Melanotelus sordidus Distant

Kondorosy, El Ő D, Lyal, Christopher Henry Coutts & Webb, Michael Donald, 2006, Nomenclatorial changes in Oriental Lygaeinae seed bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae), Zootaxa 1383, pp. 45-56 : 53-54

Melanotelus sordidus Distant

M. sordidus Distant, 1918a: 180 –181.

Lygaeosoma sordida (Distant) , Slater, 1964: 72.

Melanotelus sordidus Distant, Slater & Sperry, 1973: 157 . New placement: Lygaeosoma sordidum (Distant) , comb. nov.

Material examined. Syntype Ψ Melanotelus sordidus Distant , with the following labels: 1. museum circular red-margined label with “ TYPE ” pr; 2. “ Melanotelus sordidus type Dist.” hwr; 3. “Nandidrug, S. India. T.V. Campbell” pr; 4. “26 2” hwr; 5. “S. India. E.A. Butler. 1915-60 ” pr.

Other material, syntypes (?) (see “Introduction - Distant’s Indian types from T.V. Campbell”).

2ɗɗ, with the following labels: 1. “N. Dg. [= Nandidrug] 10. 13.” hwr. on underside of specimen mount). 2. “South India T. V. Campbell Coll. B. M. 1930-599.” pr; 3. “ Lygaeosoma sordidus Dist ” hwr, “C. H. Lyal det. 1977” pr.

Remarks. Originally described from an unspecified number of specimens from “South India; Nandidrug (T.V Campbell).”. This species is similar to L. pusillum (Dallas) , but its head is mostly red and the abdomen dark. The synonymy of these two species is possible, but needs further investigation. L. contaminatum Distant is also another possible synonym ( Chopra and Rustagi, 1982). Based on the registration dates, only the first mentioned of the above material examined predates Distant’s description of the species. It is possible however that the remaining specimens are syntypes (see “Introduction - Distant’s Indian types from T.V. Campbell”).

We consider sordidus to belong in Lygaeosoma (and not Melanotelus , as stated by Slater & Sperry, 1973), because it has long curved erect dorsal pubescence, hemelytra veins pale, and the connexivum bicoloured, features that are absent in Melanotelus .