko, 1Ƥ (AM). 13 (00216415), 13 (00216414), 1Ƥ (00216416) ( ANIC). Northern Territory: Barkly Roadhouse, 49 km N by rd, 19.35 ° S 136.03333 ° E, 17 Apr 2004 – 20 Apr 2004, Monteith & Cook, 23 (00217806, 00217807), 2Ƥ (00217808, 00217809) (QM). Borroloola t'off, 18 km N by rd., 15.96666 ° S 136.3 ° E, 18 Apr 2004 – 19 Apr 2004, Monteith & Cook, 13 (00217805) (QM). Near Elsey Creek on Stuart Highway, 15.23361 ° S 133.10194 ° E, 300 m, 0 3 Nov 2000, G. Hangay & I. Rozner, 4Ƥ (00213929-00213932), 23, 8Ƥ ( HNHM). Queensland: Marsupial Ck, via Croydon, 18.20513 ° S 142.24936 ° E, Mar 1996 – Mar 1997, J & P Hasenpusch, 3Ƥ (00217790-00217792) (QM). Hurdle Gully, 14.8 km WSW., 24.91666 ° S 150.98333 ° E, 460 m, 19 Dec 1997 – 21 Dec 1997, G. B. Monteith, 2Ƥ (00217794, 00217795) (QM). Split Yard Creek, 27.38333 ° S 152.63333 ° E, 150 m, 27 Dec 1998 – 13 Jan 1999, Monteith, Thompson, Cook, 2Ƥ (00217802, 00217803) (QM). Taroom District, 9 km N Ooline Scrub roadside. BS15., 25.58333 ° S 149.76666 ° E, 10 Nov 1996 – Jan 1997, P. Lawless, 23 (00217784, 00217785) (QM). Taroom, 5 km N, on Hwy, 25.61666 ° S 149.78333 ° E, 200 m, 17 Dec 1997 – 04 Apr 1998, G. B. Monteith, 13 (00217786) (QM). Taroom, 6 km N on Hwy, 25.6 ° S 149.76666 ° E, 200 m, 21 Sep 1997 – 17 Dec 1997, G. Monteith, 23 (00217780, 00217781), 2Ƥ (00217782, 00217783) (QM). 13–15km N of Quinalow, 26.99291 ° S 151.65652 ° E, 29 Nov 1982, J. Doyen, 53 (00216419-00216422, 00216424), 1Ƥ (00216423) ( ANIC). Auburn River NP, 25.71666 ° S 151.05 ° E, 200 m, 24 Dec 2005 – 26 Dec 2005, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217793) (QM). Ban Ban Range, via Coalstoun Lakes, 25.63467 ° S 151.96634 ° E, 0 7 Jan 1974, H. Frauca, 1Ƥ (00216425) ( ANIC). Brisbane, Moore Park, 27.49916 ° S 152.96523 ° E, Dec 1964, R. Kumar, 13 (00216417), 1Ƥ (00216418) ( ANIC). Clermont, 11 km ENE, 22.81 ° S 147.75 ° E, 260 m, 0 9 Jan 2006 – 04 Mar 2006, C.J. Burwell, 1Ƥ (00217774) ( ANIC). 23 (00217770, 00217771), 3Ƥ (00217772-00217773, 00217775) (QM). Clermont, 6.5km NNW, 22.76867 ° S 146.6237 ° E, 260 m, 13 Jan 2006 – 05 Mar 2006, C.J. Burwell, 13 (00217758), 10Ƥ (00217759-00217767, 00217769) (QM); 0 6 Mar 2006 – 07 Mar 2006, G. B. Monteith, 2Ƥ (00217757, 00217768) (QM). Corry HS, 2 km SW, Retro-Corry Rd., 22.75 ° S 147.98833 ° E, 350 m, 12 Jan 2006 – 09 Mar 2006, Burwell, 13 (00217812), 1Ƥ (00217813) (QM). Dalby, Hwy 30 km SW., 27.31666 ° S 150.99833 ° E, 340 m, 0 8 Dec 2005 – 12 Dec 2005, G. M o n t e i t h, 1 3 (00217796), 1Ƥ (00217797) (QM). Freshwater National Pk, 27.18333 ° S 152.98333 ° E, 13 Mar 2004 – 14 Mar 2004, G. B. Monteith, 4Ƥ (00217738-00217741) (QM). Gubberamunda SF, site 1, 26.26666 ° S 148.75 ° E, 380 m, 12 Dec 2001 – 14 Dec 2001, Monteith & Wright, 1Ƥ (00217817) (QM). Gubbermunda SF, site 1, 26.26666 ° S 148.75 ° E, 380 m, 13 Dec 2001 – 15 Dec 2001, G. Monteith, 13 (00217818), 8Ƥ (00217819-00217826) (QM). Little White Rock, 27.68333 ° S 152.85 ° E, 70 m, 29 Jan 2005 – 30 Jan 2005, G. Monteith, 2Ƥ (00217800, 00217801) (QM). Lords Table, SE base, site 2, 22.67167 ° S 148.0187 ° E, 460 m, 13 Jan 2006 – 04 Mar 2006, Burwell, 13 (00217776), 3Ƥ (00217777-00217779) (QM). McAfee's Lookout, 27.43333 ° S 152.88333 ° E, 300 m, 28 Jan 2006 – 29 Jan 2006, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217788) (QM). Mt Basset, 5 km ENE., 26.43333 ° S 149 ° E, 370 m, 12 Dec 2001 – 13 Dec 2001, G. B. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217799), 1Ƥ (00217798) (QM). Mt Lowe, 2km S, 22.92267 ° S 148.1453 ° E, 280 m, 11 Jan 2006 – 10 Mar 2006, C.J. Burwell, 23 (00217814, 00217815) (QM). Mt Lowe, 8 km W, 22.91833 ° S 148.07333 ° E, 300 m, 13 Jan 2006 – 10 Mar 2006, C.J. Burwell, 1Ƥ (00217816) (QM). Mt Pollux, SW base, site 1, 22.47367 ° S 147.8697 ° E, 400 m, 0 5 Mar 2006 – 06 Mar 2006, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217734) (QM). Mt. Castor, 0.5 km W., 22.46833 ° S 147.87166 ° E, 380 m, 12 Jan 2006 – 06 Mar 2006, C. J. Burwell and G. B. Monteith, 2Ƥ (00217810, 00217811) (QM). Mt. Pollux, SW base, site 2, 22.47833 ° S 147.87 ° E, 380 m, 12 Jan 2006 – 13 Jan 2006, C.J. Burwell, 1Ƥ (00217733) (QM). Southwood NP, camp., 27.83666 ° S 150.11166 ° E, 255 m, 0 8 Dec 2005 – 11 Dec 2005, Monteith & Wright, 13 (00217744) (QM); 0 8 Dec 2005 – 09 Dec 2005, G. Monteith, 33 (00217745-00217747), 9Ƥ (00217748-00217756) (QM). Southwood NP, site 1, 27.82333 ° S 150.18666 ° E, 255 m, 0 8 Dec 2005 – 11 Dec 2005, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217742) (QM). Southwood NP, site 4, 27.81666 ° S 150.09333 ° E, 255 m, 0 8 Dec 2005 – 09 Dec 2005, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217743) (QM). Susan R. Xing, 4.5 km S., 25.45 ° S 152.73333 ° E, 20 m, 21 Jan 2006 – 22 Jan 2006, G. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217787) (QM). White Rock road, 27.7 ° S 152.85 ° E, 100 m, 29 Jan 2005 – 30 Jan 2005, G. B. Monteith, 1Ƥ (00217804) (QM). Wolfgang Peak, 0.5 km W., 22.54666 ° S 147.82666 ° E, 380 m, 11 Jan 2006 – 12 Jan 2006, C.J. Burwell, 23 (00217735, 00217736), 1Ƥ (00217737) (QM). Yednia, 1 km S., 26.78333 ° S 152.46666 ° E, 220 m, 0 3 Feb 2005 – 04 Feb 2005, DJ Cook, 1Ƥ (00217789) (QM). Western Australia: 21 mi N of Perth, Wildlife Reserve, 31.50749 ° S 115.87532 ° E, 18 Dec 1971, J. A. Slater, 4Ƥ (00194546-00194549) ( AMNH). Kimberley Region, Great Northern Hwy, 52km N of Turkey Ck, 16.63416 ° S 128.18966 ° E, 0 1 Jun 1999 – 12 Jun 1999, Gray, Milledge, Smith, 1Ƥ (00090654) (AM). Northam, 31.647 ° S 116.669 ° E, Jul 1953, Demarz, 1 nymph (00216920) ( ZSM).

Diagnosis: Recognized by the characters mentioned in the generic description.

Description: Male: Length (apex clypeus–hind margin abdomen): 10.8 in holotype and 8.13–13.35 in paratypes, greatest width across pronotum: 1.70 in holotype and 1.30–2.30 in paratypes. Coloration ( Fig. 1 ): Head: brown, clypeus, median portion of frons, mandibular plate dorsomedially, and gena dorsally light brown to pale, very distinctly set off from brown background in some specimens, blurry in others. Antenna: variable shades of brown, ranging from relatively dark brown to mostly pale with only scapus darker; Labium: variable, either dark brown with apices of third and fourth segments light brown, or entirely light brown, or mostly light brown to pale with base of second segment brown. Thorax: pronotum brown, sometimes calli on anterior lobe light brown or pale, tubercles on collar and posterior margin light brown or pale; meso- and metanotum brown, margin of wing pad light brown or pale in most specimens, some specimens in addition with either posterior margin of or entire area of weakly developed scutellum light brown or pale, posterior margin of metanotum sometimes pale; pleura and sterna brown or light brown, metepisternum and carinae on sterna sometimes pale. Legs: coxae ranging from brown to light brown or pale; trochanters always pale; femora brown with basal and apical areas pale, extension of pale area variable; tibiae pale with subbasal and apical brown suffusion in most specimens, some specimens with tibia mostly brown with subapical area pale; tarsi light brown, darker towards apex. Abdomen: sternites brown, sometimes with pale spots surrounding spiracles and light brown pygophore; tergites brown with pale spot on anterior margins of third to seventh dorsal laterotergites, spot in some specimens large and triangular, pale spot sometimes present on anterolateral margin of the syntergite (fused first and second tergites) and surrounding first abdominal spiracle. Structure: Head: postocular region almost globular in smaller and medium-sized specimens to more ovoid in larger specimens. Thorax: as in generic description; pronotum only slightly longer in small specimens or about 1.3 times longer in larger specimens than meso- and metanota combined, anterior and posterior lobes obsolete and anterior margin weakly convex ( Fig. 3 A) in small specimens or with weakly developed posterior lobe ( Fig. 3 B) and more pronounced convex posterior margin in larger specimens, pronotum only slightly longer than meso- and metanotum combined (small specimens) or about 1.3 length of pronotum (larger specimens); meso- and metasterna with carinae more pronounced in larger males. Legs: considerable range of variation with respect to stoutness of fore femur, size of ventral process on fore femur, size of tubercles on ventral surface of fore tibia, and size of subapical spine on tibia. Abdomen: median area of third to sixth sternites raised, keel-like ridge defining this area on third sternite very distinct in large specimens, to a lesser degree in medium-sized and small specimens, lateral tubercles on third and fourth sternites distinct in large specimens, inconspicuous or absent in small specimens.

Measurements (Holotype; Paratype in parentheses):

Male (n=10). Total length: 10.8 (10.96±1.49; 8.13– 13.35). Head length: 2.30 (2.27±0.25; 1.90–2.70). Length of anteocular portion: 1.10 (1.03±0.14; 0.50–1.30). Length of postocular portion: 0.90 (0.85±0.07; 0.70–0.90). Width of head (across eyes): 1.00 (1.01±0.11; 0.82–1.20). Length of synthlipsis: 0.60 (0.57±0.06; 0.48–0.65). Length of scapus: 0.60 (0.63±0.07; 0.50–0.70). Length of pedicellus: 1.10 (1.11±0.19; 0.80–1.40). Length of basiflagellomere: 0.80 (0.79±0.14; 0.60–1.10). Length of distiflagellomere: 1.10 (0.99±0.20; 0.60–1.20). Length of second labial segment: 0.50 (0.63±0.11; 0.50–0.80). Length of third labial segment: 1.90 (1.89±0.26; 1.50–2.20). Length of fourth labial segment: 0.50 (0.46±0.06; 0.40–0.55). Length of pronotum: 1.00 (0.99±0.23; 0.60–1.35). Width of pronotum: 1.70 (1.81±0.28; 1.30–2.30). Length of meso- and metathorax combined: 1.00 (1.03±0.16; 0.70–1.20). Length of fore tibia: 1.90 (2.04±0.24; 1.60–2.40). Length of abdomen: 5.65 (5.48±0.74; 4.10–6.90). Width of abdomen: 3.60 (3.43±0.50; 2.50–4.30).

Female (n=10). Total length: 10.40±1.02; 8.93–11.73. Head length: 2.32±0.29; 1.90–2.80. Length of anteocular portion: 1.10±0.14; 0.90–1.30. Length of postocular portion: 0.84±0.09; 0.70–1.00. Width of head (across eyes): 1.00±0.09; 0.82–1.10. Length of synthlipsis: 0.58±0.06; 0.48–0.68. Length of scapus: 0.54±0.06; 0.45–0.60. Length of pedicellus: 0.98±0.10; 0.80–1.10. Length of basiflagellomere: 0.63±0.15; 0.40–0.80. Length of distiflagellomere: 0.89±0.18; 0.60–1.10. Length of second labial segment: 0.57±0.07; 0.50–0.70. Length of third labial segment: 1.76±0.14; 1.60–2.00. Length of fourth labial segment: 0.45±0.05; 0.40–0.50. Length of pronotum: 1.50±0.17; 1.30–1.75. Width of pronotum: 1.56±0.15; 1.35–1.80. Length of meso- and metathorax combined: 0.94±0.35; 0.70–1.90. Length of fore tibia: 1.97±0.24; 1.70–2.30. Length of abdomen: 5.40±0.60; 4.60–6.40. Width of abdomen: 3.46±0.42; 2.90–4.20.

Distribution (Fig. 8): Widely distributed in Australia, ranging from the east coast, where most specimens were collected, to the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Biology: Specimens are ground dwelling in both sexes, judging from their aptery and the method by which specimens were collected: the majority of specimens examined during this study were collected in pit fall traps baited for dung beetles; a few specimens were caught in fungus-baited traps. Females are more numerous than males in most series, but in many cases both sexes are present from one collecting event. Recorded habitats comprise Grevillea shrubland and grass in the Northern Territory and Melaleuca habitat, roadside scrub, and eucalypt forest on black soil in Queensland.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Austrokatanga monteithi. A, male holotype, Queensland; B, female paratype, Queensland; C, male, New South Wales; D, female, New South Wales; E, female, Northern Territory; F, female, Western Australia.

FIGURE 3. Thoracic structures of A. monteithi, SEM. A, thorax in dorsal view, B, prothorax in dorsal view; C, prosternum in ventrolateral view, showing stridulatory bearing process; D, metathorax in ventrolateral view, showing opening of the metathoracic gland and evaporatory area close to margin of acetabulum; E, part of fore femur and tibia in posterior view, showing ventral process on femur and tubercles on ventral surface of tibia (white arrow); F, G, apex of fore tibia, F, anterior surface, showing cleaning comb and subapical process; G, posterior surface; H, pretarsus in frontal view.