Slaterocoris digitatus Knight

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 : 128-129

Slaterocoris digitatus Knight

Figures 12 , 29H–K ; plate 2 ; map 5

Slaterocoris digitatus Knight, 1970: 242 , fig. 38 (orig. desc.); Henry and Wheeler, 1988: 449 (catalog); Schuh, 1995: 198 (catalog).

DIAGNOSIS: Only S. sheridani is sympatric with S. digitatus ; with the two species easily distinguished by the dorsal vestiture and tibial coloration: the former has sparse, short, brown setae (pls. 3, 4O) and pale tibiae (fig. 13), whereas the latter has dense, long, silvery setae (pl. 2, and as in pl. 4C for S. argenteoides ) and black tibiae (fig. 12). In the male, and usually the female, antennal segment II is shorter in S. digitatus than in S. argenteoides or S. argenteus (see in above species), whereas the width of the vertex is greater ( S. digitatus 0.54–0.608, 0.66–0.70 ♀; S. argenteoides 0.48–0.558, 0.58–0.61 ♀; S. argenteus 0.50–0.548, 0.60–0.65 ♀). In S. digitatus , the body of the right paramere is short (fig. 29K), as in S. argenteus (fig. 28I– L), in comparison to S. argenteoides (fig. 28B, D, F, H), but differs from S. argenteus by the bifid apex of the medial spine (fig. 29K); S. argenteus has a single point on the medial spine (fig. 28I–L). The endosomal spicule of the three species in this group differ from each other in the length of the dorsal endosomal lobe. In S. digitatus , it is longer and more attenuate than in S. argenteus (cf. fig. 29H, E); in S. argenteoides , the dorsal lobe is slightly more narrow basally with more marginal serration distally (cf. fig. 29A, H) than in S. digitatus . The ventral lobe of the endosomal spicule in S. digitatus also differs, with the apex not as recurved and shorter than in either S. argenteoides and S. argenteus (cf. fig. 29H–A, E).

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Body short, with rounded conformation, sexes with roughly similar body length, costal margin sublinear; length 3.50–3.95, width 1.65–1.75 (pl. 2); as in the S. argenteus –group description with the following specific features: GENITALIA: Endosomal spicule: Dorsal lobe with weak marginal serration on distal one third, gradually attenuate distally; ventral lobe distal portion shorter than subequal to basal portion, not strongly recurved, sparsely serrate, pointed (fig. 29H). Right paramere: Relatively short; medial spine bifurcate; with four short apical parallel spines on same plane with body of paramere (fig. 29K). Left paramere: Shaft relatively short, in apical view, subequal to paramere body in lateral view (fig. 29J).

Female: Short, ovate, length 3.40–3.80, width 1.90–2.05 (pl. 2). STRUCTURE: Costal margin strongly curved. GENITALIA: As in species group except: Right first gonapophyses: Lateral surface moderately large. Second gonapophyses: Anterior medial surface slightly convex. Interramal sclerite: Dorsomedial region flat, not produced anteriorly. Interramal lobe: Dorsomedial margin not produced; ventral margin with long projection and concave anterior surface.

HOST PLANT: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the Chisos Mountains of west Texas from late August to early October. This indicates that S. digitatus is active after the summer rainy period common to the Chihuahuan Desert region (map 5).

DISCUSSION: The original description was based on two males and one female from Big Bend National Park, Texas. All 15 of the other specimens examined for this project are also from the Park.

HOLOTYPE: USA: Texas: Brewster Co.: South Rim Trail, Chisos Mountains , Big Bend National Park [29.229366 N 103.29546 W, 2118 m], 16 Aug 1968, J.E. Hafernik, 18 ( AMNH _ PBI 00122246 ) ( USNM).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA: Texas: Brewster Co.: Big Bend National Park, 29.565276 N 103.260556 W, 31 Aug 1986 – 02 Sep 1986, East, Haack , Kovarik , 18 (00118472) ( TAMU). Big Bend National Park , Lost Mine Trail (lower), 29.276 N 103.278616 W, 1829 m, 09 Sep 1988, R. Anderson, 68 (00118433, 00118460–0011- 8464), 6♀ (00118434, 00118465–00118469) ( TAMU) ; 03 Oct 2005, Raber and Riley, 1♀ (00245372) ( TAMU). South Rim Trail , Chisos Mountains , Big Bend National Park , 29.229366 N 103.29546 W, 2118 m, 16 Aug 1968, J.E. Hafernik, paratype, 18 (00122247), 1♀ (00134409) ( USNM) ; 15 Aug 1969, Board and Hafernik, 1♀ (00134410) ( USNM) .

Figures

Plate 2. Dorsal habitus photographs of Slaterocoris elongatus—S. pilosus (see appendix 1 for USI codes and localities).

Fig. 12. Hind leg coloration for Slaterocoris species.

Fig. 29. Slaterocoris species, male genitalia. A–D. S. argenteoides. A–C. 3.1 mi NW of Jct. 190/135, OA. D. Guelatao, OA. E–G. S. argenteus. E, F. 40 mi S of Durango, DG. G. 6 mi E of Durango, DG. H– K. S. digtatus, Big Bend National Park, TX.