Trachylestes queenslandensis Malipatil

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 : 94-99

Trachylestes queenslandensis Malipatil , sp. nov.

( Figs. 12–25 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, Queensland, Brigalow Res. Stn. site 2, 24.49°S 149.45°E, 170 m, 16.xii.2000 – 28.iii.2001, FIT, softwood scrub 10014, Cook & Monteith; tarsi of left fore and mid legs missing; in QM. Paratypes: Queensland: same data as holotype (1 ♂, QM); same data as holotype except 10020 (1 ♂, QM); same data as holotype except 10018 (1 ♀, QM).

Other specimens. Queensland: Mt Bluffkin, 22.36°S 149.14°E, 7 km NNE on road brigalow, intercept 16.xii.1999 – 22.iii. 2000, 160 m, 9230, Monteith (1 ♂ 1 ♀, VAIC); Mt. Robert, 5 km SW, 21.24°S 148.27°E, 300 m, 18.xii.2000 – 25.iii.2001, Cook & Monteith, pitfall trap in brigalow 9994 (1 ♀, QM); same data except 9995 (1 ♂, QM); Keysland, 26.12°S 151.44°E, 5.xii.1994 – 26.i.1995, intercept trap, open forest, G. Monteith (1 ♂, QM); Expedition Range NP, 25.13°S 148.59°E, 5063, Amphitheatre scrub, 520m, 25.ix–17.xii.1997, intercept trap in vine forest, Cook & Monteith (1 ♂, QM).

Description. Colour. Ground colour of body and legs generally dark brown, with yellowish brown paler areas as follows ( Fig. 12 ): most of pronotum, bases of corium, clavus and margins of scutellum (with raised median areas bright yellow), thorax ventrally between legs, abdominal ventral disc area (see Fig. 13 ), and most of abdominal dorsum also yellowish brown. Abdominal lateral areas, abdominal dorsum of posterior two segments (except part of connexival areas pale) fuscous; pygophore and parameres uniformly fuscous; head, labium, trochanter, all femora (except hind femur with one indistinct paler band at about distal two-third) fuscous to black; tibia (except one indistinct pale band at basal fourth) and tarsi fuscous; antennae almost uniformly fuscous.

Female with one distinct pale band on all femora at about distal two-thirds; female genital segments black; abdominal venter mostly black except broad median area and small patches on connexiva which are pale yellow; antennae pale with shades of dark.

Structure. Measurements (of holotype male followed by ranges of four paratypes (2 males, 2 females) in parentheses).

Body short and robust, length 6.7 (6.5–7.2); maximum width 2.52 (2.04–2.87).

Head. Head covered with fine dense adpressed setae or pubescence, above appearing granulate, with mediumlength blunt bristles borne on tubercles, often in pairs, with a deep conspicuous transverse groove about behind eyes, ocelli on raised areas ( Fig. 14 ). Antennae generally thin and covered with short pubescence, segments 1 and 2 in addition with very short bristles and interspersed with a few longer bristles also. Length 1.61 (1.47–1.53), width across eyes 1.02 (1.02–1.09), interocular space 0.55 (0.51–0.55), interocellar space 0.38 (0.26–0.40), eye-ocellar space 0.13 (0.08–0.13), eye length 0.43 (0.46–0.48), eye width 0.25 (0.26–0.30). Length of antennal segments: I, 1.71 (1.68–1.72), II, 1.22 (1.02–1.12), III, 0.58 (0.55–0.62), IV, 1.16 (1.10–1.24). Length of labial segments: I, 0.87 (0.82–0.85), II, 0.97 (0.86–0.93), III, 0.21 (0.20–0.22).

Thorax. Pronotum subshiny, with antero-lateral angles gradually pointed with one bristle, lateral marginal area with several short bristles borne on fine tubercles, tubercles near posterolateral angles larger; anterior lobe area with several small tubercles on either side of midline each with one short blunt bristle, posterior lobe without distinct tubercles, bristles generally blunt and a bit shorter than those on head, in addition pronotum dorsally and laterally covered with dense adpressed white pubescence ( Fig. 14 ), pronotum median length 1.58 (1.15–1.70); pronotum width posterior margin 1.96 (1.98–2.14). Scutellum apically lamellate and spatulate, disc conspicuously raised above surface in a triangle with median disc with a distinct pit ( Fig. 16 ), scutellum length 0.75 (0.60–0.83), width 0.99 (1.02–1.27). Legs with short pubescence, in addition with long scattered strong bristles of two lengths as well as very short blunt spikes. Thoracic and abdominal venter with pubescence and some sparse erect bristles. Tarsi very thin compared to tibiae; claws well developed. Hemelytra slightly exceeding abdomen, exposing margins of entire visible abdominal segments 3–5 and parts of other abdominal segments, hemelytra with clavus and corium covered with dense curved pubescence, often with trapped white waxy material, corium and membrane with raised veins, membrane fully covering abdomen; length hemelytra 4.41 (3.87–4.49); length corium 3.06 (3.01–3.24); width membrane 1.40 (1.33–1.63).

Abdomen. Lateral margins gradually widened to posterior margin of fourth visible segment and gradually narrowed to posterior end; connexiva of segments not produced.

Male genitalia: Pygophore ( Figs. 17–18 ) with posterior median projection long, broad and apically narrowly rounded, posterior surface of process with prominent median keel for entire length. Paramere ( Fig. 19 ) simple, distinctly curved, banana shaped, slightly narrowed to a point at apex, with narrow tubular section at base, posterior half length covered with stiff thick bristles on outer margin, with finer dense shorter bristles on inner aspect. Phallus with basal plate heavily sclerotised, phallosoma moderately sclerotised ( Fig. 20 ), endosoma not differentiated into conjunctiva and vesica; endosoma with moderately to heavily scleotised lobes, spines and other structures as follows: two moderately sclerotised apically converging outer marginal leaf like lobes, two inner narrower and shorter apically diverging lobes and one short broad median lobe, base of the median lobe membranous dorsal aspect with apical membranous lobes with one large mass of sclerotised dense spines, often appearing as two indistinct compact groups, each spine tubular, apex rather abruptly ending into a minute heavily sclerotised acute point ( Fig. 20 ); another batch of shorter and finer spinules in two indistinct batches basad of large spine groups.

Female genitalia: Syntergite 9/10 as in Fig. 21 , posterior medial margin strongly excavated. Gonapophysis 8 triangular, with external surface with long setae, extends anteriorly and forms a pair of sclerites on the bursa (anterior projection of gonapophysis 8). Gonocoxa 9 and gonapophysis 9 as in Fig. 22 . Gonoplac is composed of two sclierites joined medially along their dorsal margins. Bursa copulatrix a membranous bag, elongate ovate ( Fig. 22 ).

Egg ovoid, cylindrical, feebly curved ( Fig. 23 ), gradually narrowed to opercular end, operculum round, with creamy filament mass over it ( Fig. 24 ), operculum when viewed from below with minute holes as in Fig. 25 . Total length 1.5–1.6; maximum width 0.75–0.80.

Notes. Trachylestes queenslandensis sp. nov. differs from T. barrowensis sp. nov. in its broader and robust body, several but less prominent tubercles on pronotum, less distinct bands on legs, and its colour pattern of pronotum and abdomen (see Figs. 12 ). There is some variation in overall coloration between the specimens examined.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 13. Trachylestes queenslandensis, paratype: 12, dorsal view; 13, lateral view.

FIGURES 14 – 16. Trachylestes queenslandensis, paratype: 14, head and pronotum, dorsal view; 15, head, lateral view; 16, scutellum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 17 – 20, Trachylestes queenslandensis, paratype male: 17, pygophore, lateral view; 18, pygophore, posterior view; 19, left paramere, dorsal view; 20, phallus, dorsal view. Abbreviations: dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite; ens, endosoma; plt, phallotheca; sp, spinule; str, strut.

FIGURES 21 – 25, Trachylestes queenslandensis, paratype female: 21, syntergite 9 / 10; 22, bursa copulatrix, in lateral view; 23, egg without operculum, lateral view; 24, operculum, dorsal view; 25, same, ventral view. Abbreviations: gap 8, gonapophysis 8; gap 9, gonapophysis 9; gcx 9, gonocoxa 9; gpl, gonoplac; prj, anterior projections of gonapophysis 8.