SYSTEMATICS Revision of the Genus Acantholybas Breddin (Hemiptera: Coreidae) MARTIN J. STEINBAUER AND ANTHONY R. CLARKE Cooperative Research Centre for Temperate Hardwood Forestry, Locked Bag No. 2, P.O. Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 7005, Australia Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 89(4): 519-525 (1996) ABSTRACT The genus Acantholybas Breddin contains 4 species: A. kirkaldyi Bergroth (Tasmania); A. brunneus (Breddin) (New South Wales to southeast Queensland and New Zealand); A. longulus Breddin (Lombok and Sumbawa Islands, Indonesia); and A. steinbaueri Brailovsky (Java). A. kirkaldyi was known, until recently, only from the original description as the holotype (the only known named specimen) is lost. Following recollection of A. kirkaldyi from the type location, Tasmania, a revision of the genus was undertaken. Species redescrip- tions are given and neotypes and lectotypes designated for A. kirkaldyi and A. brunneus, respectively. Notes on biology are included for A. kirkaldyi and A. brunneus. KEY WORDS Coreidae, Colpurini, Acantholybas, morphology, genital capsules THE GENUS Acantholybas Breddin is one of ^Vd genera within the tribe Colpurini (Hemiptera: Co- reidae) (Schuh and Slater 1995), which contains 134 described species (Brailovsky et al. 1992). Ac- cording to Dolling (1987), members of this tribe are distributed from Fiji, Australia, India, and the eastern Palaearctic region and reach their greatest diversity in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Little is known of the biology of this tribe of insects, however, they are considered a "primitive" group within the coreids (Schaefer 1965). Masch- witz and Klinger (1974) and Maschwitz et al. (1987) reported finding Hygia cliens Dolling (tribe Colpurini) in a trophobiotic relationship with the ant, Meranoplus mucronatus F. Smith (Hymenop- tera: Formicidae). Coreids were found to secrete a fluid containing glucose that the ants ingested and the ants attacked objects brought into the vi- cinity of the coreids. Descriptions of such mutu- alisms, common among the Sternorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha, are rare among the Heteroptera and deserve further study. Materials and Methods This study was based on preserved adult speci- mens. Type specimens were examined where still locatable. Requests were made for material from all major Australian insect collections and relevant international collections. Responses were generally negative, with only the holotype of A. longulus ex- isting and no named material of A. kirkaldyi. Ma- terial of A. brunneus was more common, but the holotype is lost. Because of the uniqueness of male specimens of A. longulus and A. kirkaldyi, destruc- tive dissection for internal male genitalia was not carried out. Internal male genitalia of A. brunneus are figured in Schaefer (1965) and Brailovsky (1993, 1996). Linear body measurements of type material (Ta- ble 1) were made using an eye-piece micrometer mounted in a Kyowa (Tokyo, Japan) microscope. Measurements are given in millimeters. Terminol- ogy used follows that of Brailovsky (1993). Specimens were from the following institutions: Deutsches Entomologisch.es Institut, Eberswalde (DEI), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand (SBS), Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra (ANIC). Genus Acantholybas Breddin Acantholybas Breddin, 1899: 169-170. Acanthocolpura = Acantholybas Breddin, 1900b: 197. Type species: Acantholybas longulus Breddin, 1899. Diagnosis. Antenniferous tubercles armed with spines; bucculae developed; anterior lateral mar- gins of pronotum with tubercles; hind femora not incrassate and unarmed; tibiae slender; brachyp- terous to macropterous. Redescription. Head. Labium long, reaching abdomen. Antenniferous tubercles spined; distinct, swollen, region posterior to each eye dorsally. Buc- culae well developed. First antennal segment swol- len. 0013-8746/96/0519-0525$02.00/0 © 1996 Entomological Society of America Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/89/4/519/62763 by guest on 19 September 2021