Paraphysoderes popeye Hwang & Weirauch 2017, sp. nov.

Paraphysoderes popeye sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 533BD1D8-0A74-4197-B7E9-3CD231BC2F61

Figs 7–8, 12–13; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among species of Paraphysoderes by its small size, brown to dark brown coloration, the elongate conical head, the scape surpassing the apex of the clypeus, the obsolete anterolateral pronotal projection, the anterior pronotal lobe being level with the posterior lobe, the scutellar spine being acute and tapered, the parascutellar spine being semicircular, the cubital (Cu) vein being angular at the junction of the connecting vein with the first anal vein (1A), the distinctly incrassate fore femur, which is longer than the mid femur, the fore tibia bearing a few prominent processes with sharp, stout, setae, the mid femur with prominent processes with peg-like setae on the anterior surface, and the abdominal spiracles turreted and being located directly ventral to the connexival margin.

Etymology

The name popeye is a noun in apposition to describe the uniquely enlarged fore-arms of this species that is similar to the fictional cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man.

Material examined

Holotype

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ♂, Morobe Province, Didymann’s Creek, Lae, 6.72444° S, 146.99083° E, 15 m, 30 Apr. 1963, J. Sedlacek leg. (UCR_ENT 00073584) (BPBM).

Paratypes

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Morobe Province: 1 ♀, Huon Peninsula Co., Pindiu, 6.44388° S, 147.515° E, 450 m, 19 Apr. 1963, J. Sedlacek leg. (UCR _ENT 00073624) (BPBM); 1 ♀, Bulolo, 7.20472° S, 146.63166° E, 130 m, 30 Aug. 1956, E.J. Ford Jr. leg. (UCR _ENT 00073621) (BPBM); 1 ♀, same collection data as for holotype (UCR _ENT 00073623) (BPBM); 1 ♀, Yalu, Lae, 6.5875° S, 146.87666° E, Dec. 1957, R.W. Paine leg. (UCR _ENT 00069393) (BMNH).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Small, total length 7.09 mm.

COLORATION (Fig. 14). Brown to dark brown. Head brown or dark brown. Scape and pedicel of antenna light brown with brown suffusion, disti- and basiflagellomeres straw-colored. First segment of labium brown, second segment basally brown, medially straw-colored, apically brown, third segment brown. Thorax dark brown. Corium of hemelytron dark brown, membrane dark brown. Fore and mid femora and tibiae of legs light brown to brown, tarsi and claws light brown, hind femur dark brown with medial light brown annulation, hind tibia light brown to dark brown, hind tarsus and claw light brown. Abdomen dorsally reddish-orange, ventrally light brown with brown suffusion, connexivum brown with a lighter margin, exposed part of pygophore dark brown.

VESTITURE. Sparsely setose. Head with widespread curved setae, 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 irregular row of tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and short, setigerous tubercles dispersed on dorsal surface, posterior lobe with short, curved, setigerous tubercles on humeral angle and glabrous on dorsal surface. Corium of hemelytron with short, sparse, adpressed setae. Legs with two rows of spines and setigerous tubercles, tibia with a few prominent tuberculated, stout, sharp setae. Connexival margin of abdomen sparsely setose, without prominent setae.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape surpassing apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view, about 1/5 length of head, not attaining ventral margin of head in lateral view; height of anteocular lobe level with postocular lobe.

THORAX. Antero-lateral paired projections obsolete; surface of anterior lobe smooth, ridges almost obsolete; median pronotal depression contiguous with transverse sulcus; paramedian carina weakly defined; posterior lobe smooth, dull; anterior pronotal lobe shorter than posterior lobe, narrower than posterior lobe, anterior lobe level with posterior lobe in lateral view, semicircular; scutellum triangular, scutellar process long, apex acute and tapered; mesosternite with median, irregular, tuberculated protrusion between fore and mid coxae.

HEMELYTRON. Not reaching tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Fore femur distinctly incrassate.

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

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 sharply emarginate, without medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore broad, margin of anterior opening rounded, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening smooth; cup-like sclerite apically rounded, with sclerotized paired latero-ventral slight protuberances; arms of basal plate parallel to each other; ductifer with sclerotized rounded ring; endosomal struts tube-like, with medial sclerotization and with a T-shaped apex; shape of dorsal phallothecal sclerite subacute with narrow, lateral, band-like prolongations, sclerotized band extended horizontally towards ventral surface of phallosoma.

Female

Similar in morphology to males, but much larger (7.89 mm average total length) with wider abdomen (2.56 mm for males, 3.32 mm average width for females). Because one such female was collected in the same collecting event as the holotype male, these females are here treated as the same species.

Ecology

This species has been recorded on Pandanus (Pandanaceae).

Distribution

This species is distributed in the eastern edge of Papua New Guinea around the Huon Peninsula.

Remarks

A damaged female specimen from Fiji (not described here), that is most likely not the same species as Pa. popeye sp. nov. but likely belongs to Paraphysoderes, suggests an even more extended and disjunct distribution of this genus and potential undiscovered diversity in the Pacific region. Note: The current color of the holotype has been altered and is different from the image provided here due to treatment with KOH solution for dissection of the male genitalia.