Felisacus australicus, Namyatova & Cassis, 2016

Namyatova, Anna A. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2016, Revision And Phylogeny Of The Fern-Inhabiting Genus Felisacus Distant (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) Anna A. Namyatova And Gerasimos Cassis, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2016 (403), pp. 1-169 : 52-55

Felisacus australicus , sp. nov.

Figures 4 , 8C , 11E–G , 14C , 17

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the following combination of characters: relatively dark coloration with head and pronotum mostly pale brown without darker markings or stripes; antennal segment I pale brown; inner part of clavus pale brown to brown; scent gland evaporative area pale brown; cuneus matte, yellow or at least partly red (fig. 4); cylindrical antennal segment I (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 8A); transverse depression on head extending laterally, vertex upraised; dorsal surface of labial segment II elongate posteriorly (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 6D); medial part of right paramere only slightly wider than basal part with outer margin distinctly concave, apical part of right paramere distinctly shorter than medial part (fig. 11C); vesica with five spicules, including spicules A, B, C, H, spicule B with elongate apical arm (fig. 8C).

DESCRIPTION: Male. Total length 3.9. COL- ORATION (fig. 4): Head: Yellow to pale brown, longitudinal sulcus and sides of clypeus brown. Labium: Segments I–III whitish yellow, segment IV yellow. Antenna: Segment I pale brown, segments II–IV brown to dark brown. Thorax: Pronotum yellow to pale brown; mesoscutum and scutellum yellow; thoracic pleura and scent gland evaporative area pale brown, slightly paler than pleura. Hemelytron: Inner part of clavus opaque, pale brown; outer part of clavus translucent, colorless; corium translucent, colorless with area along inner margin of corium brown; embolium opaque, whitish yellow with brown margins; cuneus opaque, whitish yellow with pale brown tinge at outer part and reddish at inner part, margins brown; membrane translucent with greyish tinge; membrane cell pale brown with reddish tinge. Legs: Yellow to pale brown, tibiae often paler apically. Abdomen: Whitish yellow with pale brown tinge. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Corium smooth, with shallow punctures. Dorsum with suberect setae mostly longer than antennal segment II diameter; antennal segment I and femora with suberect setae shorter than antennal segment II diameter; setae on antennal segment I scarce; abdomen clothed with suberect, mostly short simple setae. STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENTS: Body ca. 4.3× as long as pronotum width. Head: Depression delimiting occipital region present dorsally and laterally (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 4E); distance between depression and pronotum distinctly shorter than eye diameter; longitudinal sulcus on dorsal surface longer than eye diameter; distance from eye to pronotum slightly longer than eye diameter, not swollen laterally (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 4E); vertex ca. 1.6× as wide as eye, upraised (Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 6D); buccula ca. 0.20–0.25× as long as clypeus. Labium (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: figs. 6D, 9C): Reaching posterior margin of mesosternum; segments I and II strongly reduced, combined shorter than segment III half; segment I shorter than wide; segment II slightly longer than wide, elongate dorsally; segment III slightly longer than length of head ventrally; segment IV ca. 1.5× as long as segment III. Antenna: Segment I cylindrical (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 8A), ca. 1.6× as long as head width, ca. 1.1× as long as pronotum width; segment II ca. 2.0× as long as head width, ca. 1.3× as long as pronotum width; segments III slightly longer than segment II; segment IV ca. 0.3× as long as antennal segment III. Thorax: Anterior part of pronotum only slightly shorter than posterior part; collar delimited, posterior part slightly raised; posterior margin concave, pronotum ca. 1.2–1.3× as wide as long and ca. 1.5–1.6× as wide as head; mesoscutum exposed. Hemelytron: Area along inner margin of corium not swollen; inner margin of cuneus convex (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 13E), outer margin of cuneus ca. 3× as long as base. Genitalia: Genital capsule (fig. 14C) approximately 1.5× as long as wide; ventral wall ca. 1.7× as long as dorsal wall, posterior margin smooth, without outgrowth(s), slightly tapering, not curved distally; apex inclined leftward; sides of genital capsule not modified; angles of paramere sockets more or less rounded, distance between paramere sockets subequal to half of genital capsule length at base; right angle of left paramere socket not projecting. Right paramere (fig. 11E) apical part distinct, slightly concave posteriorly, twice shorter than medial part; medial part slightly wider than basal part, bearing setae, its outer margin concave and inner margin convex; outer angle distinct; inner angle rounded, without setae; basal part ca. 0.15–0.2× as long as rest of paramere. Left paramere (fig. 11F, G) L-shaped; apical part not flattened, with toothlike outgrowth on posterior side medially (as in fig. 11G) and without outgrowth on dorsal surface; middle part widened, without swelling or outgrowth(s); setae placed only on middle part near outer margin of paramere. Aedeagus conjunctiva weakly sclerotized; secondary gonopore placed at base of vesica in repose; sclerotization of ductus seminis around secondary gonopore shorter than wide; vesica with five spicules, including spicules A, B, C, and H, spicule B with elongate apical arm (fig. 8C).

Female. Total length 4.2–4.4. COLORATION (fig. 4): Head: As in male. Labium: Segments I–III whitish yellow and segment IV pale brown, or labium uniformly pale brown. Antenna: Similar to male, but segment I pale brown with reddish tinge or brown. Thorax: Similar to male, scent gland evaporative area sometimes whitish yellow. Hemelytron: Similar to male, but inner part of clavus brown, embolium sometimes pale brown with brown margins, cuneus uniformly reddish or whitish. Legs: Similar to male, coxae sometimes whitish yellow. Abdomen: Whitish yellow with pale brown tinge, sometimes brown ventrally and dorsally. Surface and vestiture: As in male. STRUC- TURE AND MEASUREMENTS: Structure as in males; body ca. 4.1–4.3× as long as pronotum width; vertex ca. 1.3–1.5× as wide as eye; antennal segment I ca. 1.4–1.5× as long as head width, ca. 0.9–1.0× as long as pronotum width; segment II ca. 1.9–2.2× as long as head width, ca. 1.2–1.5× as long as pronotum width; pronotum ca. 1.2–1.3× as wide as long and ca. 1.5–1.6× as wide as head. Genitalia (as in Namyatova et al., 2016: fig. 23F, G): Dorsal labiate plate wider than distance between apodemes of second valvula; mostly smooth, without distinct striations or longitudinal membranous ridge, with semicircular sclerites and distinct sclerotized rings laterally; lateral oviducts placed almost medially, very close to each other, spermathecal gland placed between lateral oviducts; dorsal labiate plate with distinct tubercles, without membranous lobe medially.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from South Queensland ( Australia) (fig. 17).

HOST PLANTS: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: The species is named after the continent of Australia, where it was collected.

DISCUSSION: Felisacus australicus is similar in structure to the Micronesian species F. ochraceu s and has almost identical male genitalia (cf. figs. 11E–G and 13C, D for parameres and figs. 8C and 9F for vesical spicules). However, F. ochraceus differs from the new species in coloration (fig. 6), possesses a whitish-yellow to yellow head and pronotum, antennal segment I is yellow basally and pale brown apically, is sometimes reddish yellow, the inner part of the clavus is whitish yellow with pale brown or brown margins, and the scent gland evaporative area is whitish yellow.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype: AUSTRA- LIA: Queensland: 3 km N on Black Mountain Road, 16.66725 ° S 145.4891 ° E, 21 Apr 1990, J. Heraty, 13 (00018517) ( QM). Paratypes: AUS-

TRALIA: Queensland: 3 km N on Black Mountain Road, 16.66725 ° S 145.4891 ° E, 21 Apr 1990, J. Heraty, 2♀ (00018518, 00018519) ( TAMU).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Habitus of Felisacus species.

FIGURE 8. Vesical spicules of Felisacus species.

FIGURE 11. Parameres of Felisacus species.

FIGURE 14. Genital capsule of Felisacus species.

FIGURE 17. Distribution of Felisacus species.