James A. Slater.
A Remarkable New Genus of Lygaeidae from Sumatra (Hemiptera: Heteroptera).
Psyche 69(1):42-46, 1962.

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A REMARKABLE NEW GENUS OF LYGAEIDAE
FROM SUMATRA (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA)*
BY JAMES A. SLATER
Department of Zoology and Entomology
University of Connecticut
Many species of Lygaeidae possess fore femora that are strongly incrassate and armed on the ventral surface with sharp spines. Many
workers have assumed that these powerful legs were associated with predatory habits and indeed as recently as 1956 Miller illustrated species of Blissinae (Spalacocoris and Chelochirus) as examples of
legs modified for raptoral purposes. However, it has been evident for a long time that this was at best an oversimplification and that very strongly incrassate and heavily spinous legs were known in such sub- families as the Pachygronthinae and Oxycareninae whose members so far studied are entirely phytophagous, whereas in the predac-ous Geocorinae the fore femora are slender and not at all adapted for seizing prey. The enlarged leg is best expressed in the great subfamily Rhyparochrominae where nearly all of the many hundreds of species possess enlarged and ventrally spined fore femora. Putshkov ( I 956)
and Sweet (1960) have shown that most, if not all, of the rhypai-o- chromines are seed feeders. Thus the function of these legs remains unknown. They do not appear to be used in mating behavior or in antenna1 cleaning, nor to any appreciable extent in carrying food etc. Yet it seems unlikely that legs of this type would persist throughout hundreds of species in many different genera distributed in several different subfamilies and in all of the major zoogeographic regions without having an important function. Solution of this problem should be a matter of considerable interest to those concerned with the question of correlation of form and function from inferred evidence. Recently Sweet (in lift.) has noticed some remarkable threatening behavior, displayed intraspecifically by several species of rhyparochro- mines in defense of food, that involves the use of the fore femora. This may offer a clue to an understanding of this interesting biological problem.
Despite our lack of knowledge of the function of these fore legs we do know enough of their occurrence in the fandy Lygaeidae to conclude that they are not of random distribution. The piesence of incrassate fore femora is the predominant condition in the Rhyparo- chrominae, Pachygronthinae and Oxycareninae whereas they are *Manuscript rece ved by the editor December 20, 1961. Pu&e 69:42-46 (1962). hup ttpsychu einclub orgt69te9-042 html



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19621 Slater - New Genus of Lygaeidae 43 absent or infrequently developed in the Lygaeinae, 01-sillinae, Ischno- rhynchinae and Geocorinae. Thus it can be seen that the presence of incrassate fore femora is at least roughly correlated with ventrally located spiracles. The latter is the less specialized condition. The correlation may well be more than coincidental and at least give some indication that an enlarged femur represents the generalized condi- tion within the family.
It is thus most interesting to encounter a member of the Ischnorhyn- chinae with forelegs as strongly developed as in any of the subfamilies whose members are usually provided with incrassate fore femora. Except for the remarkable front legs this insect appears to be a con- ventional ischnoi-hynchine. It possesses dorsally located spiracles, a large claval commissure, a punctate clavus, hyaline membrane of the fore wing, hind wing with hamus and intervannals present, a 'pruinose" body bloom, and a non-depressed posterior pronotal margin. Macellocoris new genus
Fore femora strongly incrassate, armed below with four sharp, prominent, elongate spines ; lateral margins of pronotum non-explanate but sinuate, bearing a series of pronlinent setigerous tubercles ; clavus with a closely set row of punctures adjacent to claval suture and two inner rows of very large coarse punctures ; nxmbrane transparent, hyaline, exceeding apex o'f abdomen ; eyes prominent, in contact with antero-lateral pronotal angles; apex of head attaining but not exceeding first antenna1 segment ; preocular distance greater than eye length ; lateral margin of corium explanate. Type species : MaceZZororis incrassatus new species. Macellocoris incrassatus new species
Plate 2
General coloration reddish-brown, pronotum lighter on either side of midline posterior to calli and near anterior margin; hcmelytra opaque whitish, the irregular punctures brown; legs yellow with anterior femora bright tan; antennae with segment one, two except extreme apex, basal one-half of three and basal one-fourth of four yellowish with remaining antennal areas fuscous; venter reddish brown; mesa1 area of sternum black; head with large, coarse, con- tiguously placed punctures that give a rugose appearance; pronotum and scutellum with rather small, deep evenly spaced punctures; claval punctures very large and deep, those on corium irregular in size and



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19621 Slater - New Genus of Lygaeidae 45 position with a definite row adjacent to the claval suture; surface nearly glabrous, head, pronotum and scutellum with short semi- decumbent setae in the punctures; appendages sparsely but definitely pubescent.
Head non-declivent, moderately acuminate, tylus ~rojecting well beyond the juga ; first antenna1 segment about attaining apex of tylus ; eyes large not produced, strongly in contact with anterolateral pro- notal angles; length head .70 mm.; width across eyes .85 mm., interocular space .48 mm.; pronotum evenly narrowing anteriorly, lateral margins slightly sinuate, narrowly carinate, bearing 6-7 setose tubercles, transverse impression absent mesally but faintly indicated by depressed area near lateral margin, dorsal surface slightly convex becoming less so in area of calli and anteriorly, length pronotum I .05 mm., width pronotum 1.55 mm.; scutellum evenly tumid with depressed base, no median carina, length .60 mm.; coriurn with broad slightly upturned explanate margin, this laterally rounded becoming sinuate adjacent to apex of scutellum~; apical corial margin sinuate, concave along basal one-third; distance apex clavus to apex coi-ium 1.10 mmh., distance apex corium to apex membrane .go mm.; mem- brane greatly exceeding apex of abdomen; distance apex abdomen to apex membrane .75 mm.; middle and hind femora slightly enlarged, with basal one-fourth slender, giving a clavate appearance; labium elongate, attaining posterior margin of first abdominal sternite, first segment exceeding base of head, second segment extending onto anterior portion of mesosternum; length labial segments I .65 mm., I1 .62 mm., I11 .60 mm., IV .35 mm.; antennae slender, segments two and three terete, fourth segment narrowly fusiform; length antenna1 segments 1 .25 mm., 11 .75 mm., 111 .82 mm., IV .70 mm. Total length 4.65 mm.
Holotype : Male. SUMATRA : Pematang Siantar, June I 937. (CT & BB Bi-ues). In Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard). Acknowledgements
I should like to' extend my appreciation to Drs. P. J. Darlington and W. L. Brown (now at Cornell University), of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, for the opportunity to study this interesting Macellocor'zs incrassatus new species. Drawing by Arthur Smith, British Museum (Natural History).




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46 Psyche
[March
insect. Appreciation is also extended to the University of Connecticut Research Foundation for providing funds for the execution of the plate by the distinguished Arthur Smith of the British Museum ( Natural History) .
MILLER, N. C. E.
1956. The biology of the Heteroptera. Leonard Hill Ltd: London. PUTSHKOV, V. G.
1956. Basic trophic groups of phytophagous hemipterous insects and changes in the character of their feeding during the process of development.. Zcol. Zhur. 3 5 : (N. 1) :32-44. SWEET, M. H.
1960. The seed bugs: a contribution to the feeding habits of the Lygaeidae. (Hemipt. Heter.) Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 53 : 317-321.



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