Physopelta Amyot & Serville, 1843

Stehlík, Jaroslav L., 2013, Review and reclassification of the Old World genus Physopelta (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Largidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 53 (2), pp. 505-584 : 512

Subgenus Physopelta Amyot & Serville, 1843

Diagnosis. Body large (15.7–21.0 mm) and wide (5.1–7.0 mm). Labium reaching between metacoxae. Antennomere 1 long in both sexes, invariably longer than antennomere 2, as long as or sometimes even longer than pronotum. Sexual dimorphism well expressed, callar lobe strongly gibbose in males ( Fig. 13 ), weakly gibbose in females ( Fig. 14 ). Profemora in males strongly incrassate, ventral surface with longitudinal furrow in its entire length bordered with a number of spines on both sides ( Fig. 5 ). In females profemora distinctly more slender, with fewer spines. Protibia ventrally with a strong anteapical tooth and a row of small denticles along its entire length in males ( Figs 5 , 15 ), unarmed in females. Mesofemora of males ventrally with a row of small denticles, these missing in females. Allometry of males exists: the sexually dimorphic characters are much more expressed in some males than in others. Stridulatory organs in form of a large tooth (strigil) on protrochanter, matching a depression on ventral surface of procoxa (plectrum) ( Figs 1−2 ). Peritreme of metathoracic scent glands horizontal, more or less scimitar-shaped with rounded apex, from ostiole directed laterad to slightly posterolaterad ( Figs 3−4 ). Paramere with apex longer and narrower, outer margin basally angulately produced ( Figs 8−12 ).

Included species. There are three species placed in Physopelta s. str., all of them distributed in the Oriental Region. I am not aware of any undescribed species.

Figures

Figs 13–16.13–15 – Physopelta (Physopelta) robusta Stål, 1863: 13–14 – head and pronotum (13 – male, 14 – female), 15 – apex of male protibia. 16 – Physopelta (Physopelta) biguttata Stål, 1870. (Photos: L. Dembický).

Figs 1–5. Physopelta (Physopelta) robusta Stål, 1863, male. 1 – fore coxae and trochanters (magnification 47×), 2 – detail of procoxa and basal portion of trochanter (stridulatoty process marked with white arrow) (70×), 3 – external scent efferent system (40×), 4 – detail of osti- ole and peritreme (140×), 5 – ventral surface of profemur (23×). Scale bars: 0.2 mm (Fig. 4), 0.5 mm (Figs 1–3), 1 mm (Fig. 5). (SEM micrographs: P. Kment).

Figs 6–12. Physopelta (Physopelta) robusta Stål, 1863. 6–7 – pygophore (6 – dorsal view, magnification 50×; 7 – lateral view, 47×). 8–12 – para- mere (different orientations, 150×). Scale bars: 0.2 mm (Figs 8–12), 0.5 mm (Figs 6–7). (SEM microgra- phs: P. Kment).