Platymeris biguttatus ( Linnaeus 1767 )

Li, Hu, Zhao, Guangyu, Cao, Liangming, Xu, Kang & Cai, Wanzhi, 2010, Taxonomic and bionomic notes on the white spot assassin bug Platymeris biguttatus (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Reduviinae), Zootaxa 2644, pp. 47-56 : 48

Platymeris biguttatus ( Linnaeus 1767)

( Figs. 1–38 )

Cimex biguttatus Linnaeus 1767: 725 .

Reduvius biguttatus: Fabricius 1775: 731 .

Cimex guineensis Gmelin 1790: 2198 .

Patymeris (sic) biguttata: Laporte 1833: 78 .

Platymeris biguttata: Burmeister 1835: 233 ; Maldonado-Capriles 1990: 428. Platymerus (sic) biguttatus: Amyot & Serville 1843: 334 . Platymeris biguttatus Fabricius (sic): Stål 1859: 188. Platymeris biguttata var. guttastipennis (sic): Schouteden 1931: 137.

Redescription. Coloration: Black, shining. Eyes, ocelli, spots on external side of ocelli, tarsi brown; subapical portion of femora yellowish; two spots on basal portion of fore wings whitish ( Fig. 1 ).

Structure: Body large-sized. Leg and abdomen beneath clothed with long and short setae; antennae, lateral and ventral surfaces of head, dorsal surface of anteocular portion, rostrum clothed with short setae; fore and mid trochanters ventrally, basal portion of femora ventrally, apical portion of tibiae bilaterally densely clothed with red brown short setae. Head long, obviously longer than the length of anterior pronotal lobe; eyes large, bilaterally prominent, slightly wider than collar; anteocular region longer than postocular; processes between antennae tumescent; longitudinal depression between eyes shallow; ocellar area prominent; first segment of rostrum as long as second ( Fig. 2 ); anterior pronotal lobe sculptured, much shorter than posterior lobe; posterior pronotal lobe tumescent in middle, postero-lateral margins of posterior pronotal lobe slightly concave, lateral angles spinous, posterior margin of posterior pronotal lobe nearly straight; scutellum concave in the middle, apical spine tilted, lateral spine erect; membrane not reaching tip of abdomen ( Fig. 1 ); spongy furrow of fore and mid tibiae developed, as long as one third of each tibia. Pygophore oblong, ventral surface clothed with setae, median process triangular ( Figs. 3, 4 ); parameres club-shaped, bent, apex tumescent and with a hooked process, sub-apical portion with several long setae, distal half ventrally and dorsally with short setae ( Figs. 6–8 ); basal plate developed and curled, basal plate bridge slender, basal plate prolongation wide ( Figs. 9-11 ); phallosoma distinctly asymmetrical ( Figs. 9, 10, 12, 13 ); dorsal phallotheca sclerite reaching tip of phallosoma in resting condition; struts reaching apex of phallosoma ( Fig. 12 ), bent to left; lateral endosoma processes asymmetrical, left process much larger than right one ( Figs. 9, 10, 12, 13 ).

Measurements [3(n=7)/Ƥ(n=8), in mm]: Body length 32.5–32.63/34.13–34.75; abdomen width 10.50– 11.25/10.88–11.88. Length head 4.73–4.84/5.16–5.27; length anteocular portion 2.04–2.15/ 2.26–2.37; length postocular portion 0.97–1.08/1.12–1.40; interocellar space 0.25–0.50/0.45–0.70; length synthlipsis 1.63–1.75/ 1.70–1.95; length antennal segments I–IV=2.50/2.50, 8.13–8.63/8.20–8.70, 6.13–6.57/6.85–7.00, 3.75–4.20/ 4.15–4.30; length rostral segments I–III=2.13–2.50/2.38–2.56, 2.25–2.38 / 2.38–2.45, 1.10–1.38 / 1.13–1.46; length anterior pronotal lobe 2.50–3.13 / 2.63–3.25; length posterior lobe 5.00–5.14 / 5.10–5.35; width thorax 9.88–10.75 / 10.00–11.15; length hemelytron 20.63–21.75 / 20.75–22.25.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Platymeris biguttatus (Linnaeus), 3. Habitus. Scale bar = 5.33 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 13. Platymeris biguttatus (Linnaeus), 3. 2, Head and pronotum, antennae removed; 3, apical part of abdomen; 4, 5, pygophore; 6, 7, 8, paramere; 9, 10, phallus; 11, phallobase; 12, 13, phallosoma; 3, 4, 13, ventral view; 2, 5, 6, 8, 7, 9, 10, lateral view; 12, dorsal view. Scale bar of 2, 3 = 1.95 mm; of 4, 5 = 1.33 mm; of 6 – 13 = 1.00 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 21. Life history of Platymeris biguttatus (Linnaeus). 14, 15, single egg; 16 – 20, nymphs, first to fifth instars; 21, adult.

FIGURES 22 – 29. Behaviors of Platymeris biguttatus (Linnaeus). 22, Colonization of nymphs and adults; 23, predatory behavior of adult; 24, 25, predatory behavior of nymphs; 26, 27, the color change of the abdomen when nymph was satiated; 28, 29, the color change of the body after hatching.

FIGURES 30 – 37. Color change in molting and emergence process of Platymeris biguttatus (Linnaeus). 30 – 33, The color change of fifth instar nymph after molting; 34 – 37, the color variation of adult after emergence.

FIGURE 38. Colonization of nymphs and adults. The arrow indicates a nymph hidden in the crack of the bark.