Jiwarli, Soto & Weirauch, 2009

Soto, Diane & Weirauch, Christiane, 2009, Description of the Australian Plant Bug Genus Jiwarli, n. gen. (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 3653, pp. 1-16 : 2-9

Jiwarli , new genus

Figures 1–4

TYPE SPECIES: Jiwarli heliotropium , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized among Phylini by the relatively large size, elongate ovoid body, pale greenish or brownish coloration with dark spots on the pronotum, spots sometimes arranged in distinct pattern, often with spots or lines on the hemelytron, limited sexual dimorphism, J-shaped vesica with handshaped or arm-shaped process proximal to secondary gonopore, and sometimes with distal flaplike process distal to secondary gonopore that is beset with small spicules. Superficially similar to some species of Opuna Kirkaldy that have Pacific and Southeast Asian distributions, but distinguished by the setiform parempodia in the new genus as well as the distinctive process on the vesica.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Relatively large elongate ovate. COLORATION (fig. 1): General coloration pale green, pale brownish, brown suffused with some yellow or whitish with some pale green, appendages pale brown or pale tan with dark brown spots. Head: Vertex pale or dark green, brown or pale tan, usually with dark brown spots, clypeus usually pale

TABLE 1 Measurements brown or brown with dark marks, mandibular and maxillary plates pale green, pale tan or pale brown; antennal segment 1 pale brown, pale tan, or pale green, segment 2 ranging from pale to darkish brown, segment 3 ranging from pale to dark brown, segment 4 dark brown or brown; labium with segment 1 pale green with anterior margin suffused with various shades of brown or greenish, segments 2 and 3 shades of brown, segment 4 dark brown. Thorax: Pronotum olive green, pale green, or pale brown with variable patterns of black or dark spots, mesoscutum orange or yellow-orange, scutellum pale olive green or pale brown suffused with yellow-green or pale tan, sometimes with dark brown spots; pleura pale olive green with yellow tinge, pale tan suffused with pale yellow-greene, or pale tan suffused with pale yellow. Legs: Femora pale green, pale brown or pale tan, variable numbers and sizes of dark brown spots on pro-, meso-, and metathoracic legs, tibia pale tan or tannish or pale brown with dark brown spines, tarsus brown or dark brown, claws dark brown. Hemelytra: Corium including clavus pale olive green, olive green, pale brown or tan, or whitish, covered with brown spots, brown vertically skewed lines or without spots or lines, cuneus transparent proximally or distally or both, sometimes with distal part pale brown or brown, membrane transparent or pale brown or tan with varying patterns. Abdomen: Venter greenish, pale tan, sometimes suffused with yellow, pale tan, or pale brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (figs. 1, 2): Dorsum shining or weakly shining, few to many adpressed setae of moderate length (fig. 2), cuneus either densely covered with setae or covered with few or moderate number of setae. STRUCTURE: Head (figs. 1, 2A, B): Triangular in dorsal view with apex pointed, clypeus protruding anteriorly, mandibular and maxillary plates slightly convex, mandibular plate relatively small or large, buccula convex or slightly convex; eye moderately large or large, located adjacent to antennal socket, hind margin of eye adjacent to pronotum; antenna with segment 1 short, segment 2 long, smaller diameter than segment 1, segment 3 shorter than segment 2, segment 4 shortest; length of labium variable, apex ranging from base of abdomen to apex of pygophore, segments 2 through 4 slender or very slender. Thorax (figs. 1, 2C–E): Pronotum trapeziform, anterior margin slightly concave, lateral margins slightly convex, posterior margin slightly concave; margin of mesoscutum sloping towards scutellum, scutellum slightly convex from lateral view, adpressed setae on pronotum or adpressed setae on lateral sides of pronotum. Legs: Slender, hind legs long with bulky femur, claws slender (fig. 2D), pulvilli covering large area of claw, parempodia setiform. Hemelytra (figs. 1, 2E): Hemelytra only slightly convex, almost parallel to one another, cuneus elongate triangular, cuneus and membrane often tilted downward in dried specimens. Abdomen: Corpulent abdomen extending to cuneal base or cuneal apex, setae on abdomen adpressed, sometimes translucent. GENITALIA (figs. 2F, 3): Pygophore: Smooth, rounded, sometimes large. Parameres: Right paramere relatively slender, almost parallel sided and elongate, apically with slender setae located closely to apex (fig. 3E); left paramere with anterior process relatively thick, posterior process of same length as anterior process, straight and slender (fig. 3C). Phallotheca: Relatively small, sclerotized anteriorly, posterior membranous, curved to the right (figs. 2F, 3D). Vesica: Slightly J-shaped, secondary gonopore located subapically, gonopore sclerite absent, heavily sclerotized process proximal to secondary gonopore, either long with about four heavily sclerotized spines, short and broad with about 3–4 spines or broad based with about five spines, some species with membranous, flaplike process distal to secondary gonopore beset with small spicules.

Female (fig. 1): As male, not distinctly more ovoid than male, but antenna more slender. GENITALIA (fig. 3F, G): Studied only for J. heliotropium ; see description of that species.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its distribution in Australia, after the name of a Western Australian Aboriginal language. The last native speaker of Jiwarli died in April 1986. The gender is masculine.

DISCUSSION: Jiwarli is distinguished from other Australian Phylini by the relatively large size, pale coloration with usually distinct pattern of black dots on the pronotum, and characters of the male genitalia, such as the Jshaped vesica with a hand-shaped process proximal to the secondary gonopore. These characters may prove to be synapomorphic for the genus.

The host-plant associations of species in this genus are puzzling: Each species seems to have a relatively restricted preference for a certain host-plant species or a limited group of species within a genus. However, the different species of Jiwarli feed on hosts in the Amaranthaceae , Asteraceae , Boraginaceae , and Solanacae families (table 2). A preference for any family of host plants across the genus is therefore apparently absent.

The distribution patterns of species of Jiwarli are currently based on a limited number of localities. Assuming that the species are relatively host specific and that they occur across the distribution range of their host plants, wide distributions may be

TABLE 2 Host plant species of the four species of Jiwarli

Jiwarli exmaculae

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Asteraceae) : 1 specimen AUSTRALIA, Queensland, 75.7 km W of Windorah

Jiwarli heliotropium

Heliotropium ammophilum (Boraginaceae) : 90 specimens AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 120 km E of Norseman

Heliotropium sp. ( Boraginaceae ): 9 specimens AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 27.6 km N of Coral Bay Rd on Cardabia-Ningaloo Rd

Jiwarli ptilotus

Ptilotus obovatus (Amaranthaceae) : 34 specimens AUSTRALIA, South Australia, 18.8 km NW of Cordillo Downs Homestead

AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 24 km SE of jct of Manga Rd and Shark Bay Rd, Shark Bay World Heritage Area

AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 89.2 km N of jct of Agana Kilabarra Rd and Brand Hiway, on Brand Hiway

AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, Blowholes Rd NW of North West Coastal Hiway, Beagle Hill Area

Eremophila scoparia (Myoporaceae) : 1 specimen AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 53.9 km N of Kalgoorlie

Jiwarli solanum

Ixiolaena leptolepis (Asteraceae) : 2 specimens AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 53.9 km N of Kalgoorlie

Anthotroche walcottii (Solanaceae) : 4 specimens AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, NW Coastal Hiway 80.7 km N of Kalbarri Rd

Solanum cf. nemophilum (Solanaceae) : 3 specimens AUSTRALIA, Queensland, 8.2 km E of Mungallala

Solanum ellipticum (Solanaceae) : 52 specimens AUSTRALIA, South Australia, 72 km N of Yunta, Nillinghoo Creek

Solanum lasiophyllum (Solanaceae) : 7 specimens AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 79 km W of Sandstone

Solanum orbiculatum orbiculatum (Solanaceae) : 4 specimens

AUSTRALIA, Western Australia, 49.1 km N of Norseman

Solanum orbiculatum orbiculatum (Solanaceae) : 2 specimens

AUSTRALIA, Northern Territory, 8.8 km N of Mt Wedge Stn jct on Tanami Rd

postulated for the four species of Jiwarli based on the broad distribution of their given host plant (fig. 4).

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF JIWARLI ( Fig. 1 )

1a. Hemelytron transparent, without spots or lines............. Jiwarli ptilotus , n. sp.

1b. Hemelytron with spots or lines......... 2

2a. Hemelytron with brown vertical lines...................... Jiwarli solanum , n. sp.

2b. Hemelytron with brown spots.......... 3

3a. Hemelytron with big brown spots..................... Jiwarli heliotropium , n. sp.

3b. Hemelytron with small brown spots..................... Jiwarli exmaculae , n. sp.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus photographs of the four species of Jiwarli, new genus.

Fig. 2. Structures of Jiwarli heliotropium, n. sp., as seen in the scanning electron microscope. A. Head and thorax, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Metathorax with evaporatory area and peritreme, lateral view. D. Pretarsus. E. Hemelytron, inset: close-up of vestiture. F. Abdomen with pygophore in dorsal view; inset: close-up of pygophore, with phallotheca and left paramere.

Fig. 3. Male genitalic structures of Jiwarli spp. (A–D) and female genitalic structures of J. heliotropium (F, G). A. Vesica seen from left. B. Apex of vesica seen from right. C. J. pilotus, process proximal to secondary gonopore. C. J. heliotropium, left paramere. D. J. heliotropium, right paramere. E. J. heliotropium, phallotheca. F. Bursa copulatrix and associated structures. G. Interramal sclerites with hookshaped processes.

Fig. 4. Distribution maps of species of the plant bug genus Jiwarli, based on specimen records examined during this project, and host plants of the four species based on data from the Australia’s Virtual Herbarium. The mapped species of Solanum are Solanum ellipticum (black), S. lasiophyllum (white), and S. orbiculatum (grey).