Thaumastocoris busso Noack, Cassis & Rose

Noack, Ann E., Cassis, Gerasimos & Rose, Harley A., 2011, Systematic revision of Thaumastocoris Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), Zootaxa 3121, pp. 1-60 : 27-29

Thaumastocoris busso Noack, Cassis & Rose n.sp.

(Figures: 3C,D; 10A–H; 18B)

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition, as a local diminutive for Busselton (Western Australia), a regional centre near Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, where the species was collected.

Holotype: 3, WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Point Road Campground, Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, 34.09361S 115.01638E, 50 m, 2 December 1998, G Cassis locality code WA98-L13-H33 ( WAM). Paratypes: 13, 2Ƥ, same data as holotype (AM; UNSW).

Diagnosis. Thaumastocoris busso is recognised by the following combination of characters: body elongate; eyes pedicellate; pronotum strongly constricted medially; propleuron with large tubercle posteroventrally; abdomen strongly expanded laterally. It is distinguished by the prominent tubercle on the posteroventral angle of the propleuron. This species has a strongly expanded abdomen which is visible beyond the costal margins of the hemelytra in a dorsal view. Other Thaumastocoris species with expanded abdomens ( T. freomooreae , T. kalaako , and T. hackeri ) do not have a prominent propleural tubercle.

Description. Submacropterous. Males, length 2.61–3.08, width 1.05–1.05; females, length 2.95–2.95, width 0.96–1.06. Female slightly larger in size, with abdomen more expanded laterally. Colouration. Dorsum yellowish brown with contrasting dark brown to fuscous markings ( Figure 3 C,D). Head: mostly yellowish brown; vertex medium brown; lateral margins of clypeus and mandibular plates dark brown to fuscous; genae with fuscous stripe laterally; gula and bucculae straw-coloured. Antennae: mostly yellowish brown with dark markings; AII with subapical dark brown annulations; subapical third AIII dark brown; apical two-thirds of AIV dark brown to fuscous. Labium: LI–LIII straw-coloured; apex of LIV fuscous. Pronotum: mostly yellowish brown, pronotal disc creamcoloured medially ( Figure 3 C,D). Thoracic pleura and sterna: mostly yellowish brown, propleura cream ventrally, dark brown medially, darkening to fuscous stripe at dorsal margin; prosternum straw-coloured. Scutellum : dark brown anteriorly, paler posteriorly, posterior half of midline straw-coloured. Hemelytra: yellowish brown, with clavus more cream-coloured ( Figure 3 C,D); membrane cream, medially infused with brown. Legs: mostly strawcoloured, distal half of second tarsomere dark brown. Abdomen: uniformly yellowish brown. Texture. Dorsum moderately polished, with scattered shallow to deep setose punctures ( Figure 3 C,D; 10D). Head: vertex mostly impunctate, sometimes with transverse puncticulate rows visible; epicranial suture with irregular distribution of moderately deep punctures; mandibular plates irregularly punctate, denser and deeper posteriorly ( Figure 10 A). Pronotum: callosite region irregular distribution of shallow punctures, denser along midline and anterolateral angles; disc dense and uniform distribution of deep punctures, posterolateral angles impunctate ( Figure 10 D). Thoracic pleura and sterna: propleura with submarginal patch of deep punctures anterior to propleural tubercle ( Figure 10 E); metapleural suture marked by single row of fine punctures ( Figure 10 F); thoracic sterna mostly with irregular fine punctuation, mesosternum strongly polished. Scutellum : dense and uniform distribution of deep punctures deep, midline polished posteriorly. Hemelytra: clavus and corium with uniform distribution of deep punctures, as on pronotal disc. Abdomen: impunctate, moderately polished. Vestiture. Dorsum with uniform distribution of setose punctures, setae short, erect, straw-coloured; lateral and ventral aspects of body with fine, straw-coloured, decumbent setae, most densely distributed on ventral margin of mesopleural ( Figure 10 F), ventral aspect of mandibular plates, gula and prosternum ( Figure 10 B); mesosternum with finer, shorter setae. Antennae: uniform distribution of decumbent setae, intermixed with fine erect setae, AIII–AIV with Same setae on lateral margins, otherwise bare ( Figure 10 C). Male genitalia: pygophore clothed in fine seta, denser near genital opening; pygophoral lock with irregular distribution of setae, becoming sparse basally, lateral margin with thick, stout setae; paramere evenly beset with dense setae, elongate medially, becoming sparse apically ( Figure 18 B). Structure. Head: mandibular plates elongate, surpassing clypeus by length of clypeus, contiguous medially, flared anteriorly, concave dorsally, lateral margins strongly recurved ( Figure 3 C,D; 10A); bucculae moderately arcuate, explanate posteriorly ( Figure 10 B). Eyes: moderately pedicellate ( Figure 10 A,B). Antennae: AI and AII cylindrical; AII and AIII slightly expanded distally; AIII and AIV dorsoventrally flattened; AIV weakly lanceolate ( Figure 10 C). Labium: short, surpassing anterior margin of prosternum ( Figure 10 B). Pronotum: strongly constricted medially; callosite region and disc subequal in length, disc broader; callosite region depressed along midline; anterolateral angles moderately tuberculate; lateral margin of disc weakly arcuate ( Figure 3 C,D; 10D). Thoracic pleura and sterna: propleura with large tubercle posteroventrally; prosternum flat to weakly concave medially ( Figure 10 B,E). Hemelytra: at rest extending to abdominal TIX; medial margin of corium excavate distally; apex of corium at membrane narrowed, inner margin less than 45° to costal margin ( Figure 3 C,D). Abdomen: strongly expanded laterally, visible beyond costal margins in dorsal view. Legs: forecoxae separation subequal to slightly wider than coxal width ( Figure 10 B); fore and mesofemora strongly incrassate; fossula spongiosa elongate, reaching distal margin of second tarsomere; 4–7 foretibial teeth, 5–7 mesotibial teeth, 0–3 metatibial teeth. Male Genitalia: pygophoral lock narrowed basally, subrectangular apically with basal angle recurved, other angles rounded; paramere subquadrangular ( Figure 18 B).

Measurements. See Table 2.

Distribution. Thaumastocoris busso is known only from the type locality ( Figure 20 A).

Host plant. Unknown

Remarks. Thaumastocoris busso is one of the largest species of the genus described to date. It is easily recognised by the prominent tubercle on its propleuron, which is unique to this species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Habitus, dorsal view. A and B Thaumastocoris australicus. C and D Thaumastocoris busso. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Scanning electron micrographs: Thaumastocoris busso. A 3 head, dorsal view. B 3 head and prosternum, ventral view. C 3 antenna, dorsal view. D 3 pronotum, dorsal view. E 3 head and propleura, lateral view. F 3 thorax, lateral view. G 3 genitalia, ventral view. H Ƥ genitalia, ventral view. b = bucculae, c = clypeus, I = labium, me = mesopleuron, mp = mandibular plate, mt = metapleuron, p = paramere, pI = propleuron, ps = prosterna, py = pygophore, pyl = pygophoral lock, t = tubercle. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Male genitalia. A. Thaumastocoris australicus, ventral view B. Thaumastocoris busso, ventral view C. Thaumastocoris freomooreae, ventral view D. Thaumastocoris majeri, ventral view E. Thaumastocoris hackeri, ventral view F. Thaumastocoris hackeri, dorsal view G. Thaumastocoris ohallorani, ventral view H. Thaumastocoris ohallorani, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 20. Distribution map. A. Thaumastocoris australicus, T. busso, T. freomooreae and T. hackeri B. Thaumastocoris kalaako, T. majeri, T. macqueeni and T. nadeli.