Physoderes brevipennis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7184D9A5-EFC9-4128-9578-91C7D9318AFF

Figs 8, 14, 17, 19–20; Appendix

Diagnosis

This species is recognized among other species of Physoderes by the small size, the head and pronotum being densely covered with long, curved setae, the elongate conical head, the scape reaching the apex of the clypeus, the enlarged anterior pronotal lobe, the wide posterior pronotal lobe (males), the posterior pronotal lobe and parascutellar lobe being reduced in size, the brachypterous wing type and the ovoid abdomen. Among male genitalic features, the following are also diagnostic: the narrow transverse bridge of the pygophore, the endosomal struts being apically bulbous and basally divided into two plates converging to form a ridge medially, and the dorsal phallothecal sclerite shaped like a thin moustache. This species is distinct by being the only brachypterous Physoderes species and it is restricted to Guadalcanal of the Solomon Islands archipelago.

Etymology

The name brevipennis is chosen after the Latin adjective “brevipennis”, meaning short-winged, to describe the short wings of this species.

Material examined

Holotype

SOLOMON ISLANDS: ♂, Guadalcanal, Mt Austen, 9.55472° S, 160.10666° E, 305 m, 11 Feb. 1965, P. Greenslade leg. (UCR_ENT 00069375) (BMNH).

Paratypes

SOLOMON ISLANDS: 1 ♂, same collection data as for holotype but 20 Apr.–3 May 1965, P. Greenslade leg. (UCR_ENT 00069376) (BMNH); 1 ♂, same collection data as preceding but 3 Jul.–24 Aug. 1965 (UCR_ENT 00069372) (BMNH); 1 ♂, same collection data as preceding but 10 May–23 Jun. 1965 (UCR_ENT 00069371) (BMNH); 1 ♂, Guadalcanal, Mt Austen, 9.61777° S, 160.12138° E, Dec. 1965 – Jan. 1966, P. Greenslade leg. (UCR_ENT 00069370) (BMNH).

Other material

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Guadalcanal: 1 ♀, Gallego Camp 2, 9.5772° S, 160.14555° E, 10 Jul. 1965, collector unknown (UCR _ENT 00069382) (BMNH); 1 ♀, Mt Austen, 9.55472° S, 160.10666° E, 305 m, 3 Jul.–24 Aug. 1965, P. Greenslade leg. (UCR _ENT 00069378) (BMNH); 1 ♂, same collection data as preceding but 10 Jan. 1966 (UCR _ENT 00069373) (BMNH); 1 ♀, same collection data as preceding but 26 Jun 1965 (UCR _ENT 00069381) (BMNH); 1 ♂, same collection data as preceding but 20 Mar.–5 Apr. 1965 (UCR _ENT 00069374) (BMNH); 1 ♀, same collection data as preceding but 12 Oct. 1965 (UCR _ENT 00069379) (BMNH); 2 ♀♀, Mt Austen, 9.61777° S, 160.12138° E, Dec. 1965 – Jan. 1966, P. Greenslade leg. (UCR _ENT 00069377, UCR _ENT 00069380) (BMNH); 1 ♀, Mt Jonapau (Mt Chaunapaho), 9.63222° S, 160.11638° E, 610 m, 5 Jun. 1965, P. Greenslade leg. (UCR _ENT 00069383) (BMNH).

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. Small, total length 6.61 mm, SD ± 0.35 (Appendix).

COLORATION (Figs 14, 17). Brown. Connexivum of abdomen brown with posterior margin straw-colored.

VESTITURE. Densely 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 tuberculated, short, curved setae on lateral margins and along dorsal ridges, posterior lobe with short, curved setae on humeral angle and sparsely distributed along 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 a few clubbed setae on each segment.

HEAD. Elongate conical; maxillary plate rounded apically; scape just surpassing apex of clypeus; eye hemispherical in dorsal view, less than 1/5 length of head.

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

HEMELYTRON. Not reaching tip of abdomen.

LEGS. Same as genus description.

ABDOMEN. Ovoid, with rounded terminal margin; connexival margin undulating, posterior margin not elevated.

GENITALIA. Anterior margin of mediosternite 8 undulating, without medial apodeme; transverse bridge of pygophore narrow, margin of anterior opening angular, apodeme present, apical margin of posterior opening smooth; cup-like sclerite apically rounded, with adjacent paired round protuberances; arms of basal plate rounded; ductifer with sclerotized rounded ring; endosomal struts apically bulbous, basally divided into two plates converging to form a ridge medially; shape of dorsal phallothecal sclerite shaped like a thin moustache.

Female

Similar to males, with abdomen wider (average width 3.80 mm).

Ecology

This species has most often been collected using pitfall and carrion traps and one specimen was found on rotting pawpaw (Caricaceae).

Distribution

This species is restricted to Guadalcanal of the Solomon Islands archipelago.

Remarks

This species is placed in the Physoderes clade based on the phylogenetic analysis above. No other brachypterous physoderine species is found in the Oriental and Australasian region. The brachypterous males retain the enlarged anterior pronotum, but have a reduced posterior pronotal lobe.