Family CRYPTORHAMPHIDAE

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Family CRYPTORHAMPHIDAE

Compiler and date details

15 February 2002

Introduction

The Cryptorhamphidae are a family of lygaeoid bugs comprising two genera, each with two species. The family is restricted to the Australian Region, and is known from Fiji through to south-eastern Australia (Hamid 1971; Schuh & Slater 1995; Slater & O'Donnell 1995; Zoological Record 1995–2001). All four species occur in Australia.

Stål (1860) described the genus Cryptorhamphus within his lygaeid subfamily Cymida. Walker (1872) established a new tribe, the Cryptorhamphina, for its inclusion. Stål (1874) restored the group to its former position among the cymines. This was largely followed by others (Barber 1956; Slater 1964), primarily on the basis of punctate hemelytra. Štys (1967) suggested that Cryptorhamphus be placed in its own tribe. Hamid (1971) revised the cryptorhamphids and recognised the group as a distinct subfamily, constituting two genera (Cryptorhamphus and Gonystus Stål). He regarded it as distantly related to the Cyminae and compared characters of the head, pronotum, wing venation, trichobothria, dorsal abdominal gland scars and the gonoporal process. Schaefer (1975, 1993) implied a closer relationship between the two groups based on abdominal trichobothrial features. Henry (1997) recognised family status for the cryptorhamphid group, postulating a sister-group relationship to most of the 'malcid-line' (Cymidae + Malcidae + Colobathristidae + Berytidae) of Štys. These taxa form a clade based on the presence of a suture between the ocelli, a gular groove, a clavate second antennal segment, and posterior lobuli on the pronotum.

All cryptorhamphid species are known from temperate Australia, with Gonystus nasutus Stål also known from Fiji. In Australia, G. nasutus occurs in coastal areas south of Sydney in New South Wales and Victoria. Cryptorhamphus orbus Stål is broadly distributed across temperate Australia and is the only known cryptorhamphid species that occurs in Western Australia. Cryptorhamphus slateri Hamid and Gonystus grossi are restricted to the south-eastern coastal region of South Australia. The absence of cryptorhamphids in tropical and subtropical regions of Australia is surprising, considering their presence in Fiji.

The biology of cryptorhamphids is largely unknown. Cryptorhamphus orbus has been taken 'up-on-plants' and is often found in the seed heads of a range of plant families. Slater 1975, 1976a, 1976b) reported this species from plant species belonging to the Chenopodiaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Mimosaceae and Myrtaceae. Malipatil (1973) described the larvae. Gonystus grossi has also been found in association with grasses (in tussocks).

Diagnosis

Cryptorhamphids are elongate insects. The head is quadrate and the bucculae are elongate. The antennae and labium are 4-segmented. Ocelli are present with a suture between them. Metathoracic glands are present and evaporative areas and the peritreme are well developed. The hemelytra are punctate and the membrane has 4 to 6 longitudinal veins. The hind wing has a hamus. All abdominal spiracles are dorsal. Adults possess dorsal abdominal gland scars between terga IV/V and V/VI. Abdominal trichobothria are only present on sterna V and VI. The venter of the body is punctate. The gonoporal process is elongate and coiled. (Hamid 1971; Schuh & Slater 1995; Henry 1997)