Orthotylus chullan, Forero, 2009

Forero, Dimitri, 2009, Description of One New Species of Chileria and Three New Species of Orthotylus, with Nomenclatural and Distributional Notes on Neotropical Orthotylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylini), American Museum Novitates 3642, pp. 1-50 : 34-36

Orthotylus chullan , sp. nov.

Figures 2 , 14D, H ; 15D, H, L ; 16D , 18

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the right anterior process of the genital capsule slightly larger than right posterior process (fig. 15L, arrows); apex of left paramere with an acute, anteriorly directed process (fig. 14H); dorsal process of left paramere in medial view with margin nearly flat, with two caudal spines, and an anterior, wide, denticulate dorsal tubercle (fig. 15H); transverse dorsal margin of left paramere elevated (fig. 14H); right paramere with a wide, subapical projection directed medially (fig. 14H); anterior portion of basalmost rami of right spicule simple, gently curved posteriorly (fig. 14D); apex of right spicule with a preapical, anterodorsally directed ramus and a single, dorsoposteriorly directed ramus (fig. 14D); phallotheca with basal right margin of opening with a blunt, dorsally directed tubercle (fig. 15D, arrow); area dorsal to the sclerotized medial margins of first gonapophysis of anterior wall of females not sclerotized (fig. 16D).

Orthotylus chullan is very similar in external appearance to O. chilensis , O. kakan , and O. kikin (fig. 2). Orthotylus chullan is easily distinguished from these three species by the delicate, relatively simple structure of the vesica (fig. 14D), the parameres (figs. 14H, 15H), and the structure of the anterior wall of the female (fig. 16D). The left paramere is unique in having an elevated transverse ridge nearly reaching the apex of the paramere (fig. 14H, arrow). In O. chilensis , O. kakan , and O. kikin , the dorsal apical half of the left paramere has an elevated ridge, which does not reach the apex of the paramere (fig. 14E– G). Furthermore, the dorsal medial process of the left paramere in O. chullan has its margin straight with an anterior, denticulate process (fig. 15H), whereas in the other three species the margin is gently or strongly concave (fig. 15E–G). The right paramere is similar to that of O. kakan (fig. 14G), but in O. chullan the dorsal anterior process, which is directed medially, is globose and tuberculate (fig. 14H, apical view), not as in O. kakan , which is a simple, spinelike tubercle (fig. 14G, apical view). The genital capsule of O. chullan (fig. 15L) is very similar to that of O. kakan (fig. 15K) in having the right posterior process enlarged, but in O. chullan the anterior process is slightly larger than the posterior process (fig. 15L, arrows), whereas in O. kakan the posterior process is larger than the anterior process (fig. 15K, arrows). Orthotylus chullan is the only species of the four that possesses a tubercle on the right margin of the opening of the phallotheca (fig. 15D). In the other three species the margin is entire (fig. 15A–C). The area dorsal to the medial margins of the first gonapophyses of the female is not sclerotized in O. chullan (fig. 16D), whereas in O. chilensis , O. kakan , and O. kikin this dorsal area is sclerotized (fig. 16A–C).

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Elongate ovoid; total length 3.03. COLORATION: Overall coloration dark brown (fig. 2). Head: Clypeus shiny; vertex with paired whitish markings next to eyes, nearly reaching each other (fig. 2); mandibular and maxillary plates brown, shiny; buccula pale; labial segments I–II pale brown, III–IV not visible. Thorax: Mesoscutum with small, lateral, paired reddish-brown markings; proepimeron whitish on ventral angle. Hemelytron: Brown, darker at base of clavus and corium; embolium pale; membrane pale brown, veins brown. Legs: Brown; tarsi dark brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Surface dull; dorsum covered with decumbent, simple, dark setae, and whitish sericeous setae; gena and dorsal area of metepisternum with longer, whitish, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Transverse; anteocular region short; clypeus barely visible from above, not protruding, gently curved; frons curved; vertex nearly flat; posterior margin of vertex demarcated but not raised; mandibular plates broad and apically round- ed; maxillary plates subrectangular, narrower than mandibular plates; buccula short; gena short, nearly as high as maxillary plate; gula very short; eyes hemispherical, surpassing dorsal margin of head in lateral view, posterior surface nearly flat, adjacent to anterior margin of pronotum; labrum triangular, slightly elongate; labial segment I reaching anterior margin of prosternum, II reaching apex of procoxa, III and IV not visible; antennal segment I short, the widest; II the longest, smaller in diameter than I; III about one-half length of II, of subequal diameter; IV the shortest, subequal in diameter to III. Thorax: Collar a narrow carina, barely visible dorsally; pronotum nearly flat, anterior margin slightly concave, posterior margin straight, lateral margins straight in dorsal view, round- ed laterally, wider than long, anterior and posterior angles round, broad; calli impressed transversely, slightly elevated with respect to pronotal surface; mesoscutum visible dorsally, narrow; scutellum equilateral, disc nearly flat, gently curving to lateral margins; proepisternum not projecting laterally, coxal sulcus deeply impressed; proepimeron concave; mesepisternum nearly flat, slightly concave on mesepimeral suture; mesepimeron elevated with respect to mesepisternum, spiracle oblong; metepisternum with evaporatory area developed, peritreme not elevated. Hemelytron: Margins subparallel; cuneus 1.6 times as long as wide. Legs: Coxae cylindrical; femora slightly compressed anteroposteriorly, covered with numerous dark, spinelike setae, profemur shorter than meso- and metafemur; tibiae cylindrical, straight, pro- and mesotibia subequal in length, metatibia longer; tarsi subequal in length, metatarsus slightly longer. Abdomen: Sparsely covered with short, simple, whitish setae. Genitalia: Genital capsule broadly triangular, ventral surface with stout, short setae (fig. 15L); caudal margin in dorsal view sharply triangular, acute; aperture ovoid, reclined, margin well sclerotized; lateral right anterior process triangular, posterior process triangular, smaller than anterior process (fig. 15L, arrows), the latter adjacent to the right paramere socket; cuplike sclerite not surpassing caudal margin of genital capsule, Sshaped in dorsal and posterior views; paramere sockets located horizontally at same level; left paramere inverted L-shaped in dorsal view, apex with vertical, deep cleft, and with acute, anteriorly directed process (fig. 14H); apical half of paramere fitting right cavity formed by cuplike sclerite; transverse dorsal margin of left paramere elevate (fig. 14H), margin of dorsal process in medial view nearly flat, posteriorly with two spines and a cephalad, wide, denticulate dorsal tubercle (fig. 15H); right paramere elongate, expanded and flattened toward the apex in posterolateral view, with a medial, wide, subapical projection, dorsal margin with a series of spines, dorsal anterior process in apical view globose and tuberculate, directed medially (fig. 14H); phallotheca cylindrical, well-sclerotized, opening dorsal, longitudinal; left margin of phallotheca slightly sinuate, right margin nearly straight, with a subbasal blunt process (fig. 15D, arrow); vesica with two spicules (fig. 14D); left spicule curved dorsally, with a small preapical ramus (fig. 14D); right spicule with three simple, non-denticulate rami, basally with expanded dorsal area connecting to the conjunctiva, anterior portion of basalmost rami curved posteriorly, posterior portion directed dorsally, preapical ramus directed anterodorsally, apical ramus directed dorsoposteriorly (fig. 14D).

FEMALE: Similar in coloration and structure to the male; total length 2.86–3.23. COLORATION: As in male (fig. 2), except the following. Head: Vertex with whitish markings prolonged into frons; posterior margin of vertex, and medial area of frons with insertions of setae dark brown; mandibular plate pale brown, maxillary plate brown, apically dark brown; gena pale brown, gula darker than gena; labial segments I–II whitish, III–IV dark brown. Thorax: Anterior margin of pronotum and longitudinal marking whitish; scutellum apically whitish, apical half with longitudinal diffuse whitish marking; proepisternum and proepimeron brown, on ventral margin whitish; mesepisternum and metepimeron brown; peritreme paler than surrounding evaporative area; metepisternum brown. Hemelytron: Brown; embolium and narrow longitudinal adjacent area whitish; cuneus laterally whitish. Legs: Pale brown; coxae apically whitish. Abdomen: Brown; ovipositor dark brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE: As in male, except the following. Head: Labium reaching mesocoxa (not visible in male, see above). Genitalia: Subgenital plate as long as wide, apex rounded; base of ovipositor located anteriorly to longitudinal midpoint of abdomen; interramal dorsal sclerite elongate, subrectangular, nearly touching each other dorsally, dorsal margin, next to insertion of interramal dorsal lobe, with microtrichia; dorsal lobe of interramal sclerite covered by microtrichia, strongly curved medially on lateral margin, apex acute, medial margin deeply emarginate, subapical lobe large, apex acute; medial sclerite small, rounded, well sclerotized, not reaching dorsal margin of posterior wall; dorsal labiate plate without central sclerotized areas; sclerotized rings elongate, subrectangular, anterior portion with numerous microtrichia; anterior wall with inner margins of first gonapophyses asymmetrical, well sclerotized, left margin with ventral lobe rounded and dorsal lobe attenuate (fig. 16D), right margin with ventral lobe narrow, rounded, and dorsal lobe broadly curved, flaplike, both lobes well sclerotized (fig. 16D); area dorsal to medial margins of first gonapophyses not sclerotized (fig. 16D).

DISTRIBUTION: Orthotylus chullan is known only from a single locality in the ‘‘Valle Central’’, in the Santiago area (fig. 18).

HOSTS: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named from the Quechua (Qheswa Simi) ch’ullan, ‘‘odd’’ or ‘‘without pair’’, due to the uniqueness and paucity of specimens found.

DISCUSSION: Orthotylus chullan is only known from four specimens, one male and three females. Despite the scarcity of specimens, I am describing these as new because of several distinctive characters exhibited by O. chullan (see diagnosis), all of which easily distinguish this species from the other three related species O. chilensis , O. kakan , and O. kikin .

HOLOTYPE MALE: [ CHILE: Metropolitana De Santiago]: Pudahuel , [33.43333 ° S 70.83333 ° W], Oct 1979, L. E. Peña , Holotype Orthotylus chullan n.sp. D. Forero det., 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00185402 ) ( USNM) .

PARATYPES: CHILE: Metropolitana De Santiago: Pudahuel , 33.43333 ° S 70.83333 ° W, Oct 1979, L. E. Peña, 3♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00185409 – AMNH _ PBI 00185411 ) ( USNM) .

Figures

Fig. 2. Dorsal habitus digital photographs. Orthotylus chilensis, O. chullan, O. kikin, O. kakan, O. tafoensis, and Saileria bella. Specimens of O. kikin (A–C, arrows) show variation on embolium coloration from brown to white.

Fig. 14. Orthotylus spp. Male genitalia. A–D. Vesica. A. The small arrow indicates variation at apex of right spicule; the large arrow points to the anterior portion of basal rami; B. outline drawing shows variation at apex of left spicule. E–H. Right and left parameres, in lateral and apical, and dorsal views respectively. E, F. Variation among right parameres. H. Arrow shows elevated dorsal ridge.

Fig. 15. Orthotylus spp. Male genitalia. A–D. Phallotheca; arrow in D points to dorsal process on right margin. E–H. Dorsal process of left paramere, medial view. I–L. Genital capsule, lateral right view; arrow indicate processes on aperture margin.

Fig. 16. Orthotylus spp. A–D. Female genitalia: anterior wall showing asymmetrical medial margins of first gonapophyses and various degrees of sclerotization, anterior view.

Fig. 18. Distribution map of Orthotylus chilensis, O. chullan, O. kikin, O. kakan, and O. tafoensis.