Chimsunchartella Chérot & Pauwels, 2000

Chérot, F. & Malipatil, M. B., 2016, A review of Adelphocoris - Creontiades - Megacoelum complex (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirini), with descriptions of two new genera and four new species, Zootaxa 4126 (2), pp. 151-206 : 163-164

6. Chimsunchartella Chérot & Pauwels, 2000

( Figure 15)

Chimsunchartella Chérot & Pauwels, 2000: 129 –130 (as new genus) [type-species by original designation: Chimsunchartella schwartzi Chérot & Pauwels, 2000 ]. Chimsunchartella: Chérot & Malipatil 2003: 149 –153 (description of female, discussion of variability); Schuh 2002–2013 (online catalog).

Diagnosis. Body elongate, total length 6, laterally almost straight, relatively uniform stramineous, yellow or yellow brown, frequently with small dark brown to black spots ( Fig. 15); vertex distinctly sulcate, slightly carinate; labium reaching mesocoxae; first antennal segment slightly club-like, relatively short, straight, with red spots; pronotum dull, with dense recumbent pilosity, less conspicuous in females, and a pair of stiff erect setae on anterior corners; dorsal dark spots of pronotal disk frequently callose; scutellum swollen, mesoscutum slightly pilose; hemelytra dull, almost smooth, with two different punctations, one very reduced, narrow and shallow, the other sparse, wider, shallow; pilosity relatively dense, short, simple, recumbent; veins not raised; tibial spines brown, red brown in females. Secondary gonopore complete, devoid of sclerite; phallus devoid of comb or true spiculum, with an elongate, acute phallic support and several fields of denticles. Parieto-vaginal rings reduced, narrow, devoid of anterior projections; dorso-labiate plate elongated. Dorsal process of posterior wall present but undivided, median process medially narrowed, interramal lobes (E structures) reduced. H structures absent.

Included species. C. schwartzi Chérot & Pauwels, 2000 *.

Distribution. Australia.

Host plants. Chenopodiaceae and Myrtaceae ( Chérot & Malipatil 2003; Schuh 2002–2013).

Discussion. C. schwartzi Chérot & Pauwels, 2000 , as presently defined ( Chérot & Pauwels 2000; Chérot & Malipatil 2003) seems a relatively variable species. The possibility the name “ C. schwartzi ” as applied here, may refer to several closely related species cannot totally be excluded, even if Namyatova et al. (2013: 1005) consider that “there is insufficient information to separate additional species and that the polymorphic coloration observed in C. schwartzi is typical for a widely distributed mirine plant bug”. Additional study of male and female genitalia of a large number of specimens would be desirable to correctly interpret this variability.