Plagiognathus rileyi, SCHUH, 2001

SCHUH, RANDALL T., 2001, Revision Of New World Plagiognathus Fieber, With Comments On The Palearctic Fauna And The Description Of A New Genus (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2001 (266), pp. 1-267 : 212

Plagiognathus rileyi , new species Figures 12 , 18 , 31

HOLOTYPE: Male: ‘‘[ USA] Ark [ansas]: Washington Co.: Devil’s Den St. Pk., VII­1­ 2­1984, E. G. and M. A. Riley’ ’. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the chocolate brown coloration of part or most of the dorsum, the yellowish costal vein (fig. 12), antennal segment 2 pale except at extreme base (fig. 18), the legs yellow with some dark blotches, and the form of the male genitalia (fig. 31). Specimens with mostly dark­colored dorsum most similar to dispar (fig. 7) and punctatipes (fig. 12) in coloration of dorsum, antennae, and legs. Distinguished from those species by yellow costal vein contrasting with dark areas of hemelytra, and distinctive form of male genitalia, especially by the superposition of the anterior and posterior spines (fig. 31). Some specimens of rileyi with basal half of corium yellow, in strong contrast to posterior one­half, and possibly confused with fuscosus (fig. 8) and obscurus (fig. 10); distinguished from the former by the presence of only simple, golden setae on the dorsum and from the latter by the mostly pale antennal segment 2.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Elongate, nearly parallel­sided, moderately large, heavy­bodied; total length 3.37–3.53, length apex clypeus– cuneal fracture 2.34–2.58, width across pronotum 1.08–1.25. COLORATION (fig. 12): Darker forms with dorsum mostly chocolate brown, except head above level of clypeus, costal vein, corium narrowly adjacent to extreme base of membrane, and base of cuneus pale, yellow; lighter forms with basal onehalf of corium pale, yellow; membrane intensely fumose, veins generally pale; face highly polished at and below level of antennal insertion, clypeus deeply castaneous; antennal segment 1 castaneous except for pale apical annulus, segment 2 castaneous at extreme base, remainder of segment pale (fig. 18), segments 3 and 4 pale; labium pale except at base and apex; venter, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area, entirely castaneous; hind coxae often dark on proximal half, pale on distal half, remainder of legs pale, yellowish, except for some dark spots on femora and conspicuous dark spots at bases of dorsal tibial spines; tibiae dark at point of articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, at most weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, golden, shining, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Body moderately broad, more or less parallel­sid­ ed; frons very weakly convex as viewed from above, clypeus not visible; anteocular distance about 0.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of hind coxae. GENITA­ LIA (fig. 31): Body of vesica very broadly U­shaped, base of vesica falling near level of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine nearly straight, tapering, obliquely angled relative to body of vesica, anterior spine largely superposed over posterior spine, rath­ er sharply bent at level of apex of posterior spine; flange on vesica very narrow, just barely reaching to base of gonopore.

Female: Very similar to male in coloration, body form more broadly ovoid. Total length 3.02–3.34, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.22–2.57, width across pronotum 1.10–1.18.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for E. G. Riley, collector of the holotype and other known specimens.

HOST: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.

PARATYPES: USA.— Arkansas: Washington Co.: Devil’s Den St. Pk., July 1, 1984, E. G. and M. A. Riley, 63, 5♀ (AMNH, DAR, LSU). Missouri: Newton Co.: Hickory Creek, Alt US Hwy 71, 3.3 mi NE jct US 71, May 24, 1986, C. B. Barr, 13 (LSU). Oklahoma: LeFlore Co.: Rock Creek at US Hwy 59, 2 mi N of jct Hwy 112, May 25, 1986, J. E. Barr, 1♀ (LSU).

Figures

Fig. 12. Habitus figures of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. (see p. 264 for localities).

Fig. 18. Antennal segments 1 and 2 of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.

Fig. 31. Male genitalia of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.