Review and reclassification of the Old World genus Physopelta (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Largidae)

Abstract: The genus Physopelta Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Largidae: Physopeltinae: Physopeltini) is revised and reclassified. Four subgenera are recognized: Physopelta s. str. (3 species, Oriental Region), Neophysopelta Ahmad & Abbas, 1987, stat. nov. (19 species and 2 subspecies, Oriental and Australian Regions), Physopeltoides subgen. nov. (1 species, Afrotropical Region) and Afrophysopelta subgen. nov. (5 species, Afrotropical Region). The subgenera are keyed, and all included species are reviewed. Seven new species are described: Physopelta (Neophysopelta) dembickyi sp. nov. (Thailand, Vietnam), Physopelta (Neophysopelta) nigripes sp. nov. (Philippines), Physopelta (Neophysopelta) parvula sp. nov. (Vietnam), Physopelta (Neophysopelta) redeii sp. nov. (Thailand), Physopelta (Neophysopelta) sulawesiensis sp. nov. (Indonesia: Sulawesi), Physopelta (Physopeltoides) dentipes sp. nov. (Subsaharan Africa), and Physopelta (Afrophysopelta) flavofemoralis sp. nov. (Reunion). The species Physopelta (Neophysopelta) woodlarkiana (Montrouzier, 1855) is redescribed, its identity is fixed by designation of a neotype, and it is confirmed as a valid species. One new synonym is proposed: Neophysopelta neoslanbuschi Parveen & Ahmad, 1991, syn. nov. = Physopelta (Neophysopelta) slanbuschii (Fabricius, 1787). Lectotypes are designated for Pyrrhocoris analis Signoret, 1858 and Physopelta melanoptera Distant, 1904. Two new types of stridulatory organs in Physopelta are described. One species, Physopelta cicalis Walker, 1873, is excluded from Physopelta to be accommodated in a new genus later. A new tribe, Kmentiini trib. nov., is described for a new genus, Kmentia gen. nov., established for the Afrotropical Lygaeus festivus Fabricius, 1803, resulting in the new combination Kmentia festiva (Fabricius, 1803) comb. nov. The genus Wachsiella Schmidt, 1931, endemic to Sulawesi and known only in the female sex, is considered as Physopeltinae incertae sedis. Wupatkius Bliven, 1959 is confirmed as junior subjective synonym of Largus Hahn, 1831. All 23 valid genera of Largidae, the numbers of their included species and their distribution, are reviewed. The possible origin of the New World subfamily Larginae is discussed. The following new country records are provided for Physopelta (Physopelta) robusta St?l, 1863 (Malaysia), Ph. (Neophysopelta) australis Blöte, 1933 (West Australia), Ph. (N.) cincticollis St?l, 1863 (Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam), Ph. (N.) gutta gutta (Burmeister 1834) (Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam), Ph. (N.) indra Kirkaldy & Edwards, 1902 (Myanmar, Sri Lanka), Ph. (N.) quadriguttata Bergroth, 1894 (Vietnam), Ph. (N.) slanbuschii (Fabricius, 1787) (Bhutan, Vietnam), Ph. (Afrophysopelta) analis (Signoret, 1858) (Central African Republic), Ph. (A.) melanoptera (Angola, Chad, Comoros, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, S?o Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone), and Kmentia festiva (Angola, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania).

Key words: Heteroptera, Largidae, Physopeltinae, Larginae, taxonomy, new tribus, new genus, new subgenus, new species, new synonymy, morphology, stridulatory organs, phylogeny, distribution, Afrotropical Region, Australian Region, Oriental Region