Dindymus (Pseudodindymus), Stehlík, L., 2009

Stehlík, L., 2009, Pseudodindymus, a new subgenus of Dindymus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) from the Oriental Region, Zootaxa 2010, pp. 1-15 : 2-3

Pseudodindymus subgen. nov.

Type species. Lygaeus albicornis Fabricius, 1803 . Here designated.

Description. Colouration. Head mostly black (except of D. vinulus vinulus Stål, 1863 with anterior part of head red, and D. stysi Stehlík & Jindra, 2008 with entire head bright red). Pronotum black, pronotal margins often creamy white, in two species posterior pronotal margin with two yellow spots medially. Anterior part of hemelytra black, posterior part usually red (in D. talaudensis Stehlík & Jindra, 2006 entire clavus and corium red), less frequently posterior part of hemelytra whitish. Pleura I–III ventrally black; prosternal collar, posterior pleural flanges I–III, and epicoxal lobes usually yellowish white. Abdomen ventrally red.

Punctation prominent only on pronotal lobe, its intensity differing among species; clavus and corium with dense fine punctation; sternum without punctures.

Structure. Eyes protruding, quite remote from anterior pronotal margin and distinctly surpassing it laterally. Posterior part of head never markedly elongated. Anterior portion of pronotum narrowed. Lateral pronotal margin rather wide, elevated dorsally, distinctly concave at level of median furrow. Callar lobe gibbous, without anteromedian protuberances (in D. vinulus with median furrow indicated only medially). Pronotal lobe gibbous towards base. Costal margin of hemelytra somewhat insinuated behind base, rather wide in the rest of its length. Mesoscutum depressed, scutellum markedly gibbous.

Pygophore. Ventral rim always with two median processes of variable shape: flat, with inner side concave, or in form of a blunted cone. Other parts of ventral and lateral rim rounded, straight. Ventral rim infolding wide, only slightly sloping into genital chamber, continually merging into dish-shaped lateral rim infolding; lower margin of lateral rim infolding elevated dorsally just behind the transition of ventral rim infolding and forming a projection. Anal tube rather long. Parameres small, never crossed (e.g., Figs. 8, 10 – 11). Processi hamati of parameres acicular, sometimes positioned horizontally against each other and considerably distant, or processi hamati somewhat elevated dorsally and distant or approached, respectively. In D. (P.) limbaticollis Breddin, 1901 , processus hamatus is completely missing and the short paramere body is visible only in lateral corners of genital chamber (near ventral rim infolding).

Phallus (detailed description: D. a. albicornis — Fig. 1, in remaining examined species the phallus is similar). Vesica short, strongly sclerotized, basally and subapically thickened, medially attenuated, apex of vesica in lateral view strongly narrowed, slightly curved, secondary gonopore horizontally positioned ( Fig. 2). Conjunctival processes 1 parallel on both sides of vesica, basally attenuated, its lateral margin medially convex, apex attenuated, blunt, strongly sclerotized, black, ca. reaching height of vesica. Conjunctival processes 2 originating near base of vesica, directed laterad, basally weakly sclerotized, slender, slightly thickened medially, apically narrowed and curved ventrally. Two short, robust, conical, apically rounded, more sclerotized, and blackened projections situated near base of vesica between conjunctival processes 2. Conjunctival processes 3 originating laterally on conjunctiva, very wide, strongly narrowing towards apex, apex blunt, anterior part and apex well-sclerotized. Hind wall of conjunctiva behind vesica with large semicircular conjunctival collar ( Fig. 3), its margins strongly sclerotized, with pair of large, strongly sclerotized, posteriorly curved, blunt projections situated in their lateral thirds. Basal part of conjunctiva simple.

Outer female genitalia rather uniform with only slight interspecific variability. Both sides of valvifer I arcuatelly gaping open near base, their margin markedly depressed in the place of gaping in all included species. Valvifer II medially connate, flat, not very long, with two differently shaped protuberances. Anal tube short, embraced by laterotergite IX.

Differential diagnosis. Pseudodindymus subgen. nov. is defined especially by the ventral rim of the pygophore always with two median processes, and parameres never crossing each other ( Fig. 12, white arrow). The phallus of the Pseudodindymus subgen. nov. is markedly smaller and differs from the nominotypical subgenus in the following characters: i) conjunctival process 1 short, not surpassing vesica, not sharply pointed ( Fig. 1); ii) conjunctival process 2 shorter, apically strongly curved, not originating from the base of the conjunctival process 1; iii) conjunctival process 4 not developed, replaced by semi-circular conjunctival collar ( Fig. 3); and iv) lacking conjunctival process 5 in basal part of conjunctiva. In Dindymus s. str. i) the conjunctival process 1 is long, markedly surpassing vesica, sharply pointed ( Fig. 4); ii) conjunctival process 2 originating from base of the conjunctival process 1, longer, apically straight; iii) conjunctival processes 4 and 5 well developed. Phalli of all the species included in the Pseudodindymus subgen. nov. are very similar, supporting the monophyly of this taxon, while in species-rich Dindymus s. str. some small modifications exist. For detailed description of the phallus of Dindymus s. str. see below.

Etymology. The name is composed of the Greek prefix pseudo -, meaning false, and the name of the genus Dindymus .

Included species. Pseudodindymus subgen. nov. currently includes nine species: D. (P.) albicornis ( Fabricius, 1803) , D. (P.) daiacus Breddin, 1901 , D. (P.) limbaticollis Breddin, 1901 , D. (P.) pulcher Stål, 1863 , D. (P.) sandakan sp. nov., D. (P.) semirufus Stål, 1863 , D. (P.) stysi Stehlík & Jindra, 2008 , D. (P.) talaudensis Stehlík & Jindra, 2006 , and D. (P.) vinulus Stål, 1863 (for review of the species see below).

Distribution. This subgenus is distributed in the Oriental Region from Myanmar in the west to the Philippines, Talaud Islands, Sulawesi, and Timor in the east (for further information see below).