Physoderes Westwood, 1845

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 : 66-69

Physoderes Westwood, 1845

Figs 8–9 , 13–20 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This genus is recognized among other genera of Physoderinae by the scape reaching the apex of the clypeus, the parascutellar lobe being rounded and skewed towards the median, the males having an enlarged anterior pronotal lobe, wider than or equal to the width of the posterior lobe (except in P. nigripennis sp. nov., P. ractepilosa sp. nov. and P. muluensis sp. nov.), the median pronotal depression not being contiguous with the transverse sulcus (males) and by males having a membranous ductifer. This genus is most similar to Epiroderoides Villiers, 1962 , but can be differentiated from it based on the anterior pronotal shape in males and the shape of the parascutellar lobes.

Type species

Physoderes notata Westwood, 1845 , by monotypy.

Redescription

Male

BODY LENGTH. Size variable, total length 6.08–11.03 mm (Appendix).

COLORATION ( Figs 14–18 ). Variable, from straw-colored to dark brown. Head, anterior pronotal ridges, posterior pronotal lobe, legs and corium of similar lighter coloration, anterior pronotal lobe, scutellum and claval region with darker coloration.

VESTITURE. Sparsely to densely setose with curved, fine or erect setae, with pair of long, straight setae on posterior margin of postocular lobe (except in P. nigripennis sp. nov. and P. nigroalbus ).

HEAD. Elongate or short, conical; maxillary plate most often rounded apically; scape never distinctly surpassing apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view except in P. nigripennis sp. nov. and P. tricolor sp. nov., less than 1/5 length of head and never reaching ventral margin of head in lateral view; ocelli present; height of anteocular lobe shorter than postocular lobe except in P. anamalaiensis sp. nov. and P. mysorensis sp. nov.

THORAX. Shape of antero-lateral paired pronotal projection variable; surface of anterior pronotal lobe most often with low ridges; median pronotal depression not contiguous with transverse sulcus except in species without enlarged anterior pronotum; paramedian carina variable; posterior lobe medially rugose; length of anterior pronotal lobe variable, wider and higher than or equal to posterior lobe except in P. nigripennis sp. nov., P. ractepilosa sp. nov. and P. muluensis sp. nov.; parascutellar lobe rounded and sometimes skewed towards median, except in P. brevipennis sp. nov.; scutellum rounded triangular except in P. azrael and P. curculionis , length of scutellar process and shape of apex variable; mesosternite with median irregular tuberculated protrusion between fore and mid coxae.

HEMELYTRON. Macropterous, never surpassing tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Fore femur distinctly incrassate, tarsi three-segmented.

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid except in P. brevipennis sp. nov. and P. curculionis , with rounded terminal margin except in P. ractepilosa sp. nov.; shape of connexival margin variable, posterior margin only slightly elevated in P. nigripennis sp. nov.

GENITALIA. Variable (see species descriptions for details).

Female

Females with anterior pronotal lobe narrower and lower than posterior lobe, with median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse depression.

Ecology

Species from this genus are found in a variety of living and dead plant materials and in the undergrowth. Specimens have been collected from pitfall traps and carrion traps and have been found at up to 1200 m elevation.

Distribution

This genus is the most widespread of the subfamily, and species distributions cover the entire known range of Physoderinae in the Old World except in the Afrotropics. Species can be found in Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippine archipelago, Sulawesi, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Fiji Islands.

Remarks

Physoderes notata is the type species of Physoderes by monotypy and the clade that includes P. notata and P. nigripennis sp. nov. derived from the phylogenetic analysis above is recognized as the revised Physoderes .

Key to species of Physoderes

1. Scutellum semicircular ( Fig. 14 , white arrow), transverse bridge of pygophore narrow ( Fig. 8 , yellow arrow).....................................................................................................................................2

– Scutellum triangular ( Fig. 14 , grey arrow) transverse bridge of pygophore broad ( Fig. 8 , dark blue arrow).......................................................................................................................................3

2. Small (7.23–7.90 mm), anterior pronotal lobe longer than posterior lobe, hemelytron not reaching tip of abdomen, abdomen ovoid, connexivum slightly undulating ( Fig. 14 , orange arrow) ..................................................................................................... P. curculionis China, 1935

– Of medium size (8.14–8.83 mm), anterior and posterior pronotal lobes equal in length, hemelytron reaching tip of abdomen, abdomen elongate ovoid, connexivum smooth, not undulating ( Fig. 14 , brown arrow) .............................................................. P. azrael Kirkaldy, 1905

3. Anterior pronotal lobe narrower than posterior lobe in males ( Fig. 15 , black arrows)......4

– Anterior pronotal lobe wider than posterior lobe in males ( Figs 14 , 15 , green arrows)....7

4. Fore femur slender, slightly incrassate, hemelytron not reaching tip of abdomen ( Fig. 15 , orange arrows)................................................................................................................................................5

– Fore femur distinctly incrassate, hemelytron reaching tip of abdomen ( Fig. 15 , brown arrow)....6

5. Small-medium size (6.99–8.21 mm), without long, erect setae ( Fig. 15 , light purple arrow), scape reaching apex of clypeus, paramedian carina weakly defined, anterior pronotal lobe level with posterior lobe in lateral view, parascutellar lobe rounded and skewed towards median .................... ............................................................................................................................ P. muluensis sp. nov.

– Medium-large size (8.32–10.19 mm), body covered with long, erect setae ( Fig. 15 , purple arrow), scape not reaching apex of clypeus, paramedian carina strongly defined, anterior pronotal lobe lower than posterior lobe in lateral view, parascutellar lobe rounded and straight ........................ .......................................................................................................................... P. ractepilosa sp. nov.

6. Head elongate and conical, maxillary plate truncate apically, scape reaching apex of clypeus, eye distinctly projecting in dorsal view, antero-lateral pronotal projection truncate, hemelytron entirely black ( Fig. 15 , brown arrow) ........................................................... P. nigripennis sp. nov.

– Head short and conical, maxillary plate rounded apically, scape not reaching apex of clypeus, eye hemispherical in dorsal view, antero-lateral pronotal projection acute and diverging, basal half of hemelytron dark brown, apical half off-white ( Fig. 15 , red arrow) ..................................... ................................................................................................................ P. nigroalbus Breddin, 1903

7. Brachypterous ( Fig. 14 , light blue arrow) ....................................................... P. brevipennis sp. nov.

– Macropterous.....................................................................................................................................8

8. Parascutellar lobe rounded and skewed towards median ( Fig. 15 , light blue arrow)...........9

– Parascutellar lobe rounded and straight ( Fig. 15 , dark blue arrow)......................................10

9. Anterior pronotal lobe shorter than posterior lobe, lobes level with each other in lateral view, hemelytral membrane basally dark brown, apically off-white ........................... P. tricolor sp. nov.

– Length of anterior pronotal lobe equal to that of posterior lobe, anterior lobe higher than posterior lobe in lateral view, membranous portion of hemelytron uniformly brown .................................... ................................................................................................................... P. notata Westwood, 1845

10. Height of anteocular lobe shorter than that of postocular lobe, scutellar process long and slender ( Fig. 14 , grey arrow).........................................................................................................................11

– Height of anteocular and postocular lobes equal, scutellar process broad ( Fig. 15 , white arrow)...................................................................................................................................................13

11. Hemelytron reaching tip of abdomen ....................................................... P. fuliginosa ( Stål, 1870)

– Hemelytron short, not reaching tip of abdomen...........................................................................12

12. Large (10.5 mm), scape reaching apex of clypeus, anterior pronotal lobe distinctly wider than posterior lobe ( Fig. 14 , green arrow) ............................................................ P. esakii Cao et al., 2011

– Of medium size (8.10–9.03 mm), scape not reaching apex of clypeus, anterior pronotal lobe marginally wider than posterior lobe ( Fig. 14 , dark green arrow) ....................... P. minime sp. nov.

13. Large (10.52–10.96 mm), males with apodeme on mediosternite 8, transverse bridge of pygophore broad ( Fig. 8 , dark blue arrow), margin of anterior opening of pygophore rounded in lateral view, with sclerotized, angular ductifer ....................................... P. mysorensis sp. nov.

– Of medium size (8.91–9.82 mm), males without apodeme on mediosternite 8, transverse bridge of pygophore narrow ( Fig. 8 , yellow arrow), margin of anterior opening of pygophore angular in lateral view, with membranous ductifer ............................................. P. anamalaiensis sp. nov.

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. 9. Dorsal view of the phallus in species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov., Macrophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). Scale bars = 0.20 mm.

Fig. 13. Distribution map for species of Nanophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (in part).

Fig. 14. Dorsal habitus images for species of Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). For an explanation of the colored arrows, see keys on page 63 and 66. Scale bars = 2 mm.

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. 16. Dorsal habitus images for junior synonym holotypes of species in Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (except P. minor = paratype). Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 17. Ventral habitus images for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). 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).