Menida (Menida) versicolor ( Gmelin, 1790 )

Tsai, Jing-Fu & Rédei, Dávid, 2009, The identity of shield bugs described by Francis Walker from Taiwan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), Zootaxa 2152, pp. 43-54 : 48-49

Menida (Menida) versicolor ( Gmelin, 1790)

Menida histrio ( Fabricius, 1787) (Cimex) . Syntypes: „Tranquebariae” [ India]; ZMUC. Junior primary homonym of Cimex histrio Linnaeus, 1758 .

Cimex versicolor Gmelin, 1790: 2155 . New name for Cimex histrio Fabricius, 1787 .

= Pentatoma bengalensis Westwood, 1837: 36 . Syntype (s): „Bengalia” [ India]; OXUM. Synonymized by Distant 1901: 815.

= Rhaphigaster quinquemaculatus Walker, 1868: 567 . Syntype (s): „ Formosa ” [= Taiwan]; MVMA; lost? (K. Walker, M.D. Webb, pers. comm.). New synonymy.

For a complete list of synonyms, see Rider 2006: 320.

Main references for Menida versicolor and its synonyms. Distant 1902: 228 (as histrio , redescription, record from Taiwan); Esaki 1926: 150 (as histrio , records from Taiwan, host plants and agricultural importance); Hsiao & Zheng 1977: 113 (as histrio , redescription, drawing of head, photo, listed from Taiwan); Tomokuni 1993: 232 (as bengalensis , redescription, colour photo, listed from Taiwan); Rider 2006: 320 (catalogue, listed from Taiwan).

References for Rhaphigaster quinquemaculata . Lethierry & Severin 1893: 200 (catalogue, as of unknown identity); Distant 1900: 435 (list, type depository); Kirkaldy 1909: 240 (catalogue, as of unknown identity); Kirkaldy 1910: 111 (list, as of unknown identity); Esaki 1926: 150 (list); Hoffmann 1935: 99 (catalogue, as of unknown identity).

Discussion. According to the original description, the type (s) of Rh. quinquemaculata were deposited at the MVMA; however, currently they cannot be located there (K. Walker, pers. comm.). The specimen(s) were also not found in the BMNH (M.D. Webb, pers. comm.).

In the 19th century, most authors applied the generic name Rhaphigaster for different, otherwise not closely related genera bearing a well-developed spiniform median process on the second abdominal sternite. As a consequence, several species of the current Menida were originally described in combination with the generic name Rhaphigaster . Walker himself also described several species within Rhaphigaster , many of which were subsequently transferred to Menida (cf. Kirkaldy 1909; Rider 2006). The original description of Rh. quinquemaculata perfectly fits with M. versicolor , a common Oriental pentatomid, also frequent in Taiwan. The complex colour pattern of the body described in detail by Walker does not occur in any other pentatomid known from Taiwan, nor any Oriental species known to us. Because of all of the above circumstances, we are fully convinced about the synonymy of Rh. quinquemaculata with M. versicolor .