Choerocoris DALLAS 1851
Creators: name: Gerry Cassis
name: Loren Vanags
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2006
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Scutelleridae
Choerocoris

description: Choerocoris DALLAS 1851 (Figs 24 c-f, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, Table 7)
CHoerocoris DALLAS 1851: 29 (gen. nov.); MAYR 1866: 22 (description); STÅL 1865: 33 (key); STÅL 1873: 13 (description); LETHIERRY & SEVERIN 1893: 21 (catalogue); SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 38 (description); KIRKALDY 1909: 291 (catalogue); GROSS 1975: 93 (description); MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: 558 (description); CASSIS & GROSS 2002: 592 (catalogue)
Type species: Cimex paganus FABRICIUS 1775, subsequent designation: SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 28
Diagnosis: CHoerocoris is recognised by the following characters: elongate-ovoid (Figs 24 c-f); bicoloured, orange or red with fuscous to dark blue markings, sometimes with green iridescence (Figs 24 c-f); body punctate (Figs 24 c-f); jugal margins of head carinate (Fig. 31b); metathoracic gland ostiole not hooded (Fig. 31d); peritreme narrow, elongate, arcuate, anteriorly-projected distally, medially sulcate (Fig. 31d); male pygophore caudally oriented (Fig. 31e); spermathecal reservoir large, oval; and, spermathecal bulb with proximal and distal flanges.
Description: Elongate-ovoid (Figs 24 cf); strongly convex (Figs 32b, d, f, h); body moderately sized, males 8-14.7 mm, females 10-14.5 mm; dorsum densely punctate (Figs 24c-f), sometimes less so on pronotum (Fig. 24d); body glabrous (Figs 24 c-f); appendages weakly setose; ground colour orange or red, with fuscous to blue-fuscous markings, often with iridescence (Figs 24 c-f); forewing not surpassing tip of scutellum (Figs 24 c-f). Head: moderately sized, suboval, transverse (Fig. 31a); lateral margins of postclypeus sul-cate; jugal margins sinuate, in profile cari-nate (Fig. 31b). Antennae: AI-AII(b), AIV cylindrical, AIII flattened; AII(a) shortest segment, a little shorter than AI, AIV longest segment. Labium: reaching between apices of metacoxae to abdominal sterna III; LII longest segment, little longer than LIII & LIV (latter two subequal). Pronotum: broad, trapezoidal, strongly convex (Figs 24c-f); anterior margin weakly excavate; an-terolateral margins rectilinear to weakly convex, strongly to moderately divergent (Figs 24 c-f), carinate in profile (Fig. 31b); posterolateral margins rounded, carinate; posterior margin rectilinear. Scutellum: broadly U-shaped (Figs 24 c-f), strongly convex; forewing visible at base; connexiva visible. Thoracic Pleura: anterior margin of proepisternum truncate to weakly explanate (Fig. 31c); mesepimeron with evaporative areas (Fig. 31d); external efferent system of metathoracic glands well-developed, covering most of metepisternum, raised (Fig. 31d); peritreme broad, sickle-shaped, anteriorly directed distally, medially carinate (Fig. 31d); evaporative areas barely surpassing peritreme distally, rugose (Fig. 31d). Pregenital Abdomen: posterior angles of SIV-VII or III-VII weakly to strongly nodulate (Figs 32 a-h); males without sternal glands. Male Genitalia: pygophore moderately sized, lozenge-shaped, ventral margin rectilinear to weakly excavate (Figs 31e, f, 32a, b, e-h, 35a, 36a); genital opening narrowly oval, dorsal in orientation, entire opening with setose patches; parameres with short to elongate stem, small to moderately hooked apex, sometimes with subdistal flange (Figs 35b, 36b); ductus seminis proximalis narrow, (Figs 35c, 36c); ejaculatory apparatus moderately developed, with convoluted ventral conducting canal, 4-5 convolutions (Figs 35c, 36c); ejaculatory reservoir subelliptoid, bag-like (Figs 35c, 36c); ductus seminis distalis and vesica greatly incrassate subapically, vesica sometimes with subapical, antler-like projections (Figs 36c, d). Female Terminalia: small, in terminal plane; paratergites VIII small and triangular; paratergites IX large, subelliptoid; gonocoxae large, subtriangular, undivided, weakly concave, medial margins weakly elevated. Spermatheca: short fecundation canal; reservoir oval, internally ribbed; proximal and distal flanges; bulb sclerotized, oval.
Diversity and distribution: CHoerocoris is an endemic Australian genus, which is composed of four species, including two new species, and are found commonly in continental Australia (Fig. 34).
Included species: CH. grossi nov.sp. Australia CH. lattini nov.sp. Australia CH. paganus (FABRICIUS 1775) Australia CH. variegatus (DALLAS 1851) Australia
Remarks: CHoerocoris is a distinctive genus in the Scutellerinae, whose affinities are uncertain. The ejaculatory apparatus is typical of many scutellerines; with the ejaculatory apparatus possessing a convoluted ventral conducting canal and an enlarged ejaculatory reservoir. It shares some similarities with Cantao, in that the ductus seminis distalis is incrassate subapically. It is similar to many Australian scutellerines, with the first conjunctival appendages (CAI) absent. MCDONALD (1961) first proposed that the male aedaegus of Calliscyta and CHoerocoris were unlike, and MCDONALD & CASSIS (1984) latter synonymized the genera, adding that the female genitalia were also alike. On closer inspection, the aedeagus of Calliscyta stalii shows close resemblance to CHoerocoris paganus, in that the second conjunctival appendages are divided, with a conical lobal sclerite. However, this arrangement occurs in other scutellerines, and also the elvisurine SolenoticHus circuliferus. The two genera differ externally in that CHoero-coris has carinate jugal margins and a strongly arcuate (and medially sulcate) peritreme of the metathoracic glands.
description: Published as part of Gerry Cassis & Loren Vanags, 2006, Jewel Bugs of Australia (Insecta, Heteroptera, Scutelleridae), pp. 275-398 in Denisia 19 on pages 355-357, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12996779