Oechalia Stål, 1862

Photo © Emma Betts, Australian Museum

Type species:

Pentatoma schellenbergii Guérin, 1831 by subsequent designation.

Number of Australian species:

One.

Extralimital Distribution:

Australian Region - Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Tahiti; Oriental Region - Philippines.

Australian Distribution:

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

Biology:

De Clercq (2000) highlighted studies on the biology of Oechalia schellenbergii.

Host(s):

Oechalia schellenbergii Guérin, 1831 associated with Papilio anactus W.S. Macleay, 1826 [PAPILIONIDAE], Paropsis charybdis Stål, 1860 [CHRYSOMELIDAE], Phalaenoides glycine Lewin, 1805 [NOCTUIDAE] Grapevine Moth, Poneridae semipullata (Clark, 1864) [CHRYSOMELIDAE] Figleaf Beetle; polyphagus predator of holometabolis larvae collected on Acacia Mill. species (MIMOSACEAE), Callistris sp. (CUPRESSACEAE), Cassia sp. (CAESALPINIACEAE), Cynara sp. (ASTERACEAE), Eucalyptus sp. (MYRTACEAE), Leptospermum sp. and Melaleuca sp. (MYRTACEAE).

Diagnosis:

Colour

Dorsally, head light to medium brown with black longitudinal stripes; pronotum, scutellum and hemelytra light to dark brown in patches with dark brown to black punctations. Ventrally light to dark brown mottled with slightly darker punctations, legs and antennae light to medium brown and concolourous.

Texture

Dorsally densly and uniformly punctate on head and pronotum, scutellum moderately punctate. Ventrally moderately punctate.

Vestiture

Glabrous.

Structure

Body - Elongate, parallel sided; dorsally convex. Length 5.4 mm - 10.0 mm; width 4.0 mm - 8.0 mm

Head - Quadrate, moderately dorsoventrally orientated, shorter than pronotum; jugae equal in length to clypeus, truncate and broad apically, laterally carinate; antennifer processes absent; five antennal segments, first segment shorter than distance between eyes, inserted into head below mid-height but above ventral margin of eyes; bucculae elongate (posteriorly beyond antennifers); vertex flattened; labium thickened, reaching between fore and hind coxae, first labial segment marginally longer than bucculae, eyes not stylate, directed laterally.

Pronotum - Calli present; anterior lobe surface flat; humeral angles angulate, greatly expanded laterally; lateral margins rounded; anterolateral margins concave and crenulate; posterolateral margins concave; posterior margin straight to concave.

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

Thoracic sterna - Prosternum shallowly sulcate, without margin processes; mesosternum sulcate; metasternum flat.

External efferent system - Evaporative scent gland greatly reduced; peritreme extremely reduced, visible as a pit.

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

Legs - Tibia sulcate.

Abdomen - Connexiva visible dorsally; laterotergites armed with black, posteriorly directed spines; ventral abdominal sterna II with an elongate process reaching anteriorly to mid coxae.

Remarks:

Oechalia schellenbergii is commonly known as the Predatory Shield Bug.

    
Copyright © Australian Museum 2002
Authors: Gerry Cassis, Emma Betts and Michael Elliott