Pseudomegacoelum Chérot & Malipatil, 2016

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 : 187

17. Pseudomegacoelum Chérot & Malipatil new genus

( Figures 56–58 )

Type-species: Calocoris beckeri Fieber, 1870 (present designation).

Megacoelum second palearctic species group sensu Linnavuori, 1974: 27 .

Description. Body length 6-8, sub-oblong, slightly convex, almost uniformly orange brown to black, sometimes with fine red or brown stripes or red brown areas ( Figs 56–58 ). Head gradually sloping anteriorly, in profile tylus distinctly curved and joined to frons without a notch ( Linnavuori 1974a, b). Labium reaching mid or posterior coxae. Pronotum Megacoelum -like. Pilosity of metatibia erect, elongate, longer than width of tibia. Tibial spines dark. Scutellum almost flat, slightly tumid. Dorsal pilosity relatively long, erect, sparse, black or dark brown, particularly obvious on scutellum and hemelytra. Hemelytra slightly reflective, frequently translucent, almost smooth, with double punctation, one very reduced, dense, narrow and shallow, second shallow but wider. Veins raised. Spiculum of phallus developed, apical, Megacoelum -like ( M. beckeri ) or subapical, rounded, with several dorsal teeth ( M. irbilanum ). ACH, comb and gonoporal process absent. Secondary gonopore complete, devoid of associated sclerite, hairs or pilose plate. Female genitalia unknown.

Included species. P. angustum (Wagner, 1965) n. comb., P. beckeri (Fieber, 1870) n. comb.*, P. irbilanum (Linnavuori, 1988) n. comb.*, P. quercicola Linnavuori (1965) n. comb *.

Distribution. Europe ( Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italia, Spain), Iraq, North Africa ( Tunisia), Russia.

Host plants. Fagaceae, Pinaceae.

Discussion. The west Palearctic species of Megacoelum sensu lato with erect, elongate metatibial pilosity, longer than tibial width, were classified by Linnavuori (1974b) in his group two. We suggest they constitute a separate genus.

Figures

FIGURES 51 – 58. Habitus of ACMc members: 51. Pleurochilophorus quadripunctatus Reuter, 1905, female holotype from Eritrea (MRAC). 52. Poppiocapsidea biseratensis (Distant, 1903), a male from Thailand. 53. “ Megacoelum townsvillensis ” Distant, 1904, a junior synonym of P. biseratensis (Distant, 1903) (new synonymy), female lectotype from Australia. 54. Poppiocapsidea tagalica (Poppius, 1915) n. comb., female holotype from Philippine Islands (MZHF). 55. Poppiomegacoelum gearyi n. gen., n. sp., female paratype from Australia. 56. Pseudomegacoelum beckeri (Fieber, 1870) n. comb., a specimen from Spain (MNHN). 57. Pseudomegacoelum irbilanum (Linnavuori, 1988) n. comb., male holotype from Iraq (AMNH). 58. Pseudomegacoelum quercicola (Linnavuori, 1965) n. comb., male holotype from Tunisia (AMNH). Scales = 1 mm.