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Annals and Magazine of NaturalHistory: Series 12Publication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnah18

LXXIII.—A new subfamilyof reduviidae (Hemiptera-Heteroptera) from the SolomonIslandsN.C.E. Miller F.R.E.S. F.E.S.S.A. aa Commonwealth Institute of Entomology , LondonPublished online: 03 Aug 2009.

To cite this article: N.C.E. Miller F.R.E.S. F.E.S.S.A. (1956) LXXIII.—A new subfamily ofreduviidae (Hemiptera-Heteroptera) from the Solomon Islands, Annals and Magazineof Natural History: Series 12, 9:104, 587-589, DOI: 10.1080/00222935608655862

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222935608655862

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L X X I I I . - - A NEW SUBFAMILY OF REDUVIIDAE (HEMIPTERA- H E T E R O P T E R A ) FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

By N. C. E. MILLER, F.R.E.S., F.E.S.S.A.

(Commonwealth Insti tute of Entomology, London}.

THE remarkable and very small Reduviid described and figured heroin and which has the superficial resemblance to an Aradid on account of its quadrate head, the short and partly concealed rostrum, the widely separated median and posterior coxse and the flattened habitus, was collected in the Solomon Islands by Mr. E. S. Brown of the Commonwealth Insti tute of Entomology, London.

Since it is not possible to place it in any known genus I propose the new generic name Mendanocoris.* Furthermore it cannot be correctly assigned to any known subfamily, thus I erect the new subfamily Mendanocorinae to receive it.

This new subfamily appears to be related to the Phimophorinae (Hand- lirseh, 1897, Verh. zool. bet. Ges. Wien, xlvii, 408) on account of the position of the antennal tubercles which are placed at the apex of the head, also on account of the quadrate head and the short rostrum, the very short apical antennal segment, the flattened tibise, very short tarsi, large hemelytral membrane and the deeply sulcate prosternum.

However, the entirely different structure of the antennae, the presence of an interantennal process, the large convex eyes, the laterally expanded pronotum, the triangular scutellum and the venation of the homelytra are characters sufficient to warrant the erection of a now subfamily.

The structure of the antennae in Mendanocoris is particularly striking especially as regards the apical segment which is very short and partly concealed in the concave apex of the 3rd segment.

Also of interest is the white tomentose substance, apparently wax-like to be seen on the 4th antennal segment, at the base of the other segment, s and also at the base of the coxm and tibiee.

I t is noteworthy that Bergroth who erected the genus Phimophorus (1886, loc. cit. xxxvi, 53) considered it to belong to the Aradidae. Mendanocorinae, subfam, nov.

Body dorso-ventrally compressed. Head quadrate, sulcate on the lower surface and with an arcuate sulcus on vertex not extending to sides; bucculae prominent ; anteocular with an interantennat process. Ocelli present. Antennal segments thick ; apical segment partly concealed in apex of 3rd segment; antennal tubercles at apex of head. Rostrum short, lying in sulcus on lower surface of head. Stridulatory furrow present. Pronotum with transverse sulcus much nearer anterior margin than to posterior margin. Prosternum laterally produced. Scutellum with apex produced. Hemelytra complete; membrane with two cells

* Alvaro de Mendana who discovered t he Solomml I s l auds iu 1568.

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5Ss N . C . E . Miller : New subfamily of Solomon Is. Reduviid~e

and produced backwards along costal margin of cerium. Ostioles of abdominal glands at base of segments 4, 5 and 6. Median and posterior cox~e widely separated ; legs relatively short ; tibiae laterally compressed; tarsi very short and composed of two segments. Fossula spongiosa present.

Type genus Mendanocoris, gen. nov. Size small. Entirely covered with very short, curved set,e, except

membrane, interveinal areas of cerium, parts of pronotum and scutellum and of abdomen ventrally. Segments 1 and 2 of antennae sub-equal in length to segment 3; segment 4 less than half as long as segment 1. Eyes feebly prominent, from above conical, from the side roniform.

Fig. I. Mendanocoris browni, gen. et sp. n.

F

E C

G

A. Whole insect (dorsal view). B. Head alld pronotum (lateral view). C. Head and thorax (ventral view). D. Apex of th i rd antennal segment and fourth segment (lower surface). E. Abdomen (dorsal view). F. MJetathoracie wing. G. Pygo- phore (dorsal view).

Posterior lobe of pronotum longer than anterior lobe with an oblique sub-dorsal carina ; area between carin~e and postero-lateral area depressed ; sub-laterally posteriorly elevated; anterior half of lateral margin and

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N. C. E. Miller : New subfamily of Solomon Is. Reduviidae 589

lateral margin of anterior lobe expanded. Scutellum triangular. Internal cell of membrane narrow apically but wider basally than external cell. Clavus very narrow; vein R extended into membrane; all veins of cerium thick. Metathoracie wings without intervannnal veins and with one anal and a jugal vein ; Sc distinct in apical half.

Type species, Mendanocoris browni, sp. n. Colour.--Light brown. Eyes dark red. Tarsi and set~e pale testaeeous. Structure. Interantennal process somewhat constricted basally and

shallowly bifurcate apically. Eyes from above conical; from the side reniform. Interocollar area elevated and medially longitudinally sul- cate ; ocellar interspace a little wider than distance between an ocellus and an eye. Anterior lobe of pronotum smooth with linear areas of dense pubescence ; lateral expansions feebly granulose ; posterior lobe somewhat strongly granulose, except lateral margins less strongly so; lateral elevations on posterior lobe rounded. Stridulatory furrow short, moderately wide, concealed partly by margins of prosternum and by apex of rostrum. Scutellum a little longer than wide with a moderately deep depression basally and with sides and carin~e with dense pubescence ; apical projection short, acute, triangular, feebly recurved. Hemelytra extending just beyond apical margin of 7th abdominal segment; con- nexival segments with a shallow, longitudinal sulcus; apical margin of segments somewhat thickened ; surface granulose ; dorsal surface of abdomen transversely rugulose ; apical margin of segments thickened ; abdomen midventrally and laterally with smooth areas devoid of setm ; harpagones entirely concealed when not extruded. Fossula spongiosa very short ; apical segment of tarsi more than twice as long as basal segment.

Total length, 4.30 mm. ; Hemelytra, 2.50ram. ; Greatest pronotal width, 1.20 mm.

1 ~ (holotype), 1 c~ (paratype), Guadaleanal, Tenaru, 11. viii. 1955, E. S. Brown. (The male paratype is unfortunately in a badly damaged condition ; the only parts which could be figured are the metathoracic wings, abdomen and pygophore. Commonwealth Institute of Entomology Coll. No. 145 lS.

Holotype and paratype in the British Museum (N.H.) London.

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