Family AENICTOPECHEIDAE

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Family AENICTOPECHEIDAE

Introduction

The Aenictopecheidae are a little known cosmopolitan family, allied to the Enicocephalidae. The family comprises ten genera and 20 described species (Henry 2009); many new species await description. The Australian fauna includes one species of the endemic genus Australostolus Štys and one species of Nymphocoris Woodward, a genus which is also found in New Zealand.

The family is mostly southern in distribution and has apparent Gondwanan origins. Štys (1980) considers it to be a relictual group. Many of the salient features of the aenictopecheids are shared with the Enicocephalidae, including the unique head shape. The form of the male and female genitalia is apomorphic for the aenictopecheids.

Usinger (1932) first recognised the aenictopecheids as a suprageneric group on the basis of the shape of the pronotum. Jeannel (1942) included three genera in the aenictopecheids, Gamostolus Bergroth, Aenictopechys Breddin and Coeles Bergroth. Woodward (1956) added three new genera from New Zealand. Štys (1989) raised the aenictopecheids to family level on the basis of the forewing costal fracture, the external male intromittent organ and the uniquely modified ovipositor.

Štys (1980, 1988, 1989) is the major contributor to the classification of these bugs. He divided the aenictopecheids into four subfamilies: the monogeneric Nymphocorinae (New Zealand and Tasmania), the Maoristolinae (Maoristolus Woodward, a New Zealand endemic), the Murphyanellinae (Murphyanella Wygodzinsky & Štys and Timahocoris Wygodzinsky & Štys, Singapore), and the Aenictopecheinae. The latter he divided into two tribes (Štys 1989), the Gamostolini and the Aenictopecheini. The Gamostolini contain the Palaearctic and New World genus Boreostolus Wygodzinsky & Štys, the Neotropical genus Gamostolus, the Australian endemic genus Australostolus Štys, and the New World genus Tornocrusus Kritsky. The Aenictopecheini include the insular Oriental genus Aenictopechys Breddin and the Madagascan endemic genus Lomagostus Villiers. The New World Aenictopecheidae were revised by Wygodzinsky & Schmidt (1991) who recognised three genera and nine species.

Little is known of the biology of the group. The Australian species, Australostolus monteithi Štys, has been taken in flooded areas of semidesert regions, in association with habitats dominated by chenopods and tussock grasses. Other specimens have been taken in flight and at light. Collection data indicate habitats with little plant litter and at the edges of waterbodies, suggesting ephemeral and hostile habitats. The type specimens of Nymphocoris hilli Štys were taken in tussock grass litter (Poa sp.) in open conditions on Mt Wellington in Tasmania. One of us (G.C.) has taken numerous specimens in litter samples in rainforest localities in Tasmania. The eyes of this species are markedly reduced, suggesting cryptic and sedentary habits.