Purusha reversa ( Hope, 1843 )

Constant, Jérôme, 2020, Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XV). The Oriental genus Purusha Distant, 1906 with two new species and a key to the genera of Eurybrachini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Eurybrachidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 602, pp. 1-40 : 23-30

Purusha reversa ( Hope, 1843)

Figs 1E , 4 , 13–18

Eurybrachis (sic!) reversa Hope, 1843: 134 [described], pl. xii fig. 8 [habitus illustrated].

Purusha rubromaculata Distant, 1906b: 204 [described], syn. nov.

Eurybrachys reversa – Schaum 1850: 71 [listed in the genus Eurybrachys ]. — Walker 1851: 382 [listed]. — Atkinson 1886: 22 [redescribed as “species of uncertain position”].

Messena reversa – Gerstaecker 1895: 33 [allied to Purusha paradoxa ( Gerstaecker, 1895) ], 34 [transferred to Messena ].

Purusha reversa – Distant 1906a: 236 [described, scarce species], fig. 102 [habitus illustrated (illustration from Hope 1843)]; 1906b: 203 [type species of Purusha ], 204 [catalogued]. — Metcalf 1956: 8 [catalogued].

Purusha rubromaculata – Metcalf 1956: 9 [catalogued].

Diagnosis

Male

Easily recognized by the following combination of characters: (1) tegmina with numerous small, round, black spots on membrane, more or less arranged in rows parallel to apical margin ( Fig. 15 A–B); (2) posterior wings brown with numerous small, black-brown spots on apical half ( Fig. 15 A–B); (3) head, pro- and mesonotum brown, concolorous ( Fig. 15C ); (4) ventral margin of gonostyli without internobasal process projecting posteriorly ( Fig. 17B ); (5) anterolateral and posterolateral spines of phallus about the same size ( Fig. 17G ).

Female

Immediately recognized by the combination of the following characters: (1) tegmina with conspicuous white waxy spot at basal third, along costal margin, but without minute black spots or brown lines on membrane ( Figs 13A , 14A , 16A ); (2) posterior wings with numerous brown spots, sometimes merging together, more or less arranged in rows parallel to apical margin ( Figs 13A , 14A , 16A ); (3) head, proand mesonotum brown, concolorous ( Figs 13C , 14E , 16B ).

Differential diagnosis

Male

Easily separated from males of P. pulverosa and P. vietnamica sp. nov. (and probably P. bellissima sp. nov.) by combination of characters: (1)–(3) of diagnosis; from P. paradoxa , it is better separated based on characters (4)–(5) of diagnosis: (4) ventral margin of gonostyli with internobasal process projecting posteriorly in P. paradoxa ( Fig. 8B ); (2) anterolateral spine of phallus smaller than posterolateral one in P. paradoxa ( Fig. 8F ).

Etymology

The specific names are derived from the Latin adjectives ‘ reversa ’, meaning ‘inverted’, and ‘ rubromaculata ’, juxtaposition of ‘ ruber ’, meaning ‘red’, and ‘ maculatus ’, meaning ‘spotted’, and referring to the reddish spots on the tegmina.

Material examined

Holotype of Eurybrachys reversa ( Fig. 13 )

BANGLADESH • ♀; [Sylhet]; [24°54′ N, 91°52′ E]; “ Eurybrachis reversa Hope , Type”; “Type, Hope, Trans. Linn. Soc. XIX. p. 134, T. 12 f. 8, Coll. Hope Oxon. ”; “Type Hem: 477, Eurybrachis reversa Hope, Hope Dept. Oxford ”; OUMNH .

Holotype of Purusha rubromaculata ( Fig. 14 )

THAILAND • ♀; [Chanthaburi]; [12°36′31″ N, 102°06′14″ E]; Mouhot leg.; “ Purusha rubromaculata Dist. Type”; “Chant. Mouhot”; “68 4”; “Type”; BMNH .

The type locality for Eurybrachys reversa given by Hope (1843) is “Silhet” (= Sylhet in Bangladesh) and the one given for P. rubromaculata given by Distant (1906b), corresponding to “Chant.” on the label, is Chantabun (= Chanthaburi, Thailand).

Additional material

MALAYSIA • 1 ♀; Cameron Highlands ; [4°30′ N, 101°30′ E]; May 2005; I.G.: 34.051; RBINS • 1 ♀; Cameron Highlands ; [4°30′ N, 101°30′ E]; Mar. 2017; I.G.: 33.636; RBINS • 1 ♀; Perak, Maxewell Hill [Bukit Larut]; [4°51′44.28″ N, 100°47′34.8″ E]; alt. 3000 ft; Jun.–Jul. 1916; ex F.M.S. Museum, B.M. 1955-354; BMNH .

THAILAND • 1 ♂; Yala Province, Betong; [5°47′04″ N, 101°02′22″ E]; 27 Jun. 2015; Les Day leg.; I.G.: 34.051; RBINS • 1 ♀; “Siamese Malay States, B. B.” [Bukit Besar]; alt. 2500 ft; Annandale and Robinson leg.; “1903–127”; according to Brunetti (1923) and Woodley (2012), “B. B.” would actually be situated in Pattani Province; code N° 293; BMNH .

Examined from photographs ( Fig. 18 C–D)

THAILAND • 1 ♀; Yala Province, Betong ; [5°47′04″ N, 101°02′22″ E]; 17 Dec. 2014; S. Atdhabhan photogr .

Description

Measurements and ratios

♂: LT (n = 1): 22.6 mm; LTg/BTg = 2.1; BV/LV = 4.15; BF/LF = 1.65; LP+LM/BT = 0.7.

♀: LT (n = 4): 29.4 mm (26.6–31.5); LTg/BTg = 2.1; BV/LV = 4.4; BF/LF = 1.66; LP+LM/BT = 0.7.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 17 )

Pygofer with lateral portion of posterior margin strongly projecting in subtriangular laminate process directed posteriorly in lateral view and slightly laterally in ventral view; process narrowly rounded apically; ventral half of posterior margin excavate in lateral view; ventral portion of posterior margin straight in ventral view; dorsal portion of pygofer abruptly narrowing with posterior margin strongly excavate; anterior margin sinuate in lateral view ( Fig. 17 A–B). Anal tube large, broadly obovate, widest at about mid-length, dorsoventrally flattened; apical margin slightly emarginate in dorsal view; lateral margin bisinuate, very broadly rounded on distal ⅓ in dorsal view; lateral margin strongly undulate in lateral view; anal column at basal ¼ ( Fig. 17A, D ). Gonostyli subrectangular in lateral view, with prominent apicodorsal process; apicodorsal process laminate, projecting medially and armed with one tooth at medioanterior angle, one tooth at medioposterior angle and one strong hook laterally, curved anteroventrally on apical portion; ventral margin emarginate on distal 4/5, leaving large, parallel-sided central opening in ventral view ( Fig. 17 A–C). Phallobase robust, about as long as broad in dorsal view, with rather short, blunt basolateral process directed posterolaterally and elongate, apical, bifurcate process ventrally, sinuate in lateral view and directed postroventrally; dorsally to bifurcate process, slightly longer, apically blunt process directed posteriorly ( Fig. 17 E–G). Phallus with very complicated set of intricate processes: basal strong spine directed laterally; trispinose lateral process with basidorsal spine elongate and directed dorsally, posteroventral spine elongate, about as long as basidorsal one, directed dorsally and slightly curved anteriorly on distal portion, and apicodorsal spine incurving, sinuate, projecting mediodorsally and slightly anteriorly on distal portion; mediodorsally, pair of laterally compressed processes about as high as long in lateral view and with lateral ridged process ( Fig. 17 E–G).

Distribution

Bangladesh, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia ( Fig. 4 ).

Biology

The species was observed sitting on leaves of plants and shrubs in southern Thailand (L. Day pers. com., 2015). When disturbed, the specimen showed a specific behaviour, lifting the wings at perpendicular angle ( Fig. 18D ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Genera of Eurybrachini. A. Eurybrachys sp., ♀, dorsal view (USNM). B. Eurybrachys sp., ♂, dorsal view (USNM). C. Messena sp., ♀, dorsal view (RBINS). D. Nicidus fusconebulosus Stål, 1858, ♂, dorsal view (USNM). E. Purusha reversa (Hope, 1843), ♀, dorsal view (RBINS). F. Thessitus sp., ♂, dorsal view (RBINS). Scale bars = 10 mm.

Fig. 4. Purusha spp., distribution map.

Fig. 13. Purusha reversa (Hope, 1843), holotype, ♀ (OUMNH). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Head and thorax, dorsal view. D. Normal view of frons. E. Labels. C–E not to scale.

Fig. 14. Purusha rubromaculata Distant, 1906, holotype, ♀ (BMNH). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. C. Labels. D. Normal view of frons. E. Head and thorax, dorsal view. C–E not to scale.

Fig. 15. Purusha reversa (Hope, 1843), ♂ from Thailand, Betong (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view normal view of frons. C. Head and thorax, dorsal view. D. normal view of frons. C–D not to scale.

Fig. 16. Purusha reversa (Hope, 1843), ♀ from Malaysia, Cameron Highlands (RBINS). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view normal view of frons. C. Head and thorax, dorsal view. D. Normal view of frons. B and D not to scale.

Fig. 17. Purusha reversa (Hope, 1843), male genitalia (RBINS). A. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostylus, left lateral view. B. Pygofer and gonostyli, ventral view. C. Posterodorsal process of left gonostylus, dorsal view. D. Anal tube, dorsal view. E. Aedeagus, dorsal view. F. Aedeagus, ventral view. G. Aedeagus, left lateral view. Abbreviations: An = anal tube; G = gonostyli; Py = pygofer. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 18. Purusha reversa (Hope, 1843). A–B. ♂ in nature, Thailand, Betong, 27 Jun. 2015 (photographs by L. Day). C–D. ♀ in nature, Thailand, Betong, 7 Dec. 2014 (photographs by S. Atdhabhan). D. Defensive posture with wings raised. E. Illustration in the original description.

Fig. 8. Purusha paradoxa (Gerstaecker, 1895), male genitalia. A. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostylus, left lateral view. B. Pygofer and gonostyli, ventral view. C. Posterodorsal process of left gonostylus, dorsal view. D. Anal tube, dorsal view. E. Aedeagus, dorsal view. F. Aedeagus, left lateral view. Abbreviations: An = anal tube; G = gonostyli; Py = pygofer. Scale bar = 1 mm.