Ploiaria weiri, Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2011

Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2011, The thread-legged bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Zootaxa 2967, pp. 21-43 : 37-41

Ploiaria weiri n. sp.

Figures 7 , 8 A–B, 9A–F

Diagnosis. This species is most similar to Ploiaria cunnamula Wygodzinsky, 1956 , and can be distinguished by the following combination of features: body mostly brown, with broad yellowish midline stripe on dorsum of thorax; unique wing colouration; legs mostly concolourous brown, with meso- and metafemora apically white. As in P. cunnamula , the posterior margin of the pygophore bears a single median spine.

Description. Male. Body length 9.21; head length 1.07; head width 0.71. AI length 6.08; AII length 5.50; AIII length 1.19; AIV length 0.61.

Colour. As shown in Figures 7 and 8 A. Body mostly brown and copper brown with yellow markings. Head mostly copper brown; prescence of golden microchaetae on dorsal surface causing a slightly paler appearance; ventrally faintly yellow below eyes. Eyes red. Antennae mostly brown with AIII and AIV slightly paler. Labrum yellowish; labium orange-brown. Thorax mostly brown, dorsally with broad yellowish mid-longitudinal stripe; mesonotal lateral carinae dorsally faintly yellow, laterally brown, and ventrally with a broad yellow stripe medially, sometimes with a thin brown stripe. Wings basally smoky brown, apically clear with broad brown markings within each cell, outer apical margin faintly reddened. Legs mostly orange-brown; foretibia and tarsi yellowish; meso- and metafemora apically white; meso- and metatibiae becoming pale apically, with tarsi white. Abdomen mostly orange-brown, with pygophore slightly paler laterally.

Structure. As shown in Figures 7 , 8 A–B and 9A–F. Male, elongate, parallel-sided, with elongate appendages (antennae, and mid and hind legs longer than body). Head elongate, dorsally nearly flat; interocular groove shallow, medially with conspicuous pit ( Fig. 9 A); anteocular lobe subquadrate, postocular lobe circular, anteocular lobe slightly longer. First and second antennal segments subequal, first slightly longer and arcuate; third and fourth segments short. Labium slightly longer than head. Pronotum subrectangulate, elongate, weakly campanulate with posterior margin slightly flared ( Fig. 7 ) and elevated ( Fig. 8 B); anterolateral angles of collar rounded and tumid ( Fig. 9 A), proepimeron with a swollen, rounded lobe; dorsal surface of pronotum with a shallow mid-longitudinal furrow. Mesonotum subrectangulate, bilobulate with medial longitudinal furrow; lateral margins carinate; posterior margin with faint transverse, densely textured, V-shaped depression, with a deeper sulcus in front. Scutellum medially with Y-shaped tumescence ( Fig. 9 D). Metanotum concave, partly obscured by wings. Forecoxa fusiform, foretrochanter with two elongate spines, one directed ventrally and the other medially. Forefemora weakly incrassate, subfusiform, armed ventrally with two series of spines decreasing in size towards apex, lateroventral series mostly straight, medioventral series proximally curving towards dorsal margin of femur. Foretibia apically weakly expanding. Foretarsi three-segmented, evenly arcuate, ventral margin weakly carinate with two claws, the medial claw slightly larger. Meso- and metacoxae obovate, tumid. Meso- and metafemora elongate, thin, cylindrical, weakly curved. Meso- and metatibiae elongate, thin, cylindrical, apically curved. Meso and metatarsi three-segmented; claws symmetrical and simple. Pregenital abdomen elongate, weakly expanded caudally. Pygophore posteromedially with single medial spinose process.

Texture and vestiture. Body finely textured to smooth, clothed in fine layer of pale microchetae. Antennae and legs with sparse distribution of short, decumbent setae.

Distribution. Known only from Norfolk Island.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of heteropterist Tom Weir.

Specimens examined. Holotype: Male: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Norfolk Island: 29.01o S 167.56o E, near Mt. Bates, 180m, Norfolk Island National Park, 20–26 March 1984, D. C. F. Rentz, stop 3, palm forest (ANIC). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Norfolk Island: 29.01o S 167.56o E, near Mt. Bates, 180m, Norfolk Island National Park, 20–26 March 1984, D. C. F. Rentz, stop 3, palm forest, 1Ƥ, 2 adults, sex unknown (abdomens missing) (ANIC). Other specimens examined: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Norfolk Island: Palm Glen Track, Norfolk Island National Park, 29.01o S 167.57o E, 14 November – 2 December 1984, T. A. Weir, 3 nymphs, sex unknown (ANIC).

Remarks. Although we have not seen specimens of P. cunnamulla , based on the figures and description of Wygodzinsky (1956) it appears to be closely related to P. w e i r i. These species are highly congruent and differ primarily in their colouration, which in P. cunnamula is more stramineous and lacks the yellow stripe on the dorsum characteristic of P. w e i r i. Wygodzinsky (1956) found P. cunnamulla most comparable to P. selangorensis Miller, 1941 [= P. insolida (White, 1877) ] and P. subaequalis McAtee & Malloch, 1926 [= P. macrophthalma ( Dohrn, 1860) ], both of which have ranges extending into New Guinea. Using the key of Reidi (2007) we are confident that P. w e i r i is distinct from both these species: while the leg colouration is identical to that of P. macrophthalma (both species possess white apical annulations on the mid and hind femora) it lacks the bifid pygophore process of this species, and while P. insolida possesses a similar spinose pygophore process, it lacks the apical white annulus of the mid and hind femora.

Most species from Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands are either apterous or submacropterous. Of the fully winged species, all but P. w e i r i are also found elsewhere in Australia. Examination of specimens from various institutions (QM, DPQI, AM) has thus far not turned up any mainland specimens of P. w e i r i, and for the present we consider this species as endemic to Norfolk Island.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Ploiaria weiri, male habitus.

FIGURE 8. Ploiaria weiri: A, Forewing; B, head and pronotum, lateral view. (Not to scale).

FIGURE 9. Ploiaria weiri, male: A, Head, dorsal view; B, head, lateral view C, base of foreleg; D, metathorax and scutellum, dorsal view; E, foretarsus; F, pygophore, ventral view. PA = paramere; SC = scutellum.