Ausogeocoris Malipatil

Malipatil, M. B. & Blacket, M. J., 2013, Review and revision of Australian Germalus Stål, with new genera and further new species of Australian Geocorinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Geocoridae), Zootaxa 3746 (2), pp. 257-300 : 295-299

Ausogeocoris Malipatil , gen. nov.

( Figs. 142–159 )

Description. Body obovate, flat, somewhat broadly expanded above, widest across abdominal segments II–IV ( Fig. 142 ).

Head: Coarsely punctuate all over dorsal surface ( Fig. 144 ); gular area flattened. Bucculae produced near base as flaps, then narrow, gradually diminishing posteriorly almost to surface of head, then continuing as two parallel lines on flattened surface. Antennae generally robust.

Thorax: Pronotum gradually markedly widened from anterior to posterior, with lateral margins explanate and narrowly carinate for entire length ( Fig. 143 ); lateral margins almost straight; posterior margin almost straight. Pronotal disc coarsely and uniformly punctuate except on smooth and impunctate calli. Punctures on pleura and venter slightly less conspicuous, those on meso- and meta-thoracic pleura finer and almost indistinct. Thoracic scent gland opening narrow and directed posteriorly. Scutellum coarsely punctate all over except on median laevigate ridge. Hemelytra not exceeding abdomen; corium with costal margin arcuate (body widest across middle). Corial punctures variable from distinct to obscure: one complete row along inner margin, continuing to about middle of posterior margin; one submarginal row distinct only in basal third; remainder of corium with irregular fine punctures. Clavus with obscure punctures as follows: one almost complete outer row; one inner row following claval suture and then turning to claval apex (distinct for almost entire length); a third middle row closer to outer row, incomplete at base; in addition with a few scattered punctures on disc between middle and inner rows.

Abdomen: Spiracles on abdominal segments III and IV dorsal, V–VII ventral, II ventral and located on edge of sternum in both male and female (e.g., Fig. 150 ). Inner laterotergites narrow, elongate. Suture between terga IV–V straight, suture between V–VI moderately curved posteriorly from margin to meson. Dorsal scent gland scars between terga IV–V and V–VI subequal in width ( Fig. 145 ). Trichobothria on sternum III in a loose triangle, those on IV almost linear, varying in spacing and degree of development (sometimes one trichobothrium reduced or absent), those on V–VII are in full (trichobothrial) complement (3:3:2), and in all the inner of the 2 posterior trichobothria is the smallest.

Female genitalia: Spermatheca ( Fig. 147 ) with bulb conical, narrowed to a rounded tip, slightly sclerotised; with a flange near base sclerotised and not wider than bulb; duct part behind flange short, tubular and not sclerotised; basal part with duct short and narrow.

Male genitalia: Paramere with blade sickle-shaped and apically narrowed to rather truncate tip and slightly fluted ( Figs. 157–159 ) Aedeagus with gonoporal process thick, with about one coil in helicoid process, then about 1½ large coils; secondary gonopore broad and slightly flaring ( Figs. 153–155 ).

Type species: Ausogeocoris westraliensis Malipatil , sp. nov.

Notes. Ausogeocoris differs from all Australian geocorid genera in having the following combination of characters: flat explanate body dorsally, widest at about abdominal segments II–IV; pronotum gradually markedly widened from anterior to posterior; head coarsely punctuate all over its dorsal surface ( Fig. 144 ); gular area flattened; corium almost uniformly finely punctate all over its surface; spiracle of abdominal segment II ventral on sternum; and the suture between sterna IV–V almost straight and not curved.

Ausogeocoris westraliensis Malipatil , sp. nov. ( Figs. 142–159 )

Type specimens: Holotype female, Mundaring Weir, Western Australia, 15.v.1963, J. Dell, in WAM; paratypes – 1 male, 1 female, same datas as holotype, in WAM; 1 male, 2 female, Yanchep, WA, 16.x.1964, FH UtherBaker, in SAM; 2 females, Doconing Road, Beechina WA, 19.ix.1988, RP McMillan, in WAM; 1 female, 10 km WSW of Point Malcolm 33.48S 123.46E, 15–18.i.1982, WA, B Hanich & TF Houston, in WAM; 1female, Walyunga National park, WA 10.xii.1981, FH UtherBaker, in SAM.

Other specimens: 1 female, Gingin, WA, 9.ix.1969, AJ Lawrence, in WADA; 1 female, King George’s Sound, WA, in AM.

Description. Colouration: Generally ochraceous ( Fig. 142 ); eyes shiny reddish-brown ( Fig. 144 ). Corium with one small fuscous spot on middle of posterior margin. Antennae with apical area of 1st, apical 2/3 of 2nd, apex of 3rd, and most of 4th, segments darker than remainder. All punctures dark. Female with a fuscous median abdominal line along ovipositor.

Measurements: are of holotype female, paratype male, followed by ranges of remaining paratype specimens measured within round brackets.

Body: Obovate ( Fig. 142 ). Length 6.20, 5.90 (5.52–6.20); maximum width 2.30, 2.10 (2.07–2.20). Head above, pronotum, scutellum, clavus, and corium, densely covered with coarse punctures.

Head: Triangular, explanate, eyes almost touching pronotum. Length of head 1.10, 0.92 (0.92–1.01); width across eyes 1.49, 1.40 (1.44–1.56); interocular space 0.89, 0.73 (0.73–0.89); interocellar space 0.46, 0.34 (0.36– 0.46); eye-ocellar space 0.24, 0.23 (0.23–0.24); eye length 0.64, 0.59 (0.56–0.60); eye width 0.25, 0.23 (0.23– 0.27). Labium stout, extending almost to hind coxae; length of segments: I 0.80, 0.73 (0.73–0.89); II 0.73, 0.69 (0.0.64–0.78); III 0.73, 0.69 (0.69–0.75); IV 0.52, 0.50 (0.50–0.52). First antennal segment with half its length extending beyond tip of clypeus, 4th segment slightly incrassate. Length of antennal segments: I 0.41, 0.39 (0.40– 0.44); II 1.03, 0.88 (0.87–1.05); III 0.80, 0.72 (0.73–0.80); IV 0.69, 0.69 (0.66–0.70).

Thorax: Pronotum as in Fig. 143 ; median length 1.33, 1.15 (1.15–1.33); width at anterior margin 0.94, 0.91 (0.92–0.92); width at posterior margin 1.88, 1.61 (1.65–1.84). Scutellum length 0.89, 0.85 (0.79–0.85); width 1.03, 1.01 (0.96–.01). Length of hemelytra 4.35, 4.14 (3.86–4.37); length of corium 3.08, 2.80 (2.80–3.08); claval commissure 0.62, 0.52 (0.52–0.60). Legs long, fore femora slightly more incrassate than middle and hind femora.

Abdomen: Female with abdominal dorsum uniformly sclerotised except for a broad median area covering terga IV–VII, and narrow posterior areas of II and III in patterns as in Fig. 145 ; abdominal sternum not sclerotized ( Fig. 146 ). Trichobothria on segments III and IV reduced and in sublinear formation (sublinear to subtriangular on IV). Male with abdominal dorsum sclerotised in pattern as in Fig. 150 . Small pale oblique rather oval spots on dark background present in middle of lateral margin of each abdominal terga II–V. Apodeme on median anterior margin of VII broad, plate-like, extending to about 1/3 of segment VI; Sternum III with a pair of small flap-like apodemes on median area of anterior margin.

Female genitalia: Spermatheca as in Fig. 147 . Ovipositor narrow and linear, with first ramus traversing to almost 9/10 length of first gonapophysis; second gonapophysis long, narrowed to distal end ( Figs. 148, 149 ).

Male genitalia: Pygophore as in Fig. 152 . Paramere ( Figs. 157–159 ), with blade sickle-shaped, tip slightly truncated and fluted; with tuft of long setae near base of blade above the broadly rounded dorsal lobe; ventral lobe inconspicuous. Aedeagus ( Figs. 153–155 ) with phallotheca moderately sclerotised, more on dorsal aspect. Ejaculatory reservoir ( Fig. 156 ) with wings, body, and neck well developed, body not produced posteriorly. Vescia and conjunctiva membranous, with membranous unsclerotised lobes. Helicoid process with 1–2 broad loose coils, narrowing to a thick gonoporal process; secondary gonopore broad and conspicuously flaring ( Fig. 156 ).

Distribution. Only Western Australia.

Notes. A. westraliensis is distinguished from all Australian species of Germalus , Geocoris , and Stylogeocoris by the presence of coarse punctures over the dorsal surface of head. In this species and Germalus littoralis gular area is flattened, but, in addition to the punctate head character, A. westraliensis is distinguished from the elongate parallel-sided G. littoralis by its obovate body shape.

Body colour was variable among the specimens examined. Point Malcolm specimens have three longitudinal fuscous lines on the head, six such lines (more or less complete) on the pronotum, and punctures darker.

Figures

FIGURES 142 – 144. Ausogeocoris westraliensis, female, dorsal view: 142, habitus; 143, head, pronotum and scutellum enlarged; 144, head enlarged.

FIGURES 145 − 149. Ausogeocoris westraliensis, female: 145, abdominal dorsum; 146, abdominal venter; 147, spermatheca; 148, 149, ovipositor.

FIGURES 150 − 159. Ausogeocoris westraliensis, male: 150, abdominal dorsum; 151 abdominal venter; 152, pygophore, dorsal view; 153 – 155, aedeagus, ventral, lateral and dorsal views; 156, helicoid process, enlarged; 157 – 159 paramere, different views.