Brachysandalus fulvipennis (Walker, 1873) stat. rev. & comb. nov.

(Figs. 17–20)

Pirates fulvipennis Walker, 1873: 128.

Type locality: Australia (Melbourne). Synonymized with Brachysandalus punctorius Stål, 1867 by Cassis & Gross, 1995: 343. Synonymy discarded and status revalidated in present study, see notes under B. punctorius below.

Pirates (Brachysandalus) flavo-pictus Stål, 1874: 60. New name for Brachysandalus fuliginosus var. b Stål, 1867: 260. Type locality: Australia (Adelaide, South Australia). Synonymized by Cassis & Gross, 1995: 343.

Sirthenea fulvipennis: Lethierry & Severin (1896: 129); Maldonado Capriles (1990: 373); Chłond (2018: 3, 4), excluded from Sirthenea without proposing a new status.

Brachysandalus flavopictus: Maldonado Capriles (1990: 345).

Type specimens examined. Lectotype (present designation), macropterous male, 50.117, australia, NHMUK 013588781 (NHM); Paralectotype (present designation), 1 macropterous male, 50.117, australia, NHMUK 013588782 (NHM); Paralectotype (present designation), 1 macropterous male, Type, Melbourne 56 120, 108. Pirates fulvipennis. (NHM). Lectotype of Pirates (Brachysandalus) flavo-pictus Stål, 1874 (present designation), macropterous male, Typus, Stål, Adelaide, flavopictus Stål, NHRS-GULI 000000121 (NHRS).

Other specimens examined. [M, macropterous; B, brachypterous]. VICTORIA. 1 M male, Hattah, Mallee, 1913, J.E. Dixon Collection Don Jan 1940 (MV); 1 M male, Clarkefield, 25.ix.1920, F.E. Wilson (MV); 3 M males, 1 B male (dissected), 2 B females, Broken River, Benalla Dist., J.E. Dixon Don Jan 1940 (MV), 2 M males, Benalla Dist., J.E. Dixon Collection, Don Jan 1940 (MV); 1 M male (dissected), Yackandah, H.W. Davey (MV); 2 M males (1 dissected), Springvale, Pirates flavipennis Wlk. Det B. Uvarov (MV); 1 M males, St Albans, 15.vi.1923, J.E. Dixon D-.5.23 (MV), 1 M male, same locality, 27.vi.1924, J.E. Dixon Collection Don Jan 1940 (MV); 1 M male, S. Morang, J. E. Dixon, J.E. Dixon Collection Don Jan 1940 (MV); 2 M males, Victoria, no locality, D. -.8.1923, J.E. Dixon (MV); 1 M male, 1 B female, National Museum of Victoria Melbourne, no locality, ac.38 (on reverse of label) (MV).

Diagnosis.

Macropterous male, brachypterous male and female known, body small-medium sized. Blackish brown to black (Figs. 17–19), hemelytron of macropterous male with clavus and corium yellow except extreme bases dark brown, membrane brown except base yellow and with a yellowish white, flexed, wide stripe along R and M veins (Figs. 17A, 18A, 19C), hemelytron of brachypterous individuals yellow except extreme base brown (Fig. 19A&B). Fore femur armed below with two rows of minute tubercles, ventral surface of mid femur also armed with rows of tiny tubercles (Figs. 17B, 18B&C); fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying slightly more than 1/3 tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa no more than 1/3 its length (Figs. 17B&C, 18B&C); in male, abdominal sternite VII lacking extragenital process (Fig. 18B); male genitalia with median pygophore process straight, tapered with apex sharp and oblique to right side, venter strongly ridged in caudal view (Fig. 20B), and spine-like, gradually narrowing to a point at apex while near base constricted in lateral view (Fig. 20C); inner margin of lateral phallothecal sclerite with several sharp denticles (Fig. 20I).

Redescription.

Macropterous male (Figs. 17, 18, 19C)

Colouration (Figs. 17, 18, 19C): Blackish brown to black. Apical three antennal segments, third visible labial segment and tarsi brown; hemelytron with clavus and corium yellow except extreme bases dark brown, membrane brown except base yellow and with a yellowish white, flexed, wide stripe along R and M veins.

Structure (Figs. 17, 18, 19C, 20): Body small-medium sized. Most of body densely covered with yellowish white, short pilosity; antenna also with brown, suberect, short setae; lateral margins of head, lateral margins of pronotum and legs also with brown, erect, relatively long setae.

Head:Anteocular region elongate triangular, clypeus near its base slightly elevated and knobbed above mandibular plates. Interocular region with arcuate convex sulcus at posterior border of eyes, a small pit near base. Postocular region almost rounded to neck. Neck with lateral tubercles almost invisible. Antennae with all segments covered with short golden to yellowish brown pilosity and sparse longer setae; scape thickest, pedicel thinner, then basi- and distiflagellum thinnest. Eye relatively small, occupying 1/2 height of head in lateral view, width of eye distinctly shorter than width of interocular space in dorsal view. Ocelli weakly developed, slightly raised, separated from each other by nearly twice diameter of single ocellus, separated from eye by more than twice diameter of single ocellus.

Thorax: Anterior lobe of pronotum with distinct stripes, sulci indistinct, except median longitudinal sulcus on basal half of anterior pronotal lobe deep and surrounded with a shallow, oval depression. Posterior pronotal lobe short, arcuately quadrate, integument finely rugulose, humeri rounded, posterior margin of pronotum arcuate with median part relatively straight. Scutellum disc flat and finely rugulose, scutellar process knobbed, slightly directed obliquely in lateral view. Propleuron with integument finely faintly granulate, smoothly pilose, set off from dorsal surface by a faint carina. Mesopleuron integument finely granulate, sparsely pilose. Metapleuron finely granulate and granules somewhat striate, metapleural sulcus distinctly bicarinate and arcuate, pilose with whitish dense hairs posteriorly. All sternites with tiny granules, moderately pilose. Mesosternum slightly carinate in middle, metasternum with disc tumid and flat in middle. Hemelytron well developed, distinctly exceeding tip of abdomen.

Legs: Fore leg with coxa with yellowish brown pilosity; trochanter unarmed, sparsely hairy; femur strongly fusiform, greatly incrassate near base narrowing distally, much thicker than other femora, armed below with two rows of minute tubercles; tibia gradually thickened to apex, more or less straight but apex slightly reflexed, fossula spongiosa occupying slightly more than 1/3 tibial length. Mid leg with coxa globular; femur only slightly thickened, ventral surface also armed with rows of tiny tubercles; tibia with short golden to yellowish brown pilosity for whole length, with fossula spongiosa no more than 1/3 its length. Hind coxae separated from each other by slightly less than width of one coxa; femur cylindrical; tibia with brush of setae, denser at apex. Tarsi cylindrical, denser short pilosity ventrally.

Abdomen: Venter of abdomen with a median ridge running from posterior portion of second abdominal sternite to posterior portion of seventh abdominal sternite, slightly curved to right side of body, distinctly carinated and forming a knobbed preapical point on sternite VII (Fig. 18B); sternite VII lacking extragenital process (Fig. 18B). Connexivum with yellowish white to golden pilosity as elsewhere on sternum, abdominal sterna and terga entire. Spiracles situated below connexival suture, and each with two impressed shiny roundish areas, one postero-ventrally and one anteriorly near anterior margin of segment.

Male genitalia (Fig. 20): Median pygophore process straight, tapered with apex sharp and oblique to right side, venter strongly ridged in caudal view (Fig. 20B); spine-like, gradually narrowing to a point at apex while near base constricted in lateral view (Fig. 20C). Parameres (Fig. 20D&E) broad falcate, apical 1/4 of left paramere (Fig. 20D) broadly rectangular with apex truncate, apical 1/4 of right paramere (Fig. 20E) subtriangular, left paramere slightly longer and more curved in middle than right paramere. Phallus (Fig. 20F–I) in resting condition with basal plate slightly shorter than basal plate bridge (Fig. 20F), pedicel straight and shorter than basal plate (Fig. 20H&I); length of struts distinctly longer than half length of phallosoma (Fig. 20F); apex of dorsal phallothecal sclerite rounded (Fig. 20F); lateral phallothecal sclerite subquadrangular, inner margin with several sharp denticles (Fig. 20I); pair of slender sclerites near base of venter of phallosoma strongly sclerotized (Fig. 20G).

Brachypterous male and female (Fig. 19A&B)

Differs from macropterous male in: hemelytron yellow except extreme base brown; width of eye much shorter than width of interocular space in dorsal view; ocelli reduced and less elevated, separated from each other by about or more than twice diameter of single ocellus; anterior pronotal lobe nearly spherical, posterior pronotal lobe abbreviated, only slightly wider and much shorter than anterior lobe; scutellum much wider than long, scutellar process horizontal in lateral view; metapleural sulcus more curved than in macropterous male; hemelytron greatly reduced to a flap, subquadrangular with apex rounded, surpassing posterior margin of first abdominal tergite; dorsum of abdomen with three small scent gland scars of subequal width on terga III–IV, IV–V and V–VI; venter of abdomen flat in female, all sterna appearing narrow medially except VII very enlarged, sternite VII with some transverse wrinkles.

Measurements: [of lectotype macropterous male of Pirates fulvipennis when available, followed by one macropterous male and one brachypterous male, and one brachypterous female]. Body length 11.90, 12.15 (M ♂), 11.20 (B ♂), 13.26 (♀); maximum width of abdomen 3.74, 3.58 (M ♂), 3.30 (B ♂), 3.19 (♀); length of head 2.16, 1.71 (M ♂), 1.90 (B ♂), 1.82 (♀); length of anteocular region?, 0.76 (M ♂), 0.76 (B ♂), 0.68 (♀); length of postocular region?, 0.56 (M ♂), 0.53 (B ♂), 0.50 (♀); width of head 1.44, 1.36 (M ♂), 1.36 (B ♂), 1.36 (♀); width of interocular space 0.63, 0.64 (M ♂), 0.60 (B ♂), 0.60 (♀); width of interocellar space 0.22, 0.22 (M ♂), 0.19 (B ♂), 0.19 (♀); length of eye in dorsal view?, 0.53 (M ♂), 0.53 (B ♂), 0.53 (♀); width of eye in dorsal view?, 0.41 (M ♂), 0.34 (B ♂), 0.34 (♀); lengths of antennal segments I–IV 1.08, 1.06 (M ♂), 0.98 (B ♂), 0.98 (♀) / 2.07, 1.78 (M ♂), 1.63 (B ♂), 1.55 (♀) /1.98, 1.55 (M ♂),? (B ♂),? (♀) /?,? (M ♂),? (B ♂),? (♀); length of visible labial segments I–III?, 0.68 (M ♂), 0.79 (B ♂), 0.79 (♀) /?, 0.95 (M ♂), 1.10 (B ♂), 1.17 (♀) /?, 0.41 (M ♂), 0.42 (B ♂), 0.45 (♀); length of pronotum 3.42, 3.07 (M ♂), 2.62 (B ♂), 2.69 (♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe?, 1.90 (M ♂), 2.01 (B ♂), 2.12 (♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe?, 1.14 (M ♂), 0.60 (B ♂), 0.53 (♀); width of anterior pronotal lobe?, 2.28 (M ♂), 2.28 (B ♂), 2.43 (♀); width of posterior pronotal lobe, 3.51, 3.42 (M ♂), 2.28 (B ♂), 2.50 (♀); length of scutellum 1.26, 1.10 (M ♂), 0.85 (B ♂),1.06 (♀); maximum width of scutellum 1.44, 1.40 (M ♂), 1.21 (B ♂), 1.21 (♀); length of hemelytron 8.33, 8.11 (M ♂), 2.28 (B ♂), 2.65 (♀); length of fore tibia?, 2.00 (M ♂), 2.28 (B ♂), 2.28 (♀); length of fossula spongiosa on fore tibia?, 0.76 (M ♂), 0.90 (B ♂), 0.83 (♀).

Distribution. Australia (Victoria and South Australia). The specimens examined in the present study have come from Victoria, and the lectotype of Pirates (Brachysandalus) flavopictus Stål from South Australia (Adelaide).

Comparative notes. This species is more similar to B. fulvipes sp. nov. but could be separated from the latter by legs blackish brown to black (vs. legs yellowish brown in B. fulvipes sp. nov.) and abdominal sternite VII lacking extragenital process in male (vs. abdominal sternite VII with a small spine-like extragenital process on left side in male in B. fulvipes sp. nov.).