Ectomocoris simulans Distant, 1919

Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2022, Taxonomic notes on the Indian assassin bug Ectomocoris simulans (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) with two new synonyms, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 62 (1), pp. 145-153 : 146-152

Ectomocoris simulans Distant, 1919

( Figs 1–20 )

Ectomocoris simulans Distant, 1919: 74 (original description). Type locality: S. India (Chikkaballapura and Nandidrug; Vizagapatam).

Ectomocoris simulans : Mൺඅൽඈඇൺൽඈ Cൺඉඋංඅൾඌ (1990): 356 (catalogue).

Ectomocoris melanopterus Distant, 1919:74 (original description). Type locality:S. India (Chikkaballapura). New junior subjective synonym.

Ectomocoris melanopterus : Mൺඅൽඈඇൺൽඈ Cൺඉඋංඅൾඌ (1990): 354 (catalogue).

Ectomocoris xavierei Vennison & Ambrose, 1990: 43 (original description). Type locality: India (Courtallam tropical evergreen forest, Nellai Kattabomman district, Tamil Nadu). New junior subjective synonym.

Type material examined. Ectomocoris simulans : Lൾർඍඈඍඒඉൾ (present designation), J, purple-margined “ LECTOTYPE ” disc // “S. India./ T.N.

Campbell. / 1915-60.” // “Chikkaballapura / S. India. / T. V. Campbell.”

// “ Ectomocoris simulans / type Dist.” // “ NHUMK 013588427” ( NHM).

Ectomocoris melanopterus : Lൾർඍඈඍඒඉൾ (present designation):J, purplemargined “ LECTOTYPE ” disc // “S. India. / T. N. Campbell. / 1915-60.”

// “Chikkaballapura / S. India. / T. V. Campbell.” // “ Ectomocoris melanopterus / type Dist.” // “ NHMUK 013588426” ( NHM).

Ectomocoris xavierei : Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: J, red margined “ Holotype ” disc //

“ India: Tamil Nadu / Nellai Kattabomman / District, Courtallam / forest,

12.ix. 1985 ” // “ Holotype / Ectomocoris / xavierei Vennison / &Ambrose,

1994” // “ NHMUK 013585976” ( NHM).

Additional material examined. INDIA: 1 ♀, “South India: / Tamil

Nadu Tirunelveli, / ix. 1985 D. Ambrose” ( NHM); 3 JJ 1 ♀, “S. IN-

DIA: / Mysore Chikballapur, / South India / T. V. Campbell / Coll. B.M.

1930-599.” ( NHM).

Redescription. Brachypterous male ( Figs 1–5 ), macropterous male ( Figs 6–8 ) and brachypterous female ( Figs 9–11 ) known. Coloration. Black (sometimes faded into blackish brown in dry specimens); antenna yellowish brown with basiflagellomere and distiflagellomere darker; labium and prosternal process yellowish brown; legs with coxae black, trochanters dark brown, femora and tibiae yellowish brown with mottled dark brown markings, tarsi yellowish brown; hemelytron blackish brown with yellow, irregular, broad band near base in brachypterous form and somewhat trapezoid yellow spot on connecting area of clavus, corium and membrane in macropterous male.

Structure. Body robust, medium-sized. Antenna covered with yellowish brown setae, scape also with several blackish brown thick setae; head, pronotum, scutellum and corium of hemelytra with blackish brown setae; dorsal surface of head, meso- and metathoracic pleura and sterna, connexivum and abdominal sternites densely covered with yellowish-white to gold, procumbent, short pubescence; legs densely covered with yellowish-white, procumbent pubescence and brown, suberect or erect, thick setae of varying lengths.

Head moderately elongate, anteocular portion about 2.72 times as long as postocular portion, postocular portion protruding laterally; antenna inserted near anterior margin of eye, scape thickest and shortest, last three antennomeres gracile with pedicel longest; first and second visible labial segment thick, third segment noticeably tapered, second segment longest with basal half swollen; eye reniform in lateral view, reaching upper margin but not reaching lower margin of head, interocular region distinctly longer than width of eye in dorsal view, with shallow longitudinal groove in middle; ocelli moderately separated, slightly elevated; neck with lateral tubercles.

Pronotum with collar process rounded, produced forward; anterior pronotal lobe with median longitudinal sulcus on posterior portion, subbasally with shallow apodeme depression, stripes distinct; pronotal transverse sulcus deep with some shallow, short, longitudinal wrinkles; posterior pronotal lobe somewhat reduced in brachypterous female; lateral pronotal angle round, posterior margin of pronotum arcuate; meso- and metathoracic pleura and sterna finely granulose; mesosternum carinate; disc ofscutellum with median longitudinal depression, Y-shaped ridges slender, scutellar process long, apex slightly directed obliquely backward in lateral view. Fore femur thickest with thin ridge on ventral surface, middle femur slightly thicker than hind femur; fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying 3/4 of tibial length, middle tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying more than 1/2 of tibial length. Hemelytron slightly surpassing tip of abdomen in macropterous male, reaching fourth to fifth abdominal tergite in brachypterous male and reaching third tergite in brachypterous female.

Abdomen of male oval with longitudinal ridge on ventral surface, abdomen of female fusiform with connexivum more dilated laterally.

Male genitalia with pygophore oval ( Fig. 12 ), median pygophore process oblique to right side in caudal view ( Fig. 13 ), apex sharp ( Figs 13, 14 ), dorsal surface of median pygophore process with ridge ( Figs 13, 14 ); parameres subtriangular with outer margin arcuate, apex of each paramere with small sharp process ( Figs 15, 16 ), left paramere ( Fig. 15 ) longer and straighter than right one ( Fig. 16 ); phallus in resting condition ( Figs 17–20 ) with basal plate bridge slightly shorter and slenderer than basal plate ( Figs 17, 18 ), basal plate slightly curved in middle portion ( Figs 17, 18 ); basal plate prolongation short ( Figs 19, 20 ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite broad and strongly sclerotized, apex blunt ( Fig. 17 ); lateral phallothecal sclerite moderately sclerotized with irregular margins, lower corner of inner margin with small spine-like process ( Fig. 20 ).

Measurements [in mm, J (n = 6), ♀ (n = 2)]. Body length 13.05–13.16 (J), 14.82–17.95 (♀); maximum width of abdomen 3.80–4.05 (J), 4.33–5.80 (♀); length of head 2.29–2.41 (J), 2.35–2.63 (♀); width of head 1.54–1.74 (J), 1.61–1.90 (♀); length of anteocular part 1.12–1.20 (J), 1.17–1.29 (♀); length of postocular part 0.41–0.42 (J), 0.40–0.54 (♀); width of eye in dorsal view 0.45–0.49 (J), 0.49–0.54 (♀); width of interocular space 0.59–0.78 (J), 0.70–0.73 (♀); width of interocellar space 0.25–0.29 (J), 0.27–0.34 (♀); lengths of antennomeres I–IV 1.11–1.42 (J), 1.12–? (♀) / 2.70–3.02 (J), 2.30–? (♀) / 2.22–? (J), 2.06–? (♀) /? (J), 2.15–? (♀); length of visible labial segments I–III 0.88–0.92 (J), 0.94–0.99 (♀) / 1.29–1.48 (J),?–1.55 (♀) / 0.71–0.87 (J),? –0.99 (♀); length of pronotum 3.59–3.60 (J), 3.50-3.99 (♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe 2.72–2.78 (J), 2.75–3.18 (♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe 0.85–0.86 (J), 0.75–0.79 (♀); width of anterior pronotal lobe 2.70–2.80 (J), 2.73–3.39 (♀); width of posterior pronotal lobe 3.18–3.51 (J), 2.96–3.59 (♀); length of scutellum 1.65–1.66 (J), 1.15–1.51 (♀); maximum width of scutellum 1.39–2.19 (J), 1.12–1.26 (♀); length of hemelytra 4.61–8.71 (J), 3.00–3.74 (♀).

Remarks. Dංඌඍൺඇඍ (1919) described both E. simulans and E. melanopterus in the same paper. However, the description of E. melanopterus was based actually on artefacts and the “ochraceous markings” considered diagnostic by Dංඌඍൺඇඍ (1919) are here confirmed to be dirt coverings on the type specimen ( Fig. 3 ). Therefore, we choose E. simulans Distant, 1919 as the valid name, and E. melanopterus Distant, 1919 as its junior subjective synonym, acting as the First Reviser according to Articles 24.2.1 and 24.2.2 of the ICZN (1999).

According to the original data, Dංඌඍൺඇඍ (1919) described E. simulans based on more than one specimen (body length measurement: “Long. 13-20 mm ”; locality: “Hab. S. India; Chikkaballapura and Nandidrug (Dr. T. V. Campbell); Vizagapatam.”). We could only confirm one syntype with Distant’s handwritten label deposited in NHM and therefore designate it as the lectotype ( Figs 1–2 ). The holotype of E. xavierei was deposited in the Entomology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, St Xavier’s College, Palayankottai, India at first and then donated to NHM for permanent preservation.

Distribution. India: Andhra Pradesh (Dංඌඍൺඇඍ 1919), Karnataka (Dංඌඍൺඇඍ 1919), Tamil Nadu (Vൾඇඇංඌඈඇ & Aආൻඋඈඌൾ 1990).

Figures

Figs 1–2. Ectomocoris simulans Distant, 1919, lectotype, male, habitus. 1 – dorsal view; 2 – lateral view. Scale bar: 3.00 mm.

Figs 3–5. Ectomocoris melanopterus Distant, 1919, lectotype, male, habitus. 3 – dorsal view; 4 – ventral view; 5 – lateral view. Scale bar: 2.00 mm.

Figs 6–8.Ectomocoris xavierei Vennison &Ambrose, 1990, holotype, male, habitus.6 – dorsal view; 7 – ventral view; 8 – lateral view. Scale bar:3.00 mm.

Figs 9–11. Ectomocoris simulans Distant, 1919, non-type, female, habitus. 9 – dorsal view; 10 – ventral view; 11 – lateral view. Scale bar: 3.00 mm.

Figs 12–20. Male genitalia of Ectomocoris simulans Distant, 1919, non-type.12–14 – pygophore; 15 – left paramere; 16 – right paramere; 17–20 – phallus. 12, 18 – ventral view; 13 – caudal view; 14, 19, 20 – lateral view; 15, 16 – outer ventrolateral view; 17 – 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. Arrow indicates the small sharp process on the apex of paramere. Scale bars: 1.00 mm (Figs 12–14), 0.80 mm (Figs 15–20).