Orthocephalus tristis (Reuter) Namyatova & Konstantinov, 2009

Namyatova, Anna A. & Konstantinov, Fedor V., 2009, Revision of the genus Orthocephalus Fieber, 1858 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae) 2316, Zootaxa 2316, pp. 1-118 : 91

Orthocephalus tristis (Reuter) , comb. nov.

Figures. 4, 17, 19.

Oraniella tristis Reuter, 1894: 139 .

DIAGNOSIS: Female recognized by the small size (fig. 4), labium slightly surpassing hind coxa, uniformly dark brown coloration except pale brown stripe along inner margin of eye, apically truncate and short hemelytra, reaching abdominal tergum VI, and dorsal labiate plate without medial sclerites (fig. 17). Not easily confused with other species.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Unknown.

Female: Brachypterous, length 3.4. COLORATION (fig. 4): Body uniformly dark brown to black, except light brown stripe along inner margin of eye. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum slightly rugose. Body clothed with short dark simple setae, distinctly shorter than eye diameter, pleurites, femora, and abdomen clothed with scalelike setae (as in figs. 22 A-C, E, 23 A, D, scales on dorsum most probably obliterated); antennal segment I with two mesial spines. STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENTS: Body 3.2× as long as width of pronotum. Head: 1.2× as wide as high; frons convex; mandibular plate long and narrow from anterior view; depression along hind margin of vertex distinctly visible; eye relatively small, located close to pronotal anterior margin; vertex 3.4× as wide as eye; antennal fossa located at a distance from inferior margin of eye; antennal segment I swollen, somewhat longer than diameter of eye; segment II thin; cylindrical, 0.7× as long as basal width of pronotum, 0.7–0.9× as long as width of head, labium surpassing hind coxa. Thorax: Pronotum 2.3× as wide as long and 1.1× as wide as head, with concave posterior margin and not carinated lateral margins, calli slightly raised, weakly delimited; hind femora swollen, more than twice as wide as middle femora; hemelytra reaching abdominal tergum VI, not in contact with each other, cuneus not delimited, posterior margin of hemelytra truncate. GENITALIA: Sclerotized rings triangular, without adjacent sclerites (fig. 17); posterior wall uniformly sclerotized, incision on the anterior margin almost indistinct, anterior angles of this sclerite not dentate, posterior margin without sclerites (fig. 19); vulva with straight sclerites not forming a circle (as in fig. 19, O. styx ).

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from Algeria (Teniet el Haad).

HOST: Unknown.

DISCUSSION: Oraniella tristis was described on the basis of a single female and has never been recollected. Female of O. tristis possess all characters of external morphology and vestiture typical of Orthocephalus species – for example, impunctate dorsum, presence of scales, shortened hemelytra, and tarsal segment I half as long as tarsal segment II (see generic diagnosis). The species appears to be related to O. tibialis and O. arnoldii based on the small size, presence of scalelike setae on legs, comparatively long labium, and swollen hind femora. Although we cannot draw conclusions about the apical portion of the ductus seminis, there are no doubts concerning the placement of Oraniella tristis in Orthocephalus .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype: ALGERIA: Teniet el Haad, 35.871 ° N 2.028 ° E, Jun 1892, M. de Vauloger, 1♂ ( AMNH _ PBI 00085498 ) ( BMNH).