Halophylus atriplicis, Randall T. Schuh & Michael D. Schwartz, 2016

Randall T. Schuh & Michael D. Schwartz, 2016, Nineteen new genera and 82 new species of Cremnorrhinina from Australia, including analyses of host relationships and distributions (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylininae: Cremnorrhinini), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 401, pp. 1-279 : 117-119

Halophylus atriplicis , new species

Figure 46, map 11, table 1, plates 16, 17

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by overall pale coloration, dorsum with blotchy light brown spots, robust, parallel-sided body form, short broad head, tibiae with distinct spots at bases of spines (pl. 16), and apical endosomal spines subequal in length (fig. 46, pl. 17). Female not as elongate as male. Most easily confused with H. chenopodos based on the spotted dorsum, but that species more strongly elongate and ovoid, head not as strongly transverse, dorsum with spots rather than botches and not including membrane (pl. 16), and apical spines of endosoma of unequal length (fig. 47).

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.18, mean pronotum width 1.01. COLORA- TION (pl. 16): Overall coloration mostly pale with contrasting light brown blotches (diffuse large spots) on dorsum, including membrane; antennae and legs pale; femora with contrasting dark spots, tibial spines with dark bases. SURFACE AND VESTI- TURE (pl. 16): Dorsum with woolly sericeous setae and some reclining, pale common setae. STRUCTURE (pl. 16): Body form broad and nearly parallel sided. Head (pl. 16): Head short and broad, eyes moderately to distinctly bulging; eye occupying only slightly more than one-half height of head; antenna inserted just above ventral margin of eye, eye very weakly emarginate; antennal segment 2 elongate, slender (1.11), 1.28 times width of head; labium reaching posterior margin of mesocoxa. Thorax: (pl. 16): Pronotum with straight sides, calli weakly demarcated along posterior margin, posterior margin straight; mesoscutum moderately exposed. Hemelytron: Costal margin nearly straight, hemelytron nearly parallel sided. GENITALIA (fig. 46, pl. 17): As in generic description but with the following details. Pygophore: Ventral surface with many stout pale bristles. Endosoma: Dorsal apical spine gently curved ventrad with slightly expanded, somewhat sharply truncate apex (in lateral view); subapically ventral apical spine bent laterad, parallel to dorsal apical spine apically, and subequal in length; secondary gonopore without denticles. Parameres: Left paramere with dorsoposterior surface greatly elevated dorsad of posterior and anterior processes. Right paramere as in figure 46.

Female (pl. 16): Coloration as in male; shorter than male but sexual dimorphism weak; mean total length 2.74, mean pronotum width 0.94.

ETYMOLOGY: From the generic name Atriplex , in reference to its occurrence on this and other halophytic plant genera.

HOSTS: Recorded from Atriplex bunbury , A. nummularia (pl. 32A, B), A. sp., and Neobassia astrocarpa ( Chenopodiaceae ; see Materials and Methods); also recorded from Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae) , Nitraria billardierei (Nitrariaceae) and Eremophila aff. weldii (Scrophulariaceae) ; we regard the last three as errors resulting from specimen handling.

DISTRIBUTION (map 11): Widely distributed in the dry interior regions of Australia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 9.5 km E of Balranald on Sturt Hwy, 34.702°S 143.615°E, 20 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Atriplex nummularia Lindl. omissa (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 0 5054680, 1♂ (AMNH_PBI 00136798) (AM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 9.5 km E of Balranald on Sturt Hwy, 34.702°S 143.615°E, 20 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Nitraria billardierei DC. ( Nitrariaceae ), det. PERTH staff PERTH 0 5095247, 1♀ (00414379) (AM), Atriplex nummularia Lindl. subsp. omissa ( Chenopodiaceae ), det. PERTH staff PERTH 0 5054680, 43♂ (00135373–0 0 135385, 0 0 136779–0 0 136797, 0 0 136799–00136809), 26♀ (00135395–0 0 135407, 0 0 136810–00136822) (AMNH). Northern Territory: 11 km W of Henbury Homestead at Henbury Meteorite craters, 24.57194°S 133.14861°E, 451 m, 17 May 2013, M. Cheng & C. Duykers, Atriplex nummularia Lindl. nummularia (Chenopodiaceae) , det. NT Herbarium Staff – Alice Springs, 2♂ (00414461, 00414462), 2♀ (00414473, 00414474) (AMNH), 9♂ (00414463–00414471), 5♀ (00414472, 0 0 414475–00414478) (UNSW). Trephina Gorge National Park, 23.51668°S 134.3798°E, 572 m, 25 Oct 2001, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Wall, 2♂ (00097128, 00413069), 1♀ (00097129) Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) , det.

NSW staff NSW658343, 3♂ (00098072, 0 0 0 98074, 00098075), 1♀ (00098073) (AMNH). South Australia: 25 km E of Copely, Flinders Range, 30.51668°S 138.631°E, 450 m, 0 8 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh, and Schwartz, sp. not determined ( Chenopodiaceae ), det. NSW staff NSW666355, 1♂ (00391062) (AM), Atriplex nummularia Lindl. (Chenopodiaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW666355, 9♂ (00098936–0 0 0 98941, 0 0 0 97141, 0 0 413070, 00413073), 10♀ (00098942–0 0 0 98950, 00097142) Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) , det. NSW staff NSW666355, 5♂ (00098255–00098259) (AMNH). 66–69 km NW of Morgan, Cane Grass, 33.58334°S 140.0333°E, 150 m, 0 2 Nov 1995, Schuh, Cassis, and Gross, sp. not determined ( Chenopodiaceae ), det. R.T. Schuh NSW 395972, 20♂ (00132158–00132177), 19♀ (00132178–00132196) (AM). Nullabor National Park 5 km E of WA bor- der, 31.63716°S 129.0346°E, 50 m, 22 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Eremophila aff. weldii F. Muell. (Scrophulariaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 0 5054699, 1♂ (00413072) (AMNH). Witchelina Nature Reserve, ap. 40 km NW of Lyndhurst, 30.02083°S 138.04472°E, 212 m, 11 Oct 2010, A. Namyatova, 1♂ (00414495) (UNSW); 13 Oct 2010, A. Namyatova, 1♂ (00414494) (UNSW). Woomera, 31.19679°S 136.82289°E, 168 m, 13 Oct 1953, F.L. Hill, 8♂ (00174081–00174088), 1♀ (00174089) (BMNH). Victoria: 41.8 Km W of Hattah, Murray Sunset National Park, 34.80035°S 141.919°E, 53 m, 0 3 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Atriplex sp. ( Chenopodiaceae ), det. NSW staff NSW658092, 18♂ (00412841– 00412858),16♀ (00412859–00412874) (AMNH).

Murray Sunset National Park, Lost Hope Track, 34.79166 °S 141.8357°E, 55 m, 0 3 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Atriplex sp. ( Chenopodiaceae ), det. NSW staff NSW658092, 1♂ (00412875) (AMNH). Neds Corner, Neds Corner Homestead – outside Kitchen, 34.14075°S 141.32805°E, 37 m, 26 Nov 2011, M. Cheng, 1♂ (UNSW_ENT 00024919) (UNSW). Western Australia: 12.5 km S of Newdegate, 33.19482°S 119.0 753°E, 250 m, 0 7 Dec 1997, Schuh, Cassis, Brailovsky, Asquith, Atriplex sp. ( Chenopodiaceae ), 2♀ (00412839, 00412840) (AMNH). 15 km SE of Paynes Find toward Beacon, 29.34286°S 117.8014°E, 250 m, 12 Dec 1997, Schuh, Brailovsky, Atriplex bunburyana F. Muell. (Chenopodiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 0 5879094, 1♂ (00412877), 2♀ (00412878, 00412879) (AMNH). Fowlers Camp (at end of Fowlers Camp Rd), Shark Bay World Heritage Area, 26.10801°S 113.6167°E, 24 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Symonds, Neobassia astrocarpa (F. Muell.) A.J. Scott (Chenopodiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH6987893, 2♂ (00414377, 00414378) (AM).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 9.5 km E of Balranald on Sturt Hwy, 34.702°S 143.615°E, 20 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Atriplex nummularia Lindl. omissa (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 0 5054680, 1 adult, sex unknown (00412876), 9 nymphs (00135386–00135394) (AMNH).