Empicoris scabraventris

Tatarnic, Nikolai J., Wall, Michael A. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2011, A systematic revision of the Australian ploiarioline thread-legged assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae), Zootaxa 2762, pp. 1-30 : 23-26

Empicoris scabraventris n sp.

Figs. 13 , 17 A–G, 18

Material examined. HOLOTYPE. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 1 ɗ, Como West, near Sydney, 34.0o S 151.1o E, 5–8 December 1972, L. Wilson (AM). PARATYPES. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 1 Ψ, Como West, near Sydney, 34.0o S 151.1o E, 16: December 1972, L. Wilson (AM). South Australia: 1 Ψ Warradale, 35.0o S 138.5o E, 13 April 1973, P. McQuillon ( SAMA); 1 ɗ, Mt. Lofty, 26.8o S 152.6o E, A.M. Lea ( SAMA); Tasmania: 1 ɗ, 3 Ψ, Launceston, 41.4o S 147.1o E, 20 February 1914 ( SAMA).

Diagnosis. Diagnosed by the following combination of characters: body chestnut and testaceous in colouration; anteocular region shorter than postocular region of head; discal cell ca. 2X longer than wide; macrochaetae of abdomen isolated from adjacent microchaetae by nude circular area; parameres roughly parallel-sided; posterior margin of pygophore without ventral projection ( Fig. 19 E).

Description. Body length 4.5.

Colour. As shown in Figures 17 A, B, D and 18. Body mostly chestnut-coloured with white to testaceous markings. Head chestnut-coloured; AI & AII white with numerous brown annulations along length; AIII chestnutcoloured with white basal annulation; AIV chestnut-coloured. Labium hyaline with dark markings; LI with two oblique chestnut-coloured annulations, one basal, one post-medial; LII brown basally becoming hyaline; LIII hyaline basally becoming brown. Pronotum: anterior lobe entirely chestnut-coloured; posterior lobe chestnut-coloured laterally with white carinae, disc and humeral angles testaceous with single chestnut-coloured spots on both sides of midline of posterior margin. Remainder of thorax chestnut-coloured. Spines on scutellum and metanotum chestnut-coloured basally, becoming hyaline. Forecoxae mostly white with single subapical brown annulation. Meso- and metacoxae white with dark apical annulation. Foretrochanter white with brown apex. Forefemora with three brown annulations, one large basal, one small medial, one large apical. Meso- and metafemora mostly white with one narrow basal and one large apical dark annulation enclosing regularly-spaced series of six narrow dark annulations. Foretibia white with brown apical and basal annulations enclosing one submedial band. Proximal half of meso- and metatibia white with multiple dark narrow annulations, distal half brown. Foretarsus mostly brown, TI white. Meso- and metatarsi brown. Forewings as in Figure 17 A. Abdomen mostly brown, SI chestnut-coloured, spine of T2 (first visible) chestnut-coloured, spiracles white, S8 with white posterolateral margins.

Texture and Vestiture. Head mostly covered dorsally in white wool-like pile, decorated laterally with compact bands of pile; anteocular regions with bald V- shaped area; postocular lobe with bald “ Y ”-shaped area; AI with long limber setae intermixed with shorter stiffer setae; labium with scattered short setae. Thorax decorated dorsally and laterally with compact bands of pile. Lateral tumid areas of anterior lobe of pronotum with “mushroom body” like structures. Disc of posterior lobe of pronotum slightly rugose. Forecoxae and forefemora with long setae. Foretibia covered in shorter spine-like setae with two distinct rows borne on small tubercles on ventral surface. Meso- and metafemora with minute spines. Meso- and metatibia with spine-like setae basally, becoming denser apically. Abdominal venter medially nude, lateral portions of venter with network of short velutinous silken setae enclosing subcircluar nude areas, single longer seta associated with each nude patch ( Fig. 17 G).

Structure. As shown in Figures 17 A–F and 18. Anteocular region slightly larger than postocular region, elevated with depressed V-shaped area dorsally. Postocular region subglobose, somewhat dorsally compressed with depressed Y-shaped area. Interocular groove deep, arching only slightly posteriorly. Labium strongly bent between LI and LII, relative lengths 1:0.6:0.6. Pronotum constricted before middle; anterior lobe bilaterally divided by a deep pit in the disc; posterior lobe almost two times longer than anterior lobe, laterally with 1+1 well-developed carinae running entire length of lobe. Scutellum semicircular with median raised triangular area supporting spine. Metanotum U-shaped with large spine. Forecoxae elongate, cylindrical. Forefemora elongate, fusiform, posteroventral and anteroventral series similar in structure. Foretarsus 2-segmented, second segment 2.2 times larger than first. Meso- and metacoxae globose. Meso- and metafemora thin, elongate, cylindrical. Meso- and metatibia thin, elongate, cylindrical, arching distally. Meso- and metatarsi 3-segmented, segments approximately equal in length.

Distribution. Known from New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet scabraventris (i.e. “scaly belly”) refers to the illusion that the venter of the abdomen is scaly, caused by the patterning of setae in this species.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Distribution of species of Empicoris species in Australia.

FIGURE 17. Empicoris scabraventris. A. Forewing. B. Hindleg. C. Head and prothorax. D. Foreleg. E. Posterior margin of pygophore. F. Dorsal view of paramere. G. Vestiture of ventral surface of abdomen.

FIGURE 19. Forewing of Mesosepis papua.