Brachysandalus crassifemur ( Reuter, 1881 )

Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2024, Revision of Australian Brachysandalus with the description of nine new species including one cavernicolous species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), and observations on male extragenital structure and leg teratology, Zootaxa 5490 (1), pp. 1-112 : 17-22

Brachysandalus crassifemur ( Reuter, 1881)

( Figs. 6 , 7 )

Pirates (Brachysandalus) crassifemur Reuter, 1881: 313 . Type locality: Australia.

Pirates crassifemur : Lethierry & Severin (1896: 125).

Brachysandalus crassifemur : Maldonado Capriles (1990: 345).

Peirates crassifemur : Cassis & Gross (1995: 340).

Type specimen examined. Lectotype (present designation), macropterous female, Typus, australia, crassifemur Typ. Reut., NHRS-GULI 000000119 ( NHRS).

Other specimens examined. [all macropterous]. QUEENSLAND. 1 male (dissected), Theodore, 21.xi.1951, J. Letchford, Peirates Brachysandalus crassifemur Reuter, N.C.E. Miller det. 1955 ( QM); 1 female, Isisford, 16. x.1933, M. Robertson ( QM); 1 female, Amby, 22–27.xi.1979, H. E. & M. A. Evans & A. Hook ( QM); 1 female, Brisbane, ii.1953, R. M. Beames, Pirates Brachysandalus crassifemur Reuter N.C.E. Miller det. 1955 ( QM); 1 male, Gatton 1. 8. 51 R. A. Locan, Brit. Mus. 1955-438., Pirates (Brachysandalus) crassifemur Reuter N.C.E. Miller det. 1955 ( NHM). NEW SOUTH WALES. 1 male (dissected), Caldwell, vi.1953, V. Robb ( MV); 1 female, 90 km W of Wilcannia 315m 31.43S 142.41E, 16.xi.2000, leg. A. Podussany, I. Rozner, George Hangay, G.& K. Hangay Collection ( ANIC). VICTORIA. 1 male, no locality, J. E. Dixon ( MV); 3 males, 1 female, Dooen, 6.x.1990 ( VAIC), 1 male, 1 female, same locality, 27.xii.1990, at light, I. G. Faithfull ( VAIC); 1 male, Longerenong, 15.vi.1995, in pitfall trap, P. A. Horne ( VAIC); 1 female, Hattah, Mallee, 3.14, Dixon ( MV); 1 female, Lake Hattah ( MV); 5 females, Lake Hattah, Jan. 1940, J. E. Dixon, JE Dixon Collection ( MV); 1 male, 1 female, Horsham, 22.xi.1991, MV light, field peas ( VAIC); 2 females, Portland, 1.14, Dixon ( MV). SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 1 male, Koonchera, WH Goyder Lagoon, 30.viii.1975, J. Blyth ( MV); 1 female, Stirtons old campsite, Etudunna Stn via Marrie, M. & E. Archer ( WAM); 1 female, Adelaide Dist. W. E. Hodson. Brit. Mus. 1922-51. ( NHM); 1 male, Australia. H. J. Hillier. 1905-232., Killalpanima, 100 miles E. of L. Eyre ( NHM). WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 1 male, 1 female, Guildford, 2.ix.1964, R. P. McMillan ( WAM); 1 male, Dumbleyung, 27.x.1962, H. Udell leg. ( WAM); 1 male, Billy Well Ck, 20 km NE Mt Sandiman HS, 11–17.v.1981, 378-8, B. Hanich & T. F. Houston ( WAM); 1 male, North of Tom Price, 19.i.1974, A. M. & M. J. Douglas ( WAM); 1 male, Duck Ck, Tom Price Rd, 22.29S 116.04E, 18.i.1974, A. M. & M. J. Douglas ( WAM); 1 male, Well 40, Salt Flats, NSE IV, 15.xii.1971 ( WAM); 1 (abdomen missing), Midland, 35-2013 ( WAM); 1 male, 1 female, Geraldton, J. Clark ( MV); 1 female, 21.35S 117.05E, Millstream-Chichester N. P., 2.5 km NE by E of Ranger Station, 28.iv.2003 T. Weir ( ANIC); 1 male, York, 14.x.1981, R. P. McMillan ( WAM); 1 female, W. Australia: Carnarvon. E. L. Grant-Watson. ( NHM). AUSTRALIA. 1 female, ephippiger White , 329., Distant Coll. 1911-383 ( NHM).

Diagnosis.

Macropterous male and female known, body medium sized. Dark brown, most parts of legs, connexivum, and abdomen posterior including apical half of sternite VII yellow ( Fig. 6 ); hemelytron with a yellow, oval spot involving apical 1/2 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins Pcu+1A and Cu ( Fig. 6A ). Fore femur armed below with two rows of brown tubercles, outer tubercles large and conical, inner ones minute, ventral surface of mid femur densely covered with short blackish brown bristly setae ( Fig. 6B&C ); fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa only about 1/3 its length ( Fig. 6B&C ); in male, left side of abdominal sternite VII with a small, triangular extragenital process with apex pointed, located near posterior margin of sternite VII ( Figs. 55H , 56H ); male genitalia with median pygophore process spatulate, pointed apically but broader pre-apically, blade of process near base constricted in lateral view ( Fig. 7C ), inner margin of lateral phallothecal sclerite irregularly corrugated with a relatively longer process at lower angle ( Fig. 7I ).

Redescription.

Macropterous male and female ( Fig. 6 )

Colouration ( Fig. 6 ): Dark brown.Antenna, labium, legs (except coxae and apices of tibiae brown), connexivum, and abdomen posterior including apical half of sternite VII yellow; hemelytron with a yellow, oval spot involving apical 1/2 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins Pcu+1A and Cu, membrane slightly paler, with a yellow, curved, small spot near base of costal margin.

Structure ( Figs. 6 , 7 ): Body medium sized. Body wholly covered with golden, short pilosity; head, pronotum, scutellum, outer margin of corium and lateral margin of connexivum with yellow to yellowish brown, suberect setae; legs with golden to yellowish brown, long setae, ventral surface of mid femur also with blackish brown, short bristles.

Head: Anteocular region elongate triangular, clypeus near its base slightly elevated above mandibular plates. Interocular region with arcuate convex sulcus at posterior border of eyes, a small pit near base. Postocular region almost rounded to neck. Neck with lateral tubercles not obvious. Antennae with all segments covered with short golden pilosity and sparse longer setae; scape thickest, pedicel thinner, then basi- and distiflagellum thinnest. Eyes relatively large, reniform, almost reaching dorsal and ventral margins of head in lateral view, width of eye shorter than half width of interocular space in dorsal view. Ocelli moderately developed, slightly raised, separated from each other by more than diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by about diameter of single ocellus in male while separated from each other by almost twice diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by slightly more than diameter of single ocellus in female.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum with distinct stripes, covered with golden pubescence, sulci indistinct, except shallow median longitudinal sulcus in basal 2/3. Posterior pronotal lobe short, arcuately quadrate, integument finely rugulose, humeri rounded, posterior margin arcuate but somewhat straight in middle. Scutellum with disc depressed, scutellar process knob-shaped, horizontal to weakly directed obliquely in lateral view. Propleuron with integument finely faintly granulate, smoothly pilose, set off from dorsal surface by a faint carina. Mesopleuron integument minutely granulate, sparsely pilose. Metapleuron with integument finely granulate but granules do not striate, metapleural sulcus distinctly bicarinate and arcuate, pilose with whitish dense hairs posteriorly. All sternites with tiny granules in median part, moderately pilose. Mesosternum with disc raised, metasternum with disc tumid and flat in middle. Hemelytron exceeding tip of abdomen in male and nearly reaching to slightly exceeding tip of abdomen in female.

Legs: Fore leg with coxa with whitish pilosity; trochanter unarmed, sparsely hairy; femur strongly fusiform, greatly incrassate near base narrowing distally, armed below with two rows of brown tubercles, outer tubercles large and conical, inner ones minute; tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 tibial length. Mid leg with coxa globular; femur only slightly thickened, ventral surface densely covered with short blackish brown bristly setae; tibia with short whitish to golden pilosity for whole length, fossula spongiosa only about 1/3 its length. Hind leg with coxae close to each other; femur cylindrical; tibia with brush of setae, denser at apex. Tarsi cylindrical, denser short pilosity ventrally.

Abdomen: In male, venter of abdomen with a median ridge running from posterior portion of second abdominal sternite to posterior portion of seventh abdominal sternite, weakly curved to right side of body; left side of sternite VII with a small, triangular extragenital process with apex pointed, located near posterior margin of sternite VII ( Figs. 55H , 56H ). Connexivum with golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum. Spiracles situated below connexival suture, about halfway between anterior and posterior margin of each segment. Each spiracle with two impressed shiny roundish areas, one postero-ventrally and one anteriorly near anterior margin of segment. In female, same as male, venter of abdomen also slightly carinate in middle, all sterna appearing narrow medially except VII very enlarged ( Fig. 6B ).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ): Median pygophore process straight and oblique to right side, venter strongly ridged in caudal view ( Fig. 7B ); spatulate, pointed apically but broader pre-apically, blade of process near base constricted in lateral view ( Fig. 7C ). Parameres ( Fig. 7D&E ) elongate, outer surfaces densely covered with golden to yellowish brown hairs, left paramere ( Fig. 7D ) broadly elongate compared with right paramere ( Fig. 7E ), right paramere more falcate.Phallus ( Fig. 7F–I ) in resting condition with basal plate subequal to basal plate bridge( Fig. 7F ),pedicel slightly curved and shorter than basal plate ( Fig. 7H&I ); length of struts distinctly longer than half length of phallosoma ( Fig. 7F ); apex of dorsal phallothecal sclerite rounded ( Fig. 7F ); lateral phallothecal sclerite subquadrangular, inner margin irregularly corrugated with a relatively longer process at lower angle ( Fig. 7I ); pair of slender sclerites near base of venter of phallosoma moderately sclerotized ( Fig. 7G ).

Measurements: [ranges of two males and three females]. Body length 14.63–16.61 (♂), 15.11–16.09 (♀); maximum width of abdomen 4.00–4.18 (♂), 4.21–4.68 (♀); length of head 2.14–2.50 (♂), 2.10–2.13 (♀); length of anteocular region 0.90–1.11 (♂), 0.89–0.90 (♀); length of postocular region 0.47–0.48 (♂), 0.48–0.49 (♀); width of head across eyes 1.52–1.68 (♂), 1.60–1.67 (♀); width of interocular space 0.71–0.73 (♂), 0.71–0.72 (♀); width of interocellar space 0.31–0.33 (♂), 0.29–0.31 (♀); width of eye in dorsal view 0.40–0.49 (♂), 0.43–0.48 (♀); lengths of antennal segments I–IV 1.38–? (♂), 1.28–1.30 (♀) / 2.39–? (♂), 2.28–2.41 (♀) / 1.70–? (♂), 2.25–? (♀) /?–? (♂), 2.42–? (♀); length of visible labial segments I–III 0.79–0.80 (♂), 0.87–0.89 (♀) /?–1.12 (♂), 1.28–1.36 (♀) /?–0.87 (♂),?–0.78 (♀); length of pronotum 3.69–3.81 (♂), 3.71–3.81 (♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe 2.23–2.37 (♂), 2.29–2.39 (♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe 1.31–1.58 (♂), 1.40–1.41 (♀); width of anterior pronotal lobe 2.90–2.91 (♂), 2.93–2.98 (♀); width of posterior pronotal lobe 3.79–4.28 (♂), 4.00–4.01 (♀); length of scutellum 1.27–1.76 (♂), 1.40–1.69 (♀); width of scutellum at base 1.51–2.12 (♂), 1.62–2.38 (♀); length of hemelytron 9.95–11.00 (♂), 10.20–10.62 (♀); length of fore tibia 3.04–3.20 (♂), 3.42–3.45 (♀); length of fossula spongiosa on fore tibia 1.02–1.20 (♂), 1.06–1.10 (♀).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia). Cassis & Gross (1995) recorded this species also from the Northern Territory, but these specimens were not located and examined in the present study.

Comparative notes. This species is similar to B. ephippiger (White, 1843) in colour pattern, i.e., antennae and legs distinctly paler than other body parts and hemelytron with a yellow, oval spot involving apical 1/2 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins Pcu+1A and Cu. But it could be separated from B. ephippiger by smaller body size (body length 14.63–16.61 mm in B. crassifemur vs. body length 18.04–21.92 mm in B. ephippiger ), general paler body colour (dark brown in B. crassifemur vs. blackish brown to black in B. ephippiger ) and different shape of extragenital process (small, triangular extragenital process with apex pointed in B. crassifemur vs. upturned, spine-like extragenital process in B. ephippiger ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Brachysandalus crassifemur (Reuter, 1881), lectotype, macropterous female, habitus. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view. Red arrow indicates median carina on abdomen. Scale bar = 3.00 mm.

FIGURE 7. Brachysandalus crassifemur (Reuter, 1881), male genitalia. A–C, pygophore; D, left paramere; E, right paramere; F–I, phallus.A, G, ventral view; B, caudal view; C, H, I, lateral view; D, E, outer ventrolateral view; F, dorsal view.Abbreviations: bp, basal plate; bpb, basal plate bridge; dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite; lps, lateral phallothecal sclerite; mpp, median pygophore process; ped, pedicel; st, struts. Scale bar = 1.00 mm (for A–C); 0.80 mm (for D–I).

FIGURE 55. Close-up photos of extragenital process of Australian Brachysandalus species.A, B. sepulchralis (Distant, 1902); B, B. howarthi Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; C, B. alutaceus (Reuter, 1881); D, B. helluo Stål, 1866; E, B. ephippiger (White, 1843); F, B. punctorius Stål, 1866; G, B. flavidus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; H, B. crassifemur (Reuter, 1881); I, B. maculatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; J. B. ayyammae Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; K, B. fulvipes Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; L, B. gunbalanyae Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; M–P, B. westraliensis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. Blue arrow indicates extragenital process. Scale bar = 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 56. Illustrations of extragenital process of Australian Brachysandalus species. A, B. sepulchralis (Distant, 1902); B, B. howarthi Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; C, B. alutaceus (Reuter, 1881); D, B. helluo Stål, 1866; E, B. ephippiger (White, 1843); F, B. punctorius Stål, 1866; G, B. flavidus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; H, B. crassifemur (Reuter, 1881); I, B. maculatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; J. B. ayyammae Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; K, B. fulvipes Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; L, B. gunbalanyae Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; M–P, B. westraliensis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. Scale bar = 0.50 mm.