Melaleucaphylus eremaeae, Schwartz & Weirauch & Schuh, 2018

Schwartz, Michael D., Weirauch, Christiane & Schuh, Randall T., 2018, New Genera And Species Of Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae From Australia, And The Description Of A New Species Of Restiophylus (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) Michael D. Schwartz Christiane Weirauch, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (424), pp. 1-161 : 33-34

Melaleucaphylus eremaeae , new species

Figure 4C , map 2, plates 1, 10, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished by the smaller body, short, somewhat thickened antennal segment 2; overall dull olive gray to olive orange coloration, cuneus concolorous with hemelytron; and ventral strap of endosoma without projection from posterior edge. Other features discriminating M. eremaeae from M. omnivorus are apically dark antennal segment 2 in female, lamelliform lyrelike parempodia, and length and curvature of anterior and posterior spines of endosomal dorsal strap (former species with confluent apical spines and posterior spine shorter than anterior spine, latter species with diverging apical spines and posterior spine longer than anterior spine, in dorsal view).

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.00, mean pronotum width 1.08. COLORATION (pl. 1): General coloration dark dull olive gray to slightly paler olive orange, cuneus concolorous with hemelytron, not shades of red; narrow apical band of antennal segment 2 diffusely black; clypeus, central portion of frons, antennal segments 3 and 4, calli, tibia distally, and phallotheca dusky; wide periphery of hemelytral membrane fumose, hyaline near veins and cuneus, veins dusky yellow; tibia without dark spots at bases of black spines, tarsus black; abdomen concolorous with dorsum. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 1): Shining; dorsum with moderately dense, curved, reclining, black, simple setae; ventral surface of thorax and distal and lateral surfaces of all coxae with black bristlelike setae. STRUCTURE: Antennal segment 2 relatively short; labium reaching apex of mesocoxa. Pretarsus: Claws relatively small, slightly curved, bases not enlarged; parempodia lamelliform, lyrelike, apices expanded, truncate; pulvilli moderate sized, proximad of angle of claw (fig. 4C). GENITALIA (pl. 10): Pygophore: Relatively broad in dorsal view, dorsal surface with only a few longer bristles near both paramere insertions. Endosoma: Ventral strap entire, terminating level with middle of secondary gonopore, anterior surface with smooth margin reaching to posterior edge; posterior edge without process; dorsal strap bifurcate level with apex of secondary gonopore, divided into pair of narrow, approximately equal-length, gently curved parallel sharp spines, both spines projecting over left side of endosoma, reaching approximately 2× length of secondary gonopore; only apex of posterior spine diverging from apex of anterior spine, otherwise proximal length of both spines gently curving together; posterior spine shorter than anterior spine by 2× diameter of apex of spine. Secondary gonopore: Well-sclerotized, proximal edge with indistinct microspiculate membrane and well-sclerotized process wrapped around proximal margin of secondary gonopore, then expanded into small triangular apex, proximal edge of apex not narrowed. Phallotheca: Moderately sized, relatively narrowed apical region with short, low prominence on posterior surface; elongate ovoid aperture on anterior surface. Parameres: Left paramere: Compressed, triangular, in dorsal view, posterior processes with expanded base, abruptly narrowed, longer than anterior process; anterior process short, apex small, smoothly rounded; posterior surface of paramere without protuberance. Right paramere: Moderate length, margins smoothly rounded; apex short slightly notched.

FEMALE (pl. 1): Coloration as in male; differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.55, mean pronotum width 1.21.

GENITALIA: Not examined.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on the genus Eremaea .

HOST: Recorded from Eremaea beaufortioides var. beaufortioides ( Myrtaceae : Melaleuceae ) (pl. 37F).

DISTRIBUTION (map 2): Known only from the type locality on the west coast of Western Australia north of Perth in the southwestern phytogeographic subregion.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Eneabba on Brand Hiway, 29.80735 ° S 115.2699 ° E, 100 m, 31 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Eremaea beaufortioides Benth. var. beauforti-

oides ( Myrtaceae ), det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120187, 13 ( AMNH _PBI 00136216) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Eneabba on Brand Hiway, 29.80735 ° S 115.2699 ° E, 100 m, 31 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Eremaea beaufortioides Benth. var. beaufortioides (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120187, 43 (00136212, 00136215, 00136218, 00136220) ( AM), 33 (00136213, 00136217, 00136219), 1♀ (00136221) ( AMNH), 1♀ (00136222) ( WAMP).

Figures

FIG. 4. Melaleucaphylus spp. Scanning electron micrographs of pretarsus. A, B. M. beaufortiae, AMNH_PBI 00087288. A. Frontoventral view. B. Detail of parempodia, ventral view. C. M. eremaeae, AMNH_PBI 00136216, frontoventral view. D. M. glomeratae, AMNH_PBI 00418691, frontoventral view. E. M. halmaturorum, AMNH_PBI 00371542, frontoventral view. F. M. kunzeae, AMNH_PBI 00128299, frontal view. Abbreviations: pe, parempodium; pul, pulvillus.