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

description: Choerocoris variegatus DALLAS 1851 (Figs 24f, 32g, h, 33c, d, 34, 35)
CHoerocoris variegatus DALLAS 1851: 29 (n.sp.); STÅL 1873: 13 (list); LETHIERRY & SEVERIN 1893: 21 (catalogue); SCHOUTEDEN 1904: 39 (list); KIRKALDY 1909: 292 (catalogue); TILLYARD 1926: 149 (note); MCDONALD 1963a: 30 (male genitalia); MCDONALD 1963b: 230, figs 3-5 (female genitalia); MCDONALD 1963c 285 (larvae); KUMAR 1964: 60-61, 63 (morphology); KUMAR 1965: 44, 52-53 (male genitalia); MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: 559 (description); MCDONALD CASSIS & GROSS 2002: 594 (catalogue) CHoerocoris similis DISTANT 1899: 34 (n.sp.); FROGGATT 1907: 327 (note); MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: 559 (synonymy) CHoerocoris variegatus similis: GROSS 1975: 95 (subspecies)
Diagnosis: CHoerocoris variegatus is recognised by the following characters: pronotum uniformly punctate (Fig. 24f); body yellow to red, with black markings (Fig. 24d); posterior angles of connexiva V-VIII not expanded (Figs 32g, h); abdominal venter yellow with lateral black markings (submedial markings lacking) (Figs 32g, h); stem of parameres elongate (Fig. 36b); CAII(L) with basal denticulation (Figs 36c, d); CAIII large, sclerotized, antler-like (Figs 36c, d); vesica with pair of subapical processes (Fig. 36c); and, gonocoxae I moderately developed, larger than paratergites IX (Figs 33c, d).
Description: Body moderate size, males 8-12 mm, females 10.2-12.9 mm.
Colouration. Body bicoloured, dusty yellow to red, with extensive black markings, not iridescent (Fig. 24f). Head: mostly black, clypeus with a longitudinal yellow stripe (variable in length), lateral margins of jugae yellow, sometimes jugae with small medial yellow spot to yellow longitudinal stripe; lorae black (sometimes with yellow spot); jugae yellow. Antennae: mostly black, with AI partially to mostly yellow; remain-der fuscous. Labium: mostly yellow, LIV fuscous. Pronotum: mostly black, anterior, anterolateral and posterior margins mostly yellow (punctures black), with medial pair of yellow or red elliptoid markings, sometimes almost contiguous medially (Fig. 24f). Scutellum: yellow to red, anterior margin with subrectangulate black margin, medially with W-shaped marking, sometimes contiguous with anterior marking, posterior margin with V-shaped black marking (Fig. 24f). Thoracic Pleura: mostly yellow, proepimeron with black sublateral stripe, evaporative areas partially black. Legs: forefemora bicoloured, yellow, with distal regions blackened (sometimes with black spotting), dorsal surface of meso- and metafemora black, remainder mostly yellow, tibiae mostly black, laterally with yellow stripes; tarsi black. Pregenital Abdomen: venter mostly yellow, lateral margins of SIV-SVII with large, subtriangular black markings (Figs 32g, h). Male Genitalia: pygophore mostly yellow, with margins black. Female Terminalia: mostly black, with medial regions of gonocoxae I and paratergites with yellow markings.
Structure. Antennae: AI and AII(b) subequal in length; AII(a) shortest segment; AIII and AIV longest segment. Labium: reaching apex of metacoxae; LI shortest segment; LII-LIV subequal in length, sometimes LII a little longer than LIII and LIV. Male Genitalia: pygophore lozenge-shaped, with narrow genital opening, ventral margin deeply excavate (Fig. 36a); parameres with stem greatly elongate, with lateral flange, and weakly hooked crown (Fig. 36b); phallotheca conical, with ventral areas of sclerotisation (Fig. 36c); ductus seminis proximalis narrow; ejaculatory apparatus well developed, with convoluted ventral conducting canal, 6-8 convolutions (Fig. 36c); ejaculatory reservoir suboval, moderately sclerotised (Fig. 36c); CAII mostly membraneous, bifid, CAII(L) with basal denticulation, CAII(M) with conical lobal sclerite (Figs 36c, d); ductus seminis distalis not greatly incrassate (Fig. 36c); vesica with arcuate subapical processes, secondary gonopore apical (Figs 36c, d); CAIII heavily sclero-tized, large, antler-like (Figs 36c, d). Female Terminalia: paratergites VIII subtriangular (Figs 33c, d); paratergites IX suboval, moderately sized, weakly incrassate medially (Figs 33c, d); gonocoxae I large, depressed medially, medial margins recurved (Figs 33c, d); spermatheca as in generic description.
Measurements. MCDONALD & CASSIS 1984: Table 5.
Type material examined: CHoerocoris variegatus DALLAS: Holotype, ♀, ‘ Swan River’, ‘B.M. Hem. Type No. 426’ (BMNH); CHoerocoris similis DISTANT: Holotype, ♀, ‘ Adelaide’ ‘B.M. Hem. Type No. 427’ (BMNH). There are two other specimens in the BMNH of CHoerocoris variegatus, which are labeled as paratypes, and have the same locality as the holotype. DALLAS (1851) only referred to a single specimens (as ‘a. Swan River’), and we interpret this is the holotype, and have no evidence for designating a lectotype.
Other material examined: New South Wales: 1♂, Round Hill Fauna Reserve, 9 April 1977, G Daniels (AM); 1♂, Round Hill Reserve, near Euabalong, 28 December 1992, MS & BJ Moulds (AM); 1♂, 30 km E Southern Cross, 30 September 1985, J Bugeja (AM); Western Australia: 1♀, 115.4 km E of Norseman, 32.05S 122.966E, 600 m, RT Schuh & G Cassis, 23 October 1996, Site 96-10, ex Beyeria lecHenaultii; 9♂♂ 2♀♀, Duke of Orleans Bay, Table Island Picnic Area, 33.899S 122.594E, 50 m, 24 November 1999, RT Schuh, G Cassis & R Silveira, Site 99-32, ex Spyridium globulosum (AM); 2♂♂ 7♀♀, Duke of Orleans Bay, E Esperance, 14 November 1993, J & A Leask (AM); 1♂ 2♀♀, 5 km W Wuarga, 2 September 1981, GA Holloway (AM); 5♂♂, Rossiter Bay, Cape Le Grande National Park, 33°58.0345’S 122°16.0457’E, 3 m, 23 November 1999, RT Schuh, G Cassis & R Silveira, Site 19- 29, ex Acacia cyclops (AM).
Distribution: This species is broadly distributed in Australia, and is known from New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. It is primarily known from temperate Australia, although a few specimens have been taken in tropical Queensland and the Northern Territory (Fig. 34).
Host plants and biology: The biology of CHoerocoris variegatus is not well-known. It has been collected on numerous occasions in association with seeds, mostly on plants. It has been collected on a number of plants (Table 1), but its primary hosts are thought to be species of the euphorb genus Beyeria.
Remarks: CHoerocoris variegatus is widespread, but is less commonly encountered than its congener, C. paganus. It has male genitalia varying only in shape and size of the CAIII; the aedeagus cannot be separat-ed from those of the new species, C. grossi nov.sp. Differences in colour patterns and female terminalia are sufficient to separate species.
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 365-367, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12996779