Jewel Bugs of Australia (Insecta, Heteroptera, Scutelleridae) Author Gerry Cassis Author Loren Vanags text Denisia 2006 19 275 398 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.12996779 12996779 Heissiphara minuta nov.sp. ( Figs 24b , 27 , 37 , 38 ) Holotype : ♀ , Western Australia : Coastal Highway , 57 km N of Kalbarri Road , -27.26.853S, 114.41.204E, altitude 500m , G. Cassis and R.T. Schuh ex StenantHemum complicatum ( AM ) ; Paratype : ♀ , same data as holotype ( AM ) . Diagnosis: This species is recognised by the following combination of characters: small size, <3.5 mm; body strongly convex ( Fig. 24d ); body uniformly distributed with setigerous punctures ( Fig. 24d ); AII(b) shortest antennal segment; pronotum and scutellum with medial red markings ( Fig. 24d ); and, female terminalia and spermatheca as in generic description. Description: Colouration. Head: mostly yellow; posterior margin of vertex with triangular fuscous markings; clypeus mostly yellow with brown apex and fuscous midline; eyes reddish brown; ocelli yellow. Antennae: AI-AII(a&b) yellow, AIII and AIV dark brown. Labium: LI and II yellow, LIII and LIV brown. Pronotum mostly light yellow-brown to medium brown, with darker punctations; callosite region anteriorly with yellow fascia and calli yellow; disc with medial rectangular red mark and two adjacent submedial fuscous spots. Scutellum: ground colour mostly concolorous with pronotum, anterior margin with central red marking and two yellow submedial calli; anterolateral areas with dark brown foveae; posterolaterally with dense patches of dark punctations forming obscure semi-circular marking. Thoracic pleura and abdominal venter uniformly yellow with brown punctations. Legs uniformly yellow-brown with darker brown punctations. Vestiture. Body glabrous. Antennae: AI-AII(a&b) with sparse distribution of short setae; AIII-AIV with denser distribution of setae. Texture. Body densely punctate, with setiferous punctures. Structure. Head: interocellar space twice distance between ocelli and eye. Antennae: AII(a) and AII(b) short, subequal in length; AIV longest segment. Labium: reaching metasternum; LI and LII cylindrical; LIII and IV flattened. Abdominal segment III with a medial groove to accommodate rostrum; apical margins of segments III to VI tumescent. Female genitalia: see generic description. Male unknown. Measurements. Holotype: BL: 3.35, PW: 2.39, IOD: 1.12, AI: 0.26, AII(a): 0.16, AII(b): 0.18, AIII: 0.30, AIV: 0.40, LI: 0.49, LII:0.63, LIII: 0.39, (LIV not observable). Etymology: This species is named for its small size. Distribution: HeissipHara minuta nov.sp. is known from the type locality only, north of Kalbarri National Park, on the centralwest coast of Western Australia ( Fig. 27 ). Host plants and biology: This species was collected from StenantHemum complica-tum ( Rhamnaceae ). Fig. 38 : Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Heissiphara minuta nov.sp. ( a ) Head, dorsal view ( b ) Head, lateral view ( c ) Head and thorax, ventral view ( d ) Spermatheca. Abbreviations: Df = dorsal flange; Ea = evaporative area; Pe = peritreme; Pf = proximal flange; P(r) = right paramere; S(b) = spermathecal bulb. Scale bars = 1 mm. Remarks: HeissipHara minuta nov.sp. is one of the smallest species of scutellerid known to us, rivalling odontotarsine species like Odontoscelis signatus FIEBER , O. tomentosa ( GERMAR ) and Psacasta letHierryi PUTON . Unlike most other scutellerines, H minuta nov.sp. is relatively dull in colouration; mostly pale brown, with yellow markings. It is known only from females.