Plagiognathus flavus Knight, 1964: 146

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 : 84

Plagiognathus flavus Knight, 1964: 146 (n. sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the relatively large size, generally pale to pale orange coloration (fig. 8), including legs, and antennal segment 2 pale with a dark base. Similar in size and coloration of dorsum to concoloris (fig. 7) and lonicerae (fig. 9), but both of those species with black setae on pronotum, the former with antennae and tibiae heavily infuscate to nearly black and strongly contrasting with the dorsum and the latter with antennal segment 1 mostly pale on proximal one­half. Structure of genitalia similar to that of concoloris and lonicerae , with a heavy, sigmoid vesica with relatively short apical spines (compare figures 22, 24, and 27).

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Large, elongate, nearly parallel­sided; total length 4.09–4.70, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.78– 3.04, width across pronotum 1.17–1.34. COLORATION (fig. 8): General coloration, including most of venter and appendages, pale to pale orange; membrane weakly fumose, veins yellowish; antennal segment 1 black except for pale apical annulus, segment 2 black basally and otherwise pale or weakly infuscate (fig. 16), segments 3 and 4 dark; apex of labium infuscate; femora with some small dark spots; dorsal tibial spines with small dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at femoral articulation. SURFACE AND VESTI­ TURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum, including entire pronotum, composed of recumbent, simple setae unicolorous with dorsum. STRUCTURE: Body flattened, relatively broad; frons weakly tumid, clypeus barely visible from above; anteocular distance less than 0.3 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by 0.3 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium relatively short, not quite reaching apex of middle coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 24): Vesica, including apical spines, sigmoid in shape, body relatively heavy, base falling well below base of secondary gonopore; apical spines relatively short, angled relative to body of vesica, anterior spine nearly straight, more or less cylindrical, and much longer than posterior; flange very narrow.

Female: More strongly ovoid than male; coloration similar to male. Total length 3.97– 4.24, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.72–2.91, width across pronotum 1.25–1.33.

HOST: Lonicera albiflora (Caprifoliaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Arizona.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA.— Arizona: Gila Co. : 8 mi SW jct Rts 87 and 188 (off Rt 87), Tonto Natl. Forest, 4000 ft, May 27, 1983, R. Schuh and G. Stonedahl, 303, 49♀ (AMNH). Pinal Mt., June 1, 1941, Loyd L. Stitt, holotype male (USNM).