Ptilocerus papuensis, Malipatil, 2018

Malipatil, M. B., 2018, First record of the genus Ptilocerus in the Australian Region, with the description of two new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Zootaxa 4410 (1), pp. 177-189 : 186-188

Ptilocerus papuensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 2b , 13–15)

Type specimens: Holotype male, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Popondetta , 27–28.ii.1966, G. Monteith, in QM . Paratype female, Mt Lamington, 1300–1500 ft [396–457 m], NE Papua, C.T. McNamara, in SAM.

Description. Body above and below stramineous, eyes dark brown, hemelytral membrane broadly irregularly pale along corial inner margin, then indistinctly banded along anterior margin alternating with fuscous, pale and fuscous bands ( Fig. 13).

Body. Body and appendages covered with distinct setae except hemelytral membrane; abdominal trichome present, without conspicuous tuft of setae but only with a weak comb of short setae near tip of spout ( Figs. 14 & 15 ).

Thorax. Apical part of vein M directed towards and ending near anterior margin of membrane ( Fig. 2b ).

Abdomen. Venter with sternites II and III appear to be fused but with distinct intersegmental suture, trichome distinctly developed ( Figs. 14 & 15 ), middle of posterior margin of sternum II with a conical and swollen spout, remainder of sternum II on either side of spout obliquely slopy and covered particularly on the anterior area with scale like setae, area below tip of spout with a short transverse opening ( Fig. 15 ), surrounded by a set of small tuft setae, and associated with another set of fine narrow scale like setae; anterior margin of sternum III with short setae arranged in a row but not continuous in middle ( Fig. 15 ).

Measurements (holotype female, followed by paratype female). Total length 6.0, 5.6; maximum width 2.40, 2.50. Head: Head length 0.64, 0.73, width across eyes 0.87, 0.90, interocular space 0.50, 0.50, interocellar space 0.34, 0.35, eye-ocellar space 0.09, 0.08, eye length 0.18, 0.20, eye width 0.19, 0.17; length of labial segments: first visible 0.78, 0.78, second visible 0.16, 0.16, third visible 0.20, 0.20; length of antennal segments: I, 0.34, 0.40; II, 2.52, 2.50; III, 0.27, 0.27; IV, 0.39, 0.39; pronotum median length 0.75, 0.75, maximum width 1.40, 1.61; scutellum length 0.27, 0.25, width 0.69, 0.65; hemelytral length 4.14, 4.10; corium length 1.19, 1.20.

Distribution. Papua New Guinea.

Etymology. The species epithet alludes to its type locality.

Notes. Ptilocerus papuensis sp. nov. is the first representative of this genus described from Papua New Guinea.

This species appears to differ from P. fuscus , the type species of the genus Ptilocerus , in some major external morphological characters such as the hemelytral membrane with apical part of vein M directed towards and ending near its anterior margin ( Fig. 2b ) (in P. fuscus , membrane vein M is directed towards and ending near its apical margin), and the trichome on abdominal sternum II is quite different, sternum II has a conical swollen spout, apex of spout with a short transverse slit opening below and without a distinct tuft of hairs around it ( Fig. 15 ) (in P. fuscus , sternum II is medially swollen, without transverse slit but with conspicuous tuft of hairs around the opening.

Because of these major character differences, the placement of this species in the genus Ptilocerus must be considered as only tentative. The information on the condition of these characters in all the other currently included species in the genus Ptilocerus is very scanty at present. Therefore, until this is rectified, and until a thorough morphology and molecular based phylogenetic analysis has been conducted of all the species currently included in the genus, thought it advisable to place this species in the existing genus Ptilocerus , than creating a new genus for its placement. Additionally, appears the two new species described in this paper and P. immitis by not possessing a conspicuous anterodistal angulation on the membrane might form a distinct clade within Ptilocerus or potentially they should be removed from Ptilocerus .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Ptilocerus hemelytra: a, P. spangenbergi; b, P. papuensis. [ai, inner apical cell; bi, inner basal cell; Cu + AA 1+2 vein; M, vein.]

FIGURE 15. Ptilocerus papuensis, paratype female, ventral view with trichome (Tr) enlarged.