Ectomocoris major Malipatil & Liu, 2023

Malipatil, M. B., Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2023, Revision of Australian Ectomocoris with the description of nine new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Zootaxa 5263 (4), pp. 451-504 : 484-488

Ectomocoris major Malipatil & Liu , sp. nov.

( Figs. 23–25 )

Type specimens. Holotype male macropterous, Australia, Queensland, Bamaga, N.Q., 1.1984, J.H. Sedlacek ( QM) . Paratypes (all macropterous): 2 males, Claudie R., 11/12.2.13 (1913), Colld. J. A. Kershaw ( MV); 1 female, North Queensland ( MV); 1 female, 12.44S 143.14E 3 km ENE of Mt Tozer nr Iron Range Nat Park, Stop I-3, 28.vi– 4.vii.1986, D. C. F. Rentz ( ANIC); 1 female, 12.40S 142.40E Batavia Downs , 13–19.i.1993, at light, P. Zborowski ( ANIC) .

Description.

Macropterous male and female ( Fig. 23 )

Colouration ( Fig. 23 ): Black, with one large yellow patch about halfway on hemelytra, involving apical area of corium and base of membrane, covering most of AIC and narrow basal area of AEC, and transverse, exteriorly delimited by outer margins of AIC/AEC. This yellow patch is variable in shape and size, slightly smaller in female.

Structure ( Figs. 23–25 ): Body very large, robust. Head and body including abdomen generally covered with fine short pubescence, with sparse longer bristles obvious on appendages.

Head: covered with short whitish pilosity and sparse longer dark bristly setae prominent on mandibular plates and on dorsal aspect of first labial segment. Postocular region almost angulately rounded to neck. Neck with lateral tubercles slightly obvious. Scape thickest, pedicel thinner, basi-and distiflagellum thinnest. Eyes large, reniform and concave postero-ventrally, not reaching ventral margin in lateral view. Ocelli large, conspicuously raised, separated from each other by about twice diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by about diameter of single ocellus.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum with integument shiny smooth except in stripes. Scutellum with arch shiny smooth, integument pilose, apically modified to pointed horizontal process. Propleuron with integument almost smooth, pilose, set off from dorsal surface by a carina. Mesopleuron with integument sparsely minutely granulate and sparsely pilose. Metapleuron with integument appearing transversely finely granulose, metapleural sulcus strongly bicarinate and curved, pilose with silvery dense hairs posteriorly. Mesosternum with disc raised, metasternum with disc more or less tumid. Macropterous, hemelytra reaching middle of VII segment, exposing connexiva, costa pilose, more so at base.

Legs: Fore leg with trochanter unarmed, sparsely hairy; femur armed below with rows of strong bristly setae, in addition sparsely pilose laterally and above; tibia cylindrical, more or less straight but apex slightly reflexed, fossula spongiosa present, occupying slightly over 3/4 tibial length. Mid leg with coxa globular, femur only slightly thickened, tibia with short whitish pilosity for entire length, with fossula spongiosa about 3/4 its length, other details as fore legs.

Abdomen: In male, elongate oval, sternum gently carinate in midline, carina continuing and forming a strongly knobbed preapical point on sternite VII, knobbed end twisted slightly to left side of body ( Fig. 24 ), extragenital process prominently developed ( Fig. 24B&C ). Connexivum with golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum.

In female, as in male except sternum not carinate medially, smooth, intersegmental sutures strongly curved anteromedially, all visible sterna appearing narrower medially except VII very enlarged ( Fig. 23F ).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 25 ): Median pygophore process broad blade-like, straight, apex abruptly pointed, posterior surface with a pair of narrow parallel carinae that are widened basally to form two knobs ( Fig. 25B ). Parameres paddle shaped, apex with a small process ( Fig. 25C&D ), left paramere ( Fig. 25C ) only slightly broader than right paramere ( Fig. 25D ). Phallus ( Fig. 25E–G ) in resting condition with basal plate bridge longer than basal plate ( Fig. 25G ); pedicel nearly straight and of similar length with basal plate ( Fig. 25F ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite broad, apex upturned ( Fig. 25E ), lateral phallothecal sclerite with two tiny sharp processes at bottom angle of inner margin ( Fig. 25G ).

Other structural details as in E. latus sp. nov.

Measurements: [of holotype male, followed by paratype female in parentheses]. Body length 25.00 (♁), 28.00 (♀); maximum width of abdomen 7.00 (♁), 8.00 (♀); length of head 4.36 (♁), 4.52 (♀); length of anteocular region 2.18 (♁), 2.02 (♀); length of postocular region 0.93 (♁), 0.78 (♀); width of head across eyes 2.80 (♁), 2.65 (♀); width of interocellar space 0.46 (♁), 0.32 (♀); length of eye in dorsal view 1.40 (♁), 1.40 (♀); width of eye in dorsal view 0.93 (♁), 0.80 (♀); lengths of antennal segments I–IV 2.34 (♁), 2.34 (♀) / 4.83 (♁), 4.40 (♀) / 4.68 (♁),? (♀) / 4.36 (♁),? (♀); length of visible labial segments I–III 1.56 (♁), 1.40 (♀) / 2.80 (♁), 2.50 (♀) / 1.56 (♁), 1.30 (♀); length of pronotum 7.02 (♁), 6.55 (♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe 4.68 (♁), 4.68 (♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe 2.18 (♁), 1.87 (♀); length of scutellum 3.12 (♁), 2.96 (♀); maximum width of scutellum 2.80 (♁), 3.12 (♀); length of hemelytra 14.80 (♁), 15.60 (♀); length of fore tibia 6.20 (♁), 5.92 (♀); length of fossula spongiosa on fore tibia 4.68 (♁), 4.60 (♀).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective major (meaning ‘large’), in allusion to the large body size of the species.

Notes. This is the largest and most robust of all Australian Ectomocoris species. It can be readily distinguished by the presence of only one yellow patch on each of the hemelytra.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Ectomocoris major Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., habitus. A–C, holotype, male; D–F, paratype, female. A, D, dorsal view; B, E, lateral view; C, F, ventral view. Scale bar = 3.00 mm.

FIGURE 24. Ectomocoris major Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov., male abdomen.A, lateral view; B, ventral view; C, posterior part of abdomen, ventral view. Orange arrow indicates median carina on abdomen; blue arrow indicates extragenital process.

FIGURE 25. Male genitalia of Ectomocoris major Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. A, B, pygophore; C, left paramere; D, right paramere; E–G, phallus. A, ventral view; B, F, G, lateral view; C, D, outer ventrolateral view; E, dorsal view. Abbreviations: bp, basal plate; bpb, basal plate bridge; dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite; kb, knob on median pygophore process; lps, lateral phallothecal sclerite; mpp, median pygophore process; ped, pedicel; st, struts.