Ausejanus schwartzi, 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 : 64-66

Ausejanus schwartzi , new species Figures 8 , 10C ; plate 4

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from the other members of Ausejanus by overall dark coloration, profemur dark brown basally and golden distally, dark meso- and metafemora, and dark brown hemelytron with thin, white to transparent transverse fascia (pl. 4). Female with complete, white transverse fascia without distinct white pigmentation on light brown hemelytron. Coloration similar to some populations of A. minutus and A. bournda , but males in former species smaller, without complete transverse fascia, and females with white pigmentation.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, medium sized, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 3.51–3.61, width pronotum 1.03–1.06, maximum width across hemelytra 1.24–1.29. COLORATION: Dark brown, with thin white transverse fascia on anterior margin of hemelytra and anterior margins of cuneus. Head dark brown. All antennal segments dark brown. Labium dark brown. Eyes dark red to purple. Thorax, pronotum and scutellum dark brown. Thoracic pleura dark brown, Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with thin white margin. All coxae entirely dark brown. Profemur mostly dark brown with distal margin with protibia transitioning to gold most pronounced on ventral surface, 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. All tarsomeres dark brown. Hemelytra dark brown, with relatively thin, white transparent transverse fascia whose anterior margin posterior to posterior apex of scutellum but not meeting it and lacking white pigmentation (pl. 4), at least M of area of cuneus along anterior margin of cuneal fracture distinctly white with reddish tinge along anterior margins with cuneal fracture. Abdomen dark brown. STRUCTURE: Vertex width narrower than width of one eye, eyes total height of head when head viewed laterally. Length of antennal segment 2 just short of 1.5 times total head width. GENITALIA: Left Paramere: Posterior process relatively short and closer in size to anterior process, posterior process straight, apex of posterior process directed ventrally (fig. 10D).

Female: Macropterous. Total length 2.87– 3.02, width pronotum 1.03–1.08, width at widest part of wings 1.19–1.29. STRUC- TURE: Vertex nearly two times head width. Length of antennal segment 2 1.25 times head width. COLORATION: Hemelytron darker than in male, 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. 4), dorsoposterior margin of metepisternum with white margin wider than in male, and cuneus which has larger lobes white.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for Michael Schwartz, who collected the majority of the specimens of this species.

HOST: Leptospermum brevipes F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: New South Wales.

DISCUSSION: This species is very similar in coloration to A. minutus and A. bournda and all three species feed primarily on Myrtaceae . However, A. schwartzi is nearly two times the size of A. minutus and A. bournda , and the males of A. schwartzi have a transverse fascia. Males and females of A. schwartzi also may be confused with darker populations of A. albisignatus based on similar size, but the dark antennal segment 1, the narrow fascia, and dark pro- and mesofemora in A. schwartzi clearly differentiate the two.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 20 km E of Retreat (W. of Uralla), 30.63335 ° S 151.25 ° E, 1000 m, 23 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Leptospermum brevipes F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395916. 18 (00272779) ( AM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 20 km E of Retreat (W. of Uralla), 30.63335 ° S 151.25 ° E, 1000 m, 23 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Leptospermum brevipes F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395916, 1♀ (00393317) ( AM), 18 (00272778), 1♀ (00272781) ( AMNH), 2♀ (00393314, 00393318) ( QM), 28 (00393312, 00393313), 2♀ (00393315, 00393316) ( UNSW).

Ausejanus tasmaniae (Carvalho and Gross) , new combination Figure 7 ; plate 4

Sejanus tasmaniae Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 23 , figs. 28–30, 105 (n. sp., descr., disc., DV, MG).

Sejanus brunneus Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 23 , figs. 43–45, 111 (n. sp., descr., disc., DV, MG). NEW SYNONYMY.

DIAGNOSIS: Easily separated from other members of Ausejanus by combination of deep-red hemelytra and femora, partial transparent fascia restricted to claval suture (pl. 4), and dark burgundy to reddish head, thorax, and body.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, medium sized, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 3.52–4.05, width pronotum 0.92–0.99, maximum width across hemelytra 1.01–1.36. COLORATION: Dark burgundy to red. Head dark, reddish brown. All antennal segments dark brown. All labial segments dark brown. Eyes dark red. Thorax, pronotum, and scutellum dark reddish brown. Procoxae gold, meso- and metacoxae reddish brown. Femora dark red to red. Tibiae red basally, golden brown distally, metatibia with parallel rows of dark spicules. Tarsi dark brown. Anterior portion of corium near attachment to thorax dark reddish brown, diminishing in pigmentation to a ruby red basally toward cuneus and darkening in clavus along margins with scutellum and along claval commissure. Partial fascia consists of transparent areas along middle portion of length of claval suture, contrasting with dark red pigmentation inside clavus (pl. 4). Cuneus with white pigmented line along anterior margin of cuneus extending for approximately J total length of cuneus, remaining posterior dark red. Membrane brown, with veins retaining small amount of red to orange pigmentation. Abdomen dark reddish brown. STRUC- TURE: Eyes relatively small, width of eyes less than vertex width and not height of head in lateral view. Length of antennal segment 2 longer than 1.4 times head width. Remaining structure characteristics as in generic description. GENITALIA: As in generic description.

Female: Macropterous. Total length 3.16– 3.29, width pronotum 0.95–1.02, width at widest part of wings 1.04–1.34. STRUC- TURE: Vertex over half total head width. Length antennal segment 2 nearly 1.25 times total head width. COLORATION: Female generally brighter red than male, but overall similar in pattern (pl. 4). Antennal segment 1 dark brown, segment 2 dark brown basally gold, distal M of length transitioning to dark brown, segment 3 gold basally dark brown distally, segment 4 dark brown. Hemelytron as in male but with extensive transparent areas along claval suture. Cuneus whitish yellow along anterior margin with hemelytra more than half total cuneal length, remaining posterior portion dark red. GENITALIA: As in generic description.

HOSTS: Leptospermum sp. (Myrtaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Tasmania.

DISCUSSION: Sejanus brunneus was originally described as identical to A. albisignatus in external morphology excluding the lengths of antennal segments 2 and 3, which were described as 10 % –20 % shorter in S. brunneus than A. albisignatus ( Carvalho and Gross 1982) . However, based on images of the type of S. brunneus , the species in fact is A. tasmaniae . It shares the characters of a transparent fascia along the claval suture on a dominantly red hemelytron, a deep red to burgundy head, thorax, pronotum, and scutellum and having all the femora dark red as in A. tasmaniae . Characters separating A. tasmaniae from A. albisignatus are the completely dark brown antennal segments, all femora dark red, and the relatively small eyes compared in A. tasmaniae . Ausejanus tasmaniae also appears to be host specific to one genus of Myrtaceae ( Leptospermum spp. ), unlike A. albisignatus , which has several dozen host plants from multiple families.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: L. Dobson, on subalpine shrubs, 6.ii.1955, T.E. Woodward. 18 ( QM).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: Cradle Mountain–Lake Saint Clair National Park, Visitor Centre, Cradle Mountain, 41.59618 ° S 145.9308 ° E, 823 m, 25 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Leptospermum rupestre Hook. f. ( Myrtaceae ), det. NSW staff NSW658260, 178 (00108554, 00272597– 00272611, 00272614), 2♀ (00108552, 00272615) Leptospermum scoparium J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658233, 8♀ (00272620–00272627) ( AMNH). Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair Nat Park, Ronny Creek carpark and Little Kate House vicinity, 41.63579 ° S 145.94963 ° E, 868 m, 26 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Leptospermum lanigerum Maiden & Betche (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658262, 18 (00272612), 1♀ (00272628) Leptospermum lanigerum Maiden & Betche (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658263, 1♀ (00108551) ( AMNH). Mt. Pine, 28 Feb 1990, G. Cassis, Leptospermum sp. (Myrtaceae) , 118 (00393710–00393720), 28♀ (00393721–00393748) ( AM). Southwest National Park (Maydena access): Edgar Campground on Scotts Peak Rd, 43.03019 ° S 146.3497 ° E, 293 m, 19 Jan 2004, M.D. Schwartz and P.P. Tinerella, Leptospermum scoparium J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658233, 68 (00108553, 00272613, 00272616–00272619) ( AMNH).

Figures

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

Figure 8. Distribution map of Ausejanus spp. (S, U, V).

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.