Macrophysoderes grandis, 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 : 50-53

Macrophysoderes grandis gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:496917F0-28BC-4B33-B2D6-BBAB58A084C8

Figs 8–12 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among other species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov. by its very large size, the elongate conical head, the scape surpassing the apex of the clypeus, the bulbous eye that reaches the ventral margin of the head in lateral view, the truncate antero-lateral pronotal projection, the anterior pronotal lobe being distinctly narrower than the posterior lobe, and the short and spatulate scutellar process. This species is distinctive based on these characters, especially its large size.

Etymology

The name grandis is an adjective after the Latin “grandis”, meaning large, to describe the exceptionally large size of this species.

Material examined

Holotype

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ♂, Morobe Province, Bulolo , 7.20472° S, 146.63166° E, 1010 m, light trap, 23 Aug. 1956, E.J. Ford Jr. leg. ( UCR_ENT 00052314 ) ( BPBM).

Paratype

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: 1 ♀, same collection data as holotype but 28 Aug. 1956 ( UCR _ENT 00073625) ( BPBM).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Very large size, total length 11.58 mm.

COLORATION ( Figs 10–11 ). Brown with straw-colored markings. Head brown. Scape and pedicel of antenna straw-colored with brown suffusion, basiflagellomere brown, distiflagellomere straw-colored with brown base. First segment of labium light brown, second segment basally and apically brown, medially straw-colored, third segment brown. Pronotum brown, scutellum basally brown to dark brown, apically straw-colored or light brown, pleuron brown, sternum brown and straw-colored. Corium and membrane of hemelytron brown. Femora of legs straw-colored with sub-basal and apical brown annulations, tibiae straw-colored with basal, medial and apical brown annulations, tarsi and claws strawcolored. Abdomen dorsally dull yellow, ventrally light brown medially with brown and straw-colored sub-lateral patterns, anterior half of connexivum dark brown, posterior half straw-colored.

VESTITURE. Glabrous. Head with some flat, curved setae, ventral surface of postocular lobe with a few curved setae, with pair of long, straight setae on postocular lobe posterior to ocelli. Anterior lobe of thorax with irregular row of tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and glabrous dorsal surface, posterior lobe glabrous. Corium of hemelytron glabrous. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibiae with a few prominent tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Connexival margin of abdomen glabrous.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape surpassing apex of clypeus; eye distinctly projecting in dorsal view, about 1/5 length of head, reaching ventral margin of head in lateral view; height of anteocular lobe shorter than postocular lobe.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections truncate; surface of anterior lobe smooth, ridges almost obsolete; paramedian carina strongly defined; posterior lobe medially weakly rugose; anterior pronotal lobe shorter than posterior lobe, narrower than posterior lobe, anterior lobe level with posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe bell-shaped, skewed towards median; scutellar process short, apex spatulate; mesosternite with median, irregular, tuberculated protrusion between fore and mid coxae.

HEMELYTRON. Surpassing tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Fore femur distinctly incrassate.

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid, with straight terminal margin; connexival margin slightly undulating.

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 sharply emarginated, without medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore narrow, margin of anterior opening rounded, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening smooth; cup-like sclerite apically rounded and rim ventrally sclerotized; arms of basal plate rounded; ductifer with sclerotized rounded ring; endosomal struts conical, with subacute apex, basally divided into two plates; dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute, with lateral, broad, plate-like prolongations and short plates extended diagonally.

Female

Similar in size, shape and color to male, except with lighter colored scutellum.

Ecology

This species is only known from two specimens caught in a light trap set at an altitude of 1010 m.

Distribution

This species is known only from the type locality of Bulolo, northeast Papua New Guinea.

Remarks

This species shares characters with M. cirripilosa gen. et sp. nov., including the setose conical head, the very large eyes and the shape of the parascutellar lobe.

Figures

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.