Trachylestes Stål, 1868

Malipatil, M. B., Kwak, M. L. & Gunawardene, N., 2016, A revision of the Australian genus Trachylestes with the description of two new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae), Zootaxa 4105 (1), pp. 88-100 : 89

Genus Trachylestes Stål, 1868

Trachylestes Stål, 1868: 111 . Type species: Reduvius aspericollis Stål, 1859 , by monotypy.

Trachylestes Stål, 1874: 25 (as subgenus of Gminatus Stål, 1859 ).

Penthikocleptes Miller, 1958: 77 , 79. Type species: Penthikocleptes australicus Miller, 1958 , by original designation. Synonymised by Malipatil (1991: 938).

The genus has been adequately diagnosed by Malipatil (1991), as below.

Redescription. Body. Length 6–10 mm.

Head. Longer than pronotum, vertex and postocular part with setigerous tubercles, a deep transverse groove at level of posterior margin of eyes separating anterior and posterior parts, ocelli widely separated. Antennal segment 1 as long as head and anterior pronotal lobe together. Labial segment 1 shorter than segment 2.

Thorax. Pronotum medially longitudinally sulcate and armed with setigerous tubercles, lateral angles of collar produced. Scutellum with a Y-shaped carina, apically spatulate. Hemelytra exceeding apex of abdomen; corium and clavus with short, curved setae. Legs slender, covered with setae.

Abdomen. Connexival outer margins setose.

Male genitalia. Pygophore (e.g., Fig. 7 ) with posterior margin conspicuously produced. Paramere long, slender (e.g., Fig. 9 ). Endosoma with groups of sclerotised processes of various sizes (e.g., Figs. 10 & 11 ).

Notes. The genus is related to Catasphactes Stål, 1866 but differs from the latter in having the pronotum, particularly the anterior lobe, covered with several minute tubercles, each tubercle provided with a bristle (pronotum without tubercles in Catasphactes ).

Distribution. Throughout Australia except Tasmania.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 11. Trachylestes barrowensis, paratype male: 7, pygophore, lateral view; 8, pygophore, posterior view; 9, right paramere, dorsal view; 10, phallus, dorsal view; 11, phallus, ventral view. Abbreviations: apt, articulatory apparatus; dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite.