Menestheus

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Menestheus Stål, 1867

Photo © Emma Betts, Australian Museum

Type species:

Sciocoris nercivus Dallas, 1851 by monotypy.

Number of Australian species:

One.

Extralimital Distribution:

No.

Australian Distribution:

Tropical regions; Queensland and Northern Territory.

Biology:

Unknown.

Host(s):

Unknown.

Diagnosis:

Colour

Dorsally and ventrally pale to medium brown with dark brown punctations; legs and antennae pale, yellowish brown and concolourous.

Texture

Densely and uniformly punctate.

Vestiture

Glabrous.

Structure

Body - Elongate, parallel-sided; dorsally flattened. Length 3.1 mm -6.5 mm; width 7.9 mm -12.5 mm.

Head - Triangular, porrect (clypeus horizontal), longer than pronotum; jugae longer than clypeus, meeting (joined) in front of eyes, apically pointed, laterally explanate; antennifer processes very small; ? antennal segments, first antennal segment shorter than distance between the eyes, inserted below the ventral margin of the eyes; bucculae elongate (posteriorly beyond antennifers); vertex cross-sectional shape flattened; labium reaching between middle and hind coxae, first labial segment longer than bucculae; eyes not stylate, directed laterally.

Pronotum - Calli present; anterior lobe surface flat; humeral angles rounded; lateral margins carinate; anterolateral margins simple and straight; posterolateral margins straight; posterior margin straight to slightly concave.

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

Thoracic sterna - Prosternum deeply sulcate with margin processes; mesosternum and metasternum sulcate.

External efferent system - Evaporative scent gland covering approximately half the metepisternum; peritreme short, apically pointed.

Hemelytra - Macropterous, shorter or equal to abdomen; membrane veins linear and mostly subparallel.

Legs - Fore tibiae sulcate.

Abdomen - Connexiva visible dorsally; laterotergites unarmed.