Poppiocapsidea biseratensis ( Distant, 1903 )

Chérot, F. & Malipatil, M. B., 2016, A review of Adelphocoris - Creontiades - Megacoelum complex (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirini), with descriptions of two new genera and four new species, Zootaxa 4126 (2), pp. 151-206 : 181-182

15.1. Poppiocapsidea biseratensis ( Distant, 1903)

( Figures 52–53 , 59–61 )

Lygus biseratensis Distant, 1903: 269 (as n. sp., pl. XVI, fig. 11), 1904a: 457 (new varieties in fauna); Megacoelum biseratense: Distant 1910: 238 (n. comb.); Poppius 1910a: 12 –13 (redescription, records), 1913: 240 (records), 1915a: 28 (records); Carvalho 1959: 159 (catalog); Creontiades biseratense: Carvalho 1981: 4 (n. comb.); Megacoelum biseratensis: Cassis & Gross 1995: 169 (catalog); Megacoelum biseratense: Schuh 1995: 832 (catalog); Poppiocapsidea biseratensis: Chérot, Yasunaga & Gorczyca 1999: 17 , 18–23 (new combination, redescription, MG, FG, spelling correction); Schuh 2002–2013 (online catalog).

Megacoelum townsvillensis Distant, 1904b: 270 (as n. sp.) (n. comb. and n. syn.), Carvalho 1959: 163 (catalog); Megacoelum townsvillense Steyskal 1973: 207 (spelling correction); Megacoelum townsvillensis: Cassis & Gross 1995: 170 (catalog), Schuh 1995: 836 (catalog), 2002–2013 (online catalog).

Material examined. Type specimens: lectotype ♀ of Lygus biseratensis Distant, 1903 (designation by Chérot, Yasunaga & Gorczyca, 1999: 16): THAILAND: PATTANI: Biserat, Annandale & Robinson leg., Siamese Malay States "1903-127", BMNH E 1231303 (NHM) (antennae and most legs missing) [this specimen was apparently collected in what is now Thailand and not in Malaysia as stated by Cassis & Gross (1995) or Chérot, Yasunaga & Gorczyca (1999)]. Lectotype ♀ of Megacoelum townsvillensis Distant, 1904b (present designation): AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND: Townsville, 11.v.1903, Dodd F. P. leg., " 1904-24 " (NHM) [the specimen bears additional modern labels with the sex, the mentions “ syntype ” and “ type ” and the code “ USNW _ ENT 00011405”, and two labels, one old with “ townsvillensis Dist ” and the second glued on the card with mention of collecting place and date]. Paralectotype Ƌ of Megacoelum townsvillensis Distant, 1904b (present designation): AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND: Townsville, 06.i.1903, D od d F. P. leg. (NHM) [the specimen bears additional modern labels with the mention “ syntype ”, an old label with the mention “1903-356”and one label glued on the card with mention of collecting locality and date].

Additional material. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND: 1♀: Rockhampton ( SAM); 1♀: Kuranda, F.P. D od d leg. ( SAM); 1Ƌ (dissected): J(unctio)n of Goldmine & Davies C(ree)ks, Kuranda—Mareeba R(oa)d, 3.v.1967, D.H. Colless leg. ( ANIC); 1♀: Townsville, G.F. Hill leg. ( SAM); 1? (abdomen missing): Cairns, 30.iii.1952, J.G. Brooks leg. (AM); 1♀: Cairns, 30.iii.1952, J.G. Brooks leg. ( ANIC); 1♀: Archer River, beating and sweeping, 27.vi.1960, C.N. Smithers leg. ( ANIC); 1♀: Archer River, beating and sweeping, 27.vi.1960, C.N. Smithers leg. (AM); 1♀: South Johnstone, 26.v.1973, B. Franzmann leg. ( QDPI); 1♀: Walkamin, 12.v.1964, on cotton, G.W.S. ( QDPI). NORTHERN TERRITORY. 1♀: Koongarra, 9.iii.1973, M. Upton leg. ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Body rugose, elongate ovate in outline; finely sericeous, setae white, suberect. Pronotum very finely and obsoletely transversely wrinkled, hemelytra narrowly and shallowly punctate. Color generally ochraceous to orange; calli area (at least partially) and a large central basal stripe to pronotum, cuneus, and membrane black, dark brown or reddish-brown; corium blackish to reddish-brown, with the lateral margins (widened into an oblong spot near apex), ochraceous to orange; lateral margins and apex of cuneus pale castaneous to reddish-brown; antennae ochraceous, distal end of first segment, distal areas of second and third, whole of fourth excluding proximal end fuscous; legs stramineous, femora ochraceous. Male genitalia. Pygophore without lobes or processes, posterior margin slightly asymmetrical. Right paramere gradually narrowed apically and tip slightly notched ( Fig. 60 , arrow). Left paramere sickle shaped, extreme tip pointed ( Fig. 59 ). Phallus ( Fig. 61 ), only lower half of SG distinct and thickly covered with long hairs, left lobe (LL) large, heavily sclerotised, lamellate but not spine like, right lobe prominent, membranous, apically covered with teeth, DS short.

Measurements ( P. biseratensis female lectotype, P. townsvillensis female lectotype, followed by range of measurements of Australian non-type male and female specimens examined in parentheses): total length: 6.8, 7.2 (5.5–7.3); maximum width: 2.40, 2.80 (2.16–2.88). Head: length of head: 0.91, 0.78 (0.83–1.00); width across eyes: 1.33, 1.44 (1.27–1.38); interocular space: 0.41, 0.41 (0.32–0.39); length of eye: 0.49, 0.44 (0.39–0.53); width of eye: 0.49, 0.45 (0.41–0.47); antennal segments length (antennae missing in P. biseratensis lectotype): I: 1.14 (0.93–1.15); II 2.50 (2.28–2.59); III 2.47 (1.93–2.41); IV 1.17 (1.00–1.14); labial segments length (not measured in townsvillensis lectotype but for the first segment): I: 0.76, 0.68 (0.68–0.77); II: 0.76 (0.76–0.79); III: 0.49 (0.49– 0.58); IV: 0.83 (0.76-0.89); length of labrum (not measured in both types): (0.45-0.60). Thorax: pronotal length: 1.36, 1.36 (1.27–1.47); width of posterior margin: 2.16, 2.45 (2.00–2.43); length of scutellum: 0.95, 1.14 (0.86– 1.25); width of scutellum: 1.14, 1.33 (1.02–1.28). Hemelytra: length of hemelytra: 5.30, 5.60 (5.04–5.88), length corium (not measured in P. biseratensis ), 4.20 (3.22–4.34).

Discussion. There is some variation in color markings among Australian specimens examined in coloration of lateral margins of corium, median surface corium and pronotum (darker almost blackish or lighter ochraceous to orange or red brown) and apex of tarsi (uniformly ochraceous to yellow or darker, blackish). This variability is interpreted as intraspecific, because the male genitalia are the same in each form. The types of P. townsvillensis perfectly conform to our generic and specific diagnosis, therefore we suggest the new combination and the new subjective synonymy: Poppiocapsidea biseratensis ( Distant, 1903) (valid name) = Poppiocapsidea townsvillensis (Distant, 1904) (new combination and new subjective junior synonym).

Figures

FIGURES 51 – 58. Habitus of ACMc members: 51. Pleurochilophorus quadripunctatus Reuter, 1905, female holotype from Eritrea (MRAC). 52. Poppiocapsidea biseratensis (Distant, 1903), a male from Thailand. 53. “ Megacoelum townsvillensis ” Distant, 1904, a junior synonym of P. biseratensis (Distant, 1903) (new synonymy), female lectotype from Australia. 54. Poppiocapsidea tagalica (Poppius, 1915) n. comb., female holotype from Philippine Islands (MZHF). 55. Poppiomegacoelum gearyi n. gen., n. sp., female paratype from Australia. 56. Pseudomegacoelum beckeri (Fieber, 1870) n. comb., a specimen from Spain (MNHN). 57. Pseudomegacoelum irbilanum (Linnavuori, 1988) n. comb., male holotype from Iraq (AMNH). 58. Pseudomegacoelum quercicola (Linnavuori, 1965) n. comb., male holotype from Tunisia (AMNH). Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 59 – 61. Male genitalia of Poppiocapsidea biseratensis (Distant, 1903): 59. Apex of left paramere. 60. Right paramere (the arrow indicates the notch). 61. Phallus. LL: left lobe. SG: secondary gonopore. Scales = 0.2 mm.