Breviphysoderes planicollis ( Miller, 1940 ) 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 : 27-30

Breviphysoderes planicollis ( Miller, 1940) , comb. nov.

Figs 4–6 ; Appendix

Physoderes planicollis Miller, 1940: 547 , fig. 90.

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov. by having the anterior pronotal lobe distinctly covered with dense, short, curved, setigerous tubercles, the deeply defined pronotal paramedian carina, the hemelytron surpassing the tip of the abdomen, and the smooth (not undulating) connexivum. This species is most similar to B. hobbyi comb. nov., B. decora comb. nov. and B. fulvopicta gen. et sp. nov. It can be differentiated from B. hobbyi comb. nov. by the overall lighter coloration, especially the color pattern of the anterior pronotal lobe, and the shorter external cell of the hemelytron (framed by the cubital and medial veins). It differs from B. decora comb. nov. and B. flavopicta gen. et sp. nov. by having its hemelytron extending beyond the tip of the abdomen, while the apex of the scutellar process and the apex of the external cell of the hemelytron lack the prominent straw color.

Material examined

Holotype

MALAYSIA: ♂, Sarawak, Mt Dulit , 3.33305° N, 114.14972° E, 886 m, no date provided, E. Mjöberg leg. ( UCR_ENT 00018535 ) ( BMNH).

Redescription

Male

BODY LENGTH. Medium size, total length 9.8 mm.

COLORATION ( Figs 4–5 ). Light brown with dark brown patterns. Head brown with dark brown suffusion. Scape of antenna straw-colored with brown apex, pedicel brown with straw brown apex, basi- and distiflagellomeres missing. First segment of labium brown, second segment basally and apically dark brown, medially light brown, third segment dark brown. Anterior lobe of pronotum dark brown with straw-colored patterns, posterior lobe straw brown, scutellum dark brown with brown apex, pleuron light brown with dark brown suffusion, sternum brown with dark brown suffusion. Corium of hemelytron straw-colored to brown, membrane straw brown to brown, slightly translucent. Femora of legs strawcolored with medial and apical light brown annulations, tibiae straw-colored with basal, medial and apical light brown annulations, tarsi and claws straw-colored. Abdomen dorsally yellowish-orange, ventrally brown with dark brown lateral suffusion.

VESTITURE. Densely setose. Head with widespread curved, setigerous tubercles, ventral surface of postocular lobe with sparse, setigerous tubercles, without pair of long, straight setae on postocular lobe posterior to ocelli. Anterior lobe of thorax with tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and along dorsal ridges, posterior lobe with short, curved, setigerous tubercles along lateral margins and sparsely distributed 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. Posterior margin of connexivum with short, curved setae.

HEAD. Scape surpassing apex of clypeus; eye distinctly projecting in dorsal view, less than 1/5 length of head, not attaining ventral margin of head in lateral view.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections acute, diverging; median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina strongly defined; scutellar process long with rounded apex; mesosternite with irregular, tuberculated median protrusion between fore and mid coxae.

HEMELYTRON. Surpassing tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Same as genus description.

ABDOMEN. Elongate ovoid, with straight terminal margin; connexival margin smooth, not undulating, posterior margin slightly elevated.

GENITALIA. Previously dissected and genitalia missing.

Female

Unknown.

Ecology

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Distribution

This species is only known from the type locality of Mt Dulit in Sarawak, north-central Borneo. The type locality is shared with B. fulvopicta gen. et sp. nov., B. hobbyi comb. nov., B. decora comb. nov. and B. tenebrosa gen. et sp. nov.

Remarks

This species is redescribed based on the holotype specimen. Miller (1940) recognized this specimen as a species different from B. hobbyi ( Miller, 1940) comb. nov. due to the different anterior pronotal lobe coloration. Breviphysoderes planicollis comb. nov. is removed from Physoderes and transferred to this genus because it shares its synapomorphies (parascutellar lobes are semicircular, the male specimen does not possess an inflated anterior pronotal lobe and has prominent setigerous tubercles on the dorsal ridges of the anterior pronotal lobe). The specimen was collected by Dr E. Mjöberg during the Kalabit Expedition. The darkened scutellum and overlapping distribution, shared with B. hobbyi comb. nov., B. decora comb. nov. and B. tenebrosa gen. et sp. nov., suggest that they are likely to be closely related.

Figures

Fig. 4. Dorsal habitus images for species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov. For an explanation of the colored arrows, see key on page 17. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 5. Ventral habitus images for species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Fig. 6. Distribution map for species of Breviphysoderes gen. nov.