Parathyginus australis, Malipatil, 2021

Malipatil, M. B., 2021, Revision of Australian Parathyginus with description of two new species, along with first detailed description of aedeagus in the family Heterogastridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea), Zootaxa 5016 (4), pp. 503-522 : 512-515

Parathyginus australis sp. nov.

( Figs. 29–42 )

Type specimens: Holotype female, AUSTRALIA, Queensland, Kondalilla N. P., Blackall Ra., 3.x.1979, G.B. Monteith, in QM . Paratypes 10 male, 10 female, same data as holotype, in QM .

Other specimens examined: [specimen repository QM, unless indicated otherwise] QUEENSLAND: 1 female, Digging Road, Eungella, 850 m, pyrethrum knockdown, 24.vi.1986, G. Monteith & G. Thompson; 1 female, Oakview summit, 26.10S 152. 20E, 600 m, pyrethrum on trees, rainforest 10623, 25.v.2002, G.B. Monteith; 1 female, Dwyer Creek Imbil, 26.28S 152.38E, 100 m, pyrethrum on trees, rainforest 10624, 27.v.2002, G.B. Monteith; 4 male, 2 female, Boombana Nat Pk site 1, 27.24S 152.47.4E, 440 m, pyrethrum rainforest 51988, 21.iv.2004, C.J. Burwell; 5 male, The Knobby via Glamorgan Vale, 27.30S 152.35E, 240 m, pyrethrum trees 7242, 16.ix.1998, G. Monteith & P. Bouchard; 2 male, 1 female, Mt Cotton upper gully, 27.36S 153.13E, 150 m, pyrethrum on rainforest trees, 5816, 7.v.1998, G. Monteith & G. Thompson, 1 male, same except except Scott’s Dam, 120 m, 5817; 1 female, “Glen Witheren”, Canungra Creek, 20–22. i. 1987, G.B. Monteith; 1 female, Mt Mee Forestry Reserve, 10– 12.iii.1967, B. Cantrell; 1 female, Brisbane, A. Brimblecombe, 20.ix.1932, QDPI; 1 male, same locality, 9.vi.1947, A.C. Arvier, 1 female, same locality, 16.iii.1966, T. Weir. NEW SOUTH WALES: 3 female, Victoria Park via Alstonville, 1.xi.1970, G.B. Monteith; 2 male, Lawson, Lea, in SAM. VICTORIA: 1 male, South Yarra, 11.viii.2014, P. Symes, in VAIC; 1 female, Systemic Garden [UNIMELB], Melbourne, 15.iii.2012, in VAIC. SOUTH AUSTRA- LIA: 1 male, Mitcham, 13.i.1991, RV Southcott, in SAM.

Description. Colour. Female ( Figs. 29–31 , 36 ) Body above generally fuscous ochraceous. Following pale ochraceous: elongate spot on clypeus, small elongate spot between ocelli, narrow collar region of pronotum, most of posterior lobe of pronotum, peritreme of metathoracic scent gland, scutellum with two spots on disc and narrow elongate carina on apical part, exposed areas of abdominal connexiva alternating with fuscous bands, abdominal venter and lateral connexival areas of abdominal segments III–VII, legs except subapical half of femora, broad bases and apices of tibiae, and apices of tarsal segments. Antennae dark brown except basal 1/3–1/2 of 4 th segment, and basal 1/3 of 3 rd segment ochraceous brown. Pronotum dark fuscous ochraceous on pale ochraceous background as follows: most of anterior lobe of pronotum including calli but excluding collar, posterior lobe particularly near posterior margin with six rather vague longitudinal bands or spots, 3 on either side of midline as in Fig. 29 , inner two bands broad, narrowing and merging anteriorly towards middle of pronotum. Membrane bronzy brown.

Male ( Figs. 32–35 ) generally as in female, except scutellum with Y carina ochraceous, fuscous bands on posterior lobe of pronotum less distinctly developed; antennae, legs, and abdomen except venter with intersegmental areas of anterior segments bright ochraceous.

Body above shiny; body and appendages densely covered with yellow decumbent pubescence, in addition to two types of bristly erect setae—short and dense, and long and sparse. Pronotum, scutellum and corium covered with coarse dark punctures, punctures vague and fine on head above and below, calli of pronotum and basal 1/3 of scutellum.

Body. (measurements are of holotype female, followed by ranges of 5 specimens (male and female) measured in parentheses). Length including wings 8.58 (6.39–8.60); maximum width across abdomen 2.47 (1.90–2.50).

Head. Slightly flatter between eyes in male than in female, head length 1.20 (1.06–1.25); width across eyes 1.74 (1.44–1.72); interocular space 1.00 (0.0.79–0.95); interocellar space 0.53 (0.40–0.50); eye-ocellar space 0.12 (0.10–0.15); eye length 0.53 (0.45–0.57); eye width 0.38 (0.31–0.38). Antennae with 1 st seg exceeding head by 1/3, length of segments: I 0.72 (0.76–0.83), II 1.52 (1.55–1.71), III 1.10 (1.14–1.17), IV 1.06 (1.02–1.14). Labium extending to hind coxae, 1 st segment almost reaching base of head; length of segments: I 1.00 (0.83–1.14), II 1.10 (0.98–1.17), III 0.87 (0.79–0.95), IV 0.72 (0.60–0.68).

Thorax. Pronotum with a median faint longitudinal carina as in P. signifer ; median length 1.55 (1.33–1.55); width at anterior margin 1.40 (1.10–1.48); width at posterior margin 2.39 (1.90–2.35). Length of scutellum 1.90 (1.52–1.82), width 1.40 (1.14–1.44). Hemelytra slightly exceeding abdomen, length of hemelytra 5.92 (5.14–5.72); length of corium 4.20 (3.72–4.00); clavus with 3 rows of punctures, in addition several irregular punctures between middle and inner row, punctures on inner row finer than those on outer row, claval commissure 0.57 (0.45–0.50).

Abdomen. Inner laterotergites present as very narrow sclerites, more distinctly on terga III–VI. Sternum in female heavily darkened, discal area and connexiva with pale patches ( Fig. 36 ). Sternum in male yellow-testaceous except sternite II and anterior margins of sternites III and IV slightly darker ( Fig. 35 ). In male posterolateral corners of abdominal segments IV, V, VI and VII each with a finely pointed spinule ( Fig. 35 , arrowed).

Male genitalia. Pygophore rounded, posterior margin entire, without tooth ( Fig. 37 ).

Paramere ( Fig. 38 ) blade angularly truncate at tip, with a subapical shallow indentation on outer surface; inner surface with a sub-basal minute dark-tipped tooth, often visible in undissected specimen ( Fig. 38 , arrowed). Aedeagus as in P. signifer , phallotheca as in Fig. 39 , ejaculatory reservoir reduced to a small plate like structure ( Figs. 40, 41 , er).

Female genitalia. Ovipositor and spermatheca generally as in P. kurandae ( Fig. 42 ).

Other details as in genus description.

Etymology. The species epithet “ australis ” alludes to the species’ generally southern distribution in Australia.

Comments. There is some variation in intensity of colour particularly of legs and antennae. Also there exist variation in number and size of membranous conjunctiva lobes particularly near base of vesica, and in length and coiled nature of the seminal duct inside conjunctiva ( Fig. 40 , sd) between specimens from different localities.

Some of the non-type specimens from Queensland were collected by pyrethrum knockdown from rainforest trees, at altitudes ranging between 100 m and 850 m.

This species differs from other Australian species of the genus in the characters in the key, particularly in the colour markings of the pronotum and the male abdominal venter, and having a tooth on the inner surface of the paramere blade ( Fig. 38 , arrowed).

Distribution. Australia (south-eastern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia).

Figures

FIGURES 29–33. Parathyginus australis: 29–31, female paratype—29, body dorsal view; 30, body, lateral view; 31, anterior part of body, lateral view. 32, 33, male paratype—32, body dorsal view; 33, body, lateral view. 29 & 30, same scale.

FIGURES 34–37. Parathyginus australis, paratypes: 34, 35, male abdomen, tergum and sternum. 36, female abdomen, tergum. 37, pygophore, dorsal view.

FIGURES 38–42. Parathyginus australis, paratypes: 38–41, male—38, right paramere, dorsal view; 39, phallotheca, lateral view; 40, endosoma; 41, distal part of endosoma. 42, female, spermatheca. Abbreviations: er, ejaculatory reservoir; sd, seminal duct; sp, spermatheca; ve, vesica.