Thaumastocoris safordi Noack, Cassis & Rose

Noack, Ann E., Cassis, Gerasimos & Rose, Harley A., 2011, Systematic revision of Thaumastocoris Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), Zootaxa 3121, pp. 1-60 : 50-52

Thaumastocoris safordi Noack, Cassis & Rose n.sp.

(Figures: 8C,D; 16A–H; 19E)

Etymology. This species is named in honour of John Saford, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, for his generous support of Thaumastocoris research.

Holotype: 3, NEW SOUTH WALES: Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush. Showgrounds area, 33°50’54”S 151°04’02”E, 29 June 1999, ex Eucalyptus maculata , 55895, UWS, IPM unit (AM). Paratypes: 13, 2Ƥ same data as holotype (AM; UNSW); 23, 1Ƥ Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush, b/w showground and flame site, 33°50’56”S 151°03’54”S, 17 August 2001, HA Rose and AE Noack, ex Corymbia maculata (AM; UNSW); 13 Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush, nr discus monument, 33°51’ 05”S 151°03’50”E, 21st Sept 2001, AE Noack, ex Corymbia citriodora (AM); 1Ƥ Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush nr showgrounds, 33°50’54”S 151°04’02”E, 21 September 2001, AE Noack, ex Corymbia maculata (AM); 13, 1Ƥ, Cromer, 22 February 1989, EE Taylor, ex Eucalyptus nicholii (AM); 13, 1Ƥ, Sydney, North Epping, 20 July 1988, R Meys, ex Eucalyptus maculata (AM); 13, Sydney Jackie’s Café, corner Liverpool and Sussex St, 21 June 1995, G Cassis (AM); 23, 1Ƥ, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush, nr discus monument, 33°51’05”S 151°03’50”E, 21 September 2001, AE Noack, ex Corymbia citriodora (AM); 13, 3Ƥ, Sydney Holsworthy Public Primary School, 33°57’04”S 151°03’58”E, 20 September 2001, AE Noack, ex Corymbia maculata (AM; UNSW). 1Ƥ, Shoalhaven State Forest, Nowra, 34°53’52S 150°34’20E, 31 May 2001, NR Andrew, ex Acacia falcata ( NAPC); 13, Shoalhaven State Forest, Nowra, 34°53’52S 150°34’20E, 8 August 2001, NR Andrew, ex Acacia falcata ( NAPC). QUEENSLAND: 13, Brisbane, 6 April 1963, C Speed (QM); 13, 3Ƥ, Mulgowie, 8 September 1981, MD Peart, open forest, ex Eucalyptus maculata , B425, (QM); 23, Murgon, 26°04.720’S 151°54.111’E, R Nadel, 20 May 2008, ex Corymbia variegata (AM); 63, 6Ƥ, Silver plantation, 26°30.049’S 151°49.900’E, R Nadel, 20 May 2008, ex Corymbia variegata . (AM); 23, 6Ƥ, Cobbs Hill plantation, nr Murgon 26°04.720”S 151°54.111”E, 13 August 2004, AE Noack, ex Corymbia variegata (AM); 33, 1Ƥ, Cobbs Hill plantation, nr Murgon, 26°04.720”S 151° 54.111”E, 14 September 2005, AE Noack, ex Corymbia variegata (AM).

Diagnosis. Thaumastocoris safordi can be recognised by the following characters: slender body, costal margins subparallel ( Figure 8 C,D); distinctive tubercle on anterolateral angle of pronotum ( Figure 16 E); pygophoral lock basally invaginated; paramere apically recurved ( Figure 19 E). It can be distinguished from T. slateri , which also has the distinctive tubercle on the pronotum, by the male genitalia (cf. Figure 19 F); the pygophoral lock of T. slateri is not invaginated basally but weakly flared; and the paramere of T. slateri is flat and not recurved apically as in T. safordi . Furthermore, these two species differ in their body shape: T safordi having a slender subparallel body shape and the abdomen of T. slateri is laterally expanded beyond the costal margins, which is visible from above (cf. Figure 9 A,B). In addition, T. safordi is smaller and more polished than T. slateri .

Description. Submacropterous. Male length 2.41–2.65, width 0.71–0.77; female length 2.41–2.69, width 0.86–0.98. Colouration. Dorsum yellowish brown with contrasting straw-coloured to dark brown markings (Figure 8C,D). Head: mostly yellowish cream; vertex and clypeus darker; lateral aspect of mandibular plates and genae with light brown stripe; genae, gula and bucculae straw-coloured. Antennae: mostly straw-coloured; subapical half of AIII and apical two-thirds AIV dark brown to fuscous. Labium: LI–LIII straw-coloured; LIV laterally and apically dark brown. Pronotum: mostly yellowish brown; pronotal disc cream-coloured medially ( Figure 8 C,D). Thoracic pleura and sterna: mostly straw-coloured; propleura lighter ventrally; mesosternum yellowish brown to dark brown. Scutellum : dark brown anteriorly, posterior half of midline straw-coloured. Hemelytra: mostly yellowish brown; clavus more cream-coloured; corium darker medially; membrane cream, distal half infused with dark brown ( Figure 8 C,D). Legs: mostly straw-coloured, with distal two-thirds of second tarsomere dark brown. Abdomen: uniformly yellowish brown. Texture. Dorsum polished, with scattered shallow to deep setose punctures. Head: vertex mostly impunctate, polished, with transverse puncticulate rows sometimes visible, punctures shallow; epicranial suture with shallow to moderately deep irregular punctures; mandibular plates with sparse irregular punctation, denser posteriorly, punctures shallow, sometimes obscure ( Figure 16 A). Pronotum: callosite region polished, mostly impunctate, sparse shallow punctation on anterolateral angles, denser along midline; pronotal disc densely and regularly punctate, punctures deep, posterolateral angles impunctate ( Figure 16 E). Thoracic pleura and sterna: propleuron with dorsoposterior area of fine punctures submarginally; metapleura marked by single row of fine punctures dorsoposteriorly ( Figure 16 F); thoracic sterna impunctate, mesosternum strongly polished medially. Scutellum : densely and regularly punctate, punctures deep and fine, midline polished posteriorly. Hemelytra: clavus and corium with uniform and moderate distribution of deep punctures, as on pronotal disc ( Figure 8 C,D). Abdomen: impunctate, highly polished. Vestiture. Dorsum with uniform distribution of setose punctures, setae short, erect, straw-coloured. Lateral and ventral aspects of body, with irregular distribution of elongate, strawcoloured, decumbent setae ( Figure 16 F), most densely distributed on ventral mandibular plates, adjacent to bucculae ( Figure 16 B), prosternum and medial mesopleura. Antennae: uniform distribution of decumbent setae intermixed with fine erect setae; AIII–AIV with same setae on lateral margins, otherwise bare ( Figure 16 D). Male genitalia: pygophore with sparse fine setae; pygophoral lock with area of dense setae medially; paramere with sparse irregular setae, denser medially ( Figure 19 E). Structure. Head: mandibular plates elongate, surpassing clypeus by more than clypeal length, just touching to completely contiguous medially, flared anteriorly, moderately to strongly concave dorsally, lateral margins strongly recurved ( Figure 16 A); bucculae strongly arcuate, weakly explanate posteriorly ( Figure 16 B). Eyes: moderately pedicellate. Antennae: AI and AII cylindrical, AIII and AIV dorsoventrally compressed; AII slightly expanded distally; AIV weakly lanceolate ( Figure 16 D). Labium: short, reaching anterior margin of prosternum ( Figure 16 B). Pronotum: strongly constricted medially; callosite region and disc subequal in length, disc a little broader; callosite region strongly depressed along midline; anterolateral angle with distinctive tubercle ( Figure 16 E); lateral margins of disc weakly arcuate. Thoracic sterna: prosternum weakly swollen anteromedially. Hemelytra: at rest extending to basal third of pygophore; medial margin of corium weakly excavate distally; apex of corium at membrane moderately narrowed, medial margin less than 45° to costal margin ( Figure 8 C,D). Legs: forecoxal separation subequal to slightly wider than coxal width; fore and mesofemora incrassate; fossula spongiosa elongate, reaching distal margin of second tarsomere; 3 foretibial teeth, 3–4 mesotibial teeth, without metatibial teeth. Male Genitalia: pygophoral lock subquadrate, concave apically, invaginated basally; paramere subrectangular, recurved apically ( Figure 19 E).

Measurements. See Table 2.

Distribution. Thaumastocoris safordi is known from eastern Australia, with a significant distributional disjunction between the Sydney Basin and southeast Queensland ( Figure 21 B).

Host plants. Thaumastocoris safordi has relatively broad host range and is known from three species of Corymbia , and a single species each of Eucalyptus and Acacia ( Table 3 ). Thaumastocoris safordi was collected from much of the Sydney basin in small numbers on C. citriodora and C. maculata during a survey to ascertain the extent of T. peregrinus infestation in 2002 ( Noack 2009). Concurrently, in south east Queensland, this species was heavily infesting plantations of C. variegata (Lawson et al 2010) ( Figure 1 B).

Remarks. Thaumastocoris safordi has increased in numbers since being first collected in 2002 ( Noack 2009), and now many Corymbia spp. street trees planted in the Sydney basin are displaying the yellowish faded green colouration of infestation (AEN, personal observation). Noack and Rose (2007) have studied its life-history in the laboratory.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Habitus, dorsal view. A and B Thaumastocoris roy. C and D Thaumastocoris safordi. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Habitus, dorsal view. A and B Thaumastocoris slateri. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 16. Scanning electron micrographs: Thaumastocoris safordi. A 3 head, dorsal view. B 3 head, ventral view. C 3 head, lateral view. D 3 antenna, lateral view. E 3 pronotum, dorsal view. F 3 thorax, lateral view. G 3 genitalia, ventral view. H Ƥ genitalia, ventral view. t = tubercle. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 19. Male genitalia. A. Thaumastocoris nadeli, ventral view. B. Thaumastocoris peregrinus, ventral view C. Thaumastocoris petilus, ventral view D. Thaumastocoris roy, ventral view E. Thaumastocoris safordi, ventral view F. Thaumastocoris slateri, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 21. Distribution map. A. Thaumastocoris ohallorani, T. peregrinus and T. petilus B. Thaumastocoris roy, T. safordi and T. slateri.

FIGURE 1. A. Thaumastocoris peregrinus damage on Eucalyptus scoparia, Sydney, Australia. (photo J Kaapro) B. Thaumastocoris safordi damage of Corymbia variegata plantation, 30 km southwest Casino, NSW, Australia. (photo A Carnegie).