Physoderes manni, Davranoglou, Leonidas Romanos, 2014

Davranoglou, Leonidas Romanos, 2014, A new micropterous species of Physoderes from Fiji Islands (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Physoderinae), Zootaxa 3838 (2), pp. 233-241 : 234-239

Physoderes manni sp. nov.

Type locality. FIJI: Viti Levu Island.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂(micropterous): ‘’ FIJI: Viti Levu Is./ Monasavu Cloud Forest, FIT/ 17°44’49’’S 178°02’11’’E / 25-26.vii. 2007, 800m alt./ FIT trap/ coll.D.J. Mann & E.Slade/ OUMNH-2007-068’’

PARATYPES (n= 6♂, 2 ♀, 1 nymph): Same data.

Differential diagnosis. Distinguished within Physoderes by the combination of the following characters: head about 4 times longer than width across eyes ( Figs. 1–2 ); anteocular portion 2 times longer than postocular; transverse sulcus behind eyes incospicuous; ocelli absent ( Figs. 1–3 ); scapus slightly surpassing apex of clypeus; (meso) scutellum undifferentiated ( Figs. 1, 4 ); anterior pronotal lobe more voluminous than rest of thorax, 2.6 times larger than posterior lobe ( Figs. 1–2, 4 ); micropterous, metathoracic wings entirely absent ( Fig. 4 ); mesosternum with a short, densely setose bilobed ridge; mediotergites strongly sclerotised (Figs. 1,7–8); sternites largely fused, sternite VII triangular in males, U-shaped in females ( Figs. 5–6 ).

Description. Micropterous male ( Figs. 1–4 , 6, 8–18 ).

Colouration. General colouration dark to light brown ( Fig. 1 ); head dark brown, dorsoapical portion of postocular with a stramineous suffusion ( Fig. 1–2 ); eyes light brown; pedicellus, scapus and basiflagellum dark brown basally, gradually becoming light stramineous towards apex; distiflagellomere almost completely stramineous; labial segments II–IV as head colour, the latter two gradually lightened towards apex ( Fig. 3 ); neck with stramineous suffusion dorsally, dark brown ventrolaterally; pronotum dark brown, collum darker than rest of pronotum ( Figs. 1–2, 3 ); meso- and metanotum dark brown, scutellar rudiment and wings darker; abdomen light brown, borders of intersegmental sutures dark brown, epipleurites (= dorsal laterotergites) with faint, stramineous suffusions distally ( Figs. 7–8 ); legs dark brown, femora provided with two stramineous annuli: a narrow subbasal and a wider subapical annulus, with a dark band between them ( Figs. 9–11 ); basal portion of tibiae with a yellow suffusion of varying length; tarsi stramineous; perispiracular elevation white; vestiture light stramineous.

Integument and vestiture. Integument strongly sclerotised, shining, covered in parts by distinct setigerous tubercles and granules, the setae often coated with a waxy secretion. Dorsal surface of head almost completely bare, with irregular patches of stiff, club shaped setae on postocular, antennifer and clypeus ( Fig. 2 ); scapus and pedicellus with appressed, short setae; flagellomeres with filliform setae; neck glabrous; bilobed ridge on mesosternum with a tuft of clubbed setae; femora with adherent, club shaped setae ( Figs. 9–11 ); tibiae with several rows of semi erect, club shaped setae; connexival margin with clubbed setae at distal portion of each epipleurite (= dorsal laterotergites) ( Figs. 7–8 ); mediotergites nearly bare; sternites and hypopleurites (= ventral laterotergites) with sparse, appressed setae ( Figs. 5–6 ); pygophore covered with dense, waxy setae dorsally ( Fig. 6 )

Structure. Body stout, broad. HEAD ( Figs.1–3 ): elongate, 4.2 times longer than width across eyes, almost as long as pronotum; anteocular portion 2 times longer than postocular; postocular portion globular in dorsal view; eyes small, nearly hemispherical, strongly protruding in dorsal view; ocelli absent; transverse interocular sulcus inconspicuous; mandibular plates short and wide; maxillary plates long, quadrangular, rounded at apex; antenniferous tubercle small and rounded, far from eyes ( Fig. 2 ); scapus the thickest and longest antennal segment, barely surpassing apex of clypeus; pedicellus almost as long as scapus, slightly impressed medially; preflagelloid distinct, around 1/8th of length of basiflagellum; flagellomeres subequal in size; gula slightly convex in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ); labium slender and straight, apex attaining prosternum; segment II the thickest labial segment, not reaching base of eyes; segment III longest segment, thickest at its base ( Fig. 3 ); segment IV the shortest segment; neck as long as postocular.

THORAX ( Figs. 1, 2, 4 ): Pronotum as wide as long, consisting of two distinct lobes, anterior lobe being most voluminous, inflated, wider than long, 2.6 times longer than posterior lobe, its lateral margin covered by setigerous tubercles ( Fig. 4 ); collar narrow, anterolateral angles not prominent (Fig. 2,4); disc glabrous, with inconspicuous sculpture and 1+1 faint submedian carinae extending to posterior lobe, with a shallow fovea between them ( Fig. 4 ); posterior lobe with fewer setigerous tubercles than anterior lobe; mesonotum short, with 1+1 callosities towards its lateral margin and an inconspicuous impression in between; metanotum reduced to a transverse strip; (meso)scutellum undifferentiated, represented by a transverse rudiment; mesothoracic wings reduced to small, nonarticulating flaps, metathoracic wings entirely absent ( Fig. 4 ); thoracic pleura largely fused; prosternum with a smooth, drop shaped stridulitrum; mesosternum transverse, with a short, bilobed ridge; metasternum small, with a pronounced median longitudinal carina.

LEGS ( Figs. 1 , 9–11 ): Moderately long and stout, irregularly covered by tubercles and granules, many of which are setigerous; coxae small; trochanters elongate; fore and mid femora incrassate, strongly tuberculate, with two short processes basally and one or two apically ( Figs. 9–10 ); hind femur smooth, devoid of any armature ( Fig. 11 ); tibiae slightly bent at base; fore tibia with several rows of small setigerous tubercles, provided ventrally with several pronounced, downwards facing spiniferous processes ( Fig. 9 ); dorsal portion of fore tibia devoid of processes, apex provided a short tibial spur also bearing a spiniferous process, ventrolateral portion with a tibial comb; mid tibia covered by several rows of setigerous tubercles, dorsal portion with several prominent spiniferous processes ( Fig. 10 ); ventral portion of mid tibia smooth; hind tibia completely smooth ( Fig. 11 ); tarsi 3 segmented, claws simple, symmetrical.

ABDOMEN ( Figs. 1 , 5–8 ). Nearly circular in dorsal aspect, strongly sclerotised, dorsum rugose; mediotergites I-III fused, bearing 1+1 distinct horizontal carinae ( Fig. 1 ); vestige of intersegmental suture of mediotergite III clearly visible; dorsal abdominal gland orifices pronounced, only present in mediotergites IV–VI ( Fig. 8 ); epipleurites(= dorsal laterotergites) IV –VI broad, slightly more than half the length of their respective mediotergites (Figs. 1,7–8); sternites narrow, largely fused, insinuated medially ( Figs. 5–6 ); sternite VI strongly insinuated medially, providing the underlying sternite VII with a triangular appearance ( Fig. 6 ), the latter being strongly rugose in its distal portion; hypopleurites (= ventral laterotergites) narrow; spiracle I situated on anterolateral angle of syntergite I–III ( Fig.1 ); remaining spiracles situated at the borders of sternites II–VII and their respective hypopleurites; lateral margin of segment VII conspicuously emarginated ( Fig. 8 ).

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs. 12–18 ): Pygophore as in Figs. 12–13 ; anterior and posterior apertures separated by a curved, narrow transverse bridge; lateral margin of anterior aperture strongly tuberculate in dorsal view; cuplike sclerite immovably fused to pygophore, provided with a broad angular process ( Fig. 13 ). Parameres: L-shaped ( Figs. 14–16 ), stem straight, crown very broad, trapezoidal, provided with several sensilla-bearing tubercles ( Fig. 13 ). Phallus ( Figs. 17–18 ): articulatory apparatus subquadrate ( Fig. 17 ); capitate processes parallel to each other; ponticulus transversalis narrow; aedeagus elongate ovoid; endosomal struts as in Fig. 7 , parallel, fused to each other at base and apex, but not medially, apically being contiguous with a broad, truncate dorsal phallothecal sclerite ( Figs. 17–18 ); struts sclerotised at fusion areas; surface of endosoma (as seen from phallothecal mouth) covered with short denticles.

MEASUREMENTS (average, n=7): Total body length 7.30; length of head 2.10; anteocular part 1.00; postocular part 0.50; width across eyes 0.90; interocular distance 0.50; length of antennal segments I:II:III (including preflagelloid):IV =0.60:0.54:0.50:0.49; lengths of labial segments I:II:III = 0.60:1.43:0.38; length of pronotum 2.20; greatest width of pronotum 2.40; length of anterior pronotal lobe 1.60; length of posterior pronotal lobe 0.60; length of pregenital abdomen in dorsal view 3.50; greatest width of pregenital abdomen 3.50; length of fore femur1.70; mid femur1.64; hind femur1.76; fore tibia 1.70; mid tibia 1.64; hind tibia 1.90; fore tarsus 0.50; mid tarsus 0.38; hind tarsus 0.50.

Paratype female ( Figs. 5, 7 , 19 ): Like male, with a slightly smaller pronotum, sternite VII rounded, U-shaped ( Fig. 5 ) and lateral margin of abdominal apex rounded in dorsal view ( Figs.5, 7 ).

GENITALIA ( Fig. 19 ): Tergite IX broad basally, gradually narrowing apically into a tapered apex; valvifer VIII elongate oval, with a spiracle at its base; valvula VIII very small, rounded.

MEASUREMENTS (average, n=2): Total body length 5.60; length of head 1.70; anteocular part 0.96; postocular part 0.50; width across eyes 0.90; interocular distance 0.60; length of antennal segments I:II:III (including preflagelloid):IV =0.56:0.52:0.50:0.50; length of labial segments I:II:III = 0.60:1.20:0.26; length of pronotum 2.10; greatest width of pronotum 2.38; anterior pronotal lobe1.30; posterior pronotal lobe 0.83; length of pregenital abdomen 3.60; greatest width of pregenital abdomen; fore femur 1.60; mid femur1.45; hind femur1.72; fore tibia1.66; mid tibia1.53; hind tibia 1.90; fore tarsus 0.50; mid tarsus 0.40; hind tarsus 0.50.

Last instar (?) nymph ( Fig. 20 ): Colouration. Considerably paler than adult. Anterior pronotal lobe light yellowish brown; abdomen dull grey; head, legs, meso-and meta thorax and dorsal abdominal gland orifices darker than rest of body. Structure. General aspect stouter that adult. Head arrow-shaped, 2 times longer than width across eyes and 1.4 times longer than anterior lobe of pronotum; anteocular portion 2 times longer than postocular; anterior pronotal lobe 1.8 times wider than long; wing pads completely absent; abdomen highly membranous, with tufts of clubbed setae along its lateral margin; dorsal abdominal gland orifices prominent; legs stout, with armature similar to that of adult; tarsi 2 segmented.

MEASUREMENTS (n=1): Total body length 5.10; length of head 1.30; anteocular part 0.80; postocular part 0.30; width across eyes 0.80; interocular distance 0.60; lengths of antennal segments I:II:III (including preflagelloid):IV = 0.45:0.40:0.30:0.35; lengths of labial segments I:II:III = 0.35:0.75:0.12; length of pronotum 1.50; greatest width of pronotum 2.00; anterior pronotal lobe 1.00; posterior pronotal lobe 0.30; length of pregenital abdomen 2.50; greatest width of pregenital abdomen 2.70; fore femur 1.25; mid femur1.00; hind femur 1.10; fore tibia 0.95; mid tibia 1.00; hind tibia 0.90; fore tarsus 0.20; mid tarsus 0.35; hind tarsus 0.40.

Etymology. It is a pleasure to dedicate this new species to Darren Mann, Head of Life Collections, OUMNH, outstanding specialist of dung beetles and cockroaches and collector of this new species.

Distribution. Viti Levu Island, Fiji.

Habitat ( Fig. 21 ). The specimens were collected by Flight Interception Traps (FITs) in a mountainous (800 m altitude) cloud forest, characterized by high soil moisture and persistent cloud cover and rainfall (D. Mann, pers.comm.). The species presumably lives in leaf litter.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Physoderes manni sp. nov., 1, male holotype, dorsal view, 2, male paratype, head, dorsal view, 3, head, lateral view, 4, pronotum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 5 – 11. Physoderes manni sp. nov., 5, female paratype, ventral view, arrow showing U-shaped sternite VII, 6, male paratype, ventral view, arrow showing triangular sternite VII, 7, female paratype, shape of abdominal apex, 8, male paratype, shape of abdominal apex, 9, left fore leg, 10, right mid leg, 11, left hind leg.

FIGURES 12 – 18. Physoderes manni sp. nov., genitalia of male paratype, 12, pygophore, ventral view, 13, pygophore, dorsal view, 14 – 16 right paramere, three different aspects, 17, phallus, dorsal view, 18, phallus lateral view.

FIGURES 19 – 21. Physoderes manni, sp. nov., 19, genitalia of female paratype, caudal view, 20, fifth (?) instar larva, dorsal view, 21, type locality.