Macrophysoderes elongata, Hwang & Weirauch, 2017

Hwang, Wei Song & Weirauch, Christiane, 2017, Uncovering hidden diversity: phylogeny and taxonomy of Physoderinae (Reduviidae, Heteroptera), with emphasis on Physoderes Westwood in the Oriental and Australasian regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 341, pp. 1-118 : 46-48

Macrophysoderes elongata gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B3ACB02E-6EE2-446F-BB49-3B838E3FE625

Figs 8–10 , 12 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov. by the large size, the short conical head with semi-erect, curved setae on the postocular lobe between the ocelli, the length of the scape reaching the apex of the clypeus, the very large eye that does not attain the ventral margin of the head in lateral view, the acutely diverging antero-lateral pronotal projections, the wide anterior pronotal lobe that is slightly narrower than the posterior pronotal width, the short and spatulate scutellar process, the extremely incrassate fore femur, the hemelytron surpassing the abdominal tip and the abdominal terminal margin being straight. This species is closest to M. grandis gen. et sp. nov., but is differentiated by the body size, head shape, scape length, eye shape and the shape of the anterior pronotal lobe.

Etymology

The name elongata is an adjective based on the Latin participle “elongatus” meaning elongate to describe the elongated abdomen unique to this species.

Material examined

Holotype

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ♂, Morobe Province, Mt Missim , 7.1167° S, 146.9167° E, 1600 m, 21–24 Sep. 1964, M. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR_ENT 00073634 ) ( BPBM).

Paratypes

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Central Province: 1 ♂, Owen Stanley Range, Goilala, Bome, 8.45567° S, 146.7412° E, 1950 m, 24 Feb.–7 Mar. 1958, W.W. Brandt leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073630) ( BPBM). – Eastern Highlands Province: 1 ♂, Goroka-Kabebe, 6.08777° S, 145.38666° E, 1800 m, 24 Jun. 1955, J.L. Gressitt leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073636) ( BPBM). – Morobe Province: 1 ♂, South Garaina, 7.88694° S, 147.13277° E, 1800 m, 8–14 Jan. 1968, J. and M. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073633) ( BPBM); 1 ♂, Wau, Big Wau Creek, 7.33416° S, 146.71833° E, 1350 m, Sep. 1965, J. and M. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ ENT 00073583) ( BPBM).

Other material

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Eastern Highlands Province: 1 ♀, Okapa District County, 13 km SE of Okapa, 6.30388° S, 145.33666° E, 1650 m, 26 Aug. 1964, J. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073506) ( BPBM); 1 ♀, Purosa, 20–26 km SE of Okapa, 6.64944° S, 145.56972° E, 2000 m, 28 Aug. 1964, J. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073505) ( BPBM); 1 ♀, Kainantu, 6.28972° S, 145.85916° E, 2100 m, 8 Jan. 1965, J. and M. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073637) ( BPBM); 2 ♀♀, Moife, 15 km NW of Okapa, 6.43206° S, 145.49581° E, 2100 m, 11–13 Oct. 1959, T.C. Maa leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073639, UCR _ENT 00073640) ( BPBM). – Gulf Province: 1 ♂, NE Wau, Biaru, 8.4875° S, 146.34444° E, 1225 m, 8 Oct. 1978, J.L. Gressitt leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073635) ( BPBM). – Morobe Province: 1 ♂, NE Wau, 7.33805° S, 146.71555° E, 1270 m, 11 Sep. 1964, M. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073632) ( BPBM); 1 ♂, NE Wau, 7.3333° S, 146.71667° E, 1200 m, 7 Sep. 1961, J. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073631) ( BPBM); 1 ♀, NE Wau Creek, Wau, 7.33166° S, 146.71805° E, 1500 m, 16–18 Sep. 1964, M. Sedlacek leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073619) ( BPBM).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Medium-large size, total length 10.29 mm, SD ± 0.47 (Appendix).

COLORATION ( Fig. 10 ). Brown. Head brown. Scape of antenna straw-colored to light brown, sometimes with brown apex, pedicel basally brown and apically straw-colored, basiflagellomere brown, distiflagellomere basally brown, apically straw-colored. First segment of labium basally brown, apically light brown, second segment basally and apically brown, medially straw-colored or light brown, third segment brown. Anterior lobe of pronotum dark brown with light brown markings, posterior lobe brown, scutellum basally dark brown, apically including process light brown, pleuron with mixture of strawcolor to dark brown, sternum dark brown. Corium of hemelytron brown to dark brown, membrane dark brown. Femora of legs light-brown with sub-basal and apical dark brown annulations, tibiae light brown with basal, medial and apical dark brown annulations, tarsi and claws brown. Abdomen dorsally yellowish orange, ventrally brown medially with sub-lateral dark and light brown patterns, anterior half of connexivum dark brown, posterior half light brown, exposed part of pygophore brown.

VESTITURE. Sparsely setose. Head with widespread curved setae, ventral surface of postocular lobe with two rows of small, setigerous tubercles, with pair of long, straight setae on postocular lobe, posterior to ocelli. Anterior lobe of thorax with irregular row of tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and short, setigerous tubercles dispersed on dorsal surface, posterior lobe with short, curved, setigerous tubercles along lateral margins and sparsely distributed on dorsal surface. Corium of hemelytron with short, curved setae. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibiae with regular rows of tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Connexival margin of abdomen with no prominent paired setae, or connexival margin with a few clubbed setae on each segment.

HEAD. Short conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape reaching apex of clypeus, or just surpassing apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view, about 1/5 length of head, not attaining ventral margin of head in lateral view; height of anteocular lobe shorter than postocular lobe.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections acute, diverging; surface of anterior lobe smooth, ridges almost obsolete; median pronotal depression not contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina weakly defined; posterior lobe medially weakly rugose; anterior pronotal lobe of equal length to posterior lobe, slightly narrower than posterior lobe, anterior lobe level with posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe bell-shaped and skewed towards median; scutellar process short, apex spatulate; mesosternite with setigerous tubercles, but no protrusion.

HEMELYTRON. Surpassing tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Fore femur extremely incrassate.

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid, with straight terminal margin; connexival margin smooth.

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 sharply emarginated, with medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore narrow, margin of anterior opening angular; cup-like sclerite apically rounded and rim ventrally sclerotized; arms of basal plate rounded; ductifer membranous; endosomal struts apically spatulate, basally divided into two plates; shape of dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute with lateral broad, plate-like prolongations, short plates extended diagonally.

Female

Similar in size and coloration to males, with median depression of anterior pronotal lobe contiguous with transverse sulcus.

Ecology

This species was collected from high altitudes ranging between 1200 and 2100 m.

Distribution

This species is known to occur in the highlands of eastern Papua New Guinea.

Remarks

This species shares characters with M. cirripilosa gen. et sp. nov., including the setose, short, and conical head, the very large eyes, the shape of the parascutellar lobe and the anterior pronotal lobe being almost as wide as the posterior lobe.

Figures

Fig. 8. Dorsal view of the male pygophore in species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov., Macrophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see keys on pages 37 and 66.

Fig. 9. Dorsal view of the phallus in species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov., Macrophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). Scale bars = 0.20 mm.

Fig. 10. Dorsal habitus images for species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov. and Nanophysoderes gen. nov. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see key on page 37. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 12. Distribution map for species of Macrophysoderes gen. nov.