Macrophysoderes, 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 : 36-39

Macrophysoderes gen. nov.

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Figs 7–12 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This genus is recognized among genera of Physoderinae by often having a glabrous, sparsely setose pronotum (except for M. cirripilosa gen. et sp. nov., M. elongata gen. et sp. nov. and M. finisterre gen. et sp. nov.), the eyes being very large and distinctly projecting in dorsal view and sometimes attaining the ventral margin of the head in lateral view, the anterior pronotal lobe narrower or slightly narrower than the posterior lobe, the antero-lateral pronotal projection often being truncate, but sometimes acute, and the margin of the anterior opening of the pygophore being rounded in lateral view. Macrophysoderes gen. nov. is most similar to Physoderes , but is distinguished by the very large and distinctly projecting eyes in most species, the males with the anterior pronotal lobe narrower than the posterior lobe and by the glabrous pronotum.

Etymology

The name combines Physoderes after the type genus of Physoderinae and the Greek adjective “macro” to indicate the large size of the eyes. The gender is feminine.

Type species

Physoderes modesta Miller, 1940 .

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Ranging from small to very large, 7.80–11.58 mm.

COLORATION ( Figs 7 , 10–11 ). Variable, from straw-colored to dark brown. Head, pronotum, legs and corium of similar lighter coloration, annulation patterns of hind femur variable, scutellum and claval region with darker coloration.

VESTITURE. Glabrous or densely setose with tuberculated, curved setae.

HEAD. Elongate or short conical; maxillary plate truncate or rounded apically; scape length variable; eye distinctly projecting in dorsal view except in M. elongata gen. et sp. nov., sometimes attaining ventral margin of head in lateral view; height of anteocular lobe shorter or level with postocular lobe, ocelli present.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired pronotal projection truncate or acute, oriented anteriorly or diverging; surface of anterior lobe smooth, anterior pronotal ridges almost obsolete or low; median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus in both sexes except in M. cirripilosa gen. et sp. nov. and M. elongata gen. et sp. nov.; paramedian carina variably defined; posterior lobe medially rugose; anterior pronotal lobe equal to or shorter than posterior lobe, narrower or slightly narrower than posterior lobe in males, anterior lobe lower than or level with posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe shape variable, either triangular, bell-shaped or rounded and skewed towards median; scutellum rounded triangular, length of scutellar process variable from very short to long, shape of apex variable; mesosternite with median, irregular, tuberculated protrusion between fore and mid coxae except in M. elongata gen. et sp. nov.

HEMELYTRON. Macropterous, length variable.

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

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid, with straight or rounded posterior margin; connexival margin smooth or slightly undulating, posterior margin not elevated.

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 undulating or sharply emarginated, with or without medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore of variable width, margin of anterior opening rounded or angular, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening smooth; cup-like sclerite apically variable; arms of basal plate converging or curved to form rounded foramen; ductifer with membranous or sclerotized ring of variable shapes; endosomal struts of variable shapes; dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute, with lateral, broad, plate-like prolongations of variable sizes.

Female

Most often similar in size, shape and color to male except with wider abdomen.

Ecology

Not much is known about the biology. A few species are known to occur at higher elevations (1000– 2000 m). One specimen of M. cirripilosa gen. et sp. nov. was collected from a log and another from a light trap.

Distribution

This genus currently comprises 8 species and is widely distributed across Southeast Asia and Australasia, and can be found in the Bengal region, peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The highest species diversity for this genus is found on the island of New Guinea.

Key to species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov.

1. Head elongate conical, scape not reaching apex of clypeus ( Fig. 10 , black arrow)........................2

– Head short conical, scape reaching or surpassing apex of clypeus ( Fig. 10 , grey arrow)................4

2. Hind femur brown, with basal and subapical straw-colored annulations ( Fig. 10 , pink arrows) .. ........................................................................................... M. histrionica ( Miller, 1940) comb. nov.

– Hind femur brown, with single basal straw-colored annulation ( Fig. 10 , white arrow).............3

3. Anterior two-thirds of connexivum dark brown, posterior third straw-colored ( Fig. 10 , dark blue arrow), anterior margin of male mediosternite 8 without apodeme, apical margin of posterior opening of pygophore smooth, without medial process, cup-like sclerite smooth, apically rounded ( Fig. 8 , black arrow) ............................ M. monticola ( Miller, 1940) comb. nov.

– Connexivum dark brown, posterior margin straw-colored ( Fig. 10 , light blue arrow), anterior margin of male mediosternite 8 with apodeme, apical margin of posterior opening of pygophore with small medial process, cup-like sclerite apex with a medial process ( Fig. 8 , grey arrow) ... ............................................................................................... M. modesta ( Miller, 1940) comb. nov.

4. Dorsal surface of pronotum glabrous ( Fig. 10 , orange arrow)......................................................5

– Dorsal surface of pronotum, at least along ridges, with dispersed curved setae ( Fig. 10 , brown arrow).................................................................................................................................................6

5. Very large (11.58–12.66 mm), scape surpassing apex of clypeus, head with pair of long, straight setae along posterior margin of postocular lobe, antero-lateral pronotal projections truncate ( Fig. 10 , orange arrow) .......................................................... M. grandis gen. et sp. nov.

– Medium (9 mm), scape reaching apex of clypeus, head without pair of long, straight setae along posterior margin of postocular lobe, antero-lateral pronotal projections acute and diverging ...... ........................................................................................ M. bengalensis ( Distant, 1909) comb. nov.

6. Medium to very large (9.47–11.11 mm), scutellar process short and spatulate ( Fig. 10 , light green arrow), fore femur extremely incrassate, abdomen relatively long ...... M. elongata gen. et sp. nov.

– Small to very large (7.16–11.01 mm), scutellar process subacute or rounded, not spatulate ( Fig. 10 , green arrow), fore femur not extremely incrassate, abdomen not elongated........................7

7. Body brownish-black, scape just surpassing apex of clypeus, scutellar process very short, connexivum narrow, abdominal apical margin straight ( Fig. 10 , light purple arrow) ................... ............................................................................................................... M. finisterre gen. et sp. nov.

– Body straw-colored and brown, scape reaching apex of clypeus, scutellar process short, connexivum wide, abdominal apical margin rounded ( Fig. 10 , purple arrow) .................................... ............................................................................................................... M. cirripilosa gen. et sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 7. Dorsal habitus images for junior synonym holotypes of species in Breviphysoderes gen. nov. and Macrophysoderes gen. nov. Scale bars = 2 mm.

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. 10. Dorsal habitus images for species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov. and Nanophysoderes gen. nov. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see key on page 37. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 11. Ventral habitus images for species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov. and Nanophysoderes gen. nov. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 12. Distribution map for species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov.