Emesopsis infenestra, Tatarnic, Nikolai J., Wall, Michael A. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2011

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 : 12-15

Emesopsis infenestra n. sp.

Figs. 6 , 8 A–C, 9

Material examined. HOLOTYPE. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 1 Ψ, Taroom, 6 km N., 22 May 1999, G.B. Monteith, QM; Berlesate 995, Brigalow, 25.6°S, 149.8°E, 200 m, leaf litter. PARATYPE. Queensland: 1 Ψ: Expedition Range NP, 5062, ‘Amphitheatre’ scrub, 25.2° S, 149°E, 520 m, 25 September – 17 December 1997. pit-falls, Cook & Monteith, Vine forest. OTHER MATERIAL. LOYALTY ISLANDS: Lifou: 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Xepenene, 6 Dec 2000, G. B. Monteith

Diagnosis. Recognized by the following combination of characters: M and Cu not fused basal of discal cell, subquadrate subbasal cell absent, R+M apical of discal cell weakly arched and unbranched; eyes small; postocular region of head with tumid genal area.

Description. Body length 3.4 mm.

Colour. As in Figures 8 A, C and 9. Body mostly testaceous with mostly stramineous appendages. Head testaceous; AI testaceous with numerous vague submedial, supramedial, and subapical brown annulations, apical portion creamy, remainder of antennae brown. Labium stramineous with testaceous markings, LI medial annulus testaceous, LII mostly pale testaceous, LIII stramineous basally becoming testaceous. Thorax, excluding appendages, entirely testaceous. Forecoxae mostly stramineous with subapical testaceous annuli. Foretrochanter testaceous. Forefemora testaceous basally becoming stramineous with three testaceous annulations, subbasal annulus large, medial and apical annuli narrower. Meso- and metacoxae stramineous. Meso- and metafemora testaceous basally becoming stramineous, with two narrow brown subapical annuli present. Tibia and tarsi testaceous. Forewings as in Figure 9 . Abdomen testaceous medially, laterally stramineous, SI testaceous.

Texture and Vestiture. Head dorsally covered in dense white wool-like pile interspersed with long upright setae; AI with long relaxed setae, AII-AIV with shorter appressed setae; LI with two dorsal rows of recurved setae (ventral when in repose), LII and LIII with scattered shorter setae. Thorax covered dorsally and laterally with white wool-like pile interspersed with long setae, lateral tumid areas of anterior lobe of pronotum with trident-shaped nude areas, lateral-most lobe of trident basally isolated from remainder by narrow band of pile. Forefemora with mixture of short appressed setae and longer upright setae. Coxae, meso- and metafemora with long setae. Foretibia covered in shorter spine-like setae. Meso- and metatibia with long spine-like setae basally becoming greatly reduced towards apex. Abdomen dorsally blanketed with short velutinous silken setae interspersed with much longer setae, SI with dense wool-like pile.

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Structure. As shown in Figures 8 A–C and 9. Anteocular region smaller than postocular region, with depressed V-shaped area dorsally. Postocular region subglobose, strongly elevated relative to anteocular region; posterior of genal area strongly tumid, making postocular region appear bilobed in lateral view. Interocular groove deep, essentially straight. Labium strongly bent between LI and LII, relative lengths 1:0.4:0.5. Pronotum constricted before midpoint; anterior lobe bilaterally divided by a deep pit in the disc; posterior lobe almost two times longer than anterior lobe, with sinuate posterior margin. Scutellum subtriangular. 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 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. Abdomen parallel-sided for most of its length.

Distribution. South-eastern Queensland and New Caledonia ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet infenestra (Latin, meaning “without a window”) refers to the absence of a basal cell in the forewing, a feature typical of the genus.

Remarks. This species was collected from arid scrub in southeast Queensland. It appears to be a ground dwelling species. Females from the Loyalty Islands appear similar to females from Australia, where no males are currently known. Until males from Australia can be examined we refrain from including the Loyalty Islands material in the type series.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution of species of Emesopsis in Australia.

FIGURE 8. Emesopsis infenestra. A. Hindleg. B. Head and prothorax (colouration not shown). C. Foreleg.

FIGURE 9. Habitus of Emesopsis infenestra.