Brizica exiguus ( Distant, 1893 ) Published, 2007

WALL, MICHAEL A., 2007, A revision of the Solomonius-group of the stinkbug tribe Halyini (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae), Zootaxa 1539 (1), pp. 1-84 : 36-37

Brizica exiguus ( Distant, 1893) new comb.

( Figs. 16B , 17A , 18D–F , 20B , 23 )

Coctoteris exiguus Distant, 1893: 390–391 . (part, see below Horváth, 1915); Kirkaldy, 1903:115. (maternal care; determination of species in Kirkaldy,1902); Kirkaldy, 1905: 357 (record); Kirkaldy, 1909: 195 (synonymy); Melber & Schmidt, 1977: 38 (maternal care).

Coccoteris [sic] exiguus: Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 266 (list)

Spudaeus (?): Kirkaldy, 1902: 319–320. (parental care)

Neoptolemus exiguus: Horváth, 1915: 244 , 247, 248–249, figs. 14a–c. (description, keyed, synonymy, refers to specimens det. by Distant, 1893, from Duke of York and by Kirkaldy, 1905, from New Britain to Neoptolemus proximus )

Diagnosis. Distinguished by relatively large size and distally bilobed proctiger in males. Females with eighth gonocoxa low and broadly triangular.

Redescription. Body 2X longer than broad ( Fig. 16B ). Vertex of head slightly convex, punctate. Juga apices acute becoming rounded laterally. Juga and tylus subequal in length, depressed relative to remainder of head. First antennal segment barely surpassing apex of head. Eyes slightly stalked; posterior margins convex. Pronotum subrugose; anterolateral margins vaguely crenulate; lateral angles acute. Scutellum swollen anteriorly; apex broadly rounded, somewhat dorsally reflexed. Laterotergites with posterior angle produced into small thornlike tubercles.

Bucculae produced, becoming obsolete prior to reaching posterior margin of head; anterior angle of bucculae distinct, acute, directed anteroventrally. Labium reaching abdominal second sternite (first visible); ratios 1:1.75:1.5:1. Peritreme 1/4 as long as distance from ostiole of metathoracic scent gland to lateral margin of metapleuron. Episternal ridge located 2/3 of distance between ostiole of metathoracic scent gland and lateral margin of metapleuron. Venter of abdomen primarily convex; median flattened to slightly sulcate. Profemora with 8–9 ventral thorn–shaped spines; spines becoming larger on distal portions.

Color and vestiture. Ground color testaceous to rubignaceous with black shining punctures. Antennal segments I–III testaceous with piceous markings, segments IV–V piceous. Legs mostly straminous; tibiae with two castaneous bands on longitudinal ridges. Spiracles black. Antennal segments I–II and proximal portion of segment III shiny with sparse vestiture; remainder of segment III and segments IV–V with dense short pile.

Male. Ventral rim of pygophore thickly produced posteriorly, deeply divided medially ( Fig. 18D–F ). Proctiger elongate, distinctly bilobed distally, lateral margins concave; basal sclerite shallowly bilobed posteriorly, anterior margin straight ( Fig. 18F ).

Female. Eighth gonocoxa low, broadly triangular, not covering much of ninth laterotergites and gonocoxae ( Fig. 20B ); lateral margins of ninth laterotergites slightly emarginate.

Measurements. Males (n=5): body length 17.6 SD 0.9 (16.5–18.7), anterior pronotal width 3.2 SD 0.3 (2.9–3.6), humeral width 9.3 SD 0.6 (8.5–10.1), scutellar length 6.4 SD 0.5 (5.7–7.0), medial length of sixth sternite (fifth visible) 1.6 SD 0.2 (1.4–1.8), medial length of seventh sternite (sixth visible) 2.3 SD 0.1 (2.1– 2.4). Females (n=5): body length 18.0 SD 0.6 (17.1–18.6), anterior pronotal width 3.4 SD 0.2 (3.1–3.6), humeral width 9.4 SD 0.3 (9.1–9.9), scutellar length 6.4 SD 0.3 (6.0–6.8), medial length of sixth sternite (fifth visible) 1.7 SD 0.1 (1.5–1.8), medial length of seventh sternite (sixth visible) 2.3 SD 0.2 (2.0–2.4). Appendages in Table 3.

Specimens examined. INDONESIA: Irian Jaya, Dafo , 30km W of Hollandia, elev. 120 m, [2° 21' S, 140° 42’ E], 12 November 1961, coll. S. Quate - 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; Hollandia area, W. Sentani, Cyclops Mtns , elev. 150–250 m, [2° 32' S, 140° 42’ E], 17–24 June 1959, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; Swart Val., Karubaka , elev. 1450 m, [3° 36' S, 138° 28’ E], 7–18 November 1958, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Western Highlands, Baiyer R., elev. 1150 m, [5° 25' S, 144° 4’ E], 19 October 1958, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 2 ♀♀ ( BPBM) ; same locality, 24 August 1970, coll. K. R. Norris - 1 ♂ ( ANIC) ; Jimi River , elev. 1432.56 m, [5° 16' S, 144° 14’ E], 16 July - 21 September 1961, coll. W. W. Brandt - 1 ♂ ( ANIC) ; Tsenga , Upper Jimmi V., elev. 1200 m, [5° 16' S, 144° 14’ E], 15 July 1955, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 2 ♂♂ ( BPBM) .

Distribution. Low and middle elevational areas in mountain ranges of northern New Guinea ( Fig. 21 ).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Brizica species, habitus. A. B. alacris Walker, B. B. exiguus (Distant), C. B. flyensis sp. nov., D. B. humeralis (Horváth), E. B. proximus (Schouteden), F. B. sphaeroides sp. nov., G. B. tubercularis sp. nov., H. B. vandoesburgi sp. nov..

FIGURE 17. Profemora of Brizica exiguus (Distant) (A) and Brizica proximus (Schouteden) (B).

FIGURE 18. Ventral, lateral, and dorsal views of pygophores of selected species of Brizica. A-C. B. alacris Walker, D- F. B. exiguus (Distant), G-I. B. flyensis sp. nov., J-L. B. humeralis (Horváth).

FIGURE 20. External female genitalia of selected species of Brizica. A. B. alacris Walker, B. B. exiguus (Distant), C. B. humeralis (Horváth), D. B. proximus (Schouteden), E. B. tubercularis sp. nov., F. S. vandoesburgi sp. nov..

FIGURE 21. Distribution of Brizica alacris Walker, B. proximus (Schouteden), B. vandoesburgi sp. nov., and Elemana propria Distant in New Guinea.

FIGURE 23. Distribution of Brizica exiguus (Distant), B. flyensis sp. nov., B. humeralis (Horváth), and B. tubercularis sp. nov. in New Guinea.