Macrophysoderes histrionica ( Miller, 1940 ) 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 : 53-54

Macrophysoderes histrionica ( Miller, 1940) comb. nov. Figs 10–12 ; Appendix

Physoderes histrionica Miller, 1940: 554 , fig. 89.

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov. by the very large eye, the scape almost reaching the apex of the clypeus, the truncate antero-lateral pronotal projection, the glabrous pronotum, the long, subacute, brownish-black scutellar process and the hind femur being brown with two straw-colored annulations at the base and sub-apex. It most closely resembles M. modesta comb. nov., but is differentiated by the color pattern on the hind femur and the shape of the scutellar spine.

Material examined

Holotype

MALAYSIA: ♂, Sabah, N Borneo, Bettotan, nr. Sandakan , 5.28222° N, 117.59305° E, 19 Aug. 1927, C. Boden Kloss and H.M. Pendlebury leg. ( UCR_ENT 00018520 ) ( BMNH).

Paratypes

MALAYSIA: 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype but 17 Aug. 1927 ( UCR _ENT 00018506) ( BMNH); 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype but 2 Aug. 1927 ( UCR _ENT 00018502) ( BMNH); 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype but 18 Aug. 1927 ( UCR _ENT 00018505) ( BMNH).

Other material

MALAYSIA: 1 ♀, Sabah, Sandakan, 5.8333° N, 118.1167° E, 4 m, no date provided, Baker leg. ( UCR _ ENT 00030983) ( USNM); 1 ♂, same collection data as preceding ( UCR _ENT 00068916) ( AMNH).

Redescription

Male

BODY LENGTH. Medium size, total length 8.5 mm.

COLORATION ( Figs 10–11 ). Brown. Head brown. Scape of antenna straw-colored with brown apex, pedicel brown with straw-colored apex, basiflagellomere brown, distiflagellomere basally brown, apically straw-colored. First segment of labium brown, second segment straw-colored with brown base, third segment brown. Pronotum brown or dark brown, scutellum dark brown, pleuron brown or dark brown, sternum brown or dark brown. Corium of hemelytron brown or dark brown, membrane brownish-black. Fore and mid femora of legs brown, fore and mid tibiae brown with sub-basal straw-colored annulation, tarsi and claws light brown, hind femur brown with basal and sub-apical straw-colored annulations, hind tibia brown with sub-basal straw-colored annulation, tarsus and claw light brown. Abdomen dorsally yellowish-orange, ventrally straw-colored with sub-lateral dark brown suffusion, anterior two-thirds of connexivum dark brown, posterior third straw-colored.

VESTITURE. Glabrous. Head with some flat, curved setae, ventral surface of postocular lobe with sparse, setigerous tubercles, 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 fine, adpressed setae on dorsal surface, posterior lobe with short, curved setae on humeral angle and sparsely distributed along dorsal surface. Corium of hemelytron glabrous. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibiae with regular rows of tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Connexival margin of abdomen with a few clubbed setae on each segment.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape not reaching apex of clypeus; eye distinctly projecting in dorsal view, less than 1/5 length of head, not attaining ventral margin of head in lateral view; height of anteocular lobe level with postocular lobe.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections truncate; surface of anterior lobe smooth, ridges almost obsolete; median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina weakly defined; posterior lobe medially rugose; anterior pronotal lobe shorter than posterior lobe, narrower than posterior lobe, anterior lobe lower than posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe rounded, skewed towards median; scutellar process long, with subacute apex; mesosternite with median, irregular, tuberculated protrusion between fore and mid coxae.

HEMELYTRON. Surpassing tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Same as genus description.

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid, with rounded terminal margin; connexival margin undulating.

GENITALIA. Not examined.

Female

Similar in size, shape and color to male except with wider abdomen.

Ecology

Unknown.

Distribution

This species is only known from two localities in north Borneo, Sabah.

Remarks

Macrophysoderes histrionica comb. nov. shares the dark body color, head shape, general vestiture, and the shape of the parascutellar lobe with M. monticola comb. nov. and is thus transferred to the new genus to reflect the hypothesized close relationship. Examination of the type series of M. histrionica comb. nov. showed that 3 of the paratypes match the holotype of M. modesta comb. nov. more closely than M. histrionica comb. nov. and these specimens are here treated under M. modesta comb. nov.

Figures

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.