Plagiognathus mexicanus, 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 : 162-163

Plagiognathus mexicanus , new species Figures 10 , 17 , 27

HOLOTYPE: Male: ‘‘ MEX [ico]: Baja Cal[ifornia] Norte: 44.5 km E Rt 1 to Parq. San Pedro Martir, 720 m, April 14, 1985, RT Schuh & BM Massie, Salvia sp. (Lamiaceae) ’’. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by moderate size, reddish to somewhat blackish coloration (including legs) (fig. 10), black antennae (fig. 17), the face at and below base of clypeus castaneous, polished, and contrasting with coloration of vertex and remainder of frons, and the vestiture of black, recumbent, simple setae. Similar to fulvidus , melliferae , and salviae in coloration and texture of lower portion of face. Separated from salviae (fig. 12) by that species being much smaller and of generally pale coloration. Separated from melliferae (fig. 9) by the largely pale to orangish coloration of that species, and from fulvidus (fig. 8) by the small size, orange coloration, and occurrence in the northeastern United States. Similar in coloration of dorsum also to fulvaceus , but that species with antennal segment 2 mostly orange to pale, and dorsum densely covered with golden shining setae.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Relatively large, elongate; total length 4.41–4.61, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 3.05–3.17, width across pronotum 1.26–1.39. COLORATION (fig. 10): General coloration of dorsum and legs deep red, sometimes tinged with black; face castaneous and shining at and below base of clypeus; venter darker than dorsum, nearly black; membrane fumose, angle between posteromesial margin of cuneus and posterior margin of cells pale; veins of membrane reddish; antennal segments 1 and 2 intensely black, segments 3 and 4 heavily infuscate; entire labium deep red to castaneous; femora with numerous dark spots; dorsal tibial spines with dark spots at bases; tibiae black at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of reclining black setae. STRUCTURE: Body elongate, weakly ovoid; frons weakly tumid, clypeus not visible from above; anteocular distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1, head projecting below eye by diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 27): Vesica, including anterior apical spines, sigmoid, body broadly curving, base falling near base of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine elongate, nearly straight, weakly angled relative to body of vesica, anterior spine strongly curving on apical one­half and at nearly right angle to body of vesica; flange moderately broad, terminating just above base of secondary gonopore.

Female: More strongly ovoid than male;

coloration similar to male; frons more strongly protuberant. Total length 4.15–4.32, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.95– 3.10, width across pronotum 1.33–1.46.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence in Baja California, Mexico.

HOST: Salvia sp. (Lamiaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Northern Baja California, Mexico.

PARATYPES: MEXICO.— Baja California Norte: 44.5 km E of Rt 1 toward Parque San Pedro Martir, 720 m, April 24, 1985, R. T. Schuh and B. M. Massie, 173, 19♀ (AMNH, UNAM, USNM).

Figures

Fig. 10. Habitus figures of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. (see p. 263 for localities).

Fig. 17. Antennal segments 1 and 2 of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.

Fig. 27. Male genitalia of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.