Emesopsis cirratus, Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2011

Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2011, The thread-legged bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Zootaxa 2967, pp. 21-43 : 32-35

Emesopsis cirratus n. sp.

Figures 2 F–I, 5, 6A–F

Diagnosis. This species is recognised by the following combination of characters: postocular region greatly tumid ( Figs. 2 G, 5, 6A) submacropterous with apex of forewing upturned ( Figs. 2 H, 5, 6B) and adorned with raised, pitted patterning ( Fig. 6 B), and male genitalia ( Figs. 2 F, 2I, 6C–D).

Description. Measurements (male): Body length 3.55. Head length 0.49; head width 0.40; interocular distance 0.19. AI 1.87; AII 1.36; AIII 0.84; AIV 0.32. Pronotal length 0.50; pronotal width 0.42.

Colour. As in Figures 2 H and 5. Body mostly orange-brown with cream and brown markings. Head mostly brown with bucculae and dorsum of postocular region lighter brown. Antennae mostly orange-brown, AI basally tan, apically with dark brown annulation, AIII and AIV brown. Labium: LI mostly brown with base and apex tan, LII brown, LIII orange-brown, basally tan. Pronotum mostly orange-brown, disc brown to dark brown. Scutellum and metanotum, including metanotal spine brown to dark brown. Forewings mostly cream with veins orangebrown to brown, and two dark brown markings at apicolateral and basolateral margin of discal cell; with mottled orange-brown patterning within and mesad to discal cell, and prominant brown marking at apicolateral margin of membrane. Thoracic sterna and pterothoracic pleura brown to dark brown. Legs mostly tan to orange-brown. Forecoxae mostly cream with subapical orange-brown to dark brown annulation. Meso- and metacoxae dark brown. Forefemora cream with three elongate dark brown annulations. Meso- and metafemora with two distal orangebrown to dark brown annulations, apically pale. Foretibiae mostly orange-brown with bases and apices brown. Meso- and metatibiae orange-brown. Tarsi orange-brown. Abdominal venter mostly orange-brown, basally paler, becoming dark brown towards apex, pygophore dark brown.

Texture and vestiture. As in Figures 2 G and 6A–F. Head clothed in dense white wool-like pile interspersed with long upright setae on dorsal postocular surface; setae on ventral surface short and dense. Antennae with adpressed setae of moderate length, becoming shorter on apical segments. Labium smooth, with sparse distribution of recurved setae, mostly confined to basal anterior surface of LI. Thorax covered with white wool-like pile interspersed with long setae. Coxae with long, semierect white setae. Forefemora with semiadpressed setae of moderate length, slightly longer on ventral surface. Meso- and metafemora with long semierect setae, becoming shorter and more adpressed towards apex. Tibia with shorter, semiadpressed spine-like setae. Abdomen dorsally blanketed with short velutinous silken setae, ventrally with dense wool-like pile on SI; remainder of abdominal venter with longer hairlike setae, becoming shorter apically.

Structure. As shown in Figures 2 F–I, 5, 6A–F. Submacropterous. Elongate, body margins divergent posteriorly; with elongate appendages (antennae and mid and hind legs longer than body). Head with elevated anteocular and postocular lobes, with deep interocular groove; postocular lobe circular, tumid; genae tumid. Pronotum hourglass shaped, elongate, with strong transverse constriction separating anterior and posterior lobes; callosite region tumid, circular; posterior lobe evenly raised towards concave posterior margin; humeral angles weakly tumose. Mesonotum not exposed. Scutellum small, round, weakly tumose, without spine. Metanotum subtriangular, depressed, with elongate spine, extending well beyond wing plane. Forelegs elongate, about 9/10th of body length. Forecoxae elongate, cylindrical, without armature. Forefemora elongate, fusiform, with two rows of short, weakly recurved spines, extending full length of segment. Foretibiae elongate, proximal ¾ cylindrical, apically weakly arcuate and compressed. Meso- and metacoxae globose, short, widely separated. Meso- and metafemora thin, elongate, cylindrical, weakly arcuate. Meso- and metatibiae thin, elongate, cylindrical, weakly arcuate apically. Tarsi short, 3-segmented. Claws as in Figure 6 F. Forewings, submacropterous, triangular, with apices upturned; Sc region depressed, pterostigma obscure; subbasal cell elongate, subquadrate; discal cell enlarged, not strongly tapered apically; Cu bordering posterior margin of wing, apically subperpendicular to Sc; one longitudinal vein extending from apex of discal cell. Hindwing with complete venation, hamus absent. Abdomen flattened, expanded posteriorly. Second abdominal tergite (first segment) with a small cylindrical spine, adjacent to anterior margin of segment. Male genitalia: Posteroventral margin of pygophore with upright spine. Parameres gently recurved and converging. Endosoma a membraneous sac with two pairs of lateral lobes and a single pair of medial lobes, intermixed with paired, elongate, sinuous, apically tapered endosomal spicules.

Distribution. Known only from Lord Howe Island.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ cirratus ” refers to the curled nature of the hemelytra.

Specimens examined. Holotype: Male: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Lord Howe Island: base of Intermediate Hill, on walking track to Goat House 31.561o S 159.075o E, (site LHI/GC/L18), 10 metres, G. Cassis, 16 December 2000, Lowland Mixed Forest, Howea fosteriana litter, at night (AM). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Lord Howe Island: base of Intermediate Hill, on walking track to Goat House 31.561o S 159.075o E, (site LHI/GC/L18), 10 metres, G. Cassis, 16 December 2000, Lowland Mixed Forest, Howea fosteriana litter, at night, 131Ƥ (AM); Transit Hill Rd, 27 November 1969, C. N. Smithers (AM); 13, Eastern slope of Malabar Ridge above Ned’s Beach, 31.518o S 159.061o E, 19 Nov. 2000; CBCR, Australian Museum; LHIS011L leaf litter ex Closed Rain Forest – Drypetes /Cryptocarya habitat, 1Ƥ (AM).

Remarks. Until recently, Emesopsis was diagnosed by the presence of a small, subquadrate basal cell in the forewing ( Wygodzinsky 1966). This has since been shown not to be the case, with the recently described Australian mainland species E. infenestra Tatarnic Wall and Cassis , and now the Norfolk Island species E. cirratus , both shown to lack this trait. These species correspond in all other characters with the genus, prompting a revision of the diagnosis ( Tatarnic et al. 2011). This species is also unique among congeners as the only one to exhibit any form of wing reduction.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Emesopsis cirratus, male: A, Head and thorax, dorsal view; B, hemelytra; C, pygophore, lateral view; D, same, ventral view; E, foreleg; G, foretarsus.

FIGURE 2. A, Atisne derelictus, head and pronotum. B, Atisne reidi, proximoventral forefemoral process. C – E Atisne derelictus: C, Proximoventral forefemoral process; D, paramere (redrawn from Wygodzinsky 1966: Fig. 20 I); E, aedeagus (redrawn from Wygodzinsky 1966: Fig. 20 J). F – I Emesopsis cirratus: F, Paramere; G, head and pronotum, lateral view; H, hemelytron; I, aedeagus. (Not to scale.)