Johnstonsonius, 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 : 102-104

Johnstonsonius , new genus Figures 23–24 ; plate 6

TYPE SPECIES: Johnstonsonius phalarosus , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by small size, predominantly dark brown coloration, white transverse fascia on anterior surface of hemelytron (pl. 6), majority of hemelytral surface covered with reflective patches, wide vertex and small eyes, completely dark brown antennal segments and appendages, pygophore lacking spinelike process on ventral-posterior surface, and characteristics of male genitalia.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, small, hemelytra weakly medially constricted. Total length 2.17–2.23, width pronotum 0.63–0.65, maximum width across hemelytra 0.64. COLORATION: Dark brown and white. Head: Dark brown. Eyes deep red to purple. Labium pale brown with distal darkening. All antennal segments brown. Thorax: Pronotum, scutellum, and thorax dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum with white margin that does not extend ventrally to scent gland, scent gland unicolorous with thoracic pleuron. Legs: All coxae and femora dark brown. Pro- and mesotibiae basally dark brown and distally golden, metatibia basally golden at joint with metafemur then dark brown for over half of basal length and transitioning to golden on distal M, metatibia also with parallel rows of dark spicules along entire length. Basal tarsomeres golden, distally dark brown. Hemelytra: Primarily dark brown with partial transverse fascia, most of anterior of corium whitish transparent posterior to dark brown base, partially extending into lateral margins of clavus at midpoint of length but not reaching claval suture, posterior margin darker brown that completely transverses width of hemelytron (pl. 6). Remainder of corium dark brown. Anterolateral margin of cuneus white for over half total area of cuneus, posterior dark brown. Membrane pale brown with veins lacking pigmentation. Abdomen: Dark brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsal surface of body and eyes covered with simple, recumbent setae. Head, pronotum, and scutellum distinctly dull. Majority of hemelytral surface with reflective patches, also possessing short, silvery setae adjacent and posterior to transverse fascia. STRUC- TURE: Head: Relatively elongate with small eyes. Clypeus exserted, visible in dorsal view. Vertex convex, posterior margin flat, width equal to two times width of one eye. Dorsal margin of eyes continuous with vertex, total height of eye greater than half total height of head, vertex visible in lateral view, ap proximately M of height of head below eyes. Antennal segment 1 inverted-coke-bottle shaped, surpassing apex of head; segment 2 elongate and equal in diameter than segment 1, approximately equal diameter across length. Length of antennal segment 2 nearly 1.33 times total head width. Antennal segments 3 and 4 slender and less than half length of segment 2. Labial segment 1 surpassing posterior margin of head, apex of segment 4 surpassing apex of metacoxa. Thorax: Pronotum 1.5 times longer than wide, anterolateral margins narrowed compared to posterior lateral margins forming bell-shaped pronotum in dorsal view, dorsal surface weakly convex in lateral view. Narrow and flat pronotal collar present. Mesoscutum visible, scutellum transversely round- ed. Scent gland approximately J total area of metepimeron. Legs: Elongate, slender, femora not flattened. Claws small, of moderate width, pulvilli small, less than half of claw length. Parempodia parallel and setiform. Hemelytra: Lateral margins nearly parallel sided, transversely rounded. Cuneus triangular, medial margin weakly convex, total length approximately J total length of hemelytral membrane, lacking swelling along lateral margins. Abdomen: Narrow, parallel sided, abdominal sternite 1 wider than long. GENITALIA: (fig. 24): Pygophore: Small, without elaborations, occupying about J total length of abdomen, ventral margin flat. Endosoma: Small, slender, twisted, S-shaped, composed of two sclerotized straps, fused into tube toward base and separating toward apex, unified by membrane. Secondary gonopore small, twisted, located at apex of endosoma (fig. 24A). Phallotheca: Roughly L-shaped, apex gently tapering toward point (fig. 24D). Right Paramere: Small, widest medially and tapering at apex, diamond shaped (fig. 24C). Left Paramere: Moderately sized; posterior process broad, dorsal margin weakly convex medially, apex directed perpendicular to base of paramere, with sensory pits, and relatively elongate compared to anterior process; anterior process stout, with anterior margin ventral to median of total height of paramere; dorsomedial surface between anterior and posterior processes nearly straight and parallel to base of paramere (fig. 24B).

Female: Macropterous, small, parallel sid- ed. Total length 2.08–2.33, width pronotum 0.63–0.65, maximum width across hemelytra 0.64–0.79. COLORATION: Similar patterning as in male. SURFACE TEXTURE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE: Head: Vertex wider than in male, two times width of one eye. Antennal segment 2 as in male, length 1.10 times total head width. Abdomen parallel sided, anterior one-fifth sharply declining ventrally, remaining ventral surface of abdomen parallel to dorsal surface of abdomen. The condition of ovipositor ‘‘spine’’ (e.g., fig. 44C) could not be observed as the specimen was glued ventrally on card. GENITALIA: Not examined.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for a member of Katrina Menard’s doctoral committee, Spencer Johnston; masculine.

HOSTS: Unknown; collected by canopy fogging and light traps.

DISTRIBUTION: Papua New Guinea.

DISCUSSION: The overall shape and coloration of Johnstonsonius is superficially similar to Leucophoroptera ; however, species in this genus are smaller in size, and lack the spinelike process on the pygophore and the white coloration of some antennal segments and coxae as found in Leucophoroptera .

Figures

Figure 23. Distribution of Johnstonsonius phalarosus.

Figure 24. Male genitalia of Johnstonsonius phalarosus (A–D).