Brentiscerus putoni (Buchanan White, 1878)

Kondorosy, Elod, 2013, Taxonomic changes in some predominantly Palaearctic distributed genera of Drymini (Heteroptera, Rhyparochromidae), ZooKeys 319, pp. 211-221 : 215-217

Brentiscerus putoni (Buchanan White, 1878)

Scolopostethus putoni Buchanan White, 1878: 75. Syntypes (♂, ♀): New Zealand; BMNH!

Taphropeltus javanus Bergroth, 1906a [12 Sep.]: 220. Syntype (s): [Indonesia:] Java, Mt. Tengger; lost? syn. n.

Taphropeltus australis Bergroth, 1906b [Oct.]: 13. Syntype (s): Australia: Victoria; lost? syn. n.

Type material examined.

Scolopostethus putoni . Lectotype (designated by Scudder 1967): round label with purple margin LECTOTYPE // round label with red margin TYPE // hw: New Zealand // Scolopostethus / putoni B.W. // Brentiscerus / putoni (Wk.) / ExDr. 77 // printed: Pres. by / Perth Museum / B. M. 1953-629. //pink hw. Scolopostethus / putoni White 1878 / G.G.E. Scudder 1965 / LECTOTPYE (female, BMNH). Paralectotypes: round label with blue margin PARALECTOTYPE // round label with yellow margin COTYPE // hw: New Zealand // Scolopostethus / putoni B.W. // printed: Pres. by / Perth Museum / B. M. 1953-629. (1 male, 2 females all with the same labels, BMNH).

The types of Taphropeltus australis and Taphropeltus javanus are probably lost, no references mentioning them could be traced and they could not be found in FMNH where most of Bergroth’s collection is deposited. Taxonomic decisions were made based by examination of non-type specimens from Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, respectively.

Additional material examined.

INDONESIA. Dammerman / O. Soemba / 700 m 249 / Kananggar / v. 1925 (1 male, RMNH); Dammerman / Idjen 1850 m / Ongop-ongop / 19. V. 1924 / No. 17 (RMNH); Banjoewangi / JAVA 1909 / MacGillavry (1 female, HNHM); INDONESIA: centr. Java / Pokalongan Reg., Bandar / 1050 m / 2.1998., leg. S. Jakl (1 female, NHMW); IDN-Bali Isl. / Bedugul reg. 1300m / Tamblingan lak.N.R. / S. Jakl lg., 3.2005 (1 female, MMBC); Sunda Exp. Rensch / W.-Flores / Rana Mêsé / 20.-30.6.1927 (1 male, MFNB); Sumba (E) / Luku-Melolo N. R. / 550 m, VII. 2005 / leg. S. Jakl (2 ex., NHMW). PAPUA NEW GUINEA. New Guinea / Mt. Kaindi / 2400 m / 15-16. IV. 1965 // Nr. 34 / Coll. Balogh et / Szent-Ivány (1 female, HNHM); Austr. New Guinea / Wau 1250 m / 10.-20. XI. 1972 / J. v. d. Vecht (1 male, ZMAN); Museum Leiden / Neth. New Guinea Exp. / Star Range 1260 m / Sibil / 15. VI. 1959 // Taphropeltus 3 (handwriting) (1 female, RMNH); AUSTRALIA. N.S.W. / Cassilis “Kuloo” / Station 710 m / 31°50'9"S, 150°8'E // 25.X.2000 / Hung. Entom. Exped. / leg. A. Podlussány, G. Hangay & I. Rozner (1 male, HNHM); N.S.W. / Karai State Forest / Kookaburra, 943 m / 31°1'4"S, 152°20'2"E // 27-28.X.2000 / Hung. Entom. Exped. / leg. A. Podlussány, G. Hangay & I. Rozner (1 female, HNHM); N.S.W., Putty / Road, Cases Courvert / 10-11.I.2006 leg. G. Hangay, I. Rozner & A. Podlussány (1 male, 2 female, HNHM); N.S.W. / Milton, 21.I.2006 / leg. A. Podlussány, G. Hangay & I. Rozner (1 female, HNHM); New South Wales / J.P. Duffels // Eucalyptus / forest // 48 km N of Singleton / 15 I 1983 (1 female, ZMAN). NEW ZEALAND. C. Darwin / 85-119. (1 male, BMNH); (handwriting): Kaitaia NZ / 1 VIII 23 / JG Myers // Base of prairie grass // (printed): J. G. Myers Coll. B.M. 1937-789. (1 male, BMNH).

The population of Brentiscerus putoni in New Zealand possibly originates from Australia, where all congeners are native. There are no autochthonous Drymini species in New Zealand, only some introduced species occur, as Brentiscerus putoni , Grossander major (Gross, 1965) and Paradrymus exilirostris Bergroth, 1916 ( Malipatil 1977). Since it feeds on Eucalyptus seeds ( Gross 1965), Brentiscerus putoni likely was introduced with Eucalyptus trees.

The other species of the genus Taphropeltus species which are partly of extrapalaearctic distribution are Taphropeltus nervosus (Fieber, 1861) and Taphropeltus ornatus Linnavuori, 1978. Both of these species are morphologically rather distinct from the type species, Taphropeltus hamulatus Thomson, 1870, and the other known Palaearctic members of the genus. It is sure that at least Taphropeltus ornatus belongs to another genus, as it also was suggested by Péricart (1999). This problem needs further investigation.