Tridemula contumax Wygodzinsky & Usinger

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 : 28

Tridemula contumax Wygodzinsky & Usinger

Figs. 20 , 21 A –F

Tridemula contumax Wygodzinsky & Usinger, 1960: 260 , figs. 15.

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: 1 sex unknown, 12.40S, 132.30E, Sth. Alligator Inn, 12.7o S 132.5o E, 7–9 July 1979, Rainforest, G. Monteith (QM). Western Australia: 1 ɗ, Pago Pago via Kalumburu, 14.3o S 126.6o E, 28 October 1998, J. DeLong (AM).

Diagnosis. Recognized in Australia by the following character states: posterior lobe of the pronotum with a large medial tubercle on the posterior margin ( Fig. 21A ), mostly stramineous laterally below carina; first segment of labium stramineous.

Distribution. Northern Australia and the Caroline Islands ( Fig. 20 ).

Remarks. Previously known only from the Caroline Islands ( Wygodzinsky, 1966), this is the first record of this species in Australia. It is likely that a thorough examination of the New Guinea fauna will fill the perceived gap in this species’ distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Distribution of Mesosepis and Tridemula species in Australia.

FIGURE 21. A, B. Tridemula contumax. A. Head and prothorax (colouration not shown). B. Forewing. C, D. Tridemula metabates. C. Head and prothorax (colouration not shown). D. Forewing. E, F. Tridemula pilosa. E. Head and prothorax (colouration not shown). F. Forewing.