Neaitkenia, Menard & Schuh, 2011

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 : 114-117

Neaitkenia , new genus Figure 28 ; plate 7

TYPE SPECIES: Aitkenia monteithi Carvalho and Gross, 1982 .

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by dark brown to castaneous coloration (pl. 7), weakly medially constricted lateral margins of hemelytra, dark, elongate, and narrow metafemur; presence of only simple setae and reflective patches on dorsum, vertex narrower than width of one eye, at least M of total height of head below eyes, presence of row of fringelike setae on metafemora, and completely white to transparent transverse fascia.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, small, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 2.92–2.99, width pronotum 0.89–1.00, maximum width across hemelytra 0.94–1.00. COLORATION: Mostly brown with transparent to whitish transverse fascia. Head: Brown. Eyes silver to dark purple. Labium brown. Antennal segment 1 golden, segment 2 completely dark brown, segment 3 dark brown or white basally, dark distally, segment 4 with basal lightening and darkening distally or dark brown. Thorax: Pronotum, scutellum, and thorax dark brown to dark castaneous. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with relatively narrow white band, width equal to about J total width of scent gland. Legs: Procoxa brown to white, mesocoxa brown, metacoxa brown basally and white apically. Profemur brown or brown basally, pale distally, meso- and metafemora brown. Pro- and mesotibiae basally dark brown, distally golden, metatibia white proximally and brown for majority of remaining surface, with parallel rows of dark spicules. Tarsomeres dark brown. Hemelytra: Primarily brown with translucent to whitish transverse fascia on anterior margin of hemelytron occupying most of anterior margin of corium and part of medial area of clavus, with dark brown posterior margin transversing entirety of hemelytron (pl. 7). Remainder of corium pale brown, with area anterior to cuneal fracture more reddish dark brown or with transparent area posterior to dark brown posterior margin of transverse fascia. Anteri- or margin of cuneus white with yellowish tinge at lateral margin, occupying less than one-fifth total area of cuneus, posterior reddish brown. Membrane pale brown with brown veins. Abdomen: Brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsal surface of body and hemelytron covered with fine, golden simple setae, medial portion of hemelytron and medial area of claval suture with reflective patches. STRUCTURE: Head: Clypeus visible and surpassing anterior margin of frons in dorsal view or obscured by anterior margin of frons. Vertex convex and declining along posterior margin, width less than width of eye. Head height greater than 1.5 times total height of eye, vertex obscured in lateral view by anterior surface of eyes. Posterior margin of eyes partially obscures anterior margin of pronotum, pronotal collar absent. Antennal segment 1 inverted-cokebottle shaped, length surpassing apex of head, segment 2 long and of equal or greater diameter than segment 1, increasing in diameter distally segment 3. Length of antennal segment 2 equal to,1.30 times head width. Antennal segments 3 and 4 slender and less than half length of segment 2. Labial segment 1 reaching to about posterior margin of head, apex of labium reaching apex of mesocoxa. Thorax: Pronotum more than two times as wide as long, no demarcation between anterior and posterior lobes laterally or dorsally, dorsal surface nearly flat, lateral margins straight forming trapezoidal appearance in dorsal view. Mesoscutum exposed, scutellum weakly transversely rounded. Scent gland approximately M total area of metepimeron. Legs: Moderate length, slender with metafemur weakly flattened. Claws of moderate length and width, pulvilli less than half of claw length. Parempodia parallel and setiform. Hemelytra: Lateral margins nearly parallel sided to weakly medially constricted, dorsally transversely rounded. Cuneus triangular, length approximately equal to M total length of hemelytral membrane or longer, cuneal fracture angled anteromesially. Abdomen: Narrow, elongate, with genital capsule less than 1/3 total length. GENITALIA: See discussion.

Female: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin neo for ‘‘new’’ and Aitkenia from the genus of original placement of the type species; feminine.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: New South Wales and Queensland.

DISCUSSION: Aitkenia was found to be polyphyletic based on a phylogenetic analysis of the tribe (Menard and Woolley, in press), and the species A. monteithi and A. uptoni were found to not be in a monophyletic lineage with type species Aitkenia latevagans . Both A. monteithi and A. uptoni differ from A. latevagans in the shape of the metafemur, coloration, and the structure of the head; they are here placed in the new genus Neaitkenia . The male genitalia of this genus are not described, however, for the following reasons. First, because the abdomen of N. uptoni is missing from the type specimen and the specimen examined, and the male genitalia illustrated for that taxon may not be conspecific (see also N. uptoni discussion). Second, N. monteithi is known only from the type and paratype, and the type was only able to be visually examined, but was not dissected due to its fragility; therefore, we are taking the conservative approach in referring to the original illustrations of the genitalia of N. monteithi for that species alone rather than for the genus as a whole.

Neaitkenia monteithi (Carvalho and Gross) , new combination Figure 28 ; plate 7

Aitkenia monteithi Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 42 . figs. 63–65, 119 (n. sp., descr., disc., DV, MG).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by pro- and mesofemora basally dark, paler distally, transparent area posterior to dark posterior margin of transverse fascia (pl. 7), completely dark brown antennal segments, and relatively small cuneus with lateral margin inset relative to lateral margin of corium.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, small, medially constricted. Total length 2.99, width pronotum 1.00, maximum width across hemelytra 1.00 (based on original description). COLORATION: Brown with white areas on anterior of corium and anterior margin of cuneus. Head: Brown. Eyes deep red to purple. Antennal segment 1 and segment 2 brown, segment 3 white basally dark distally, and segment 4 pale basally and darkening distally. Procoxa light, mesocoxa brown, metacoxa white proximally, dark distally. Profemur proximally, paler distally, meso- and metafemur dark brown. Hemelytron brown with transparent to whitish transverse fascia on anterior margin occupying all of corium and most of medial area of clavus, with dark brown posterior margin that transverses across entirety of hemelytron, anterior to transparent to whitish band across medial area of hemelytron (pl. 7). Anterior margin of cuneus narrowly white, occupying less than one-fifth total area of cuneus, posterior portion brown. STRUCTURE: Clypeus not visible in dorsal view, frons relatively rounded. Eye height greater than half total height of head, weakly removed from surface of vertex. Apex of labial segment 1 not exceeding posterior margin of head, apex of labium reaching apex of mesocoxa. Lateral margins of hemelytra weakly constricted medially, dorsally transversely rounded. Cuneus triangular, length approximately equal to M total length of hemelytral membrane, cuneal fracture angled anteromesially, and inset relative to lateral margin of corium. GENITALIA: Not examined, see original description.

Female: Unknown.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Queensland.

DISCUSSION: The redescription of this species is based on examination of the holotype and the original description.

Holotype: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Pat Creek, 11 km N of Archer Crossing via Coen , 28–29.vi.1975, G.B. Monteith. 1 8 ( QU).

Neaitkenia uptoni (Carvalho and Gross) , new combination Figure 28 ; plate 7

Aitkenia uptoni Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 43 , figs. 66–69, 118B (n. sp., descr., disc., DV, MG).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by dark castaneous coloration (pl. 7), weakly medially constricted lateral margin of hemelytra, dark castaneous, elongate, and narrow metafemur, presence of only simple setae on dorsum, vertex less than width of one eye, at least M of total height of head below eyes, and completely white to transparent transverse hemelytral fascia.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, small, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 2.86, width pronotum 0.91, maximum width across hemelytra 0.83 (from original description). COLORATION: Mostly dark castaneous with transparent to whitish transverse fascia. Head: Brown. Eyes silver. Antennal segment 1 golden, remaining segments dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with relatively narrow white band, width equal to about J total width of scent gland. Pro- and mesocoxa brown, metacoxa brown basally and white apically. Hemelytron primarily brown with translucent to whitish transverse fascia on anterior margin occupying most of anterior margin of corium and part of medial area of clavus, with dark brown posterior margin that transverses entirety of hemelytron. Remainder of corium pale brown, with area anterior to cuneal fracture more reddish dark brown (pl. 7). Anterior margin of cuneus white with yellowish tinge on lateral margin, occupying less than one-fifth total area of cuneus, remainder of cuneus reddish brown. STRUCTURE: Head: Clypeus visible and surpassing anterior margin of frons in dorsal view. Vertex convex and declining along posterior margin, width less than width of eye. Eye height equal to O total height of head, vertex obscured in lateral view by anterior surface of eyes. Labial segment 1 surpassing posterior margin of head. Lateral margins of hemelytra nearly parallel sided. Cuneus triangular, length approximately equal to M total length of hemelytral membrane, cuneal fracture angled anteromesially. GENITALIA: Abdomen and pygophore missing from all examined specimens; see discussion.

Female: Unknown.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: New South Wales and Queensland ( Carvalho and Gross, 1982).

DISCUSSION: Carvalho and Gross (1982) described the external morphology of the holotype from New South Wales, but illustrated the male genitalia of a paratype specimen from Queensland because the type and the other specimen from New South Wales were missing the abdomen. The authors noted significant differences in the dimensions of specimens from the two populations, which suggest they may not be conspecific. We were unable to examine the paratypes from Queensland to verify whether they are the same taxon, and therefore redescribe the species based on the external morphology of the topotypic paratype. We do not redescribe the male genitalia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 5 miles N.W. of Coffs Harb., 244 m, 01 Nov 1955, M.S. Upton, 18 ( ANIC).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 5 miles N.W. of Coffs Harb., 244 m, 01 Nov 1955, M.S. Upton, 18 (00168820) ( ANIC).

Figures

Figure 28. Distribution of Neaitkenia spp.