Stenotus binotatus (Fabricius, 1794)

(Figures 1, 5A–E, 6C, F)

Lygaeus binotatus Fabricius, 1794: 172 .

Cimex paykulli Turton, 1802: 669 . New name for binotatus Fabricius, 1794 because of secondary homonymy with Cimex binotatus Gmelin, 1790 .

Stenotus sareptanus Jakovlev, 1877: 289 (synonymised by Reuter, 1885: 159).

Stenotus binotatus: Reuter, 1888: 636 (new combination).

Material examined

AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: Blackwood Ck., 41.75 ◦ S, 146.9 ◦ E, 12 January 1994, I . D. Buddle, 2♂ (00034058, 00034059) (ANIC). Devonport, Stoney Rise, 41.17801 ◦ S, 146.35871 ◦ E, 70 m, 13 January 1994, L. Hill, 5♂ (00034145, 0034146, 00034147) (ANIC); 2 January 1996, L. Hill, ♀ (00034060) . NEW ZEALAND: Auckland: Karekare [Kare Kare], Waitakare [Waitakere], 36.98596 ◦ S, 174.47969 ◦ E, 2 January 1998, G. Cassis, 7♂ (00020166, 00020168–00020171, 00020174, 00400376), 3♀ (00020175, 00020165, 00400436) (AM) .

Diagnosis

Stenotus binotatus differs from other Australian Stenotus species by body yellow with brown or black markings or stripes (Figure 1), vertex as long as eye diameter (as in Figure 2B), frons almost flat, clypeus 0.8× as short as eye anteriorly, labium reaching abdominal segment VI, ventral surface of genital capsule 1.5× as long as dorsal surface (Figure 5E), right paramere hooked (Figure 5B), right medial lobe of endosoma longer than left medial lobe, both medial endosomal lobes with fields of small spicules (Figure 5A), and posterior wall of bursa copulatrix with dorsal lobe (Figure 6F). Stenotus gressitti can be distinguished from this species by body yellow with reddish tinge (Figure 1), frons distinctly bulging (Figure 2E), clypeus one-half of eye height anteriorly (Figure 2A), labium reaching middle of mesosternum (Figure 2E), ventral surface of genital capsule 1.3× as long as dorsal surface (Figure 4E), left medial lobe of endosoma distinctly longer than right medial lobe with fields of small spicules, right medial lobe without those spicules (Figure 4A). Stenotus witchelina can be recognized by the body yellow without any brown or black markings or stripes (Figure 1), vertex distinctly shorter than eye diameter (Figure 2C), clypeus one-half of eye height anteriorly (Figure 2D, G), labium reaching middle of metasternum (Figure 2F), right paramere not hooked (Figure 4G), endosoma with right medial lobe bearing field of small spicules, left medial lobe without those spicules (Figure 4F).

Distribution

Stenotus binotatus has a broad Palaearctic distribution (Kerzhner and Josifov 1999) and has been introduced to North America (Henry and Froeschner 1988), Hawaii (Nishida 2002) and New Zealand (Eyles 1999a) from presumed European sources (Wheeler and Henry 1992). This is the first record of this species from Australia.

Other Mirinae collected from the Witchelina Nature Reserve, South Australia