Ectomocoris fenestratus ( Klug, 1830 )

Ectomocoris fenestratus ( Klug, 1830) View in CoL

( Figs 20–36 View Figs 20–23 View Figs 24–27 View Figs 28–36 )

Reduvius fenestratus Klug, 1830: 19 (original description). Type locality: Ambukohl, Dongalae [now Ambikal, Dongola, Sudan].

Pirates fenestratus : BURMEISTER (1835): 239 (new combination).

Ectomocoris fenestratus View in CoL : STÂL (1867): 257 (new combination); MALDO- NADO CAPRILES (1990): 352 (catalogue).

Reduvius ( Eumenes) [sic] fenestratus : WALKER (1873): 110 (incorrect record of the original name).

Eumerus ( Eumerus) fenestratus : STÂL (1874): 62 (new combination).

Pirates ( Eumerus) fenestratus : DE CARLINI (1895): 118 (new combination).

Peirates bimaculatus Serville, 1831: 218 (original description). Type locality: Senegal. Synonymized by STÂL (1867: 258).

Pirates bimaculatus : AMYOT & SERVILLE (1843): 324 (redescription).

Ectomocoris costatus Miller, 1954: 404 View in CoL (original description). Type locality: Yemen. New junior subjective synonym.

Ectomocoris costatus View in CoL : MALDONADO CAPRILES (1990): 352 (catalogue).

Type material examined. Reduvius fenestratus : LECTOTYPE (present designation): Ô, SUDAN: “Typus” // “fenestratus / n.” // “ Ambukohl

Lhrby / Augusto No. (?) 1-6” // “bimaculatus / Ser. 1831.” // “3185” // “Zoolog. Museum / BERLIN ( ZMB) / Germany ” ( MFN). PARALECTO- TYPES: 2 ♀♀, “Typus” // “fenestratus Klug /Ambukohl / Ehrenberg / Kat. No. 3185” // “Zoolog. Museum / BERLIN ( ZMB) / Germany ” ( MFN). We only examined the images of the types of E. fenestratus that were kindly shared by Jürgen Deckert.

Ectomocoris costatus : HOLOTYPE: Ô, YEMEN: “ Holotype ” [red-margined disc] // “Type” [red-margined disc] // “ YEMEN, / 1 mile W.of Ta’izz, / On road to / Mocha, ca. 4,500 ft., / 20. xii. 1937.” // “Taken in Mosque / by pool.” // “B.M. Exp. To / S. W. Arabia. / H.Scott & / E.B.Britton. / B.M.1938 246.” // “ Ectomocoris / costatus sp. n. / N.C.E. Miller det. 1951.” // “NHMUK 013588384” ( NHM). PARATYPE: 1 ♀, SAUDI ARABIA: “ARABIA: Wadi Amq, / II. ii. 1937 / H. St. J. B. Philby. / B. M. 1937 228.” // “ Ectomocoris / costatus sp. n. / N.C.E. Miller det. 1951.” // “NHMUK 013588385” ( NHM).

Additional material examined. UGANDA: 1 Ô (dissected), “ Uganda Prot” // “C.S. Betton. / 1902-146.” ( NHM). SPAIN: CANARY ISLANDS: 1 Ô, “Canary Is. / T.V. Wollaston. / 69-85” ( NHM).

Diagnosis. Macropterous, medium to large-sized species. Black, hemelytron with yellow, oval spot between veins

Pcu+1A and Cu on corium, membrane with thin, yellowish, obscure stripe along outer margin of vein M, membrane also with small, yellow, subtriangular spot at base of veins R and M, but sometimes absent in certain individuals (e.g. holotype of E. costatus , Fig. 24 View Figs 24–27 ). Lateral tubercles of neck distinct, surface of tubercle with some tiny granules; posterior margin of pronotum arcuate; surface of scutellum rough, scutellar process short, horizontal or apex weakly directed obliquely backward in lateral view; protibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/3 of tibial length, mesotibia with fossula spongiosa occupying over 1/2 of tibial length; hemelytron almost reaching but not surpassing tip of abdomen; in male, ventral surface of abdomen flat in middle without carina, seventh sternite without extragenital process; male genitalia with median pygophore process long, spine-shaped, dorsal surface ridged in middle with pair of pointed knobs near base in caudal view, blade-shaped with inner margin almost straight, apical 1/3 gradually tapered to sharp apex in lateral view; apical margin of dorsal phallothecal sclerite rounded; inner margin of lateral phallothecal sclerite with many small, sharp processes and also extending to venter of phallus.

Redescription. Macropterous male ( Figs 20 View Figs 20–23 , 24, 26, 27 View Figs 24–27 ) and female ( Fig. 21 View Figs 20–23 ).

Coloration black ( Figs 20, 21 View Figs 20–23 , 24–27 View Figs 24–27 ). Second to fourth antennomeres, third visible labial segment and tarsi of legs brown; hemelytron with yellow, oval spot between veins Pcu+1A and Cu on corium, membrane with thin, yellowish, obscure stripe along outer margin of vein M ( Figs 20, 21 View Figs 20–23 , 24 View Figs 24–27 ), membrane also with small, yellow, subtriangular spot at base of veins R and M ( Figs 20, 21 View Figs 20–23 ), but sometimes absent in certain individuals (e.g., holotype of E. costatus , Fig. 24 View Figs 24–27 ), apical part of membrane pale brown.

Structure. Medium to large-sized, robust. Most of body covered with blackish, thick setae of varying lengths; dorsal surface of head and thoracic pleura densely covered with whitish, procumbent, short pubescence; apical parts of tibiae and tarsi also covered with brown setae.

Head distinctly elongate, anteocular part about three times as long as postocular part, postocular part protruding laterally; antenna inserted near anterior margin of eye, scape thickest and shortest, last three antennomeres gracile and tapered; first and second visible labial segments thick, third segment noticeably tapered and slightly shorter than first, second segment longest with basal half slightly swollen; eye reniform in lateral view, reaching upper margin but not reaching lower margin of head; width of interocular space longer than width of eye in dorsal view, with shallow, longitudinal groove in middle and small pit at base; ocelli large, conspicuously raised, separated from each other by more than one width of ocellus; lateral tubercles of neck distinct, surface of tubercle with some tiny granules.

Pronotum with collar process developed, apex rounded, produced forward; anterior pronotal lobe with thin, shallow, median longitudinal sulcus, stripes distinct and covered with whitish, short pubescence; pronotal transverse sulcus deep and with some longitudinal wrinkles; posterior margin of pronotum arcuate, lateral pronotal angle round; meso- and metathoracic pleura and sterna finely granulose; mesosternum carinate, metasternum slightly tumid and with several transverse winkles near base; surface of scutellum rough, disc of scutellum almost flat, Y-shaped ridges distinct, scutellar process short, horizontal or apex weakly directed obliquely backward in lateral view. Legs with procoxa long and thick; profemur thickest with distinct thin ridge on ventral surface, mesofemur slightly thicker than metafemur; apices of pro- and mesotibiae extended into lobe, protibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/3 of tibial length, mesotibia with fossula spongiosa occupying over 1/2 of tibial length. Hemelytron almost reaching but not surpassing tip of abdomen.

Abdomen of male oval, width subequal to width of posterior pronotal lobe ( Fig. 24 View Figs 24–27 ) or slightly wider than width of posterior pronotal lobe ( Fig. 20 View Figs 20–23 ), ventral surface flat in middle, without carina, seventh sternite without extragenital process ( Fig. 26 View Figs 24–27 ); abdomen of female fusiform and distinctly wider than width of posterior pronotal lobe ( Fig. 21 View Figs 20–23 ).

Male genitalia with pygophore oval and strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 28 View Figs 28–36 ), median pygophore process long, spine-shaped and gradually tapered to apex, dorsal surface ridged in middle with pair of pointed knobs near base (also visible from lateral view, Fig. 30 View Figs 28–36 ), oblique to right side in caudal view ( Fig. 29 View Figs 28–36 ), blade shaped with inner margin almost straight, apical 1/3 gradually tapered to sharp apex in lateral view ( Fig. 30 View Figs 28–36 ); paramere broad, subtriangular with outer margin arcuate, apex of paramere almost round ( Figs 31, 32 View Figs 28–36 ), left paramere ( Fig. 31 View Figs 28–36 ) slightly longer and less curved than right ( Fig. 32 View Figs 28–36 ); phallus in resting condition ( Figs 33–36 View Figs 28–36 ) with basal plate bridge shorter than basal plate ( Fig. 33 View Figs 28–36 ); pedicel slightly curved, distinctly shorter than basal plate ( Figs 35, 36 View Figs 28–36 ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite broad and strongly sclerotized, apical margin rounded ( Fig. 33 View Figs 28–36 ); lateral phallothecal sclerite strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 36 View Figs 28–36 ), inner margin with many small, sharp processes and also extending to venter of phallus ( Figs 34, 36 View Figs 28–36 ).

Measurements [in mm, Ô (n = 3), ♀ (n = 1)]. Body length 17.82–20.48 (Ô), 22.05 ( ♀); maximum width of abdomen 4.80–5.71 (Ô), 6.11 ( ♀); head length 2.89–3.30 (Ô), 3.28 ( ♀); head width 1.91–2.16 (Ô), 2.13 ( ♀); length of anteocular part 1.39–1.70 (Ô), 1.65 ( ♀); length of postocular part 0.38–0.51 (Ô), 0.61 ( ♀); width of eye 0.60–0.62 (Ô), 0.68 ( ♀); width of interocular space 0.70–0.81 (Ô), 0.89 ( ♀); distance between ocelli 0.31–0.36 (Ô), 0.40 ( ♀); lengths of antennomeres I: II: III: IV= 1.53–1.87: 3.00–3.55:?:? (Ô), 1.95: 3.68: 4.65:? ( ♀); lengths of labial segments I: II: III = 0.99–1.19: 1.54–2.11: 0.91–0.91 (Ô), 1.22: 2.06: 1.00 ( ♀); length of anterior pronotal lobe 3.32–3.91 (Ô), 3.90 ( ♀); length of posterior pronotal lobe 1.35–1.48 (Ô), 1.54 ( ♀); width of anterior pronotal lobe 3.59–4.22 (Ô), 4.29 ( ♀); width of posterior pronotal lobe 4.59–5.37 (Ô), 5.30 ( ♀); length of scutellum 1.72–2.16 (Ô), 2.33 ( ♀); maximum width of scutellum 2.48–3.00 (Ô), 2.98 ( ♀); length of hemelytron 11.06–12.69 (Ô), 13.15 ( ♀).

Distribution ( Fig. 37 View Fig ). Cape Verde ( LINDBERG 1959), “Congo” ( WALKER 1873), Egypt ( DISPONS 1961), Ethiopia (DE CARLINI 1895, MANCINI 1939), Ghana ( VILLIERS 1948, as Togo: Kete-Kratji [= Kete Krachi]), Libya ( DISPONS 1961), Mali ( VILLIERS 1948, as Sudan: Tombouctou and Niger: Ansongo), Mauritania ( VILLIERS 1948), Saudi Arabia ( CHINA 1938; MILLER 1954, as E. costatus ), Senegal ( SERVILLE 1831, VILLIERS 1971), Sierra Leone ( WALKER 1873), Somalia ( LINNAVUORI 1982), South Sudan (LINNA- VUORI 1974),? Spain ( Canary Islands) ( OSHANIN 1912; LINDBERG 1936, 1953), Sudan ( KLUG 1830, LINNAVUORI 1974), Uganda ( CHINA 1938, no exact record; confirmed record), Yemen ( MILLER 1954, as E. costatus ).

Ectomocoris fenestratus was recorded from the Canary Islands by OSHANIN (1912) and LINDBERG (1936, 1953), but the records were considered misidentifications of E. ululans (Rossi, 1790) by HEISS & BÁEZ (1990). Its occurrence in the archipelago was not confirmed later (e.g., PUTSHKOV & MOULET 2009, ROCA- CUSACHS et al. 2020). The specimen examined in this study may be mislabeled. Comments on synonyms. Ectomocoris fenestratus was originallydescribed by KLUG (1830) as Reduvius fenestratus based on specimens collected from Sudan. According to previous studies ( SERVILLE 1831, WALKER 1873, DE CARLINI 1895, MALDONADO CAPRILES 1990), this species has a broad distribution in northern half of Africa.

MILLER (1954) described E. costatus based on specimens from Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and discussed the differences between E. costatus and E. fenestratus as follows:

[ E. costatus ] “Differs in its smaller size and its colour, in the shape of the spot on the corium and the absence of a small triangular yellowish spot on the costa. Structurally, the chief differences are (i) the shape of the scutellum, which is relatively wider and is more strongly depressed, and (ii) that the pleura are more finely shagreened, and (iii) the genitalia are of different form”. However, after our examination of the type specimens of both species and other materials, we found that the characters proposed by MILLER (1954) to distinguish these two species correspond merely to intraspecific morphological variation.

Firstly, as for the body size, we measured the distance between the apex of the head and the tip of the abdomen for the examined specimens, and this length ranges from 17.82 to 22.05 mm, so the body lengths indicated by MILLER (1954), 19.00 mm for male, 20.50 mm for female, are within the usual intraspecific range.

As for colour differences, it is true that types of E. costatus have a smaller yellow spot on corium ( Fig. 24 View Figs 24–27 ) compared to the types of E. fenestratus ( Figs 20, 21 View Figs 20–23 ), and they lack the small, yellow, subtriangular spot at the base of the veins R and M on the membrane ( Fig. 24 View Figs 24–27 ), which is a more obvious difference. But among the examined specimens, the shape of the yellow spot on the corium varies, and the depth of colour of the small, subtriangular spot on the membrane also varies so much that it could be very inconspicuous in some individuals.

Concerning the structural differences, the characters of scutellum and integument of pleura (see MILLER 1954) are unquantifiable and indistinctive when examining the specimens. Also, we dissected the male genitalia of the specimen with the small, yellow, subtriangular spot on the membrane conspicuous ( Figs 28–36 View Figs 28–36 ). The shape of the median pygophore process well matches MILLER’ s (1954: 404, figs 8E, F) illustrations of the median pygophore process of E. costatus , which further confirms that E. fenestratus and E. costatus could be the same species and the differences in colour pattern are unstable characters that vary among conspecific individuals.

Besides, the type localities ( Yemen and SaudiArabia) of E. costatus are close to the known distribution of E. fenestratus ( Fig. 37 View Fig ). Therefore, we conclude that E. costatus should be regarded as a junior subjective synonym of E. fenestratus .