Slaterocoris punctatus (Distant), 2011

Schwartz, Michael D., 2011, Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The North American Genus Slaterocoris Wagner With New Synonymy, The Description Of Five New Species And A New Genus From Mexico, And A Review Of The Genus Scalponotatus Kelton (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (354), pp. 1-290 : 257-260

Slaterocoris punctatus (Distant) , new combination

Figures 12 , 63A , 64 ; plates 3 , 4L; map 12

Jornandes punctatus Distant, 1893: 448 , pl. 39, fig. 9 (orig. desc.); Carvalho and Dolling, 1976: 805 (desc. holotype); Carvalho 1981: 3 (diag. type).

Guerrerocoris punctatus: Carvalho and China, 1959: 71 , fig. 2 (n. comb.).

Slaterocoris grandis Kelton, 1968: 1131 , fig. 71 (orig. desc.); Schuh, 1995: 198 (catalog). NEW SYNONYMY.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from other punctatus -group species by the large, wide, predominantly black body, completely black head and legs, except for tarsomeres I and II (fig. 12), and dorsal vestiture of moderately dense, brown setae (see pl. 4, cf. L with E, G, P, R). The male is unequivocally recognized by the more or less medially situated, large bifurcate tergal process with perpendicular rami (fig. 64F, M, N). The tergal process in all other punctatus -group species are long, and apically pointed ( elongatus [fig. 60F], maculatus [fig. 61F], simplex [fig. 65G]), bifurcate with parallel rami ( tanydexios , fig. 69C), or broad and rounded ( clavatus , fig. 57H).

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Large, elongate, ovoid; length 5.10–5.80, width 2.18–2.50 (pl. 3). COLORATION: Black, including vertex, antennal segments I and II and legs, except for pale tarsomeres I and II (fig. 12); sometimes antennal segment II with small pale basal region (subequal to length of segment I). VESTITURE: Moderately dense, moderately long, suberect, brown simple setae (pl. 4L). DORSAL SCULPTURATION: Frons striate; corium with moderately large, discrete punctures merging with rugosity near claval suture (fig. 63A). STRUCTURE: Costal margin subparallel. GENITALIA: Pygophore: Solitary tergal process situated on aperture right of midline, long, reaching apex of proctiger, with strongly bifurcate, serrate apex, bifurcate rami perpendicular to axis of process (fig. 64M, N); subgenital plate removed from ventral margin of aperture (fig. 64F). Phallotheca: Aperture of sinuate, open on dorsal, distal, and ventral left distal surfaces; left lateral surface slightly compressed (fig. 64D, E). Endosomal spicule: Ventral lobe of uniform thickness throughout apical region, distal portion with variable marginally serration, bifurcate; dorsal lobe bifid, flattened, with wide separation between bifid sections and variable marginal serration (fig. 64A–C). Right paramere: Variable overall length; apical region with large parallel spines; subapical region wide; basal lobe with variable, short, truncate, serrate process; sometimes with additional small tubercle (fig. 64I–L). Left paramere: Shaft short, in apical view approximately one half length of paramere body in lateral view (fig. 64G, H).

Female: Large, ovate, costal margin convex; length 4.40–5.60, width 2.10–2.58 (pl. 3). COLORATION: Antennal segment II black, sometimes basal half, except for basal annulus pale. STRUCTURE: Vertex wide, eye small, costal margin strongly curved, otherwise as in male. GENITALIA: First gonapophyses: Left overlapping right, in ventral view, comparative size at overlap with left greater than right. Left first gonapophyses: Dorsal surface concave, apex broadly convoluted. Vestibulum, anteroventral margin of anterior wall: Widely sclerotized medially, and sclerotized to lateral margins. Ventral labiate plate: Strongly produced, wide, triangular at base. Second gonapophyses: Anterior medial surface very strongly protuberant. Interramal sclerite: Dorsomedial region strongly narrowly convex, posteromedial portion with tumid process abutting ovipositor bulb, and ventromedial region overlapping ventromedial plate of IRS. Interramal lobe: Dorsomedial margin with broad prominence with narrow lobe.

HOST: Uncertain. Kelton (1968) mentioned that S. punctatus (as S. grandis ) was collected on species of Helianthus (Asteraceae) . However, labels noting this plant association were not found attached to any specimen of the junior synonym held in the CNC. There are some specimens with the handwritten word ‘‘pirule’’ on a label which may be a colloquial plant name, perhaps for Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz (Cucurbitaceae) , which would certainly be a sitting record.

DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Mexico, from the Sierra Madre Occidental-Central Plateau of Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo Leon, and San Luis Potosi, the Sierra Transvolcanica of Guanajuato and Mexico, the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca in Oaxaca, and the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero ( map 12 ).

COLLECTION SUMMARY: 154 specimens from 26 collection events spanning July to September.

DISCUSSION: The decision to reassign nominal species punctatus to Slaterocoris and then propose that it is conspecific with S. grandis was confounded by character variation. Specimens from Guerrero, including, the holotype of J. punctatus , have discrete punctures on the pronotum as well as on the hemelytron (fig. 63A), whereas those from Durango have more rugulopunctate sculpturation (discrete punctures on a rugose surface, pl. 4L). The dorsal vestiture of the female holotype of J. punctatus is rubbed off; however, its venter has sparsely distributed brown setae, as do female paratypes of S. grandis . Antennal segment II coloration in females is variable; those from Guerrero, including the type of punctatus , have segment II completely black, but sometimes the middle is broadly pale as in some specimens from Oaxaca and Guanajuato.

The original description of Guerrerocoris ( Carvalho and China, 1959), a new genus erected to contain Jornandes punctatus , mentions that the body coloration is shining black, the vestiture is adpressed (although the setae are reclining where they remain on the venter), the dorsal surface is finely punctate, and the vertex is carinate and smooth. All these characters are found in at least some species of Slaterocoris . Given the range in hemelytral punctation encountered in black North American orthotylines with one endosomal spicule, a more accurate description of the dorsal puncture size in nominal species punctatus would be moderately large, as fine punctures are more likely encountered in species of Jornandes , Josephinus , and Scalponotatus . The only nonblack parts of punctatus are the white tarsomeres I and II, a coloration not noted by Carvalho and China (1959). The tarsomeres of all the species of the breviatus group have such pale markings. Although no information of the male genitalia is available for the nominal species punctatus , the previous discussion of character variation and ease with which specimens from southern Mexico can be placed in S. grandis , I am confident that Jornandes punctatus belongs in Slaterocoris and that it is the senior synonym of S. grandis new synonym. Thus, the new combination S. punctatus is created and Guerrerocoris becomes a junior synonym of Slaterocoris .

Slaterocoris punctatus is the most widely distributed species of the punctatus group ( map 12 ) and some variation in male genitalic features are seen across its range. The endosomal spicule of specimens from Durango and Oaxaca has the identical form, but differs in the number and placement of marginal serrations of the dorsal and ventral lobes (cf. fig. 64A–C). Similarly, the right paramere in specimens from Durango, Oaxaca, and San Luis Potosi is of similar structure, but the number, orientation, and size of the apical spines and basal tubercle are variable. Slaterocoris ambrosiae , not part of the punctatus group, is also widely distributed in Mexico, but is also found across the southwest and central United States to southern Ontario. This latter species also has variable apical spines of the right paramere (cf. fig. 15A–J).

HOLOTYPES: MEXICO: Guerrero: Chilpancingo [17.556 N 99.50006 W, 1402 m], Jun 1890, H.H. Smith, 1♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00085372) ( BMNH) ( S. punctatus [ Jornandes ]: senior synonym). Durango: Navajos, 20 mi E of El Salto [23.783336 N 105.050696 W, 2438 m, 8000 ft], 27 Jul 1964, L.A. Kelton, 18 ( AMNH _PBI 00111795) ( S. grandis : junior synonym).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: MEXICO: Durango: 5 mi W of Durango, 24.833336 N 104.912986 W, 1981 m, 29 Jul 1964, L.A. Kelton, paratypes, 38 (00111810, 00111812– 00111813), 4♀ (00111819–00111822) ( CNC), paratype, 1♀ (00121776) ( UCB). Navajos, 20 mi E of El Salto, 23.783336 N 105.050696 W, 2438 m, 27 Jul 1964, L.A. Kelton, paratypes, 58 (00111796–00111800) ( CNC). Navios, 26 mi E of El Salto, 23.782786 N 104.953816 W, 2438 m, 02 Aug 1964, L.A. Kelton, paratypes, 108 (00111801–00111809, 00111811), 5♀ (00111814–00111818) ( CNC), paratype, 18 (00118615), 1♀ (00118616) ( TAMU), paratype, 18 (00121775) ( UCB). Vicente Guerrero, 23.699196 N 103.977166 W, 1924 m, 17 Sep 1976, J. Carayon, 18 (00243977), 1♀ (00243978) (MNHN). Guanajuato: Ojo de Agua, 20.656 N 100.583336 W, 06 Sep 1969, L.A. Kelton, 68 (00111778– 00111783), ‘‘pirule’’ [ Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz (Cucurbitaceae) ?], 9♀ (00111784– 00111792) ( CNC). Guerrero: 1 mi NE of La Laguna, 17.888116 N 101.739436 W, 61 m, 17 Jul 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, Friedlander, 18 (00118635) ( TAMU). 6.2 mi SW of Xochipala, 17.752916 N 99.683636 W, 1728 m, 06 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner, 2♀ (00118644–00118645) ( TAMU). 6.2 mi SW of Xochipala, 17.752916 N 99.683636 W, 1728 m, 13 Jul 1985, Jones, Schaffner , 1♀ (00118643) ( TAMU); 13 Jul 1985, J.B. Woolley and G. Zolnerowich, 28 (00118632– 00118633) ( TAMU). Jalisco: 10 km NE of Jalostotitlan, 21.263816 N 102.39826 W, 30 Jul 1978, Plitt and Schaffner, 1♀ (00118665) ( CNC), 138 (00118184, 00118445, 00118634, 00118646–00118655), 14♀ (00118446, 00118656– 00118664, 00118666–00118669) ( TAMU). Lagos de Moreno, 21.356 N 101.91676 W, 1873 m, 17 Aug 1953, C. and P. Vaurie, 1♀ (00108182) ( AMNH). Mexico: Atlacomulco, 19.79896 N 99.87446 W, 2591 m, 18 Aug 1954, R.R. Dreisbach, 1♀ (00127330) ( UMMC). Jilotepec, 19.952776 N 99.534726 W, 02 Sep 1969, L.A. Kelton, 18 (00111794), 7♀ (00111772– 00111777, 00111793) ( CNC). Nuevo Leon: 12.4 mi NE of Doctor Arroyo, 23.794016 N 100.044226 W, 08 Jul 1986, Kovarik and Schaffner, 48 (00118620–00118623), 5♀ (00118624–00118628), 68 (00245360–00245365), 3♀ (00245366–00245368) ( TAMU). Oaxaca: 3 mi SE of Matatlan (Microondas road), 16.835816 N 96.351096 W, 2027 m, 17 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner, 78 (00118672– 00118678), 8♀ (00118679–00118686) ( TAMU). 6 mi NE of Mitla, 16.555616 N 96.105886 W, 20 Jul 1985, Jones and Schaffner, paratype, 1♀ (00118774) ( TAMU). 6.7 mi SW of El Camaron, 17.979466 N 96.797356 W, 1311 m, 19 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner, 28 (00118227, 00118687), 5♀ (00118688–00118692) ( TAMU). 8 mi NE of El Punto, 17.297526 N 96.494996 W, 1556 m, 18 Jul 1985, Jones and Schaffner, 18 (00118636), 1♀ (00118637) ( TAMU). 10.8 mi S of El Punto, 17.058236 N 96.581116 W, 1859 m, 19 Jul 1987, R. Wharton, 18 (00118641), 1♀ (00118642) ( TAMU). 16.1 mi NW of Totolapan, 16.832156 N 96.472816 W, 21 Jul 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner, 18 (00113203) ( CNC), 38 (00118638–00118640) ( TAMU). Oaxaca, 17.033336 N 96.733336 W, 20 Jul 1947 – 24 Jul 1947, B. Malkin, 2♀ (00108180– 00108181) ( AMNH). San Luis Potosi: 1 mi S of San Lorenzo, 22.102136 N 99.266666 W, 25 Jul 1976, Peigler, Gruetzmacher, R. and M. Murray, Schaffner, 28 (00118185, 00118670), 1♀ (00118671) ( TAMU). 7 mi E of San Luis Potosi, 22.499966 N 100.389886 W, 07 Jul 1986, Kovarik and Schaffner, 18 (00118629), 2♀ (00118630–00118631), 1♀ (00093036) ( TAMU). 7 mi E of San Luis Potosi, 22.49996 N 100.389886 W, 1897 m, 03 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner, 18 (00118693) ( TAMU). 19 mi N of San Luis Potosi, 22.432726 N 101.349916 W, 01 Sep 1958, H.F. Howden, paratype, 1♀ (00111823) ( CNC).

Figures

Plate 3. Dorsal habitus photographs of Slaterocoris punctatus—S. tibialis (see appendix 1 for USI codes and localities).

Map 12. Localities for Slaterocoris clavatus, S. elongatus, S. maculatus, S. punctatus, S. simplex, S. subalbicans, and S. tanydexios.

Fig. 12. Hind leg coloration for Slaterocoris species.

Fig. 63. Slaterocoris species, scanning electron micrographs. A. S. punctatus, hemelytron, sculpturation and setae (setae rubbed), dorsal view. B. S. subalbicans, hemelytron, sculpturation on corium medially, dorsal view. C. S. simplex, hemelytron, setae, dorsal view.

Fig. 64. Slaterocoris punctatus, male genitalia. A, D, E. 16.1 mi NW of Totolapan, OA. B, G–I. 26 mi E of El Salto, DG. C, F, L. 5 mi W of Durango, DG. D, E. Phallotheca, 118638. J. 6.7 mi SW of El Camaron, OA. K. 1 mi S of San Lorenzo, SL.

Fig. 2. One of three most parsimonious cladograms found in 40-taxa analysis for Slaterocoris and outgroups.