Orthocephalus scorzonerae Drapolyuk and Kerzhner

Namyatova, Anna A. & Konstantinov, Fedor V., 2009, Revision of the genus Orthocephalus Fieber, 1858 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae) 2316, Zootaxa 2316, pp. 1-118 : 83-85

Orthocephalus scorzonerae Drapolyuk and Kerzhner

Figures 3, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 20 F, 21 H, 22 G

Orthocephalus scorzonerae Drapolyuk and Kerzhner, 2000: 301–303 .

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the small size, orange femora and tibiae (fig. 3), distinctly rugose dorsum, vestiture composed of pale simple setae and flattened silver setae (fig. 22 G, also as in 22 F, 23 C), aedeagus with three spicules, two of them longer than the dorsal wall of the theca, straight, short spicule claw-shaped (fig. 9); dorsal labiate plate with short, blade-shaped medial sclerites (fig. 16). Possibly confused with O. modarresi in the coloration but that species can be separated by the almost smooth dorsum, and the presence of black simple setae and scalelike setae. Most similar in general view to O. putshkovi and O. solidus , but readily distinguished from them by the presence of three spicules in the aedeagus and medial sclerites on the dorsal labiate plate. (figs. 8, 9, 16)

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous; length 3.5–4.0. COLORATION (fig. 3): Dark brown to black. Head: Spot near inner margin of eye uniformly black, indistinct; stripe along posterior margin of eye yellowish or brownish; antennal segment I yellowish or pale brown, with darkened base, segment II yellowish or pale brown, with more or less darkened apical part, segments III and IV pale brown, paler than head; labium dark brown. Thorax: Pronotum and pleurites dark brown; evaporatorium dark brown, same color as thoracic pleurite; scutellum dark brown; coxa dark brown; femur orange or yellow with darkened bases, sometimes with dark stripe or dark minute rounded spots on ventral surface, tibia orange or yellowish, usually darkened apically; tarsus often dark brown but sometimes yellowish or pale brown; hemelytra dark brown to black; membrane uniformly pale brown. Abdomen: Dark brown to black. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum rugose. Dorsum and thoracic pleura with dense, adpressed, moderately flattened silver setae (fig. 22 G, also as in 22 F, 23 C); clypeus, antennal segments II-IV, basal margin of vertex, anterior lateral angles of pronotum, apices and posterior margins of all femora, especially fore and middle ones with long, erect, dark bristlelike setae; hemelytra at sides and apically with short pale brown simple semi-adpressed setae; abdomen with dense, silver simple setae; antennal segments I with 2 mesial spines. STRUCTURE AND MEASURE- MENTS: Body 2.2–2.7× as long as width of pronotum. Head: Relatively wide, 1.3–1.5× as wide as high; frons convex; mandibular plate short and tapering; depression along hind margin of vertex often indistinct but sometimes visible; eye small, weakly protruding (figs. 20 F, 21 H); vertex 2.4–2.7× as wide as eye; eye in contact with anterior pronotal margin; antennal fossa located at a distance from inferior margin of eye; antennal segment I shorter than diameter of eye, segment II thin, not incrassate, cylindrical, 0.6–0.7× as long as basal width of pronotum, 0.8–1.0× as long as width of head; labium reaching middle coxa. Thorax: Pronotum 2.0– 2.5× as wide as long and 1.2–1.5× as wide as head with posterior margin straight or slightly concave and lateral margin distinctly carinate, calli weakly delimited; femora relatively short and broad, hind femur approximately as wide as middle one. GENITALIA: Aedeagus with two long and one short spicules; long spicules nearly equal in length to dorsal wall of theca, straight and apically tapering; short spicule almost three-times as short as long spicule, curved (claw-shaped) (fig. 9); parameres as in fig. 12.

Female: Brachypterous, length 3.2–3.9. COLORATION: As in male. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENTS: As in male, body 2.0–2.7 as long as width of pronotum.

Head: 1.3–1.4× as wide as high; vertex 2.8–3.5× as wide as eye, antennal segment II 0.5–0.7× as long as basal width of pronotum, 0.5–0.9× as long as width of head. Thorax: Pronotum 2.1–2.6× as wide as long and 0.9– 1.3× as wide as head; length of hemelytra ranging from reaching anterior margin of abdominal tergum VI to covering abdominal tergum IX, typically hemelytra reaching abdominal segment VII; clavus and cuneus not delimited; claval commissure somewhat shorter or as long as inner claval margin; posterior and lateral margins rounded and posterior margin truncate. GENITALIA: Sclerotized rings of dorsal labiate plate oval, medial sclerites short, blade-shaped, straight and not twisted (fig. 16); posterior wall of bursa copulatrix with trapeziform sclerite membranous medially and sclerotized at sides, incision on the anterior margin broad and not reaching middle of sclerite, anterior angles of this sclerite not dentate, posterior margin without sclerites only with membrane somewhat dentate (fig. 19); vulva with straight sclerites not forming a circle (as in fig. 19, O. styx ).

DISTRIBUTION: The species has a Central Asian distribution, known from the deserts of southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

HOSTS: Drapolyuk and Kerzhner (2000) noted that in Uzbekistan the species was collected on foothill stony slopes from Takhtajaniantha pusilla (Pall.) (as Scorzonera pusilla Pall. ), Asteraceae . Judging from the label data, at least two specimens were collected in Kazakhstan from Scorzonera tau-saghyz Lipsch. & Bosse (Asteraceae) .

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Holotype: UZBEKISTAN: Ayakguzhumdy, E of Dzhankel'dy [Dzhangildy], 40.739 ° N 63.747 ° E, 16 Apr 1965, I. M. Kerzhner, Takhtajaniantha pusilla (Asteraceae) , 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260819) (ZISP).

Paratypes: KAZAKHSTAN: Kyzylorda Prov.: Burnos, Kaynar-Bastau, Karatau Mts. Range, 43.68333 ° N 68.66666 ° E, 12 May 1932, E. Kuznetsova, 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260954) (ZISP); 25 May 1934, F. Pravdin, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260956) (ZISP); 29 May 1934, F. Pravdin, 2♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260957, AMNH_PBI 00260959), 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260955) (ZISP); 31 May 1935, Izyumskaya, 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260953) (ZISP); 31 May 1935, F. Pravdin, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260962) (ZISP). Burnos, Zhosaly [Dzhusaly], 45.48333 ° N 64.1 ° E, 29 Jul 1931, Vodolazin, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260952) (ZISP). Nr Koygan-Kul' Lake, 43.68333 ° N 68.66666 ° E, 26 May 1934, F. Pravdin, 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260959) (ZISP). South Kazakhstan Prov.: Karasay, Dzhagan-ata, Kara-tau, 43.46666 ° N 69.51666 ° E, 27 May 1936 - 29 May 1936, A.K. Lukyanovich, 2♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260964, AMNH_PBI 00260965) (ZISP). Nr Kyzylol' [Kzyl-Kul] Lake, Tau- Tary, Kara-Tau Mts. Range, 43.75 ° N 69.49 ° E, 16 May 1935, F. Pravdin, 2♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260961, AMNH_PBI 00260962) (ZISP). TURKMENISTAN: 35 km SE Kelif, Khodzha-Kaynar Spring (Karlyuk), 37.58333 ° N 66.33333 ° E, 22 Apr 1974, Muminov, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260966) (ZISP). UZBEKISTAN: 20 km N from Ayakguzhumdy, 40.92 ° N 63.745 ° E, 26 Apr 1965, I. M. Kerzhner, 4♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260946 through AMNH_PBI 00260949) Scorzonera pusilla (Asteraceae) , 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00156234) (ZISP). Ayakguzhumdy, 40.73805 ° N 63.74555 ° E, 18 Apr 1966, I. M. Kerzhner, 8♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260934 through AMNH_PBI 00260938, AMNH_PBI 00260940 through AMNH_PBI 00260942), 9♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260934 through AMNH_PBI 00260942) (ZISP); 23 Apr 1966, G.S. Medvedev, 2♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260951), 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260951) (ZISP). Ayakguzhumdy, E of Dzhankel'dy [Dzhangildy], 40.739 ° N 63.747 ° E, 16 Apr 1965, I. M. Kerzhner, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00157547) Scorzonera pusilla (Asteraceae) , 48♂ (AMNH_PBI 00157703, AMNH_PBI 00222205, AMNH_PBI 00225978, AMNH_PBI 00226419, AMNH_PBI 00227523, AMNH_PBI 00237939, AMNH_PBI 00260778 through AMNH_PBI 00260805, AMNH_PBI 00260807 through AMNH_PBI 00260818, AMNH_PBI 00260820 through AMNH_PBI 00260821), 42♀ (AMNH_PBI 00235295, AMNH_PBI 00241358, AMNH_PBI 00260738 through AMNH_PBI 00260777) (ZISP); 17 Apr 1965, Loginova, Scorzonera pusilla (Asteraceae) , 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00260826), 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260825), 1 juvenille (AMNH_PBI 00260827) (ZISP); 17 Apr 1965, Narchuk, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00234992) Scorzonera pusilla (Asteraceae) , 2♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260823, AMNH_PBI 00260824) (ZISP). Between Dzhankel'dy and Ayakguzhumdy, 40.792 ° N 63.529 ° E, 22 Apr 1966, I. M. Kerzhner, 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260950) (ZISP). Kyzylkum Sands, 10 km SW of Turtkuduk, 40.643 ° N 64.184 ° E, 24 Jun 1966, L.V. Arnoldi, 2♀ (AMNH_PBI 00260963) (ZISP).