Melaleucoides annae, Schuh & C. Weirauch, 2010

Schuh, R. T. & C. Weirauch, 2010, Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) From Australia: Description And Analysis Of Phylogenetic And Host Relationships For A Monophyletic Assemblage Of Three New Genera, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (344), pp. 3-94 : 32-35

Melaleucoides annae , new species Figures 12, 13; map 3; plate 1

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the castaneous calli, the elongate red markings on the hemelytron (pl. 1), and the endosoma with denticles on the secondary strap distad of the secondary gonopore and a recurved ventral process associated with the secondary gonopore (fig. 13). Most easily confused with M. undulatae on the basis of coloration, but the red markings on the hemelytron more strongly linear in that species (pl. 4) and the lack of denticles distad of the secondary gonopore, a dorsal rather than a ventral process, and a bladderlike process just distad of the gonopore (fig. 32).

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body weakly elongate, weakly ovoid; mean total length 3.46, mean width pronotum 0.1.29. COLORA- TION (pl. 1): Head: Uniformly pale; scapus yellow to dirty yellow; pedicellus dirty yellow proximally, weakly to heavily infuscate distally; labium generally infuscate, heavily so apically. Thorax: Pronotum pale with castaneous calli and sometimes humeri; scutellum white; hemelytron with red or carmine areas along mesial margin of clavus and on endocorium; markings on cuneus present as a contrasting white basal fascia, remainder red; membrane weakly fumose, veins pale; hind femur with a few brown or black spots; hind tibial spines black with very small dark bases. Abdomen: Venter unicolorous pale or mostly so. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (fig. 12B): Dorsum with suberect or reclining black setae and some sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head (fig. 12A): Barely projecting; interocular space moderate; eyes leaving gena moderately exposed in lateral view. Antenna: Segment 2 weakly tapering, more slender at base; antennal fossa with ventral margin at ventral margin of eye. Labium: Just reaching onto abdomen. Thorax: Pretarsus (fig. 12C): Pulvilli present, flaplike, covering about one third of ventral claw surface. GENITALIA (figs. 12E, F, 13): Endosoma: Primary strap apically greatly elongate, angled dorsally relative to body of endosoma, no ornamentation; secondary endosomal strap fused with primary strap proximal to secondary gonopore, reaching well beyond gonopore, fused with primary strap, ornamented with some short denticles; spinelike, elongate process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface absent; spinelike, elongate process near gonopore on ventral surface present, strongly recurved toward base of endosoma; bladderlike process distad of secondary gonopore absent; secondary gonopore seen frontally (facing up) in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: Nearly erect; dorsal surface with a curving, posteriorly directed, platelike projection; anterior surface with a short to elongate keel; apex simple. Left Paramere: Shaft at right angles to body; body spoon shaped; apex medially broadly rounded; anterior process triangular in lateral view; posterior process in the form of a short, straight, fingerlike projection; base of posterior process without conspicuous shoul- der. Right Paramere: Body short and broad, lanceolate; apex short, clawlike, decurved.

Female: Slightly more ovoid than male; mean total length 3.51, mean width pronotum 0.1.36. COLORATION (pl. 1): As in male. GENITALIA: Posterior wall laterally with distinct crescent-shaped interramal sclerites; posteriorly without a sclerotized transverse band; posterolaterally with a distinct swelling covered with microtrichia; longitudinal fold on either side of midline along part of length; posterior margin of posterior wall without spicules and not reflexed dorsally; interramal lobes present and asymmetrical, reclining, overlapping, and heavily ornamented with spicules; vestibulum with medial plates sclerotized and readily observed, small, nearly symmetrical, triangular; with sclerotized guide present as caplike structure with internal differentiation.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for Anna Massie, with thanks for her encouragement and interest in our work on the Australian Miridae fauna.

HOSTS: Melaleuca sheathiana W. Fitz. (Myrtaceae) (pl. 6A–C).

DISTRIBUTION (map 3): Known from one locality in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 11 km N of Coolgardie-Esperance Hiway on Kambalda Road, 31.25231uS 121.5899uE, 320 m, 18 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh, G. Cassis, & R. Silveira, Melaleuca sheathiana W. Fitzg. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05671396, 1 - (AMNH_PBI 00129550) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 11 km N of Coolgardie-Esperance Hiway on Kambalda Road, 31.25231uS 121.5899uE, 320 m, 18 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh, G. Cassis, & R. Silveira, Melaleuca sheathiana W. Fitzg. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05671396, 23 - (00371206, 00371250–00371261, 0037- 1265, 00371288–00371296), 35 U (00371266– 00371270, 00371272–00371277, 00371280– 00371285, 00371287, 00371297–00371312, 00372109), 1 nymph (00371313) ( AM), 31 - (00087299, 00087498, 00129544–00129547, 00129551–00129569, 00129595–00129600), 17 U (00087300, 00129548, 00129572–00129579, 00129582–00129583, 00129601–00129604, 00- 371278) ( AMNH), 3 - (00372092–00372094), 2 U (00372113, 00372114) ( ANIC), 1 - (0037- 1264), 1 U (00371286) ( CNC), 2 - (00129570, 00129571), 2 U (00129580, 00129581) ( UCR), 10 - (00372082–00372091), 4 U (00372095, 00372110–00372112) ( UNSW), 1 - (00371- 262), 1 U (00371271) ( USNM), 9 - (00129- 531–00129533, 00371207–00371212), 16 U (00- 129534–00129543, 00371223–00371228) ( WAMP), 1 - (00371263), 1 U (00371279) ( ZISP).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRA- LIA: Western Australia: 11 km N of Coolgardie-Esperance Hiway on Kambalda Road, 31.25231uS 121.5899uE, 320 m, 18 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh, G. Cassis, & R. Silveira, Melaleuca sheathiana W.Fitzg. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05671396, 14 - (00371192–00371205), 10 U (00371213–00371222) (AM).