Axiagastus votypkai Salini & Kment, 2025

Kment, Petr, Lemaître, Valérie A., Webb, Michael D. & Roca-Cusachs, Marcos, 2025, Revision of the Austro-Oriental shield-bug genus Axiagastus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), with the description of five new species, and taxonomic notes on related genera, Zootaxa 5603 (1), pp. 1-82 : 61-65

Axiagastus votypkai Salini & Kment sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:90C35996-B2DE-4336-9174-BDF584B0114F

( Figs 200–225)

? Axiagastus rosmarus (misidentification, partim): Walker (1867): 269 (distribution: New Guinea); Cassis & Gross (2002):

458–459 (catalogue, distribution: Australia: Queensland).

Type locality. Indonesia, Papua, Buare River , 3°18′S 138°43′E .

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Irian , Buare River [p] / (S 3, 18 E 138, 43) 5.I- [p] / 16.i.2009, A. Zamesov lgt. [p] // A. rosmarus [hw] / Roca-Cusachs det. 2021 // dissected and illustrated by Salini. S. [p] // Roca-Cusachs Personal Collection [p] // HOLOTYPUS / AXIAGASTUS VOTYPKAI / Salini & Kment sp. nov. // det. Salini, S. & Kment, P., 2024 [red label]” ( NIM). The holotype is pinned through the scutellum, the detached left hind leg, right antennomere IV and left antennomeres IIa, IIb and III are glued on a card and the dissected male genitalia are preserved in a glass microvial with glycerol attached to the same pin; right mesotarsomere III along with claws and right antennomere IV lost.

Paratypes (10♂, 10♀): AUSTRALIA: Queensland : 1♂, “ Australia [hw] / Queensland [hw] / Kuranda [hw] / rain forest [hw] / 04.xii.1996 [hw] / M. Shaffer [hw]” ( BMNH) . Left antennomere IV lost .— 1♀, “AUSTRALIA. N.Q.: / Cairns / 18.i.1962. / E.B.Britton. / B.M. 1962-153. [p] // From light / trap [p] // ♀ [p]” ( BMNH) .— INDONESIA: Papua: 2♀, “DUTCH NEW GUINEA: / Humboldt Bay Dist. / 1937. / W. Stüber / B.M. 1938-177. [p] // ♀ [p] // NHMUK 013589097 [p]” ( BMNH) . Detached abdomen glued on a piece of card .— 2♀, “DUTCH NEW GUINEA: / Humboldt Bay Dist. / Pukusam Dist. / West of Tami River. / vi.1937 [p] // W. Stüber. / B.M. 1938- 177. [p] // ♀ [p]” ( BMNH) .— 1♂, “DUTCH NEW GUINEA: / Humboldt Bay Dist. / Bewani Mts. / 400 metres. / vii.1937 [p] // W. Stüber. / B.M. 1938-177. [p] // ♂ [p]” ( BMNH) .— 1♀, “ PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Irian, Buare River [p] / (S 3, 18 E 138, 43) 5.I- [p] / 16.i.2009, A. Zamesov lgt. [p] // dissected and illustrated by Salini. S. [p]” ( NIM) . Dissected female genitalia are placed in a glass microvial with glycerol attached to the same pin, terga and sterna, after extraction of terminalia and spermatheca, glued on a card, left foreleg and antennomere IV are glued to the card. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Madang: 1♂, “PAPUA NG, Madang, NAGADA / Binatang Research Center / 5°9′23″S 145°47′41″E, 20 m / gardens and ruderal vegetation / 6.v.2011, Votýpka & Lukeš lgt. [p] // Department of Parasitology / Charles University in Prague / DISSECTION No. 141 / NEGATIVE [p in green] ( NMPC); 1♂, 2♀, PAPUA NG, Madang, NAGADA / Binatang Research Center / 5°9′23″S 145°47′41″E, 20 m / gardens and ruderal vegetation / 9.v.2011, Votýpka & Lukeš lgt. [p] // Department of Parasitology / Charles University in Prague / DISSECTION No. 442, 443, 448 [respectively] / NEGATIVE [p in green] ( NMPC). All four specimens pinned, more or less damaged due to the dissection of the abdomen, detached body parts glued on separate piece of card pinned under the particular specimen.— 1♀, “PAPUA NEW GUINEA. / Imino (S 2 37 E 140 10) 25.I-31.I.2009 / A. Zamesov lgt. // Roca-Cusachs Personal Collection [p] // PARATYPUS / AXIAGASTUS VOTYPKAI / Salini & Kment sp. nov. // det. Roca-Cusachs 2024 [red label]” ( MRCC) .— 1♂, “ Coll. I.R.Sc. N.B. / Canopy Mission Papua / New Guinea (Madang / prov.): Baiteta 25.V. / 1995 Fogging AR8 / Leg. Olivier Missa [p, orange label] // ♂ [p]” ( ISNB) .— Morobe: 1♂, “attracted to house [hw] / light 9.00 PM, Bulolo [hw] / B. Gray, 30.iv.1968 [hw] // 279 [hw] // 141 [hw] // C. I.E Coll. [p] / A. [p] 5556 [hw] // Axiagastus [hw] / sp. [hw] / M.S.K. Ghauri, det. 197 [p] 3 [hw] // dissected and illustrated by Salini. S. [p]” ( BMNH) . The dissected male genitalia are placed in a glass microvial with glycerol attached to the same pin, right antennomeres III and IV and left protarsomeres II and III lost, both hemelytra along with hindwings dislocated and spread laterally, exposing the dorsum of the abdomen, beyond the scutellum.— 1♂, “ Bubia. LAE.NG. [p] / 23/5/61. / By Light Trapping. [hw] / Coll. J H Ardley [p] // B. 1315 [hw, pink label] // C.I.E. COLL. / NO. [p] 17721 [hw] // Axiagastus / sp. [hw] / M.S.K. Ghauri det. [p] // ♂ [p]” ( BMNH) .— Ori : 2♂, “PAPUA: Kokoda. / 1.200 ft. ix.1933. / L. E. Cheesman. / B.M. 1934-321 [p] / NHMUK 013589094 [p]”— New Britain : 1♂, “L.A.E.S. [hw] / KERAVAT [hw] / 5.iii.70 [hw] // K.790 [hw] //. Ex. Coll. Dept. [p] / Agr. P. M. [p] / No.: [p] 13326 [hw] // G. M. Baloch [hw] // C. I. E COLL. [p] / A. [p] 3841 [hw] // Ex. Cluster palm [hw] /? Ptychosperma sp. [hw] // Axiagastus [hw] / sp. [hw] / M.S.K. Ghauri, det. 197 [p] 0 [hw]” ( BMNH) . Both right pro- and mesotarsus lost, both antennae except antennomere I, all left legs except coxae and trochanters, and right hind leg except coxa lost, left hemelytron glued to card.— 1♀, “ NEW BRITAIN / Bainings / 3. ix. 1940 / J. L. Froggatt. / with “borers” / in cocoa stem [sic, hw] // H.545 [hw] // Axiagastus / rosmarus Dall. [hw] / det. W.E.China 194[p]1[hw] // ♀ [p]” ( BMNH) .— Each specimen bears the following identification label : “ PARATYPUS / AXIAGASTUS VOTYPKAI / Salini & Kment sp. nov. / det. Salini, S. & Kment, P., 2024 [p, yellow label], unless stated otherwise.

Additional material examined.— PAPUA NEW GUINEA: East Sepik: 1♀, “ On leaf Eucalyptus sp. / Kinjingini, E. S. D. / 16.1.1969. N. Gough [hw] // 603 [hw] // 171 [hw] // C.I.E. COLL. / A. [p] 5556 [hw] // ♀ [p]” ( BMNH). Due to its small size, slightly aberrant colouration and lack of associated males the identification of this female is only tentative .

Description. Colour, integument and vestiture ( Figs 200–204). Ground colour stramineous, but body appearing black due to dense, coarse black punctation confluent on various parts of body (especially on scutellum and coria), forming extensive dark area intermixed with impunctate bright yellow areas; disc of head bright yellow, bordered laterally with black outline, basal half of disc with coarse black punctures, gradually becoming finer towards apex, more or less appearing as a longitudinal row of punctures on middle of mandibular plates, lateral margins of clypeus bordered by black lines; ventral surface of head, including denticles on bucculae (except black apices) bright yellow; each scape (I) and both pedicellites (IIa, IIb) stramineous (IIb sometimes darker on apical half), flagellomeres (III and IV) brown to dark brown, basally paler; labium concolourous with ventral body surface except for black apex of labiomere IV; disc of pronotum bright yellow except for black anterolateral margins, and narrow to thick, black transverse band along posterior margins sometimes extending to humeri, sometimes interrupted with isolated spot on humeri; coarse, black punctation scattered uniformly over rest of yellowish disc of pronotum; ground colour of scutellar disc bright yellow with distinct black markings as follows: 1+1 small to moderately sized, roughly round spots submedially on basal margin of scutellum, and 1+1 large, roughly quadrate spots at frenal regions of scutellar disc, and a large, transverse, roughly crescent-shaped anteapical spot (somewhat nebulous in one specimen); bright yellow regions of scutellar disc scattered with black punctation; apex of scutellum with pale impunctate spot, with anterior margin medially incised, appearing similar to letter M; endocorium with dense, coarse, black punctation, confluent into two poorly delimited dark spots (anteriorly and posterocentrally) alternating with two paler spots (anterocentrally and posteriorly), a pale callose spot more or less apparent laterally in middle of each endocorium; connexiva pale yellow except black anterior and posterior third of each segment; fine, dense, concolourous punctures on connexiva. Ventral surface of body including legs and labium pale yellow, scattered with coarse, brown punctures confluent, mostly forming transverse broken rows especially on thorax and lateral region of abdomen; punctures more concentrated towards lateral regions of thorax and ventrites; legs with punctures round, coarse, brown, sparse on tibiae and femora; head on ventral surface with two narrow, longitudinal stripes on either side of bucculae, from their apices to base of head, black; one roughly round, moderately-sized spot lateral to base of pro-, meso- and metacoxae, one spot each on middle of lateral margins of metapleura, apex of ostiolar peritremes and antero- and posterolateral angles of ventrites III–VII, and one longitudinal, median stripe on ventrites V–VII, black; apices of buccular denticles, labium and tarsal claws, a sublateral row of small spots mesad to each spiracle coalescing with spiracular outline, black; ventrites with intersegmental sutures marked with brown, transverse stripe.

Structure. Labium reaching or surpassing posterior margin of ventrite III, sometimes reaching posterior margin of ventrite IV. Other characters as in generic redescription.

Male genitalia ( Figs 205, 207–222). Genital capsule ( Figs 207–210, 214–217) subquadrate; dorsal rim more deeply incised than ventral rim; lateral wall of dorsal rim slightly concave, smooth, sclerotized black, ending in moderately developed denticle contiguous with moderately deep, transverse emargination (te) at middle of dorsal rim; dorsal sinus of posterior aperture broadly U-shaped (ds), ventral margin of posterior aperture semicircular; ventral rim including posterolateral angles bordered with a row of moderately elongate, golden setae; posterolateral lobes in lateral view as shown in Figs 210, 217; ventral rim broadly V-shaped at middle, infoldings of ventral rim deeply impressed on either side of moderately developed distension (dn) at middle, distension (dn) emarginated with short V-shaped incision at middle, visible on ventral view of genital capsule; infoldings of ventral rim laterally (inner to posterolateral lobes) and lateral to base of median distension with a prominent, apically acuminate, sclerotized, black denticle (dt). Paramere ( Figs 211–213, 218, 219) simple, nearly as in A. rosmarus , numerous fine, elongate setae along periphery of laminate disc (ld); crown narrowed abruptly towards apex, acuminate in lateral view ( Figs 211, 213, 218), dorsal margin (dm) of upright finger-like crown convex in lateral view ( Fig. 218); stem moderately elongate, apodeme disc-like. Phallus ( Figs 220–222). Articulatory apparatus as in Figs 220‒222; phallus as in A. rosmarus and processes of aedeagus as in Fig. 222.

Female genitalia ( Figs 206, 223–225). Terminalia ( Figs 223, 224) as in A. rosmarus with inner posterolateral angles of valvifers VIII obtusangulate; valvifers IX short, narrow, transverse plate with anterior margin biconcave, posterior margin more or less straight; laterotergites VIII and IX as in A. rosmarus except caudal margins of laterotergites VIII with 1+1 indistinct, minute sclerotized, black denticle. Gynatrium as in A. cambelli . Spermatheca ( Fig. 225) as in A. cambelli .

Variation. The specimen from Kinjingini is considerably smaller and paler than the remaining specimens.

Differential diagnosis. This species is very similar to A. rosmarus from the Philippines but can be distinguished from that species by the darker or black body colour with large, black quadrate spots anteriorly on the scutellar disc. On the other hand, this scutellar pattern resembles that of A. prathapani Salini & Kment sp. nov., but differs by the lack of two rows of four spots anteriorly on the pronotal disc. It differs from both the species by the prevailingly pale antennae and by the male genital capsule with a distinct shape of the ventral rim, and the presence of a prominent, apically acuminate, sclerotized, black denticle within the posterolateral angles.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of the eminent Czech parasitologist Jan Votýpka (Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic), who collected a part of the type series and contributed other noteworthy heteropteran samples donated to the NMPC.

Biology and plant association. In New Britain, one of the paratypes was collected on a cluster palm (? Ptychosperma sp. ) ( Arecaceae ), and another one “with ‘borers’ in cocoa stem’ which probably refers to coconut palm instead (see the same mistake above regarding A. cambelli ). Another specimen from Papuan mainland was collected on leaf of Eucalyptus sp. ( Myrtaceae ). Some of the paratypes were collected by light traps (this paper).

Distribution. Australia (Queensland) (this paper), Indonesia (Papua) (this paper), Papua New Guinea (mainland, New Britain) (this paper).

Remarks. The holotype locality label is slightly ambiguous as the GPS co-ordinates mentioned in the label indicates the collection locality as Papua in Indonesia instead of Papua New Guinea as stated on the label. Besides, a part of the type series was unambiguously collected from Papua, Indonesia. Therefore, the type locality is considered as Buare River, Papua, Indonesia. This is also applicable to a female paratype, which bears the same locality label as the holotype, deposited in NIM.