Agonoscelis

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Agonoscelis Spinola, 1837

Photo © Emma Betts, Australian Museum

Type species:

Agonoscelis indica Spinola, 1837 (= Cimex nubilis Fabricius, 1775).

Number of Australian species:

One.

Extralimital Distribution:

Australian Region - Indonesia (Maluku, Sulawesi, West Timor), Papua New Guinea; Oriental Region - India, Indonesia (Java), Malaysia, Ryukyu Islands (= Nansei Shoto), Taiwan; Palaearctic Region - China, (People's Republic), Japan.

Australian Distribution:

Temperate, tropical and subtropical regions; New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

Biology:

The single Australian species, Agonoscelis rutils (Fabricius, 1775) is usually found on horehound plants, where the adult overwinters. The eggs act as a parasitoid reservoir for parasitiods of Nezara viridula (L.) (Panizzi et al. in Schaefer & Panizzi 2000).

Host(s):

Agonoscelis rutila associated with Citrus sp. [RUTACEAE], Eucalyptus sp. L'Her [MYRTACEAE], Hibiscus sabdariffa L. [MALVACEAE] Rosella, Leptospermum coriaceum (Miq.) Cheel [MYRTACEAE], Marrubium vulgare L. [LAMIACEAE]; Occasional pest of grain legumes and fruit trees.

Diagnosis:

Colour

Head and pronotum red with black patches and punctations, scutellum and hemelytra black with red calli and patches. Ventrally with red and black transverse banding. Legs and antennae black and concolourous.

Texture

Moderately punctate.

Vestiture

Sparse covering of fine, long, white hairs on the head, body and legs.

Structure

Body - Elongate, parallel-sided, dorsally convex. Length 7.7 mm - 9.7 mm; width 3.8 mm - 6.7 mm.

Head - Subtriangular, moderately dorsoventrally orientated, shorter than pronotum; jugae equal in length to clypeus, pointed apically, laterally carinate; antennifer processes absent; five antennal segments, first antennal segment shorter than distance between the eyes, inserted into head below ventral margin of the eyes; bucculae elongate (posteriorly beyond antennifers); vertex cross-sectional shape convex; labium extending to second or third abdominal sterna, first labial segment longer than bucculae; eyes not stylate, directed laterally.

Pronotum - Calli present; anterior lobe surface excavate; humeral angles rounded; lateral margins explanate; anterolateral margins simple and straight to slightly sinuate; posterolateral margins sinuate; posterior margin straight.

Scutellum - Triangular, apex broadly rounded; lateral calli and medial callus absent.

Thoracic sterna - Prosternum flat; mesosternum and metasternum with low raised keel.

External efferent system - Evaporative scent gland greatly reduced; peritreme elongate, apically pointed.

Hemelytra - Macropterous, longer than abdomen; membrane veins linear.

Legs - Fore tibia sulcate.

Abdomen - Connexiva visible dorsally; laterotergites unarmed.

Remarks:

Agonoscelis rutils is commonly known as the Horehound Bug.