Brachysandalus ephippiger (White, 1843)

Liu, Yingqi & Cai, Wanzhi, 2024, Revision of Australian Brachysandalus with the description of nine new species including one cavernicolous species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), and observations on male extragenital structure and leg teratology, Zootaxa 5490 (1), pp. 1-112 : 22-26

Brachysandalus ephippiger (White, 1843)

( Figs. 8 , 9 )

Reduvius (Pirates) ephippiger White, 1843: 283 , in White & Doubleday (1843: 283).

Type locality: New Zealand. Brachysandalus ephippiger : Stål (1867: 260); Maldonado Capriles (1990: 345).

Pirates ephippiger : Walker (1873: 126).

Pirates (Brachysandalus) ephippiger : Stål (1874: 60).

Peirates ephippiger : Cassis & Gross (1995: 340).

Peirates ephippiger : Larivière & Larochelle (2004: 191). (assumed erroneous record for New Zealand).

Type specimen examined. Lectotype (present designation), macropterous male, New Zealand, Reduvius (Pirates) ephippiger White New Zealand Dr Sinclair, Pirates ephippiger Walker’s Catal., Ereb & Terror fig 7, NHMUK 013586686 ( NHM). Larivière & Larochelle (2004) believe this species may have been erroneously recorded from New Zealand. See further details under notes below.

Other specimens examined. [all macropterous]. QUEENSLAND. 1 male, Coleman River , 14.48S 143.22E, 25.vi.1993, at light, P. Zbrowski & I. Naumann ( ANIC) ; 1 male, 17.11S 145.02E, Eureka Ck 9 km SW Dimbulah, 20.xi.1981, J. Balderson ( ANIC) ; 1 female, McIvor R. xing, 40 km N of Cooktown, 15–18.vii.1976, G.B. & S.R. Monteith ( QM) ; 1 female, 15.04S 145.07E, Mt Webb Nat Park nr Cooktown ,, stop 22, at light in rainforest, 27– 30.iv.1981, D.C.F. Rentz ( ANIC) , 1 male, same locality and date, I.D. Naumann ( ANIC) ; 1 male (head missing), Cooktown , from T. Carr Esq., 29.vi.06 ( MV) ; 1 male, Christmas Ck 15 km W Fairview via Laura, 26–27.vi.1975, G.B. Monteith ( QM) ; 1 female, Mt Isa , i.1954, Lamberts ( MV) ; 1 female, Landers Ck , camp no. 3, 12.vi.1911, G.F. Hill, ‘ Barclay Exped. read 16.11.12’ ( MV) ; 1 male, Carmila , 10.ii.1956, ‘alleged to have stung person causing great pain, rash and skin flaking off’, V.L. McKenzie ( QM) ; 1 male, Lawes , 6.i.1953, Pirates (Brachysandalus) ephippiger N.C.E. Miller 1955 ( QM) ; 1 male, Lake Broadwater via Dalby, 31.v.1984, M. Bennie ( QM) , 1 female, same locality, site 7, 22–25.ii.1986, G. Monteith & G. Thompson ( QM) ; 1 male, Brisbane , 11.vii.1911, H. Hacker ( QM) , 1 male, same locality and collector, 24.iv.1912 ( QM) ; 1 male, 1 female, Stanthorpe, E. Sutton ( QM) , 1 female, same locality and collector, ix.1928 ( QM) ; 1 female, Dalby 10.viii.1945 R. Kaye, Brit. Mus. 1955-438. ( NHM) ; 1 male, Mackay 2: 99, A.J. Turner. 1906-125. ( NHM) ; 1 male, Queensland , Nat Mus Victoria ( MV) ; 1 male, Queensland. F.P. Dodd. 1907-54. ( NHM) ; 1 male, 2 females, Queensland. Challenger Exp. 85-44., Pirates ephippiger White, M.L. Cook det. 1973 ( NHM) . NEW SOUTH WALES. 1 female, 31.29S 151.12E, Hanging Rock , under bark Eucalyptus sp NSW-8, D.S. Horning Jr ( ANIC) ; 1 male, Cubiumatta , 4. x.1958, at light, M. I. Nikitin., Brit. Mus. 1959.57 ( NHM) ; 1 female, N.S. Wales, C. French Jun. , 15.ii.1911 ( MV) ; 3 males, 1 female, N.S. Wales, Nat Mus Victoria ( MV) . NORTHERN TERRITORY. 1 male, 11.07S 132.08E, Smith Point , Cobourg Pen., water trap, 3–21.ii.1977, R.C. Lewis ( ANIC) ; 1 male, Oenpelli, D.P. Cahill, 12.18 ( MV) ; 1 female, Alligator R., 22.9.14, from P. Cahill ( MV) ; 1 male (dissected), Mataranka , 14.vii.1969, J.C. LeSouef ( MV) ; 1 male, Roper R., 1.4.16 ( MV) ; 1 female, Jarrnarm , Keep R. Nat. Pk., 15.46S 129.06E, 5.vi.2001, M. Horak ( ANIC) ; 1 male, King R., 24.12.15 ( MV) . WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 2 males, 17.23S 124.44E, Kimberley , Lennard River crossing, Gibb River Road, 1.iv.1988, at MV light, 679-7, T.F. Houston ( WAM) , 2 males, same data except 8.iv.1988 ( WAM) ; 1 female, Charnley River , 25 mls N Beverley Springs, 9.ix.1969, D.D. Giuliani ( WAM) ; 1 male, Wyndham , 15.vii.1969, J.C. LeSouef ( MV) ; 1 male, Wittenoom, ’48.915’, 1 male, same locality, ’48.943’ ( WAM) , 1 male, same locality, ’48.944’ ( WAM) .

Diagnosis.

Macropterous male and female known, body large sized. Blackish brown to black, most parts of antennae, labium and legs dark yellow ( Fig. 8 ); hemelytron with a yellow, oval spot involving apical 1/2 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins Pcu+1A and Cu ( Fig. 8A ). Fore femur armed below with two rows of tubercles, outer tubercles large, short and conical, inner ones minute, rows separated by a faint median furrow armed with rows of blackish brown bristly setae, ventral surface of mid femur densely covered with short blackish brown bristly setae ( Fig. 8B&C ); fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying only about 1/3 its length ( Fig. 8B&C ); in male, left side of abdominal sternite VII with an upturned, spine-like extragenital process ( Figs. 8B , 56E , 57E ); male genitalia with median pygophore process straight, venter strongly ridged in caudal view ( Fig. 9B ), and spatulate, apically acutely pointed, blade of process near base slightly constricted in lateral view ( Fig. 9C ), inner margin of lateral phallothecal sclerite slightly irregularly serrated ( Fig. 9I ).

Redescription.

Macropterous male and female ( Fig. 8 )

Colouration ( Fig. 8 ): Blackish brown to black. Antenna (except base of scape blackish brown), second and third visible labial segments and legs (except coxae and apices of tibiae dark brown) dark yellow; hemelytron with a yellow, oval spot involving apical 1/2 of clavus and adjoining area of corium between veins Pcu+1A and Cu, membrane paler, with an inconspicuous yellowish, thin, curved stripe near base of costal margin.

Structure ( Figs. 8 , 9 ): Body large sized. Head, pronotum, scutellum and corium covered with golden, short pilosity; antenna covered with yellowish white, fine pubescence and yellow, suberect, short setae; thoracic pleura, sterna and abdominal sternites densely covered with pale yellow pubescence; legs covered with pale yellow, short pubescence and yellow to brown setae of varying lengths, ventral surfaces of fore and mid femora also with blackish brown, short bristles.

Head: Anteocular region elongate triangular, clypeus near its base slightly elevated and knobbed above mandibular plates. Interocular region with arcuate convex sulcus at posterior border of eyes, a small pit near base. Postocular region almost rounded to neck. Neck with lateral tubercles tiny. Ventral surface of head tumid before eyes. Antennae with all segments covered with short yellowish white pilosity and sparse longer setae; scape thickest, pedicel thinner, then basi- and distiflagellum thinnest. Eyes large, reniform, reaching dorsal and ventral margins of head in lateral view in male but not reaching ventral margin in female, width of eye longer than width of interocular space in dorsal view in male but shorter than width of interocular space in female. Ocelli moderately developed, slightly raised, separated from each other by about diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by less than diameter of single ocellus.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum with distinct stripes, sulci indistinct, except thin median longitudinal sulcus in basal 2/3. Posterior pronotal lobe short, arcuately quadrate, integument smooth, humeri rounded, posterior margin arcuate but somewhat oblique or concave laterally. Scutellum disc with a shallow depression in middle, scutellar process knob-shaped, slightly directed obliquely in lateral view. Propleuron with integument finely faintly granulate, smoothly pilose, set off from dorsal surface by a faint carina. Mesopleuron integument minutely granulate, sparsely pilose. Metapleuron with integument more finely granulate but granules not striate, metapleural sulcus distinctly bicarinate and arcuate, pilose with whitish dense hairs posteriorly. All sternites with tiny granules, moderately pilose. Mesosternum carinated in middle, metasternum with disc tumid. Hemelytron well developed, reaching to exceeding tip of abdomen in male and nearly reaching to slightly exceeding tip of abdomen in female.

Legs: Fore leg with coxa with golden pilosity; trochanter unarmed, sparsely hairy; femur strongly fusiform, greatly incrassate near base narrowing distally, armed below with two rows of tubercles, outer tubercles large, short and conical, inner ones minute, rows separated by a faint median furrow armed with rows of blackish brown bristly setae; tibia gradually thickened to apex, more or less straight but apex slightly reflexed, fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 tibial length. Mid leg with coxa globular; femur only slightly thickened, ventral surface densely covered with short blackish brown bristly setae; tibia with short golden to yellowish brown pilosity for whole length, fossula spongiosa only about 1/3 its length. Hind coxae separated from each other by less than width of one coxa; femur cylindrical; tibia with brush of setae, denser at apex.

Abdomen: In male, venter of abdomen with a median ridge running from posterior portion of second abdominal sternite to posterior portion of seventh abdominal sternite, slightly curved to right side of body, distinctly carinated and forming a knobbed preapical point on sternite VII ( Fig. 8B ); left side of sternite VII with an upturned, spine-like extragenital process, located near posterior margin of sternite VII ( Figs. 8B , 56E , 57E ). Connexivum with golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum. Spiracles situated below connexival suture. Each spiracle with two impressed shiny roundish areas, one postero-ventrally and one anteriorly near anterior margin of segment. In female, same as male, venter of abdomen flat, all sterna appearing narrow medially except VII very enlarged.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 9 ): Median pygophore process straight and oblique to right side, venter strongly ridged in caudal view ( Fig. 9B ); spatulate, apically acutely pointed, blade of process near base slightly constricted in lateral view ( Fig. 9C ). Parameres ( Fig. 9D&E ) somewhat falcate, outer surface densely covered with brown hairs, apical 1/4 of left paramere ( Fig. 9D ) broadly rectangular while apical 1/4 of right paramere ( Fig. 9E ) subtriangular. Phallus ( Fig. 9F–I ) in resting condition with basal plate subequal to basal plate bridge ( Fig. 9F ), pedicel almost straight and slightly shorter than basal plate ( Fig. 9H&I ); length of struts distinctly longer than half length of phallosoma ( Fig. 9F ); apex of dorsal phallothecal sclerite blunt ( Fig. 9F ); lateral phallothecal sclerite subquadrangular, inner margin slightly irregularly serrated ( Fig. 9I ); pair of slender sclerites near base of venter of phallosoma strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 9G ).

Measurements: [of ranges of four males and three females]. Body length 18.04–21.92 (♂), 19.81–20.91 (♀); maximum width of abdomen 4.95–5.68 (♂), 5.92–6.05 (♀); length of head 2.86–3.38 (♂), 2.73–3.20 (♀); length of anteocular region 1.20–1.42 (♂), 1.28–1.50 (♀); length of postocular region 0.51–0.61 (♂), 0.49–0.52 (♀); width of head across eyes 2.18–2.55 (♂), 2.10–2.11 (♀); width of interocular space 0.60–0.77 (♂), 0.73–0.78 (♀); width of interocellar space 0.25–0.36 (♂), 0.29–0.36 (♀); length of eye in dorsal view 1.00–1.14 (♂), 0.95–0.98 (♀); width of eye in dorsal view 0.80–0.91 (♂), 0.63–0.69 (♀); lengths of antennal segments I–IV 1.85–2.17 (♂), 1.89–1.89 (♀) / 3.57–4.04 (♂), 3.09–3.22 (♀) / 3.05–? (♂),?–? (♀) / 1.58–? (♂),?–? (♀); length of visible labial segments I–III 1.28–1.49 (♂), 1.10–1.21 (♀) / 1.75–2.20 (♂), 1.81–1.87 (♀) / 0.91–0.94 (♂), 0.84–0.94 (♀); length of pronotum 4.60–5.51 (♂), 4.40–4.71 (♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe 2.79–3.49 (♂), 2.78–3.02 (♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe 1.80–2.02 (♂), 1.61–1.70 (♀); width of anterior pronotal lobe 3.17–4.10 (♂), 3.40–3.61 (♀); width of posterior pronotal lobe 4.68–5.84 (♂), 4.69–4.89 (♀); length of scutellum 1.78–2.23 (♂), 2.03–2.10 (♀); maximum width of scutellum 1.96–2.55 (♂), 2.13–2.38 (♀); length of hemelytron 12.64–14.74 (♂), 10.82–11.40 (♀); length of fore tibia 4.30–4.35 (♂), 3.65–3.80 (♀); length of fossula spongiosa on fore tibia 1.78–1.83 (♂), 1.60–1.70 (♀).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Western Australia). Cassis & Gross (1995) recorded this species also from South Australia and New Zealand, but these specimens were not located and examined in the present study. According to Larivière & Larochelle (2004), however, the New Zealand record is likely to be erroneous, see below.

Comparative notes. This species is more similar to B. crassifemur ( Reuter, 1881) , see details under comparative notes of B. crassifemur above.

Remarks. Larivière & Larochelle (2004: 191) commented that this species is believed to have been erroneously described from New Zealand. According to Myers & China (1928), the type specimen of P. ephippiger deposited in the Natural History Museum (NHM) with a New Zealand label (collected by Dr. Sinclair) may in fact have been collected in Australia. According to Larivière & Larochelle (2004), no specimen from New Zealand has ever been collected or observed following White’s description of the species in 1843 even though the species has been recorded (as present in New Zealand) in subsequent works, e.g., Myers (1926), Wise (1977), Maldonado Capriles (1990), and Cassis & Gross (1995). Larivière & Larochelle (2004) have not found any evidence of the occurrence of this species in New Zealand, and the present workers have not come across any New Zealand collected specimens in Australian collections as well as in the European museums they visited.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Brachysandalus ephippiger (White, 1843), lectotype, macropterous male, habitus. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view. Red arrow indicates median carina on abdomen, blue arrow indicates extragenital process. Scale bar = 3.00 mm.

FIGURE 9. Brachysandalus ephippiger (White, 1843), male genitalia.A–C, pygophore; D, left paramere; E, right paramere; F– I, phallus.A, G, ventral view; B, caudal view; C, H, I, lateral view; D, E, outer ventrolateral view; F, dorsal view. Abbreviations: bp, basal plate; bpb, basal plate bridge; dps, dorsal phallothecal sclerite; lps, lateral phallothecal sclerite; mpp, median pygophore process; ped, pedicel; st, struts. Scale bar = 1.00 mm (for A–C); 0.80 mm (for D–I).

FIGURE 56. Illustrations of extragenital process of Australian Brachysandalus species. A, B. sepulchralis (Distant, 1902); B, B. howarthi Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; C, B. alutaceus (Reuter, 1881); D, B. helluo Stål, 1866; E, B. ephippiger (White, 1843); F, B. punctorius Stål, 1866; G, B. flavidus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; H, B. crassifemur (Reuter, 1881); I, B. maculatus Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; J. B. ayyammae Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; K, B. fulvipes Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; L, B. gunbalanyae Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov.; M–P, B. westraliensis Malipatil & Liu, sp. nov. Scale bar = 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 57. Mating in peiratine species.A, mating specimens of Fusiusdistinctus Miller, 1957; B,mating specimens of Tydides imitator Lent, 1955; C. precopulatory behaviour of Peirates turpis Walker, 1873; D, mating position of Peirates turpis Walker, 1873.