Physopelta (Afrophysopelta) flavofemoralis, Stehlík, 2013

Stehlík, Jaroslav L., 2013, Review and reclassification of the Old World genus Physopelta (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Largidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 53 (2), pp. 505-584 : 564-565

Physopelta (Afrophysopelta) flavofemoralis sp. nov.

( Fig. 80 )

Type localtiy. Reunion Island, Bois Rouge.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( BMNH), ‘RHe.63 [hw, vertical line at left margin] / REUNION [p] / Bois Rouge / 22.vii.1951 [p] / J.R.Williams [p] / Cane field [hw, white label] // COM. INST. ENT. / COLL. NO. 12284 [p, white label] // Pres. by / Com. Inst. Ent. / B.M.1952-305 [p, white label] // ♂ [p, white label] // Holo- / typus [p, red label with black frame submarginally] // Physopelta / flavofemoralis / sp. n. [hw, divided by black line] / det. J.L.Stehlík [p] 2009 [hw, red label]. Specimen pinned through scutellum, abdomen partly broken off from the body, both antennomeres 4 missing.

Description. Colouration (Fig. 80). Head (darker), antennomere 1 and base of antennomere 2, labium, pronotum, femora, tibiae (except apices), scutellum (darker), clavus, corium up to the posterior part of central spot, abdominal dorsum and venter, red. Corium posteriorly white with orange tinge. Black central spot on corium elongate, anteriorly reaching apex of scutellum. Small, elongate, black spot in apical part of distal margin of corium.

Pilosity. Dorsal side of body (except callar lobe of pronotum and membrane), entire ventral side of the body, femora, and tibiae covered by semierect pubescence. Lateral margins of pronotum also with long, thin setae. Meso- and metatibie ventrally with sparse, spine-like setae.

Punctation. Pronotal lobe, scutellum, clavus, and corium up to apical part of the central spot deeply punctured, apical portion of corium without punctures.

Structure. Labium slightly surpassing hind coxae. Profemora with two strong teeth apically, and small denticles nearly along its entire length ventrally.

Pygophore. Ventral portion of ventral wall distinctly convex, dorsal portion of ventral wall projecting posteriorly (in lateral view), densely setose.

Measurements of the male holotype (mm). Body length 9.61; head: width (including eyes) 1.67, interocular width 1.03; lengths of antennomeres: 1 – 1.35, 2 – 1.62, 3 – 1.08 (antennomere 4 missing); pronotum: length 1.73, width 3.08; scutellum: lenght 1.35, width 1.84; corium: length 5.08, width 1.73.

Differential diagnosis. Physopelta flavofemoralis sp. nov. differs from the most similar congeners ( Ph. madecassa and Ph. melanoptera ) in its larger extent of the red colouration dorsally. Physopelta melanoptera and Ph. madecassa differ in having the head, antennomere 1 and base of the antennomere 2, labium, pronotum (except lateral and posterior margin), clavus, femora, tibiae, and abdominal sterna, all black. In Ph. madecassa also the sternites are black. Physopelta rufialata differs by absence of black spot on corium.

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective composed of flavus, - a, - um (= yellow) and femoralis, - is, - e (= of the femur, femoral), referring to the characteristic pale colouration of the femora.

Bionomics. The holotype was collected in a field of sugar cane ( Saccharum officinarum ).

Distribution. Endemic on Island of Reunion.

Figures

Fig.80. Physopelta (Afrophysopelta) flavofemoralis sp. nov., male, holotype. (Photo: L. Dembický).