Slaterocoris sparsus Kelton

Schwartz, Michael D., 2011, Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The North American Genus Slaterocoris Wagner With New Synonymy, The Description Of Five New Species And A New Genus From Mexico, And A Review Of The Genus Scalponotatus Kelton (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (354), pp. 1-290 : 231-232

Slaterocoris sparsus Kelton

Figures 13 , 45D–E , 48 ; plate 3 ; map 10

Slaterocoris sparsus Kelton, 1968: 1125 , fig. 7 (orig. desc.); Knight, 1970: 251, fig. 21, (disc.); Henry and Wheeler, 1988: 451 (catalog); Schuh, 1995: 199 (catalog).

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished among flavipes - group species by the obviously pale yellow antennal segment I with black basal annulus, the yellowish-orange femora except for the black bases (fig. 13), the sparse, almost glabrous, short, dark vestiture, and the right paramere without a medial lobe (fig. 48, arrow). The femora in S. sheridani are black with a pale yellow apical regions; in S. longipennis , the femora are almost entirely pale; both species have antennal segment I black. The vestiture of S. flavipes is dense, long, and pale.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Moderately small, subovate; length 3.10–4.30, width 1.45–2.05 (pl. 3). COLORATION: Black; antennal segment I pale yellow to yellowish orange, black basally, segment II black, sometimes with diffuse, dusky pale yellowish brown basally and toward middle; leg yellowish orange, black coxa, trochanter, on base of femur, apex of tibia, and tarsomeres. VESTITURE: Sparse, reclining, short, brown simple setae. STRUCTURE: Body conformation both sexes similar. MALE GENITALIA: As in species group except: Endosomal spicule: Dorsal lobe with narrow dorsal portion longer than wide basal portion; serration of basal portion sparse (fig. 45E, arrow); apex of dorsal portion slightly expanded (fig. 45D, E). Right paramere: Subapical region short with variable number of small spines (fig. 48A–D).

Female: Moderately small, ovate; length 3.75–4.30, width 1.70–2.08 (pl. 3). COLORATION: As in male except antennal segment II usually paler medially. STRUCTURE: Costal margin strongly curved. GENITALIA: As in species group except: Vestibulum, anteroventral margin of anterior wall: Sclerotized and incised medially, sclerotization reaching to lateral margins of bursa copulatrix. Ventral labiate plate: Strongly produced, base moderately wide, triangular, apically cleft. Second gonapophyses: Anterior medial surface slightly convex. Interramal sclerite: Dorsomedial region flat, not produced anteriorly, posteromedial portion with tumid process abutting ovipositor bulb. Interramal lobe: Basal (dorsal) insertion with membranous attachment, dorsomedial margin with short process.

HOSTS: Ericameria nauseosa (Asteraceae) (118 specimens, 6 collection events) is the only known breeding host. A native California species of Asteraceae , Hymenoclea salsola (1 specimen, 1 collection event), upon more collecting may eventually prove to be a breeding host, but three non-asteraceous plants are considered to be sitting records.

DISTRIBUTION: Apparently limited to montane chaparral and woodland habitats of southern California in the transverse ranges and the southern extent of the Sierra Nevada Mountains bordering the western and southern boundary of the Mojave Desert. The western and easternmost localities are in Ventura County and the Providence Mountains, respectively ( map 10 ).

COLLECTION SUMMARY: Known from 133 specimens from 14 collection events with almost all the specimens collected in May; some from early July in Ventura County are outliers.

DISCUSSION: Some specimens of S. sheridani from Arizona and Nevada have antennal segment I pale to dusky pale yellow, but black occupies more of the femora basally in these specimens and the antennal segment I is not clearly pale yellow with a black basal annulus as in S. sparsus . Additionally, the male of S. sheridani has a medial lobe in the right paramere, a feature not known in S. sparsus .

HOLOTYPE: USA: California: Tulare Co.: California Hot Springs [35.880286 N 118.672786 W], 23 May 1940, C.G. Lewis, ( Poaceae ), 18 ( AMNH _ PBI 00112133 ) ( CNC).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA: California: Kern Co.: 12 mi N of Kernville, 35.87236 N 118.45476 W, 975 m, 10 May 1997, W.F. Chamberlain, 18 (00245374) ( TAMU). E of Caliente on Caliente Creek Rd, Twin Oaks, 35.307026 N 118.42336 W, 836 m, 22 May 2004, Schuh, Cassis, Schwartz, Weirauch, Wyniger, Forero, Ericameria nauseosa , det. A. Saunders UCR 140644 [PBI_ CAL04-H126], 158 (00091707, 00092015– 00092027, 00371989), 8♀ (00092028–00092035) ( AM), 128 (00107883, 00108621–00108631), 12♀ (00108142, 00108611–00108620, 00322851) ( AMNH). E of Caliente on Walker Basin Road, 35.387746 N 118.4256 W, 1220 m, 22 May 2004, Schuh, Cassis, Schwartz, Weirauch, Wyniger, Forero, Ericameria nauseosa , det. Field ID, 148 (00322832–00322845), 5♀ (00322846–00322850), Lupinus albifrons Benth. (Fabaceae) , det. A. Sanders UCR 140627 [PBI CAL04-H129], 18 (00137232) ( AMNH). S of Tehachapi on Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd, 35.055026 N 118.36966 W, 1329 m, 21 May 2004, Schuh, Cassis, Schwartz, Weirauch, Wyniger, Forero, Ericameria nauseosa , det. A. Saunders UCR 140653 [PBI_CAL04- H92], 208 (00092051–00092069, 00371990), 11♀ (00092041–00092050, 00371991) ( AM). S of Tehachapi on Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd, 35.068896 N 118.39596 W, 1393 m, 21 May 2004, Schuh, Cassis, Schwartz, Weirauch, Wyniger, Forero, Ericameria nauseosa , det. Field ID, 48 (00322852–00322855), 1♀ (00322856) ( AMNH). Walker Pass on Rt 178, 35.66256 N 118.025836 W, 1600 m, 18 May 2000, M.D. Schwartz, Ericameria nauseosa , 1♀ (00108642) ( AMNH). nr Kernville, Headquarters Camp, Sequoia National Forest, 35.754726 N 118.424446 W, 18 Jun 1993, W.F. Chamberlain, 18 (00119050), 18, 1♀ [in copulo] (00119051) ( TAMU). Riverside Co.: Chino Canyon, mouth of, T4S R4E S7, 33.84886 N 116.57056 W, 680 m, 23 Apr 1996, M. Swearingen, 18 (00119799) ( UCR). San Bernardino Co.: Phelan, Rt 138 at Phelan Road, 34.425316 N 117.61746 W, 1310 m, 16 May 2004, Schuh, Cassis, Schwartz, Weirauch, Wyniger, Forero, Ericameria nauseosa , det. A. Saunders UCR 140595 [PBI_CAL04- H2], 18 (00092036), 3♀ (00092038–00092040), Hymenoclea salsola , det. A. Saunders UCR 140682 [PBI_CAL04-H11], 1♀ (00092037) ( AM), Ericameria nauseosa , det. A. Saunders UCR 140595 [PBI_CAL04-H2], 68 (00107876, 00108606–00108610), 4♀ (00108603–00108605, 00169984), ( AMNH). Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, 35.030286 N 115.527226 W, 1311 m, 18 May 1982, M.D. Schwartz, Rhamnus ilicifolia Kellogg (Rhamnaceae) , 18 (00112032) ( CNC). Santa Barbara Co. : Bluff Campground, San Rafael Mountains, 34.673886 N 119.666526 W, 1356 m, 29 May 1959, unknown, 18 (00119874) ( UCR). Tulare Co.: 12 mi N of Kernville, 35.928776 N 118.424446 W, 10 May 1997, W.F. Chamberlain, 18 (00119052), 1♀ (00291139) ( TAMU). California Hot Springs, 35.880286 N 118.672786 W, 23 May 1940, C.G. Lewis, ( Poaceae ), paratype, 1♀ (00112134) ( CNC). Ventura Co.: Sespe Canyon, 34.57866 N 119.2596 W, 1076 m, 10 Jul 1959, C.A. Campbell, paratypes, 2♀ (00121701–00121702) ( CAS), paratype, 18 (00112132) ( CNC).

Figures

Plate 3. Dorsal habitus photographs of Slaterocoris punctatus—S. tibialis (see appendix 1 for USI codes and localities).

Map 10. Localities for Slaterocoris longipennis and S. sparsus.

Fig. 13. Hind leg coloration for Slaterocoris species.

Fig. 45. Slaterocoris species, endosoma. A–C. S. sheridani. A. 8 mi W of Belfield, ND. B. Englewood, CO. C. 12 mi W of Pueblo, CO. D, E. S. sparsus. D. Caliente Creek Road, CA. E. Sespe Canyon, CA.

Fig. 48. Slaterocoris sparsus, right paramere. A. Phelan, CA. B. Sespe Canyon, CA. C, D. Caliente Creek Road, CA.