Physomerus centralis, Mukherjee, Paramita, Hassan, M. E. & Biswas, B., 2016

Mukherjee, Paramita, Hassan, M. E. & Biswas, B., 2016, A new species of Physomerus Burmeister (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae), with a key to the species of India, Zootaxa 4208 (3), pp. 282-292 : 282-290

Physomerus centralis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 , 10, 12 , 15, 17 , 19, 21–23 ) Description. General body features: Macropterous, body elongate, covered with small and dense pubescence. Female with same coloration as that of male.

Dorsal coloration: General color dark brown ( Fig. 1–2 ); eyes brownish yellow; an ivory median line extends from the head to the pronotum and scutellum ( Fig. 10 ); antennae dark brown, finely hirsute ( Fig. 3 ); head, pronotum, scutellum, clavus and corium dark brown; hemelytral membrane black; connexivum black with rounded yellowish spots ( Fig. 12 ); legs brownish-yellow, pretarsi black.

Ventral coloration: Head, prosternum, mesosternum, metasternum, abdomen and ventral region of hind femora yellowish-brown with small dark brown scattered tuberculous punctures ( Fig. 15 ); spiracles brown ( Fig. 15 ); rostrum dark brown ( Fig. 6 ); genital capsule brownish yellow and pubescent ( Fig. 7 ).

Structure:

Head: Head wider than longer (1.00: 0.72), impressed on each side of central lobe, extensively produced in front of antenniferous tubercles ( Fig. 4 ); antennae four-segmented, segment II longest, III slightly longer than I, IV shorter than III, relative length of antennal segments: I (2.27): II (3.86): III (2.81): IV (1.93) = 0.58: 1.00: 0.72: 0.50 ( Fig. 3 ); rostrum long, four-segmented, reaching the mesocoxae, segment III shortest and half the length of I, I longer than II and IV, relative length of rostral segments: I (1.53): II (1.20): III (0.78): IV (1.43) = 1.00: 0.78: 0.50: 0.93 ( Fig. 6 ).

Thorax: Pronotum subtriangular, wider than longer (1.00: 0.81) and more than twice wider than the head (1.00: 2.60), pubescent with anterolateral margins subacute, posterior margin in front of the scutellum truncate, lateral margins serrate, humeral angles prominent and rounded ( Fig. 4 ); scutellum isosceles, slightly wider than longer ( Fig. 10 ); costal margins of corium serrate, clavus and corium pubescent, hemelytral membrane not extending beyond abdomen, veins longitudinal; mesosternum centrally sulcate, scent gland opening remote to the lateral margin, lies equidistance to the pro- and mesocoxae, anterior disc is slightly larger than the posterior disc; legs with pubescence, tibiae longer than femora, provided with series of spines, hind femora strongly incrassate, broad at base, finely longitudinally tuberculate on upper and outer area, obtusely spinose beneath, hind tibiae slightly concave with a long and somewhat perpendicular spine to the middle followed by a short spine and serrate at apex in male ( Fig. 15 ); whereas in female hind tibiae is provided with a series of small spines ( Fig. 17 ).

Abdomen: Abdomen more than twice longer than broad, pubescent ( Fig. 15 ); segments of connexiva visible from outside, pubescent ( Fig. 12 ).

Male genitalia: Pygophore flask shaped ( Fig. 19 ), about as long as wide, base more or less flat, posterior half hairy, distal lobe relatively wider and convex, its width about half to the maximum width of pygophore; paramere cane-shaped ( Fig. 21 ) with short stem, medially rounded with long setae distally, blade broad with rounded apex and provided with long setae, longest setae on apex of blade is about half the maximum width of paramere; aedeagus ( Fig. 22 ) with phallosoma large and wide, basal plate with pivot.

Female genitalia: 1st gonocoxa small, longer than wide, outer lateral margin sinuate, apex narrow and subacute, inner margin straight, 8th paratergite triangular with lateral margins sinuate, apex narrow and subacute, inner margin obliquely straight, 9th paratergite subtriangular with apex narrow and subround, smaller than 8th paratergite, outer lateral margin little sinuate and inner margin obliquely straight, setae on 7th sternite, 8th and 9th paratergites ( Fig. 8 ).

Measurements: [in mm, ♂, holotype]. Body length 20.82; head length 1.55, width across eye 2.14, interocular distance 1.26; length of antennae 10.87, lengths of antennal segments I: 2.27, II: 3.86, III: 2.81, and IV: 1.93; rostral length 4.94, length of rostral segments I: 1.53, II: 1.20, III: 0.78 and IV: 1.43; length of pronotum 4.53, width of pronotum 5.57; length of scutellum 2.24, width of scutellum 2.36; length of abdomen 12.23, width of abdomen 5.57; length of forecoxa: 0.80, trochanter: 1.03, femur: 3.42, tibia: 3.56, tarsus: 1.58, pretarsus: 0.24; midcoxa: 0.91, trochanter: 1.04, femur: 3.48, tibia: 3.93, tarsus: 1.96, pretarsus: 0.29; hindcoxa: 1.33, trochanter: 1.79, femur: 6.22, tibia: 6.82, tarsus: 2.31, pretarsus: 0.32.

[in mm, ♀, allotype]. Body length 19.62; head length 1.50, width across eye 1.91, inter-ocular distance 1.11; length of antennae 10.04, lengths of antennal segments I: 2.25, II: 3.38, III: 2.57, and IV: 1.84; rostral length 4.72, length of rostral segments I: 1.42, II: 1.27, III: 0.69 and IV: 1.34; length of pronotum 4.29, width of pronotum 5.33; length of scutellum 2.26, width of scutellum 2.28;; length of abdomen 12.55, width of abdomen 5.53; length of forecoxa 0.79, trochanter: 0.89, femur: 3.19, tibia: 3.32, tarsus: 1.78, pretarsus: 0.29; midcoxa: 0.85, trochanter: 1.02, femur: 3.22, tibia: 3.74, tarsus: 1.92, pretarsus 0.30; hindcoxa: 0.94, trochanter: 1.18, femur: 6.01, tibia: 6.26, tarsus: 2.07, pretarsus: 0.32.

Body parts Measurements of 4♂, paratypes (in mm)

Paratypes (male) 1st ♂ 2nd ♂ 3rd ♂ 4th ♂ Body length 20.2720.0 419.7420.79 Type material. Holotype: 1♂, INDIA: Maharashtra: Pune District: Sivajinagar, Agricultural College , 8.II.1962, K.A. Koshid . Paratypes: 4♂, 1♀, Maharashtra: Pune District: Sivajinagar, Agricultural College , 8.II.1962, K.A. Koshid. (Lat.: 18.535240˚, Long.: 73.843415˚).

Distribution. INDIA: Maharashtra ( Fig. 23 ).

Etymology. Named after its ivory median line extending from the head to the pronotum and scutellum.

Remarks. Physomerus centralis sp. nov. is similar to P. grossipes (Fabricius) in that they both have the head wider than long, antennae with second segment longest, fourth segment shorter than third, rostrum longer, reaching the mesocoxae, third segment shortest, first segment longer than second and fourth, pronotum wider than long with posterior margin in front of scutellum truncate, scutellum about as long as broad; wing membrane not extending beyond abdomen, legs pubescent with spines, hind femora strongly incrassated, obtusely spinous beneath. P. grossipes was studied and redescribed from specimens collected from Nasik road near Dada Saheb Phalke Smarak, Maharashtra ( Hassan et al., 2016). However P. centralis sp. nov. can be easily separated from P. grossipes (Fabricius) by following diagnostic characteristics as in Table 2 .

Figures

FIGURES 23. Distributional map of Physomerus centralis sp. nov. in the state Maharashtra.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Physomerus centralis sp. nov. 1. Dorsal view of male; 2. dorsal view of female; Scale line = 5 mm; 3. head with antennae, dorsal view; 4. head and pronotum, dorsal view; Scale line = 2 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Physomerus centralis sp. nov. 5. Scent gland; 6. rostrum, ventral view; 7. abdominal tip of male, ventral view; 8. abdominal tip of female, ventral view; Scale line = 2 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 13. Physomerus grossipes (Fabricius). 9. Head, pronotum, scutellum, dorsal view; 11. hemelytra and connexivum, dorsal view; Scale line = 2 mm; 13. Dorsal view of male; Scale line = 5 mm; Physomerus centralis sp. nov. 10. Head, pronotum, scutellum, dorsal view; 12. hemelytra and connexivum, dorsal view; Scale line = 2 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Physomerus grossipes (Fabricius). 14. Abdomen and hind leg of male, ventral view; 16. abdomen and hind leg of female, ventral view; Scale line = 2 mm; Physomerus centralis sp. nov. 15. abdomen and hind leg of male, ventral view; 17. abdomen and hind leg of female, ventral view; Scale line = 2 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 22. Physomerus grossipes (Fabricius). 18. dorsal view of pygophore; 20. paramere, lateral view; Scale line = 500 µm; Physomerus centralis sp. nov. 19. dorsal view of pygophore; 21. paramere, lateral view; 22. aedeagus, dorsal view; Scale line = 500 µm.