Taxonomic revision of the African assassin bug genus Fusius (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae) Author Liu, Yingqi DB34F0CC-7DC8-4BC7-8E3D-042239CA883D Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. yingqiliu0720@163.com Author Li, Hu 1455B77F-36F7-4A98-BBE7-A73153BE1707 Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. tigerleecau@hotmail.com Author Cai, Wanzhi 7CE20171-2859-453B-A9CE-C2FFB6585FEA Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. caiwz@cau.edu.cn text European Journal of Taxonomy 2023 2023-12-05 910 25 55 https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/2357/10311 journal article 10.5852/ejt.2023.910.2357 2118-9773 10259349 9B55EE63-2895-43E7-8BA5-CF558D4F0501 Genus Fusius Stål, 1862 Figs 1–16 Fusius Stål, 1862: 458 . Type species by monotypy: Pirates rubricosus Stål, 1855 . Fusius – Stål 1865: 115 . — Jeannel 1919: 243 . — Schouteden 1931: 145 . — Villiers 1948: 236 . — Miller 1957: 59 . — Dispons 1969: 1 . — Maldonado Capriles 1990: 358 . Fusius – Stål 1874: 57 , as subgenus of Pirates . Diagnosis Macropterous, body color bright with black, red or yellowish brown in large part. Head roughly conical in dorsal view with postocular part elliptical; eye small, transverse width of eye shorter than half width of interocular space; ocelli tiny and not elevated, separated from each other; neck without lateral tubercle. Pronotum somewhat trapezoidal with anterior lobe slightly narrower than posterior lobe, collar process reduced; ventral surface of fore femora with a row of small denticles; fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 of tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 1/3 of tibial length. First seven abdominal sternites strongly compressed; total length of eighth abdominal sternite of female combined with female genitalia about half length of abdomen in ventral view; male genitalia large, about 1/3 length of abdomen in ventral view. Parameres broad, left paramere subtrapezoidal, right paramere subtriangular; phallus with basal plate longer than basal plate bridge; lateral phallothecal sclerite moderately sclerotized with a process on lower right corner; struts fused and long, nearly reaching end of phallosoma; venter of phallosoma with two transverse slender sclerites at basal portion. Redescription Macropterous male and female ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 10–14 ). COLORATION . Black and red ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 12–14 ), or black and yellowish brown ( Figs 10–11 ) in large part; hemelytron with some yellowish white markings ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 10–14 ). STRUCTURE . Body robust, small sized; body surface densely covered with golden to yellowish brown setae, except dorsal surface of anterior lobe of pronotum generally glabrous; anteocular part of head covered with yellowish white, decumbent, short pubescence; corium of hemelytron densely covered with yellowish brown, decumbent, short setae; legs covered with golden to yellowish brown, suberect, long setae ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 10–14 ). HEAD . Roughly conical in dorsal view, anteocular part longer than postocular, postocular part elliptical; eye small, transverse width of eye shorter than half width of interocular space in dorsal view, reniform in lateral view, not reaching dorsal and ventral margins of head; ocelli tiny and not elevated, separated from each other; antenna with scape thickest and slightly curved, pedicel longest and slender, basiflagellomere and distiflagellomere gracile; first and second visible labial segments thick, second segment longest and slightly swollen, third segment tapered; neck without lateral tubercle ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 10–14 ). THORAX . Pronotum somewhat trapezoidal, collar process reduced; anterior lobe nearly twice as long as posterior lobe, slightly narrower than posterior lobe, flat with a median, longitudinal, thin sulcus on posterior portion, sculpture thin and shallow; pronotal transverse sulcus deep; dorsal surface of posterior lobe of pronotum coarse and shallowly punctate; humerus round, posterior margin of pronotum arcuate, but nearly straight in middle. Scutellum subtriangular, width greater than length, Y-shaped ridges thick with apex of scutellar process knob-shaped and horizontal, disc of scutellum with an oval depression. Stridulitrum long with total-striate type of sculpture. Surfaces of pleura and sterna finely wrinkled and granulose; metapleural sulcus arcuate, located close to supporting sclerite; meso- and metasterna with a median longitudinal ridge. Fore femur strongly thickened but compressed laterally, ventral surface of fore femora with a row of small denticles; fore and mid tibiae clavate, gradually thickened to apex, fore tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 2/5 of tibial length, mid tibia with fossula spongiosa occupying about 1/3 of tibial length. Hemelytron extending beyond tip of abdomen ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 10–14 ). ABDOMEN . Ellipsoidal, only slightly wider than posterior lobe of pronotum, with connexivum not dilated; first seven abdominal sternites strongly compressed ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 10–14 ); total length of eighth abdominal sternite of female combined with female genitalia about half length of abdomen in ventral view ( Figs 2B , 7B ); male genitalia large, about 1/3 length of abdomen in ventral view ( Figs 1B , 3B , 4B , 6B , 8B , 10B , 11B , 12B , 13B ). MALE GENITALIA . Pygophore oval in ventral view ( Figs 5A , 9A , 15A ), median pygophore process long, more than half length of pygophore ( Figs 5C , 9C , 15C ), oblique to right side in caudal view, ventral surface with a longitudinal ridge ( Figs 5B , 9B , 15B ). Parameres broad, left paramere subtrapezoidal ( Figs 5D , 9D , 15D ), right paramere subtriangular ( Figs 5E , 9E , 15E ), left paramere longer than right paramere; phallus with basal plate longer than basal plate bridge ( Figs 5F , 9F , 15F ), pedicel slightly curved and shorter than basal plate ( Figs 5H, 5I , 9H. 9I , 15H, 15I ); dorsal phallothecal sclerite strongly sclerotized and bent inward ( Figs 5F, 5H, 5I , 9F, 9H. 9I , 15F, 15H, 15I ); lateral phallothecal sclerite moderately sclerotized with a process on lower right corner ( Figs 5I , 9I , 15I ); struts fused and long, nearly reaching apex of phallosoma ( Figs 5F , 9F , 15F ); venter of phallosoma with two transverse slender sclerites at basal portion ( Figs 5G, 5H , 9G, 9H , 15G, 15H ). Diversity and distribution Four species, occurring in the Afrotropical Region ( Fig. 16 ). Key to species of Fusius Stål, 1862 1. Body color black and yellowish brown in large part ( Figs 10–11 ); apical part of clavus without yellowish white marking ( Figs 10A , 11A ) ............ F. hflavus stat. rev. et comb. nov. ( Reuter, 1881 ) – Body color black and red in large part ( Figs 1–4 , 6–8 , 12–14 ); apex of clavus yellowish white ( Figs 1A , 2A , 3A , 4A , 6A , 7A , 8A , 12A , 13A , 14 ) .......................................................................... 2 2. Anterior lobe of pronotum entirely black ( Figs 6A , 7A , 8A ); legs black, without yellow markings ( Figs 6–8 ) .................................................................................................... F. distinctus Miller, 1957 – Anterior lobe of pronotum black and red ( Figs 1A , 2A , 3A , 4A , 12A , 13A , 14 ); legs blackish brown to black, with yellow markings ( Figs 1–4 , 12–14 ) ........................................................................... 3 3. Red stripes on anterior lobe of pronotum thin and obscure or even only anterior margin of anterior lobe red ( Figs 1A , 2A , 3A , 4A ); fifth abdominal sternite of male with a small process on left side ( Figs 1B , 3B , in red circles); sub-apical margin of sixth abdominal sternite of male normal ( Figs 1B , 3B , 4B ) ............................................................................................................ F. dilutus Miller, 1957 – Red stripes on anterior lobe of pronotum distinct ( Figs 12A , 13A , 14 ); fifth abdominal sternite of male without small process ( Figs 12B , 13B ); sub-apical margin of sixth abdominal sternite of male strongly sclerotized and distinctly irregular ( Figs 12B , 13B ) .................... F. rubricosus ( Stål, 1855 )