Ectomocoris latus Malipatil & Liu, 2023

Malipatil, M. B., Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2023, Revision of Australian Ectomocoris with the description of nine new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Zootaxa 5263 (4), pp. 451-504 : 479-482

Ectomocoris latus Malipatil & Liu , sp. nov.

( Figs. 19 , 20 )

Type specimens. Holotype female macropterous, Australia, Northern Territory, Brunette Downs via Freewina, H 35, among Buffel grass Bore K 8, 3.ii.1983, R. Patterson ( WAM) . Paratype female macropterous, same data as holotype except “H 41” ( WAM) . Paratype male macropterous, Kimberley district , N. V . Austr. Mĵberg, nov. ( NHRS).

Description.

Macropterous male and female ( Figs. 19 , 20 )

Colouration ( Figs. 19 , 20 ): Black, with two yellow patches on hemelytra (one subbasal subtriangular patch adjoining claval suture; second a broader pentagonal to spherical patch on apical area of corium and basal area of membrane (almost half of this patch covering each of AIC and AEC cells)), and connexiva covering about anterior one third of segments III–VII, these yellow patches not extending entire width of connexiva particularly on dorsal aspect.

Structure ( Figs. 19 , 20 ): Head: Postocular region almost rounded to neck. Ocellar tubercle distinct. Antennae with all segments cylindrical, with short pilosity and sparse longer setae. Eyes moderately developed, reniform, not reaching ventral margin in lateral view. Ocelli small, separated from each other by slightly more than diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by less than diameter of single ocellus.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum with collar armed with rounded tubercles at lateral ends, integument pilose and rugulose with alternating smooth glabrous mostly longitudinal stripes, and with a shallow middle long sulcus in basal half. Posterior pronotal lobe with integument finely rugulose, with short pilosity, humeri rounded, posterior margin almost smoothly rounded. Scutellum triangular, disc deeply depressed, sides carinate, integument pilose, armed with projected short pointed horizontal apex covered with several bristles. Metapleuron with integument with slightly more distinctly and uniformly granulate, metapleural sulcus strongly bicarinate and curved, pilose with silvery dense hairs posteriorly. Hemelytra slightly surpassing abdomen in male and reaching almost to end of abdomen in female, well exposing connexiva.

Legs: Fore leg with coxa with whitish pilosity; femur strongly fusiform, greatly incrassate near base narrowing distally, much thicker than other femora, armed below with rows of fine bristly setae, in addition sparsely pilose laterally and above; tibia cylindrical, more or less straight, fossula spongiosa present, occupying about 3/4 tibial length; tarsi three segmented, cylindrical. Mid leg with coxa globular, femur only slightly thickened, tibia with short pilosity for whole length, with fossula spongiosa slightly over half length. Hind leg with femur cylindrical, slightly thickened, tibia with brush of seta, denser at apex, all else as in fore and mid legs.

Abdomen: In female, sternum not carinate medially, intersegmental sutures strongly curved anteromedially, all visible sterna appearing narrower medially except VII very enlarged ( Fig. 19B ). In male, sternum slightly carinate, sternite VII on its left side with a small fusiform extragenital process ( Fig. 20B ). Connexivum with golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum, abdominal sterna and terga entire.

Other structural details as in E. australicus .

Measurements: [of holotype female]. Body length 11.23; maximum width of abdomen 3.58; length of head 1.82; length of anteocular region 0.83; length of postocular region 0.45; width of head across eyes 1.25; width of interocellar space 0.22; length of eye in dorsal view 0.50; width of eye in dorsal view 0.34; lengths of antennal segments I–IV 0.95 / 1.71 / 1.82 / 1.97; length of visible labial segments I–III 0.57 / 1.21 / 0.64; length of pronotum 2.58; length of anterior pronotal lobe 1.80; length of posterior pronotal lobe 0.76; length of scutellum 1.25; maximum width of scutellum 1.52; length of hemelytra 7.64; length of fore tibia 1.97; length of fossula spongiosa on fore tibia 1.33.

Distribution. Australia (Northern Territory and Western Australia).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective latus (meaning ‘broad’), in allusion with the broad second (distal) yellowish patch on the hemelytra (positioned in both cells AIC and AEC) of the new species.

Notes. This species has some similarities with the widely distributed E. australicus , but differs from the latter in the shape and the size of yellow markings on the hemelytra. In E. australicus the second yellow patch on apical area of corium and basal area of membrane is positioned mostly in cell AIC only, also this patch is narrow and transverse ( Fig. 1A ), but in E. latus this patch is positioned in both cells AIC and AEC and is broad and almost roundish ( Figs. 19A , 20A ). Also, the ocelli in females are greatly reduced and obsolete in E. latus ( Fig. 19A ) but in E. australicus they are large and distinct although less so than in the males ( Fig. 1A ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ectomocoris australicus (Reuter, 1881), lectotype, female, habitus. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view. Abbreviations: 1A, first analis; AEC, apical external cell; AIC, apical internal cell; Cu, cubitus; M, media; Pcu, postcubitus; R, radius; Sc, subcosta. Scale bar = 2.00 mm.

FIGURE 20. Ectomocoris latus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., paratype, male, habitus. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view. Orange arrow indicates median carina on abdomen, blue arrow indicates extragenital process. Scare bar = 2.00 mm.

FIGURE19.Ectomocorislatus Malipatil&Liu,sp.nov.,holotype,female,habitus.A,dorsalview;B,ventralview;C,lateralview.