Thaumastocoris slateri 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 : 52-54

Thaumastocoris slateri Noack, Cassis & Rose n.sp.

(Figures: 9A,B; 17A–H; 19F)

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the late Professor James A Slater, who has been one of the most significant heteropterists of all time, had a special interest in Australian true bugs, and published significant works on the Thaumastocoridae .

Holotype: 3, QUEENSLAND: St Lucia, university of Queensland campus, nr city cat dock, 27.4938S 153.0166E, 10 July 2004, HA Rose, ex Corymbia variegata (AM). Paratypes: 13 3Ƥ, same locality data as holotype, 22 August 2004, AE Noack, ex Corymbia variegata (AM; UNSW); 4Ƥ, same locality data as holotype, 19 August 2004, AE Noack, ex Corymbia variegata (AM; UNSW).

Diagnosis. Thaumastocoris slateri can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: body large; eyes strongly pedicellate; anterolateral angle of pronotum with conspicuous tubercle; abdomen expanded beyond costal margins of hemelytra ( Figure 9 A,B). This species can be distinguished from T. safordi , which also has a distinctive pronotal tubercle, by its expanded abdomen and pygophore. Thaumastocoris safordi is quite slen- der, having a subparallel body shape, and the abdomen not expanded (cf. Figure 8 C,D). In addition, the pygophoral lock of T. slateri is elongate and weakly concave apically ( Figure 19 F), whereas in T. safordi the lock is stout and strongly concave apically (cf. Figure 19 E). Further, the hemelytra of T. slateri are relatively short, not reaching the genital capsule, whereas the hemelytra of T. safordi cover almost the entire dorsum.

Description. Submacropterous. Male length 3.08–3.20, width 0.98–1.05; female length 2.96–3.16, width 0.84–1.11. Females are darker in colouration, abdomen more expanded. Colouration. Dorsum straw to golden yellow with contrasting dark brown to fuscous markings. Head: mostly straw-coloured to golden yellow; vertex and clypeus golden yellow ( Figure 9 A,B); lateral aspect of mandibular plates and genae with fuscous stripe; genae, gula and bucculae straw-coloured. Antennae: mostly straw-coloured; subapical third of AIII and apical half of AIV dark brown to fuscous. Labium: LI–LIII straw-coloured; apex of LIV dark brown. Pronotum: mostly golden yellow, pronotal disc cream-coloured medially. Thoracic pleura and sterna: mostly golden yellow; propleura golden yellow, cream ventrally; prosternum straw. Scutellum : golden yellow anteriorly, posterior half of midline strawcoloured. Hemelytra: yellowish cream, with clavus more cream; membrane cream-coloured, medially infused with light brown ( Figure 9 A,B). Legs: mostly straw-coloured, distal half of second tarsomere dark brown. Abdomen: uniformly golden yellow. Texture. Dorsum moderately polished, with scattered shallow to deep setose punctures. Head: vertex mostly impunctate, with transverse puncticulate rows sometimes visible, punctures shallow; epicranial suture with irregular distribution of shallow to moderately deep punctures; mandibular plates irregularly punctate, denser posteriorly, punctures shallow ( Figure 17 A). Pronotum: callosite region polished, sparsely punctate, punctures shallow, denser along midline and anterolateral angles; disc densely and regularly punctate, punctures deep, posterolateral angles impunctate ( Figure 17 D). Thoracic pleura and sterna: dorsoposterior area of propleuron with fine punctures submarginally; metapleural suture marked by single row of fine punctures ( Figure 17 E); thoracic sterna impunctate, mesosternum strongly polished medially. Scutellum : densely and regularly punctate, punctures deep, midline polished posteriorly. Hemelytra: clavus and corium with uniform and moderate distribution of deep punctures, as on pronotal disc ( Figure 9 A,B). Abdomen: impunctate, moderately polished. Vestiture. Dorsum with uniform distribution of setose punctures, setae short erect straw-coloured. Lateral and ventral aspects of body, with elongate, straw-coloured, decumbent setae, most densely distributed on ventral mandibular plates, gula and prosternum ( Figure 17 B); mesosternum with irregular distribution of setae, sparse medially. Antennae: uniform distribution of decumbent setae intermixed with fine, erect setae; AIII–AIV with similar setae on lateral margins, otherwise bare ( Figure 17 C). Male genitalia: pygophore clothed in fine seta; pygophoral lock covered with fine setae, longer and thicker medially; paramere beset with irregular setae, denser medially, sparse apically ( Figure 19 F). Structure. Head: mandibular plates elongate, surpassing clypeus by more than clypeal length, contiguous posteromedially, flared anteriorly, moderate to strongly concave dorsally, lateral margins strongly recurved ( Figure 17 A); bucculae strongly arcuate, explanate posteriorly ( Figure 17 B); gula weakly excavate. Eyes: moderately pedicellate. Antennae: AI and AII cylindrical; AII slightly expanded distally; AIV weakly lanceolate. Labium: short, reaching anterior margin of prosternum ( Figure 17 B). Pronotum: Strongly constricted medially; callosite region and disc subequal in length, disc a little broader; callosite region depressed along midline; anterolateral angles with distinctive tubercle; lateral margins of disc weakly arcuate ( Figure 17 D). Thoracic sterna: prosternum weakly swollen anteromedially. Hemelytra: at rest extending to abdominal TIX; medial margin of corium straight to weakly excavate; apex of corium at membrane weakly narrowed, inner margin less than 45° to costal margin ( Figure 9 A,B). Legs: forecoxal separation subequal to slightly wider than coxal width; fore and mesofemora weakly incrassate; fossula spongiosa elongate, reaching distal half of second tarsomere ( Figure 17 F); 3–4 foretibial teeth, 2–3 mesotibial teeth, without metatibial teeth. Male Genitalia: pygophore elliptical; pygophoral lock broad basally, elongated and concave apically; paramere ovate ( Figure 17 G; 19F).

Measurements. Table 2

Distribution. Thaumastocoris slateri is only known from the type locality ( Figure 21 B), on the University of Queensland campus in suburban Brisbane.

Host plant. Thaumastocoris slateri is known only from Corymbia citriodora ssp. variegata ( Table 3 ), having been collected from the University of Queensland campus, along the river shore.

Remarks. Thaumastocoris slateri is the largest species in the genus.

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 17. Scanning electron micrographs: Thaumastocoris slateri. A 3 head, dorsal view. B 3 head and prosternum, ventral view. C 3 antenna, lateral view. D 3 pronotum, dorsal view. E 3 thorax, lateral view. F 3 foretarsus, 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.