Saldoida armata Horváth, 1911a

Polhemus, John T. & Polhemus, Dan A., 2012, Guide To The Aquatic Heteroptera Of Singapore And Peninsular Malaysia. Viii. Leptopodomorpha, Families Saldidae, Leptopodidae, And Omaniidae, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 60 (2), pp. 329-341 : 335-336

Saldoida armata Horváth, 1911a

( Figs. 15 , 16 )

Saldoida armata Horváth, 1911a: 334

Saldoida bakeri Poppius, 1914: 52 ; syn. by Drake & Maa, 1954: 265

Material examined. — SINGAPORE: 2 males, 1 female, Chu Kang site #4, mangrove forest, 18 May 1987, “on Thasallina mound, very active”, coll. D. H. Murphy ( JTPC). WEST MALAYSIA, Selangor: 1 male, Templer Park, N. of Kuala Lumpur, small stream, CL 2070, 17 Aug.1985, coll. J. T . & D. A. Polhemus ( JTPC) .

Diagnosis. — Male length 2.60–2.75, maximum width (across hemelytra) 1.15–1.20; female length 2.80–3.00, maximum width (across hemelytra) 1.15–1.25. Head reddish brown, eyes pale; pronotum and scutellum dull black; hemelytra dull black, with a transverse white fascia extending across outer and inner corium to broadly subtend posterior apex of clavus, posterior apex of outer corium external to vein R + M also bearing a prominent white spot ( Fig. 10 ); wing membrane including veins uniformly dark fumate; antennae uniformly medium brown; legs with coxae, trochanters and femora dark blackish brown, tibiae and tarsi medium brown; ventral surface dull black.

Distribution. — Described from Singapore (J. Polhemus, 1991) and at present known only from the type locality.

Discussion. — Easily recognised among the regional species of Saldidae by its short, nearly quadrate pronotum, distinctive colour pattern with a transverse white fascia cutting across the black hemelytra ( Fig. 10 ), and intertidal habits.

Ecological notes. — This marine saldid is found on rocky shores, where individuals run about on spray-wetted rock faces above the water line. In general, Salduncula species prefer isolated large boulders or bedrock outcrops surrounded by water or beach sands. Individuals are active and challenging to capture with an aspirator, but long series may occasionally be taken from vertical rock shorelines by holding a net at the water line and then splashing water onto the rock face above, thus dislodging the insects and allowing them to be netted from the water surface.

Extralimital material examined. — MALAYSIA, Sabah: 1 male, 1 female, Borneo, Samalang River, 7 km. S. of Ranau , 3 Aug.1985, CL 2026, coll. D. A. & J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) . INDONESIA, Bali Prov.: 1 male, 1 female, Bali, Kab. Bangli , Melangit River, E. of Bangli, 400 m ., 17 Oct.1985, CL 2170, coll. D. A. & J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) . Maluku Prov.: 1 male, 1 female, Ambon, Kab. Maluku Tengah, Kec. Baguala , Wairea River , nr. Wairea, 0– 100 m ., 4 Oct.1985, CL 2153, coll. D. A. & J. T . Polhemus ( JTPC) .

Diagnosis. — Male length 3.20–3.30, maximum width (across hemelytra) 0.80–0.90; female length 3.40–3.60, maximum width (across hemelytra) 0.95–1.10. General colouration rusty brown, sparingly marked with black and white. Head brown, vertex black, eyes red, antennae with segment I rusty brown, segement II dark brown, distal 1/4 white suffused with red, segment III white broadly suffused with red, segment IV pale red on basal 1/3, white on distal 2/3; thorax shining medium brown, bearing a pair (1+1) of backward curving horns centrally, areas lateral to these horns pruinose; scutellum shining amber brown; hemelytra dull rusty brown, outer corium narrowly pale translucent white, inner corium bearing 2 large pruinose patches plus a small white pruinose patch at posterior apex, clavus with a small dark patch centrally, posterior apex bright white; legs with coxae, trochanters and femora medium brown, tibiae and tarsi yellowish-brown

Distribution. — Originally described by Horváth (1911a) from Takao, Formosa (Taiwan), with subsequent records from the Philippines ( Poppius, 1914, as Saldoida bakeri ). Widely distributed in Southeast Asia, with records provided by J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus (1999) for China, India, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Borneo, Java, Bali, Sumbawa, Celebes, Ambon, the Philippines (Luzon, Palawan), New Guinea, and Australia, as well as Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

Discussion. — This species is easily recognised within the regional assemblage of Leptopodomorpha by its antlike form, rusty brown colouration with scattered pruinose markings ( Fig. 15 ), and sharply curving, pointed processes centrally on the thorax ( Fig. 16 ). Individuals are found on moist earth next to springs, streams, and mangrove swamps, and may be overlooked by bug collectors due to their ant-like appearance as they run across the ground. Cobben (1987) provided detailed figures of the antennae, forewing pattern, and male paramere.

Figures

Fig. 15. Saldoida armata, dorsal habitus.Specimen from Singapore, Chu Kang mangrove forest.

Fig. 16. Saldoida armata, lateral view of head and thorax (after Drake, 1961).

Figs. 9, 10. Intertidal Leptopodomorpha, dorsal habitus: 9, Corallocoris marksae, specimen from Singapore, Sentosa Island, CL 2216; 10, Salduncula murphyi, specimen from Singapore, Labrador Park, CL 2055.