Empicoris rubromaculatus (Blackburn)

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

Empicoris rubromaculatus (Blackburn)

Figs. 13 , 16 A, B

Ploiariodes rubromaculatus Blackburn, 1889: 349 .

Empicoris rubromaculatus: McAtee & Malloch, 1925: 16 , fig. 2. Ploiariola rubromaculata : China, 1938: 22.

Empicoris rubromaculatus obsoletus McAtee and Malloch, 1925: 132 . Ploiarioides euryale Krikaldy, 1908b: 372.

Ploiarioides californica Nathan Banks, 1909: 46.

Ploiariola froggatti Horváth, 1914a: 643 , fig. 5.

Ploiariola sagax, Horváth, 1914a: 642 , fig. 4. (new synonymy). Ploiariola scotti Distant, 1913: 163 , pl. 12, fig. 2 (new synonymy). Empicoris tingitanus Dispons, 1955: 174 (new synonymy). Empicorella tingitana: Dispons and Stichel, 1959: 97 , figs. 58–60. Empicoris microcephalus Villiers, 1960e: 28 , fig. 16 (new synonymy).

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 1 ɗ Bowen, 20.0o S 148.2o E, 10 May 1996, I. Kay & J. Brown, suction trap in tomatoes, B1188, INSECTCOLL 14313 ( QDPI); 1 Ψ Bundaberg, 24.9o S 152.3o E, 9 May 1996, I. Kay & A. Hardy, bag trap in tomatoes, B1586, INSECTCOLL 15069 ( QDPI); 1 Ψ Bundaberg, 24.9o S 152.3o E, 7 June 1996, I. Kay & A. Hardy, bag trap in tomatoes, B1595, INSECTCOLL 15078 ( QDPI); 1 ɗ Mt. Tamborine S.E.Q., 28.0o S 153.2o E, 12 October 1978, J.F. Donaldson, INSECTCOLL 0-139687 ( QDPI); 1 ɗ Ayr, 13 June 1961, J.J. Davis, K1219, INSECTCOLL 0-139688 ( QDPI); 1 Ψ Redcliffe, 27.2o S 152.1o E, 1 March 1929, INSECTCOLL 0-139689 ( QDPI); 1 ɗ Ipswich, 27.4o S 152.5o E, 12 February 1938, A. May, INSECTCOLL 0- 139690 ( QDPI); 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ Brisbane, 27.5o S 153.0o E, 28 May 1933, A. Brimblecombe, INSECTCOLL 0-139692 ( QDPI); 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ Brisbane, 27.5o S 153.0o E, July 1932, A. Brimblecombe, INSECTCOLL 0-139693, 0-139694 ( QDPI); 2 Ψ Brisbane, 27.5o S 153.0o E, 21 June 1932, A.R. Brimblecombe, INSECTCOLL 0-139696 ( QDPI); 1 Ψ Ashgrove, 27.5o S 153.0o E, 14 July 1932, A. Brimblecombe, INSECTCOLL 0-139695 ( DPQI); New South Wales: 1 ɗ, 2Ψ Mudgee, 32.3o S 149.5o E, 15 September 1942, H. Hacker, INSECTCOLL 0-139691 ( QDPI).

Diagnosis. Recognized by the combination of the following characters: lateral carinae of pronotum reduced, restricted to anterior extremities of hind lobe ( Fig. 16 B); dark markings of forewings extensively broken into small patches by a network of white areas ( Fig. 16 A); apex of pterostigma sometimes with a red maculation; posterior process of pygophore deeply emarginated.

Distribution. Essentially cosmopolitan, though not recorded from parts of the Palearctic, Neararctic, or equatorial Africa. In Australia this species is known from from northern New South Wales and eastern Queensland ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

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

FIGURE 16. Empicoris rubromaculatus. A. Forewing. B. Head and prothorax (colouration not shown).