Genus Trachylestes Stål, 1868

Trachylestes Stål, 1868: 111 . Type species: Reduvius aspericollis Stål, 1859, by monotypy.

Trachylestes Stål, 1874: 25 (as subgenus of Gminatus Stål, 1859).

Penthikocleptes Miller, 1958: 77, 79. Type species: Penthikocleptes australicus Miller, 1958, by original designation. Synonymised by Malipatil (1991: 938).

The genus has been adequately diagnosed by Malipatil (1991), as below.

Redescription. Body. Length 6–10 mm.

Head. Longer than pronotum, vertex and postocular part with setigerous tubercles, a deep transverse groove at level of posterior margin of eyes separating anterior and posterior parts, ocelli widely separated. Antennal segment 1 as long as head and anterior pronotal lobe together. Labial segment 1 shorter than segment 2.

Thorax. Pronotum medially longitudinally sulcate and armed with setigerous tubercles, lateral angles of collar produced. Scutellum with a Y-shaped carina, apically spatulate. Hemelytra exceeding apex of abdomen; corium and clavus with short, curved setae. Legs slender, covered with setae.

Abdomen. Connexival outer margins setose.

Male genitalia. Pygophore (e.g., Fig. 7) with posterior margin conspicuously produced. Paramere long, slender (e.g., Fig. 9). Endosoma with groups of sclerotised processes of various sizes (e.g., Figs. 10 & 11).

Notes. The genus is related to Catasphactes Stål, 1866 but differs from the latter in having the pronotum, particularly the anterior lobe, covered with several minute tubercles, each tubercle provided with a bristle (pronotum without tubercles in Catasphactes).

Distribution. Throughout Australia except Tasmania.