Wallabicoris lachnostachyos, Schuh & P. Pedraza, 2010

Schuh, R. T. & P. Pedraza, 2010, Wallabicoris, New Genus (Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Phylini) From Australia, With The Description Of 37 New Species And An Analysis Of Host Associations, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (338), pp. 1-118 : 39-42

Wallabicoris lachnostachyos , new species Figures 14, 15; map 1; plate 2

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the chalkwhite coloration of the body and appendages (pl. 2), the small size, with a mean total length of 3.59, and the structure of the male genitalia, the apical portion of the endosoma weakly curving, the secondary strap of the endosoma complete and with a short submedial undulation, and the left paramere greatly elongate, with a low shoulder on the posterior process, open over most of the dorsal surface (fig. 15), and greatly exceeding the margin of the pygophore in repose. Head only moderately projecting beyond anterior margin of eyes, mean ratio width head/length head 3.37. Breeds on Dicrastylis sp. and Lachnostachys spp. (Lamiaceae) . The smallest of the similarly colored Lamiaceae-feeding species including W. cassis , W. dicrastyli , W. newcastelii , W. paradicrastyli , and W. prostantheri and the Thymelaeaceae-feeding W. pinocchii . Smaller than all the chalk-white Asteraceae-feeding species. Potentially confused with W. rutidosi , but that species significantly larger, mean total length 4.87, and with a broken secondary endosomal strap and with the left paramere not elongate.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body relatively short and stout, weakly to distinctly ovoid, total length 3.29–3.80, ratio l/w 5 2.73. COLOR- ATION (pl. 2): Pronotum unicolorous pale, nearly white; hemelytron unicolorous pale, nearly white markings on cuneus absent; membrane unicolorous pale with most of extreme base unicolorous with remainder, veins white; venter unicolorous pale or mostly so; antennal segment 1 unicolorous pale, with one or two black medial setae; antennal segment 2 unicolorous pale; labium pale with segment 4 heavily infuscate; hind femora with a few brown or black spots; hind tibial spines dark with very small dark bases. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum with reclining simple setae matching background coloration, and with some sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Moderately projecting, ratio wh/lh 5 3.21 (fig. 14A); antennal fossa with ventral margin of fossa at ventral margin of eye; interocular space small, ratio iod/wh 5 0.53; eyes leaving gena broadly exposed in lateral view (hg5–14/ he20); labium very long, reaching well onto pygophore. GENITALIA (figs. 14D–F, 15): Endosoma: Base moderately long, with a tight U-shaped bend; distal half of shaft smoothly curving; primary endosomal strap weakly elongate apically, ratio lae/lsg 1.92; apex of primary endosomal strap distinctly curving; secondary endosomal strap very slender, of uniform width from endosomal bend to gonopore, reaching to level of secondary gonopore, with a short submedial undulation; secondary gonopore seen laterally in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: More or less right angulate, dorsal surface with a hump; dorsal surface without a conspicuous keel. Left Paramere: Body very elongate, greatly exceeding margin of pygophore; in dorsal perspective open over nearly entire length; body tapered toward apex in lateral perspective; anterior process arising at posterior margin of shaft; anterior process directed vertically; posterior process appearing tubular, fingerlike; posterior process with strongly projecting shoulder at base; base of posterior process at about level of paramere body or very weakly elevated. Right Paramere: Body moderately elongate, ratio lrp/ wrp 3.11; body rounded laterally; posterior margin with a distinct protuberance subapically; body elevated at juncture with base; apex tapered.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the host genus, Lachnostachys Hooker (Lamiaceae) .

HOSTS: Recorded from Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce , Lachnostachys coolgardiensis S. Moore (pl. 9A), and Dicrastylis fulva forma fulva Harv. (Lamiaceae) (pl. 8D).

DISTRIBUTION (map 1): Known from the Goldfields and adjacent west-coastal heathland areas in Western Australia.

DISCUSSION: The known distribution of W. lachnostachyos corresponds closely with the distributions of its known hosts in the Goldfields/Kalbarri region of Western Australia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Kalbarri National Park, 7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.68008 ° S 114.2386 ° E, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 05120497, 13 (AMNH_PBI 00136086) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 11 km S of Eneabba on Brand Hiway, Eneabba Reserve, 29.91094 ° S 115.1175 ° E, 100 m, 21 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Symonds, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Lamiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH6989594, 43 (00369054–00369057), 3♀ (00369058–00369060) ( AMNH). 24 km W of Sandstone, 28.01426 ° S 119.0474 ° E, 650 m, 26 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys coolgardiensis S. Moore (Chloanthaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05095174, 13 (00088003), 4♀ (00088004–00088007) ( AM). Brand Hiway 3.2 km S of Rocky Springs Road, 29.94 ° S 115.268 ° E, 150 m, 01 Nov 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det.field ID PERTH05120497,53(00087853– 00087857), 5♀ (00087864–00087868) ( AM), 103 (00134784–00134791–00134792, 00134795), 9♀ (00134798–00134803, 00134805, 00134813, 00134817) ( AMNH), 63 (00087851–00087852, 00134793–00134794, 00134796–00134797), 13♀ (00087862–00087863, 00134804, 00134806– 00134812, 00134814–00134816) ( WAMP). Kalbarri National Park, 7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.68008 ° S 114.2386 ° E, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det. Field ID PERTH 05120497, 133 (00087458, 00087960– 00087971), 10♀ (00087972–00087981) ( AM), 163 (00136084–00136085, 00136087–00136095– 00136097–00136100), 8♀ (00136109–00136114, 00136123, 00136125) ( AMNH), 113(00087731– 00087733, 00136101–00136108), 22♀ (00087734– 00087741, 00136115–00136121–00136122, 00136124, 00136126–00136130) ( WAMP). Kalbarri National Park, Z-Bend Road, 27.66975 ° S 114.2841 ° E, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120497, 63 (00087188, 00089716–00089720), 8♀ (00089731–00089738) ( AM), 173 (00136028–00136030–00136043– 00136044), 13♀ (00136055–00136064–00136066, 00136135) ( AMNH), 213 (00089721–00089730, 00089743, 00136045–00136054), 29♀ (00089739– 00089752, 00136067–00136074, 00136131– 00136134, 00136136–00136138) ( WAMP).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRA- LIA: Western Australia: 11 km S of Eneabba on Brand Hiway, Eneabba Reserve, 29.91094 ° S 115.1175 ° E, 100 m, 21 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Symonds, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Lamiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH6989- 594, 153 (00090883–00090888–MNH_PBI 00090890–00090897), 1 nymph (00369061) (AMNH), 53 (00090878–00090882), 9♀ (00090898–00090906) (UNSW). Brand Hiway 3.2 km S of Rocky Springs Road, 29.94 ° S 115.268 ° E, 150 m, 01 Nov 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 05120497, 4♀ (00087876–00087879), 3 nymphs (00087880–00087882) (AM), 43 (00087858–00087861), 7♀ (00087869– 00087875) (UNSW). Kalbarri National Park, 7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.68008 ° S 114.2386 ° E, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 05120497, 73 (00135939–00135945), 16♀ (00135946–00135961) (AMNH). Kalbarri National Park, Z-Bend Road, 27.66975 ° S 114.2841 ° E, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Lachnostachys eriobotrya (F. Muell.) Druce (Chloanthaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120497, 9♀ (00136075–00136083), 3 nymphs (00132026–00132028) (AMNH), 43 (00132022–00132025), 4♀ (00132035– 00132038) (CNC), 53 (00132013–00132017), 3♀ (00132029–00132031) (USNM), 43 (00132018–00132021), 3♀ (00132032–00132034) (ZISP). Kalbarri National Park, Z-Bend Road, 27.64166 ° S 114.4569 ° E, 450 m, 28 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Dicrastylis fulva forma fulva Harv. (Chloanthaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120500, 33 (00136139– 00136141), 3♀ (00136144–00136146), 2 nymphs (00136142, 00136143) (AMNH).