Physoderes ractepilosa, Hwang & Weirauch, 2017

Hwang, Wei Song & Weirauch, Christiane, 2017, Uncovering hidden diversity: phylogeny and taxonomy of Physoderinae (Reduviidae, Heteroptera), with emphasis on Physoderes Westwood in the Oriental and Australasian regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 341, pp. 1-118 : 100-102

Physoderes ractepilosa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DFE461F4-658E-45E9-879C-D4747C0D8675

Figs 8 , 15 , 18–20 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Physoderes by the body being covered with long, erect setae, the head being elongate conical, the scape not reaching the apex of the clypeus, the anterior pronotal lobe being narrower than the posterior lobe, the anterior pronotal lobe with raised ridges and strongly defined submedian carina, the parascutellar lobe rounded, the scutellar process slender, the fore femur slender and only slightly incrassate, the short hemelytron not reaching the tip of the abdomen, the connexival margin undulating and the females with a wider connexivum than in males. Additional diagnostic features are found on the male genitalia: the cup-like sclerite with rounded apex and broad adjacent sclerotized rounded protuberances, the apical margin of the posterior opening of the pygophore with medial process, the arms of the basal plate curved to form a rounded foramen and the apex of the dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute, with broad lateral prolongations that project angularly towards the apex of the phallosoma. This species most closely resembles P. fuliginosa , but can be differentiated from it by the long, erect setae, the shape of the pronotum, parascutellar lobe and connexivum, as well as the hemelytron length.

Etymology

The name ractepilosa is a noun in apposition to describe the erect setation throughout the body of this species.

Material examined

Holotype

INDONESIA: ♀, Sulawesi Tengah, Lore Lindu National Park, Marena Forest , 1.51666° N, 120.18333° E, 650 m, 14–17 Dec. 1985, J. Krikken leg. ( UCR_ENT 00014061 ) ( RMNH).

Paratypes

INDONESIA: Sulawesi Tengah (Central Sulawesi): 1 ♂, Lore Lindu National Park, Marena Forest, near river, 1.51666° S, 120.18333° E, 600 m, 14–17 Dec. 1985, J. Krikken leg. ( UCR _ENT 00023400) ( RMNH); 4 ♀♀, same collection data as preceding ( UCR _ENT 00023401– UCR _ENT 00023404) ( RMNH). – Sulawesi Utara (North Sulawesi): 1 ♂, Dumoga Bone National Park, Mt Mogogonipa, 0.45° N, 123.93305° E, 1000 m, 22–25 Aug. 1985, J. Huijbregts leg. ( UCR _ENT 00023999) ( RMNH).

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. Medium, total length 9.19 mm, SD ± 0.67 (Appendix).

COLORATION ( Figs 15 , 18 ). Brown. Head brown. Scape and pedicel of antenna straw-colored with brown suffusion, basiflagellomere brown, distiflagellomere basally brown, apically straw-colored. First and second segment of labium straw-colored, third segment brown. Anterior lobe of pronotum brown with straw-colored ridges, posterior lobe straw-colored, scutellum dark brown basally, straw-colored apically including scutellar apex, pleuron dark brown with straw-colored suffusion, sternum dark brown. Corium of hemelytron brown, membrane brown. Femora of legs straw-colored with medial and apical brown annulations, tibiae brown with basal and apical straw-colored brown annulations, tarsi and claws strawcolored. Abdomen dorsally yellow, ventrally brown with straw-colored suffusion laterally, anterior half of connexivum dark brown, posterior half straw-colored, exposed part of pygophore brown.

VESTITURE. Generally densely setose. Head with widespread long, erect setae, ventral surface of postocular lobe with sparse, setigerous tubercles, with pair of long, straight setae on postocular lobe posterior to ocelli. Anterior lobe of thorax with irregular row of tuberculated, long, erect setae on lateral margins and on dorsal ridges, posterior lobe with long, erect setae on humeral angle and sparsely distributed along dorsal surface. Corium of hemelytron with long, erect setae. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibia with regular rows of tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Posterior margin of connexivum of abdomen with long, fine setae.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate truncate apically; scape not reaching apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view, less than 1/5 length of head.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections acute, diverging; surface of anterior lobe with raised ridges; median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina strongly defined; anterior pronotal lobe shorter and narrower than posterior lobe, lower than posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe rounded; scutellum rounded triangular, scutellar process long, apex subacute.

HEMELYTRON. Not reaching tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Same as genus description.

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid, with straight terminal margin; connexival margin undulating, posterior margin not elevated.

Male

Similar to females, but do not seem to have as many long, erect setae and connexivum not as wide.

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 sharply emarginate, with medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore broad, margin of anterior opening angular, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening with small medial process; cup-like sclerite apically rounded, with adjacent paired round protuberances; arms of basal plate rounded; ductifer membranous; apex of endosomal struts tapered and divided into two arms basally; shape of apex of dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute with broad lateral prolongations that project angularly towards apex of phallosoma.

Ecology

Specimens were collected in multistorey evergreen forests using fish traps.

Distribution

This species is only known from the type locality in Central Sulawesi and another locality in northern Sulawesi.

Remarks

A female specimen is chosen as the holotype for this species because the long, erect setae covering the body are not as obvious in the two male specimens available. One of the males was collected from the same collecting event as the females and shares all other diagnostic characters. The unique setation may be sexually dimorphic. Additional male specimens will be required to determine this. The male was dissected and the genitalia described here show that this species is very different from any other species of Physoderes .

Figures

Fig. 8. Dorsal view of the male pygophore in species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov., Macrophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see keys on pages 37 and 66.

Fig. 15. Dorsal habitus images for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). For an explanation of the colored arrows, see key on page 66. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 18. Ventral habitus images for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 19. Dorsal view of the phallus in species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial).

Fig. 20. Distribution map for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial).