Melaleucaphylus polyphagus, 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 : 54-57

Melaleucaphylus polyphagus , new species

Figures 9D , 11 . map 4, plates 3, 21, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Coloration ranging from almost completely dark to pale and therefore potentially confused with other species, but very large, hollow, subapical spine on posterior edge of ventral strap of endosoma will unequivocally distinguish this species from all congeners.

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.20, mean pronotum width 1.13. COLORATION (pl. 3): Variable; in darkest specimens dark brownish black to black with pale cream color on portions of buccula, gena, vertex, collum, collar, posterior lobe of pronotum medially, scutellum laterally, claval suture, base of cuneus, xyphus, propleuron bordering coxae, and legs, except tarsus; membrane infuscate, veins dark brown; in palest specimens entirely pale with black on clypeus, antennal segment 1, apical segments of labium, tarsi, and phallotheca; dark areas often reddish orange or brown; tibia without dark spots at bases of spines; hemelytral membrane translucent, sometimes with dark streak near apex of large cell. SURFACE AND VESTI- TURE (pl. 3): Shining (fig. 11A); dorsum with moderately dense curved reclining black simple setae; thoracic venter and coxae with erect black setae (fig. 11B); tibia with black spines. STRUC-

TURE: Labium reaching apex of metacoxa. Pretarsus: Claws medium sized, gently curved with slightly expanded bases; parempodia somewhat lamelliform, lyrelike, relatively long, apices slightly expanded, truncate; pulvilli small, short, restricted to just proximad of angle of claw (fig. 9D). GENITALIA (fig. 11D, pl. 21A–I): Pygophore: As in generic description. Endosoma: Approximately distal one-half with torsion, twisted more caudad than to left side; base to middle of basal curve sclerotized and entire, then bifurcate with broad split; ventral strap entire, anterior surface terminating in broadly attenuate flat apex even with distal margin of proximal secondary gonopore process and posterior surface with large, smooth, hollow, apically rounded, subapical prong, originating level with proximal end of secondary gonopore process, about 3× length of secondary gonopore, reaching to distal end of secondary gonopore; dorsal strap undivided, narrow over entire length, terminating in thin pointed apex. Secondary gonopore: Well-sclerotized, deep, surface of aperture convoluted, with large, well-sclerotized, irregularly shaped, proximally attached secondary gonopore process, caudal surface of process broadly hatchet shaped; interstrap membrane with very thin sclerite reaching from base of endosoma to secondary gonopore. Phallotheca: Large, attenuate apical region with undulating posterior surface; base of exposed portion expanded and angulate on right side; aperture large, located on anteroventral surface. Parameres: Left paramere: Broadly triangular in dorsal view, posterior process short, abruptly narrowed, base weakly expanded laterally, longer than anterior process; anterior process short with long apical seta; posterior surface of paramere moderately expanded posteriorly, not raised above bases of anterior and posterior processes. Right paramere: Moderately elongate, somewhat broad distally, margins smoothly rounded; apex short.

FEMALE (pl. 3): Coloration as in male; differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.37, mean pronotum width 1.22. GENITALIA (pl. 21J–L): Posterior margin of sternite 7: With broadly triangular projection. Vestibular sclerites: Situated medially, relatively small, J-shaped, convoluted, lateral margin curved, weakly extending to right side, anterior edge extending even with anterior mar- gins of rings and occupying interring region in dorsal view; vestibulum weakly sclerotized from posterior margin of ventral labiate plate to first gonapophyses. First gonapophyses: Weakly sclerotized. Ventral labiate plate: Left and right portions symmetrically developed. Dorsal labiate plate: Relatively small, ovoid; posteroventral edge folded. Sclerotized rings: Relatively small, subovoid, margins narrow, separated by width of ring, anterior and lateral margins slightly, not reaching lateral margin of dorsal labiate plate. Posteromedial region: Sunken microspiculate invaginated plates, abutting on midline, posterior margins slightly uneven. Intersegmental process: Triangular, tilted and directed anteriad, microspiculate, apical margin entire. Posterior wall: Moderately large, well sclerotized. Interramal sclerites: With shallow, vertical, posteriorly directed medial prominence; ventrolateral regions with obvious sclerotized subrectangular extensions. Interramal lobes: Dorsolateral region hyaline; regions either side of medial prominence with microspiculate surfaces, somewhat produced into genital chamber.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on multiple hosts; from the Greek, polys, “many, much,” and, phagein, “to eat.”

HOSTS: Recorded from Baeckea uncinella ( Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae ), Melaleuca brevifolia (pl. 39A), M. cucullata , M. hamulosa (pl. 39E), M. halmaturorum (pl. 39C, D) and M. wilsonii (pl. 40H) ( Myrtaceae : Melaleuceae ).

DISTRIBUTION (map 4): Known from several collecting events from the west and south coasts of Western Australia in the southwest interzone and southwestern phytogeographic subregions. Also known from Little Desert National Park, Victoria, and adjacent southeastern South Australia in the Adelaide phytogeographic subregion.

DISCUSSION: This is one of a handful of phyline species with disjunct distributions including coastal Western Australia, southern South Australia, and Victoria. Careful examination of male genitalic preparations from across the known distribution reveals remarkable uniformity of structure and we therefore treat specimens from a broad distributional range as conspecific.

Specimens collected on Melaleuca hamulosa from Lake Magenta Road, 4 km N of South Coast Highway are uniformly pale with black coloration restricted to the clypeus and antennal segment 1 but have identical male genitalia as in dark patterned specimens. We therefore treat them as conspecific. These pale specimens are similar in coloration and overall appearance to Leptospermia cassisi , but the structure of the endosoma is distinctive and the posterior margin of the pygophore in M. polyphagus is more pointed and not as deep ventrally as in L. cassisi , in which the caudal surface of the pygophore is perpendicular to the aperture in lateral view. Additionally, the dorsal vestiture of the former is more sparse and shorter than in the latter.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Victoria: Little Desert National Park, 23 km E on McDonald Hiway, 36.56668 ° S 141.5 ° E, 150 m, 04 Nov 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca wilsonii F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395989, 13 ( AMNH _PBI 00372229) ( MVMA).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Scorpion Springs Cons. Park, 35.60421 ° S 140.8646 ° E, 125 m, 10 Nov 1998, Schuh , Cassis, Silveira, Melaleuca brevifolia Turcz. (Myrtaceae) , det. Royal Bot Gard. NSW 427362, 73 (00087249, 00087474, 00393607–00393611), 5♀ (00087250, 00393616–00393619) ( AM), 13 (00414793), 2♀ (00414794, 00414795) ( AMNH), 43 (00393612–00393615), 3♀ (00393620– 00393622) ( SAMA). Victoria: Little Desert National Park, 23 km E on McDonald Hiway, 36.56668 ° S 141.5 ° E, 150 m, 04 Nov 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca wilsonii F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395989, 123 (00372224, 00372225, 00372227, 00372228, 00372230–00372235, 00087295, 00087495), 7♀ (00372238–00372243, 00087296) ( AM), 433 (00132515–00132522, 00132524, 00132530– 00132555, 00132559–00132566), 21♀ (00132571–00132583, 00132586, 00132587, 00132593–00132598) ( AMNH), 33 (00132556– 00132558), 2♀ (00132584, 00132585) ( ANIC), 13 (00132511), 1♀ (00132567) ( CNC), 73 (00372226, 00132523, 00132525–00132529), 7♀ (00372236, 00372237, 00132588–00132592) ( MVMA), 13 (00132513), 1♀ (00132569) ( UCR), 13 (00132514), 1♀ (00132570) ( USNM), 13 (00132512), 1♀ (00132568) ( ZISP). Little Desert National Park, Broughton’s Waterhole, McDonald Highway, 36.56868 ° S 141.3357 ° E, 136 m, 06 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Melaleuca wilsonii F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. Field ID, 73 (00368521–00368526, 00368528), 11♀ (00368529–00368539) ( AMNH), 13 (00368527), 3♀ (00368540–00368542) ( MVMA). Little Desert National Park, Stans Camp Track, 36.58686 ° S 141.5622 ° E, 173 m, 06 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Melaleuca wilsonii F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. Field ID, 133 (00368543–00368554, 00368556), 4♀ (00368558–00368560, 00368562) ( AMNH), 23 (00368555, 00368557), 1♀ (00368561) ( MVMA). Western Australia: 4.2 km SE of Esperance, Lake Mullet Nature Reserve, 33.79691 ° S 121.95427 ° E, 10 m, 23 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh , G. Cassis, and R. Silveira, Baeckea uncinella Benth. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671299, 13 (00372128), 3♀ (00372129–00372131) ( AM). 7.9 km N of Ravensthorpe, 33.53626 ° S 119.9993 ° E, 400 m, 05 Nov 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca cucullata Turcz. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05236657, 13 (00391145), 2♀ (00391146, 00391147) ( AM), 13 (00414810), 1♀ (00414811) ( AMNH). Gingin, 31.21 ° S 115.55 ° E, 104 m, 17 Sep 1969, K. T. Richards, 113 (00391109, 00391117, 00391143, 00391107, 00391108, 00391111, 00391114, 00391115, 00391122, 00391129, 00391142), 3♀ (00391134, 00391136, 00391138) ( AM); 29 Aug 1969, K. T. Richards, 113 (00391112, 00391113, 00391116, 00391118, 00391120, 00391123, 00391125–00391128, 00391157), 6♀ (00391131–00391133, 00391137, 00391139, 00391140) ( AM); 09 Sep 1969, P.J. Lawrence, 33 (00391110, 00391119, 00391130), 1♀ (00391135) ( AM); 12 Sep 1969, P.J. Lawrence, 23 (00391124, 00391121), 1♀ (00391141) ( AM). Lake Magenta Road, 4 km N of South Coast Hiway, 33.77872 ° S 119.2887 ° E, 400 m, 07 Dec 1997, Schuh , Cassis, Brailovsky, Asquith, Melaleuca hamulosa Turcz. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05054567, 123 (00393560– 00393571), 15♀ (00393592–00393606) ( AM), 63 (00131494–00131499), 10♀ (00131500– 00131509) ( AMNH), 33 (00393577–00393579), 3♀ (00393580–00393582) ( UNSW), 53 (00393572–00393576), 5♀ (00393587– 00393591) ( WAMP).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUS-

TRALIA: Victoria: Jeparit Environmental Park, 36.14047 ° S 141.9643 ° E, 90 m, 05 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Melaleuca halmaturorum F. Muell. ex Miq. (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 658110, 13 (00414809) (AMNH). Little Desert National Park, McDonald Highway, 36.58255 ° S 141.6418 ° E, 190 m, 05 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Melaleuca wilsonii F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 658111, 13 (00414808) (AMNH). Little Desert National Park, Stans Camp Track, 36.58686 ° S 141.5622 ° E, 173 m, 06 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Melaleuca wilsonii F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. Field ID, 1 nymph (00368563) (AMNH). Western Australia: Lake Magenta Road, 4 km N of South Coast Hiway, 33.77872 ° S 119.2887 ° E, 400 m, 07 Dec 1997, Schuh , Cassis, Brailovsky, Asquith, Melaleuca hamulosa Turcz. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05054567, 4 nymphs (00393583–00393586) (AM).

Figures

FIG. 9. Melaleucaphylus spp. Scanning electron micrographs of pretarsus. A. M. nodosae, AMNH_PBI 00371390, frontodorsal view. B. M. omnivorus, AMNH_PBI 00391104, frontodorsal view. C. M. phymatocarpi, AMNH_PBI 00372120, frontal view. D. M. polyphagus, AMNH_PBI 00132521, frontodorsal view. E., F. M. rhaphiophyllae, AMNH_PBI 00393437. E. Frontodorsal view. F. Detail of parempodia, ventral view. G. M. sheathianae, AMNH_PBI 00370823, frontolateral view. Abbreviations: pe, parempodium; pul, pulvillus.

FIG. 11. Melaleucaphylus polyphagus, AMNH_PBI 00132521. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Head and pronotum, lateral view. B. Detail of pronotal setae, dorsal view. C. Thoracic pleuron, lateral view, showing metathoracic spiracle opening, metathoracic scent-gland auricle, and evaporatory area. D. Pygophore, left paramere, and phallotheca, lateral view. Abbreviations: lp, left paramere; mttsp, metathoracic spiracle; phl, phallotheca; sgaur, scent gland auricle; sgev, scent gland evaporatory area.