Babylas bihamatus Horváth, 1915

WALL, MICHAEL A., 2007, A revision of the Solomonius-group of the stinkbug tribe Halyini (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae), Zootaxa 1539 (1), pp. 1-84 : 26-28

Babylas bihamatus Horváth, 1915

( Figs. 2B , 14 A-D, 15)

Babylas bihamatus Horváth, 1915:242–243 , fig. 10; Black, 1968: 563 (record)

Redescription. Body 2X longer than broad ( Fig. 2B ). Head slightly longer than broad; tylus and juga subequal in length. Posterior margins of eyes converging toward pronotal margin. Pronotum with disc slightly depressed; callus areas with distinctly raised gibbosities; lateral angles approximately 90º.

Labium reaching second to third abdominal sternite (first or second visible); ratios 1:1.6:1.6:1. Peritreme 2/3 as long as distance from ostiole of metathoracic scent gland to lateral margin of metapleuron. Episternal ridge located 4/5 of distance between ostiole of metathoracic scent gland and lateral margin of metapleuron. Venter of abdomen primarily convex, median flattened to slightly sulcate medially. Profemora unarmed.

Color and vestiture. Ground color testaceous with black to green metallic punctures. Antennae with segment I piceous dorsally; segments II–V completely piceous. Legs mostly straminous, tibiae becoming testaceous distally; abdomen with piceous spiracles, sometimes with piceous areas behind trichobothria. Dorsum covered with short stiff upright hairs; antennal segments I–II shiny with sparse vestiture, segments III–V clothed in short pile with interspersed longer stiff bristles.

Male. Outer ventral rim of pygophore posteriorly produced, emarginated medially; inner ventral rim projecting, acutely bilobed medially; lateral lobes of dorsal rim elongate, curved dorsally ( Fig. 14A–C ). Proctiger hemispherical, distal portion membranous; basal sclerite wider than long, posterior margin with median lobe ( Fig. 14C ).

Female. Eighth gonocoxa roughly triangular, lateral margin emarginate. Ninth laterotergites distally swollen, almost clubbed. ( Fig. 14D ).

Measurements. Males (n=5): body length 16.2 SD 0.3 (15.8–16.5), anterior pronotal width 3.2 SD 0.1 (3.1–3.3), humeral width 8.3 SD 0.2 (8.0–8.5), scutellar length 6.4 SD 0.3 (6.0–6.7), medial length of sixth sternite (fifth visible) 0.9 SD 0.2 (0.7–1.1), medial length of seventh sternite (sixth visible) 2.7 SD 0.2 (2.5– 2.9). Females (n=5): body length 37.2 SD 27.6 (16.8–67.6), anterior pronotal width 3.3 SD 0.1 (3.1–3.4), humeral width 8.6 SD 0.2 (8.3–8.8), scutellar length 6.7 SD 0.1 (6.5–6.7), medial length of sixth sternite (fifth visible) 1.4 SD 0.1 (1.3–1.5), medial length of seventh sternite (sixth visible) 2.1 SD 0.1 (2.0–2.2). Appendages in Table 1.

Specimens examined. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: New Britain, 1912 - 1 ♂ ( BMNH) ; Gazelle Pen., Bainings; St. Paulís , elev. 350 m, [4° 15' S, 151° 45’ E], 6 September 1955, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; Gazelle Pen., Kerawat , elev. 60 m, [4° 19' S, 151° 59’ E], 3 September 1955, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; Gazelle Pen., Talliligap , elev. 300 m, [4° 19' S, 152° 10’ E], 17–18 December 1962, coll. J. Sedlacek - 4 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂ ( BPBM) ; Gazelle Pen., Upper Warangoi , elev. 250–600 m, [4° 29' S, 152° 9’ E], 28–30 November 1962, coll. J. Sedlacek - 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; same locality, 5 December 1962, coll. J. Sedlacek - 1 ♀, 1 ♂ ( BPBM) ; Kerauat , [4° 21' S, 152° 2'], 30 January 1976, coll. F. Hela - 1 ♀ ( BMNH) ; Rabaul , [4° 12' S, 152° 11’ E], 8 November 1932, coll. J. Froggatt - 1 ♀ ( BMNH) ; same locality, 13 October 1940, coll. B. O’Connor - 2 ♀♀ ( BMNH) ; same locality, 1–30 October 1968, coll. N.L.H. Krauss - 1 ♀ ( BPBM) ; Vunekanau, Gazelle Pen. , [4° 19' S, 152° 8’ E], 11 May 1956, coll. J.L. Gressitt - 1 ♀ ( BPBM) . New Ireland, Lavongai, Danatam , [2° 40' S, 150° 17’ E], 25 March 1962, coll. Noona Dan Exp - 1 ♂ ( BMNH) .

Distribution. New Britain and New Ireland ( Fig. 15 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Anchises, Babylas, Epitoxicoris, and Elemana species, habitus. A. A. parvulus (Westwood), B. B. bihamatus, C. Ep. allisonae sp. nov., D. Ep. trimaculatus sp. nov., E. El. propria Distant.

FIGURE 14. Genitalia of Babylas bihamatus Horváth. A. ventral view of pygophore, B. lateral view of pygophore, C. dorsal view of pygophore, and D. external female genitalia.

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Solomonius foetidus (Signoret) and Babylas bihamatus Horváth in New Guinea.