Physoderes minime, Hwang & Weirauch, 2017

Hwang, Wei Song & Weirauch, Christiane, 2017, Uncovering hidden diversity: phylogeny and taxonomy of Physoderinae (Reduviidae, Heteroptera), with emphasis on Physoderes Westwood in the Oriental and Australasian regions, European Journal of Taxonomy 341, pp. 1-118 : 87-89

Physoderes minime sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6B773A65-2FB4-4063-8EE6-7CEFA2ADDB5A

Figs 8 , 14 , 17 , 19–20 ; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Physoderes by the elongate head, which is as long as the pronotum, the scape not reaching the apex of the clypeus, the hemispherical eye being slightly flattened, the antero-lateral projection of the anterior pronotal lobe subacute and diverging, the anterior pronotal lobe being wider than the posterior lobe, the rounded parascutellar lobe, the scutellar process being slender and straw-colored and the short hemelytron which does not reach the tip of the abdomen. This species is most similar to P. fuliginosa , but can be differentiated from it by the smaller size, yellowish coloration, the short hemelytron and by having a smooth apical margin on the posterior opening of the pygophore, as well as a small apical dorsal phallothecal sclerite.

Etymology

The name minime is a noun in apposition, after the fictional movie character Mini-Me from the Austin Powers movie series. The name given is to describe the miniaturized resemblance of this species to the co-occurring larger P. fuliginosa .

Material examined

Holotype

PHILIPPINES: ♂, Luzon , Mt Banahao, 14.0675° N, 121.4925° E, no date provided, Baker leg. ( UCR_ ENT 00030979 ) ( USNM).

Paratypes

PHILIPPINES: Panay: 1 ♂, Capiz, Capiz Jamindan, 11.44055° N, 122.5925° E, no date provided, W.Schultze leg.( UCR _ENT 00069250) ( BMNH).– Luzon: 2 ♂♂, Mt Banahao, 14.0675° N, 121.4925° E, no date provided, Baker leg. ( UCR _ENT 00031432, UCR _ENT 00031433) ( USNM); 1 ♂, Mt Makiling, 14.13055° N, 121.2° E, 963 m, no date provided, Baker leg. ( UCR _ENT 00031434) ( USNM).

Other material

PHILIPPINES: Luzon: 1 ♀, Albay Province, Mt Mayon, 16 km NW of Lagaspi, 13.25666° N, 123.685° E, 900 m, 4 May 1962, H.M. Torrevillas leg. ( UCR _ENT 00073629) ( BPBM); 1 ♀, Laguna, 4 km SE of Los Banos, Mt. Makiling, 14.14112° N, 121.2097° E, 8 Apr. 1977, L. Watrous leg. ( UCR _ENT 00031438) ( USNM); 1 ♂, same collection data as preceding but 9 Apr. 1977 ( UCR _ENT 00031352) ( USNM); 1 ♀, Laguna Co., Los Banos, N Luzon, 14.17° N, 121.24416° E, 3 Nov. 1914, G. Bottcher leg. ( UCR _ENT 00069221) ( BMNH); 3 ♂♂, same collection data as for holotype ( UCR _ENT 00031429– UCR _ENT 00031431) ( USNM); 1 ♀, same collection data as preceding ( UCR _ENT 00031437) ( USNM); 1 ♀, Mt Maquiling, 14.12444° N, 121.22555° E, 18 Jul. 1936, R.L. Usinger leg. ( UCR _ENT 00046647) ( CAS).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Medium, total length 8.64 mm, SD ± 0.28 (Appendix).

COLORATION ( Figs 14 , 17 ). Yellowish-brown. Head yellowish to light brown. Scape, pedicel and distiflagellomere of antenna straw-colored, basiflagellomere basally brown, apically straw-colored. First segment of labium light brown, second segment straw-colored, third segment brown. Pronotum of thorax brown with straw-colored markings along ridges, scutellum basally brown, apically strawcolored including scutellar process, pleuron straw-colored with brown suffusion, sternum brown. Corium of hemelytron light brown to brown, membrane light brown to brown. Femora and tibiae of legs straw-colored with sub-basal and apical light brown annulations, tarsi and claws straw-colored. Abdomen dorsally yellowish orange, ventrally straw-colored with lateral brown suffusion, anterior half of connexivum dark brown, posterior half straw-colored, exposed part of pygophore straw-colored brown.

VESTITURE. Sparsely setose. Head with widespread curved setae, ventral surface of postocular lobe with sparse, setigerous tubercles, with pair of long, straight setae on postocular lobe posterior to ocelli. Anterior lobe of thorax with irregular row of tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and fine, adpressed setae on dorsal surface, posterior lobe with short, curved, setigerous tubercles on humeral angle and glabrous on dorsal surface. Corium of hemelytron with short, curved setae. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibia with regular rows of tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Connexival margin of abdomen with no prominent setae.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape not reaching apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections subacute; surface of anterior lobe with low ridges; median pronotal depression not contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina weakly defined; anterior pronotal lobe longer and wider than posterior lobe, higher than posterior lobe in lateral view; parascutellar lobe rounded; scutellum rounded triangular, scutellar process long, apex subacute.

HEMELYTRON. Not attaining tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Same as genus description.

ABDOMEN. Connexival margin slightly undulating, posterior margin not elevated.

GENITALIA. Transverse bridge of pygophore broad, margin of anterior opening angular, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening smooth; cup-like sclerite apically rounded with sclerotized paired latero-ventral slight protuberance; arms of basal plate converging; ductifer membranous; endosomal struts apically spatulate, basally divided into two plates; shape of dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute with short, apical lobes and rounded lateral plates at apex.

Female

Similar to males except anterior pronotal lobe (2.07 mm average) narrower than posterior lobe (2.60 mm average) and median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus.

Ecology

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Distribution

This species is recorded from Luzon Island and Panay Island of the Philippines archipelago. Most specimens were collected from two localities: Mt Banahao and Mt Makiling in Luzon.

Remarks

This species differs from the co-occurring P. fuliginosa based on the diagnostic characters listed above and is placed within Physoderes based on the phylogenetic analysis conducted above.

Figures

Fig. 8. Dorsal view of the male pygophore in species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov., Macrophysoderes gen. nov., Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see keys on pages 37 and 66.

Fig. 14. Dorsal habitus images for species of Paraphysoderes Villiers, 1962 and Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). For an explanation of the colored arrows, see keys on page 63 and 66. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 17. Ventral habitus images for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial). Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 19. Dorsal view of the phallus in species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial).

Fig. 20. Distribution map for species of Physoderes Westwood, 1845 (partial).