Gulacapsus Schuh

Menard, Katrina L. & Schuh, Randall T., 2011, Revision Of Leucophoropterini: Diagnoses, Key To Genera, Redescription Of The Australian Fauna, And Descriptions Of New Indo-Pacific Genera And Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (361), pp. 1-159 : 98-99

Gulacapsus Schuh Figures 21–22 ; plates 6, 8

Gulacapsus Schuh, 1984: 224 (n. gen., diag., descr.).

TYPE SPECIES: Gulacapsus novoguinensis Schuh, 1984 , by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by laterally compressed, keellike gula, greater than M of total height of head, posterior margin of eyes parallel or exserted from anterior margin of pronotum, pronotal collar sometimes in form of a broad band, transverse fascia posterior to apex of scutellum, presence of a row of fringelike setae on metafemur, and presence of reflective patches and silvery setae on hemelytron.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, small, medially constricted. Total length 2.02–3.32, width pronotum 0.72–0.99, maximum width across hemelytra 0.71–1.00. COLORATION: Brown and castaneous. Head: Dark brown. Antennal segment 1 golden, segment 2 golden basally and pale brown distally to completely brown, segment 3 golden basally, dark brown distally, and segment 4 completely brown. Thorax: Pronotum, scutellum, and thorax dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with narrow white margin, equal to J total width of scent gland. Legs: Profemora golden white, and meso- and metafemora dark brown. Pro- and mesotibiae dark brown basally and golden distally, metatibia golden apically at joint with metafemur, dark brown for remainder of length and also possessing two parallel rows of dark spicules. Hemelytra: Anterior margin of corium dark brown along with anterior half of clavus transitioning into complete or partial white fascia with dark brown margin, to J of total area of anterior portion of corium and part of median of clavus, dark posterior margin extending across entire width of hemelytron (pl. 5). Cuneus same as hemelytron or rarely with narrow white band on anterior margin. Abdomen: Dark brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsal surface of body and hemelytron covered with long, erect pale brown setae, hemelytron also possessing short and silvery setae near transverse fascia. Medial portion of hemelytron and medial area of claval suture with reflective patches. Posteroventral surface of metafemur with row of setae forming distinctive fringe appearance. STRUCTURE: Head: Clypeus projecting beyond anterior margin of frons in lateral view, visible in dorsal view. Vertex flat to weakly convex with posterior margin declining, width M width of one eye to nearly equal in width to one eye. Eyes weakly removed from anterior margin of vertex, vertex partially visible in lateral view, eyes greater than half of total height of head, and posterior margin of eyes obscure anterior margin of pronotum. Area below eyes appearing laterally compressed in anterior view but wider than vertex, nearly half of total height of head, gula elongate and dorsolaterally compressed, keel shaped. Antennal segment 1 inverted-cokebottle shaped, surpassing apex of head; segment 2 long, of greater diameter than segment 1, increasing in diameter distally. Length antennal segment 2 more than 1.5 times total head width, weakly curving medially. Antennal segments 3 and 4 narrow, less than half length of segment 2. Labrum laterally compressed and nearly width of profemur to nearly same width as labium. Labial segment 1 not quite attaining posterior margin of head, apex of segment 4 surpassing procoxa to reaching mesocoxa. Thorax: Pronotum great- er than O as long as wide, dorsal surface swollen dorsally and convex in posterior lobe of pronotum, sometimes with dorsal indentation separating anterior and posterior lobes, dorsal lateral margins narrowed anteriorly and widening distally forming bell-shaped pronotum in dorsal view. Narrow, flat pronotal collar present. Mesoscutum exposed, scutellum transversely rounded. Scent gland less than M total area of metepimeron. Legs: Elongate, narrow. Claws of moderate length and width, pulvilli less than half of claw length. Parempodia parallel and setiform. Hemelytra: Elongate, lateral margins constricted medially with anterolateral margins narrower than posterior lateral margins, transversely rounded. Cuneus narrow triangular, length approximately equal to M total length of hemelytral membrane, cuneal fracture angled anteromesially. Abdomen: Narrow for most of length, expanding in diameter to pygophore. GENITALIA: (fig. 22): Pygophore less than J total length of abdomen. Endosoma: Small, slender, twisted, S-shaped, composed of two sclerotized straps unified by membrane ( Schuh 1984: fig. 758), apex sometimes twisted and reflexed (fig. 22B). Secondary gonopore small, horse-collar shaped (fig. 22B) to weakly sclerotized ( Schuh 1984:fig. 758). Phallotheca: Small, L-shaped, apex gently tapering toward point, base short (fig. 22A, Schuh 1984: fig. 760). Right Paramere: Small, relatively short with nearly parallel lateral margins, apex rounded (fig. 22A). Left Paramere: Moderately sized; posterior process broad, with sensory pits, dorsal surface convex with apex directed perpendicular to base of paramere, posterior process relatively elongate compared to anterior process; anterior process stout but without sensory pits on interior margin, apex directed perpendicular to base of paramere, dorsal surface below median line of total height of paramere. Dorsomedial margin between anterior and posterior processes convex (fig. 22B) to straight ( Schuh 1984: fig. 759).

Female: Macropterous, small, medially constricted. Total length 3.02, width pronotum 0.91, maximum width across hemelytra 0.76. COLORATION: Similar patterning as in male except antennal segment 2 more yellow basally. SURFACE TEXTURE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE: Height of head below eyes greater in female than male at least half total height of head, gula more developed and elongate. Antennal segment 2 long and more slender than segment 1 at joint with segment 1, increasing in diameter distally. Length of antennal segment 2 at least 1.5 times total head width. Ventral surface of abdomen parallel to dorsal surface for greater than half of posterior length. Ovipositor spine present. GENITA- LIA: Not examined.

HOSTS: Unknown, collected by trap.

DISTRIBUTION: New Guinea and the Northern Territory in Australia.

DISCUSSION: Gulacapsus is the only genus with the expanded gular region in the form of a flattened keel; some species of Blesingia (e.g., Blesingia cantrelli ) and Trichocephalocapsus have an expanded gular region that is rounded to flat, never laterally compressed.

Figures

Figure 21. Distribution map of Gulacapsus spp.

Figure 22. Male genitalia of Gulacapsus australiensis (A–D).