Ausejanus minutus, Menard & Schuh, 2011

Menard, Katrina L. & Schuh, Randall T., 2011, Revision Of Leucophoropterini: Diagnoses, Key To Genera, Redescription Of The Australian Fauna, And Descriptions Of New Indo-Pacific Genera And Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (361), pp. 1-159 : 62-64

Ausejanus minutus , new species Figures 7 , 10A ; plate 3

DIAGNOSIS: Ausejanus minutus identical in coloration to A. bournda , but recognized by smaller size and differences in shape of left and right parameres. Female nearly identical in coloration to female of A. schwartzi (pl. 3).

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, medium sized, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 2.87–3.32, width pronotum 0.80–0.89, maximum width across hemelytra 1.04–1.19. COLORATION: Dark brown, with weakly transparent area in corium along medial portion of claval sutures that forms visible transverse fascia in some specimens, and anterior margins cuneus white. Head dark brown. All antennal segments brown, with segment 2 darker brown. Labium dark brown. Eyes dark red to purple. Thorax, pronotum, and scutellum dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with thin white margin. All coxae entirely dark brown with apical lightening to gold at joint with trochanter. Profemora dark basally, gold distally, meso- and metafemora completely dark brown. Pro- and mesotibiae segments brown basally, gold distally, metatibia completely dark brown and with parallel rows of dark spicules. Basal tarsomeres gold, distally dark brown. Dark brown, with weakly transparent area in corium along medial portion of claval sutures that transverses over clavus and forms complete transverse fascia in some specimens, at most J of area of cuneus along anterior margin of cuneal fracture distinctly white with reddish tinge along anterior margins with cuneal fracture (pl. 3). Abdomen dark brown. STRUCTURE: Vertex width equal to width of one eye, eyes total height of head when head viewed laterally. Length of antennal segment 2 over 1.33 total head width. GENITALIA: Left Paramere: Posterior process relatively short and closer in size to anterior process, apex of posterior process directed ventrally (fig. 10A).

Female: Macropterous. Total length 2.43– 3.07, width pronotum 0.78–0.99, width at widest part of wings 0.99–1.29. STRUC- TURE: Vertex equal to half total head width. Length of antennal segment 2 equal to 1.2 times total head width. COLORATION: As in male with following exceptions: transverse fascia much more pronounced with anterior of corium completely white with fascia and with anterior margin transitioning from gold brown into dark brown rather than relatively defined line in male (pl. 3), profemur with apical lightening at joint with protibia less pronounced, dorsoposterior margin of metepisternum with wider white margin, and cuneus with larger lobes white.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin noun for small, due to its relatively small size as compared with other Ausejanus species.

HOSTS: Myrtaceae , specifically Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. and Leptospermum lanigerum Maiden and Betche.

DISTRIBUTION: Tasmania.

DISCUSSION: Ausejanus minutus is similar in coloration to A. bournda and A. schwartzi , but differentiated from the former by the lack of a transverse fascia in the males, and separated from the latter by the relatively narrow posterior process of the left paramere, the wider area of white on the anterior margin of the cuneus, and the pale brown coloration of the hemelytron in females.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: 0.5 km SE of Couta Rocks: ‘‘Murphy’s Spring,’’ terminus of C214, Mick Murphy’s House, 41.18012 ° S 144.68716 ° E, 8 m, 24 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. (Myrtaceae) , det. Field ID. 18 (00271953) ( AM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: 0.5 km NW of Southwest National Park (Maydena access): Huon Campground, off of Scotts Peak Rd, 43.03732 ° S 146.29721 ° E, 276 m, 19 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Leptospermum lanigerum Maiden & Betche (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658232, 2♀ (00272022, 00272024) ( AM), Leptospermum lanigerum Maiden & Betche (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658232, 5♀ (00272021, 00272025, 00272027–00272029) ( AMNH), 1♀ (00272023) ( USNM). 0.5 km SE of Couta Rocks: ‘‘Murphy’s Spring,’’ terminus of C214, Mick Murphy’s House, 41.18012 ° S 144.68716 ° E, 8 m, 24 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. (Myrtaceae) , det. Field ID, 18 (00271946), 6♀ (00271987, 00271989, 00271995, 00272000, 00272007, 00272009) ( AM), 68 (00271948, 00271950, 00271955, 00271957–00271958, 00271984), 29♀ (00271962, 00271969, 00271975–00271980, 00271982–00271983, 00271985–00271986, 00271988, 00271990– 00271994, 00271996–00271998, 00272001– 00272006, 00272010, 00272012) ( AMNH), 28 (00271947, 00271954), 5♀ (00271964, 00271972, 00271981, 00272008, 00272011) ( ANIC), 18 (00271951), 3♀ (00271971, 00271973–00271974) ( SAMA), 28 (00271944, 00271956), 3♀ (00271966–00271968) ( TAMU), 28 (00271945, 00271949), 3♀ (00271963, 00271965, 00271999) ( USNM). 8 km W of Granville Harbour: C249, 38 km WNW of Zeehan, 41.81038 ° S 145.03063 ° E, 12 m, 23 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658249, 18 (00271961), 3♀ (00272014, 00272018, 00272020) ( AM), 18 (00271960), 1♀ (00272019) ( AMNH), 1♀ (00272016) ( ANIC), 18 (00271959), 1♀ (00272017) ( SAMA), 1♀ (00272015) ( TAMU), 1♀ (00272013) ( USNM).

Ausejanus neboissi (Carvalho and Gross) , new combination Figures 7 , 9C, E ; plate 3

Sejanus neboissi Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 11 , figs. 1–3, 94 (n. sp., descr., DV, MG).

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from other members of Ausejanus by predominantly red coloration of head, thorax, abdomen, hemelytra, and membrane veins (pl. 3). Transverse fascia yellowish, unlike clear or white-pigmented fascia of its cogeners.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, medium sized, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 3.02–3.21, width pronotum 0.90–0.99, maximum width across hemelytra 1.04–1.23. COLORATION: Orange, red, and yellow. Bright to brick red. Antennal segment 1 bright red, segment 2 bright red basally and transitioning into dark red distally, segment 3 predominantly dark red with minimal lightening at joint with segment 2, and segment 4 dark red. Labium bright red like head. Eyes dark red. Thorax, pronotum, and scutellum bright red. Thoracic pleura dark red. Procoxa yellow, meso- and metacoxa dark red basally, lightening to gold at joint with trochanter and femora. Pro- and mesofemora orange, metafemora yellowish orange basally, bright red distally. Tibiae gold, metatibiae with parallel rows of dark spicules. Basal tarsomeres gold, distally dark brown. Hemelytra: Anterior of corium and clavus orange, with transverse yellow fascia covering most of basal half of corium and middle third of clavus (pl. 3). Apical half of corium bright red. Cuneus orange to yellow for basal J, dark red for remaining posterior lobes. Membrane pale brown to beige, with orange-colored veins. Abdomen dark red. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in generic description. STRUCTURE: Eyes in lateral view encompass total height of head, vertex width less than width of an eye. Length of antennal segment 2 slightly shorter than 1.2 times total head width. Remaining structure characteristics as in generic description. GENITALIA: As in generic description.

Female: Macropterous. Total length 2.92– 3.27, width pronotum 0.99–1.13, width widest part of wings 1.19–1.39. STRUCTURE: Vertex nearly half of total head width. Length segment 2 1.2 times total head width. COLORATION: Same as male with exception of cuneus, which has larger lobes of yellow pigmentation for cuneal fascia.

HOSTS: Muehlenbeckia florulenta Meissner (Polygonaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Eastern Australia.

DISCUSSION: Ausejanus neboissi is not a typical member of Ausejanus due to its unique red and orange color scheme, but is clearly congeneric given the simple S-shaped endosoma, the shape of the left paramere, and characters of the female genitalia that are diagnostic for the genus.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Victoria: Irymple , 25.xi.1964, A. Neboiss. 1♀ ( MVMA) [not examined].

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 45 km N of Quilpie, 26.3423 ° S 144.3078 ° E, 280 m, 02 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, Light Trap, 11♀ (00090964– 00090965, 00130065–00130071, 00130073– 00130074) ( AM), Muehlenbeckia florulenta Meissner (Polygonaceae) , det. Det: Royal Bot Gard. NSW NSW427471, 298 (00130035– 00130063), 2♀ (00130064, 00130072) ( AMNH). South Australia: 1 km N of Innamincka, Cooper Creek, 27.73124 ° S 140.7364 ° E, 120 m, 05 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, Light Trap, 2♀ (00089851, 00089852) ( AM), 18 (00195646) ( AMNH). 17.6 km S of Innamincka, 27.88068 ° S 140.6712 ° E, 130 m, 06 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, Muehlenbeckia florulenta Meissner (Polygonaceae) , det. Det: Royal Bot Gard. NSW NSW- 427467, 28 (00090962, 00130034) ( AM), 148 (00130309–00130310, 00130375–00130386), 28♀ (00130089–00130091, 00130093–00130107, 00130109, 00130111–00130116, 00130311– 00130313) ( AMNH).

Figures

Figure 7. Distribution map of Ausejanus spp. (L–T).

Figure 9. Male genitalia of Ausejanus spp. A. Endosoma, A. schwartzi. B. Phallotheca, A. cordatus. C. Right paramere, A. neboissi. D–K. Left paramere. D. A. meridionalis. E. A. neboissi. F. A. femoralis. G, K. A. albisignatus. H. A. arvensus. I. A. vividus. J. A. iris.

Figure 10. Male genitalia of Ausejanus spp. A, B, D. Left paramere. A. A. minutus. B. A. bournda. C. Phallotheca, A. bournda. D. A. schwartzi.