Tribe Eurybrachini Stål, 1862

The tribe Eurybrachini Stål, 1862 was defined by Schmidt (1908) with the following distinctive features: (1) clavus open; (2) claval veins not fused in clavus; (3) infra-ocular spine present.

This tribe is restricted to the Oriental region and contains five genera (Schmidt 1908; Metcalf 1956; Constant 2006): Eurybrachys Guérin-Méneville, 1834, Messena Stål, 1861, Nicidus Stål, 1858, Purusha Distant, 1906 and Thessitus Walker, 1862 .

Identification key to the genera of Eurybrachini

1. Posterior wings wider than tegmina, with maximum width near base; general colouration of tegmina whitish, with a bright red marking on underside in males (Fig. 1F) .............. Thessitus Walker, 1862

– Posterior wings narrower than tegmina, sometimes as wide as tegmina but then with maximum width near apex; general colouration of tegmina not whitish, no bright red marking on underside of tegmina in males (Fig. 1 A–E)............................................................................................................ 2

2. Posterior wings about as wide as tegmina, with maximum width near apex; general colour of tegmina chocolate brown (sometimes covered in white wax) (Fig. 1E) ....................... Purusha Distant, 1906

– Posterior wings narrower than tegmina; general colour of tegmina not chocolate brown (Fig. 1 A–D)........................................................................................................................................ 3

3. Tegmina very elongate and narrow, at least 3.3 times longer than wide (Fig. 1D) ............................. ................................................................................................................................ Nicidus Stål, 1858

– Tegmina not more than 2.8 times longer than wide (Fig. 1 A–C) ...................................................... 4

4. Shorter, maximum length: 14 mm; membrane of tegmina short, representing less than ⅓ of tegmina length (Fig. 1 A–B)................................................................... Eurybrachys Guérin-Méneville, 1834

– Larger, minimum length: 20 mm; membrane of tegmina representing half of tegmina length (Fig. 1C)................................................................................................................ Messena Stål, 1861