Distantiella, CHINA, 1944

Namyatova, Anna A. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2016, Systematic revision and phylogeny of the plant bug tribe Monaloniini (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) of the world, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 176 (1), pp. 36-136 : 92-93

DISTANTIELLA CHINA

Figures 8 , 14P–S , 18R, S , 23

Distantiella China, 1944: 188 (gen. nov.; type species Sahlbergella theobroma Distant, 1909 by original designation); China, 1944: 179 (key to gen.); Schouteden, 1945: 116 (note); Carvalho, 1952: 60 (cat.); Carvalho, 1955: 42 (key to gen.); Carvalho, 1957: 145 (cat.); Lavabre, 1977a: 50, 53 (key to gen., descr.); Lotode, 1977: 188 (ecol.); Schmitz, 1987: 1 (disc.); Schuh, 1995: 528 (cat.); Schuh, 2002 –2013 (cat.).

Diagnosis: Distantiella belongs to the Odoniella - complex (see discussion for the tribe), and it differs from other genera of this group by: apex of ASII distinctly swollen (fig. 8E in Namyatova et al., in press); and ASIII–IV distinctly clavate (fig. 8F in Namyatova et al., in press); scutellum triangular (as in Fig. 11J ), divided into lower and upper parts (as in Fig. 12B ); frons with undivided or bifurcated outgrowth (as in Fig. 10F , fig. 4C in Namyatova et al., in press); pronotum and scutellum punctuate, bearing tumescences ( Fig. 4C in Namyatova et al., in press); hemelytron with pale or dark flattened setae; hind tibiae densely setate with distinct tumescences.

Redescription: Male: Length 6–8.5 mm. COLORATION ( Fig. 8 ). Mostly dark brown with brown markings. TEXTURE. Tubercles on vertex indistinct; flattened areas on vertex more or less distinct; ASII and hind tibia with tumescence medially; pronotum and scutellum covered with distinct punctures, collar with paired tubercles at sides; tubercles on pronotum and scutellum present, upraised (as in Fig. 11J ); row of punctures on clavus and on R + M and punctures on depression delimiting calli posteriorly absent; striations on lateral margins of scutellum indistinct or present only anteriorly; semicircular depression between scutellum and mesoscutum absent. VESTITURE. Head, pronotum and scutellum clothed mostly with short simple adpressed pale setae, sometimes very rare, sometimes setae on head and anterior part of pronotum flattened; thoracic pleura with simple or flattened adpressed pale setae; hemelytron mostly with pale or dark flattened setae, cuneus and often posterior margin of corium with simple adpressed setae; ASI with adpressed short pale simple setae, ASII–IV with simple pale or dark suberect setae, some of them spine-like, shorter than width of hind tibia; legs with very dense dark setae, shorter than width of hind tibia; abdomen often clothed with short pale adpressed setae; black spinules on femora and tibiae not clear because of the dense setation. STRUCTURE. Head. Distance between eye and pronotum shorter than eye diameter (as in Fig. 10F ); occipital region not delimited with depression; longitudinal depression on vertex present, shorter than eye diameter; eye stylate, directed outwards, c. 0.15× as wide as head; distance between antennal fossa twice as long as antennal fossa width; frons distinctly swollen (as in Fig. 10F ), with paired outgrowths (as in fig. 4C in Namyatova et al., in press), without longitudinal depression or ridges; anterior view of head c. 2.1× as wide as high; eye height as long as distance from eye to apex of clypeus; antennal fossa oval, its width c. 0.6× as long as eye height, not raised (as in fig. 3B in Namyatova et al., in press); inferior margin placed near inferior margin of eye; base of clypeus placed above inferior margin of eye, distinctly delimited basally; in lateral view head flat, gula shorter than buccula length, convex. Labium. Length reaching middle of metasternum; LSI c. 2× as long as wide; LSII c. 3× as long as wide, subequal to LSI; LSIII c. 3× as long as wide, subequal to LSII; LSIV c. 4× as long as wide, slightly longer than LSIII. Antenna. Slightly surpassing base of scutellum; ASI c. 1.5× as long as wide, subequal to quarter of head width, swollen basally (as in fig. 8E in Namyatova et al., in press); ASII c. 4× as long as ASI, c. 0.6× as long as head and pronotum combined, swollen apically; ASIII c. 0.6× as long as ASII, swollen apically; ASIV c. 0.8× as long as ASIII, clavate (as in fig. 8F in Namyatova et al., in press). Thorax. Collar not delimited posteriorly, flat (as in fig. 4C in Namyatova et al., in press); calli separated, flat (as in fig. 4C in Namyatova et al., in press); depression delimiting calli posteriorly absent; humeral angles of pronotum slightly dilated, not serrate (as in fig. 4C in Namyatova et al., in press); posterior margin of pronotum distinctly concave, forming right angles (as in Fig. 11J ); scutellum swollen (as in Fig. 11J ), not covering or rarely covering base of pronotum, triangular (as in Fig. 11J ), divided into lower and upper parts (as in Fig. 12B ), lower part obtuse apically, without outgrowth, ridge or longitudinal depression medially; metepimeron enlarged, c. 1.5× as long as wide, angulate (as in Fig. 13E ); metasternum with medial projection to abdominal segment II (as in fig. 17A in Namyatova et al., in press). Hemelytron. Slightly tapering anteriorly; costal margins straight; claval commissure c. 0.2× as long as scutellum, straight; R + M distinct only anteriorly, sometimes also medially, not reaching posterior margin of corium; medial fracture strongly inclined towards midline (as in fig. 12E in Namyatova et al., in press); cuneus c. 1.5× as long as wide, c. 0.4× as long as pronotum, medial margin almost straight (as in Fig. 13B ); corium without swelling posteriorly; membrane distinctly surpassing apex of cuneus, forming acute angle, c. 0.7× as long as pronotum; auxiliary vein absent or very short; distance from cell to apex of membrane subequal to cell. Legs. Forecoxae contiguous (as in fig. 17A in Namyatova et al., in press); femora almost not swollen apically, straight; foretibia shorter than head and pronotum combined; tibia with distinct tumescences; segment I of hind tarsus as long as segment II and shorter than segment III; claw broadly rounded, basal tooth on claw more or less concave. Genitalia ( Fig. 14R, S ). Genital capsule slightly wider than long, without outgrowth, ventral wall not shortened anteriorly; left paramere r-shaped, twice as long as right paramere; phallobase sclerite of primary gonopore subtriangular, with anterior distinctly concave; without outgrowth(s); ductus seminis not sclerotized basally, with sclerotized ring around secondary gonopore, ductus seminis shorter than phallotheca with coils forming wide tube, attached to phallobase medially; sclerotized part of phallotheca narrow wider basally, rounded apically, occupying half of dorsal side, without ridge or outgrowth; endosoma with sclerotized areas.

Female: Length 7.5–8.5 mm. Coloration, surface, vestiture and structure as in male, but females slightly larger than males ( Fig. 8 ). Genitalia ( Fig. 18R, S ). DLP with medial sclerotized circle, c. 4× as long as wide, also with sclerotization along posterior margin; two large areas of striations present, contiguous; lateral oviducts attached at middle of those striated areas, widely separated, placed near lateral margin and at a halfway of DLP; spermathecal gland placed posteriorly, medially or on left-hand side; posterior wall with small tubercles, without outgrowth or sclerotization; base of second valvula with distinct swelling; ventral wall membranous.

Distribution: Distributed in Tropical Africa ( Fig. 23 ).

Host plants: Distantiella is known to be a major pest of cocoa ( Entwistle, 1977). It is also known from some other species of Malvaceae and Citrus sp. ( Piart, 1977) .

Figures

Figure 4. Optimization of characters on one of the shortest trees for the tribe Monaloniini with implied weights. Part 2, nodes 14–34. Number of nodes is given in circles.

Figure 8. Habitus photographs. Boxia khayae ♂ AMNH_PBI 5065, ♀ type 19448; Boxia madagascariensis ♀ AMNH_PBI 19532; Bryocoropsis laticollis var. infuscata ♂ AMNH_PBI 18947, ♀ AMNH_PBI 18946; Bryocoropsis soror ♂ AMNH_PBI 5115, ♀ AMNH_PBI 5117; Sahlbergella singularis ♂ AMNH_PBI 19118, ♀ AMNH_PBI 19057; Distantiella theobromae ♂ AMNH_PBI 5016, ♀ AMNH_PBI 5019; Odoniella rubra ♂ AMNH_PBI 18951, ♀ AMNH_PBI 18958; Odoniella similis ♂ AMNH_PBI 5036; Volkeliopsis arecae ♂ HT AMNH_PBI 19516; Volkeliopsis mindanao ♀ AMNH_PBI 5237; Platyngomiris coreoides ♀ HT of P. coreoides AMNH_PBI 19643; ♂ HT of Platyngomiriodes apiformis AMNH_PBI 19471, ♀ PT of P. apiformis no USI label (BMNH); Platyngomiris quadrimaculatus ♀ AMNH_PBI 20253; Platyngomiris typicus ♂ AMNH_PBI ♀; Yangambia macarangae ♂ AMNH_PBI 34057, ♀ AMNH_PBI 20192; Yangambia vesiculata ♂ AMNH_PBI 19079, ♀ AMNH_PBI 19086; Volkelius carvalhoi ♂ AMNH_PBI 19309, ♀ AMNH_PBI 20197; Volkelius sulcatus ♀ PLT AMNH_PBI 5047; Volkelius maculatus ♂ AMNH_PBI 19043, ♀ AMNH_PBI 19386.

Figure 10. Scanning electron micrographs. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. A, Mansoniella nitida ♀ AMNH_PBI 46067; B, Poppiusia leroyi ♀ AMNH_PBI 5838; C, Chamus bellus ♀ AMNH_PBI 5223; D, Lycidocoris mimeticus ♀ AMNH_PBI 5043; E, Physophoropterella bondroiti ♂ AMNH_PBI 19110; G, Odoniellia reuteri ♂ AMNH_PBI 19090; H, Volkelius carvalhoi ♀ PT AMNH_PBI 19630; I, Yangambia vesiculata ♀ AMNH_PBI 19084; J, Ragwelellus suspectus ♂ AMNH_PBI 19629. Head, dorsal view. F, Sahlbergella tai ♀ AMNH_PBI 5106. Head, anterior view. K, Parachamus bellus ♀ AMNH_ PBI 5837. Head, lateral view. L, Poppiusia leroyi ♀ AMNH_PBI 5838. Frons, dorsal view. M, Poppiusia leroyi ♀ AMNH_PBI 5838.

Figure 11. SEM images. Scutellum, dorsal view. A, Chamus tuberculatus ♂ AMNH_PBI 5025; B, Volkeliopsis mindanao ♀ PT AMNH_PBI 45979; C, Boxia khayae ♂ AMNH_PBI 5065; D, Bryocoropsis soror ♂ AMNH_PBI 5115; E, Odoniella reuteri ♂ AMNH_PBI 19090; F, Pseudodoniella typical ♂ AMNH_PBI 45978; G, Sahlbergella tai ♀ AMNH_PBI 5106; H, Pseudodoniella pacifica ♂ AMNH_PBI 46080; I, Yangambia vesiculata ♀ AMNH_PBI 19084; J, Sahlbergella singularus ♂ AMNH_PBI 19053; K, Physophoropterella bondroiti ♂ AMNH_PBI 19110. Small tubercules on pronotum. L, Chamus tuberculatus ♂ AMNH_PBI 5025.

Figure 12. Scanning electron micrographs. Scutellum, lateral view. A, Bryocoropsis soror ♂ AMNH_PBI 5115; B, Sahlbergella singularis ♂ AMNH_PBI 19053; C, Physophoroptera mirabilis ♀ AMNH_PBI 20202; D, Physophoropterella bondroiti ♂ AMNH_PBI 19112; E, Afropeltis lalandei ♂ AMNH_PBI 5272; F, Helopeltis pellucida sex unknown AMNH_PBI 19628.

Figure 13. Scanning electron micrographs. Metepimeron. A, Helopletis pellucida sex unknown AMNH_PBI 19628; B, Afropeltis hyalospilosus ♂ AMNH_PBI 5137; C, Poppiusia leroyi ♀ AMNH_PBI 5838; D, Pachypeltis reuteri ♂ AMNH_PBI 45980; E, Odoniella reuteri ♂ AMNH_PBI 19194. Setae on hemelytron. F, Boxia khayae ♂ AMNH_PBI 5065. Fore- and middle femora. G, Physophoropterella bondroiti ♂ AMNH_PBI 19110. Hind femur. H, Helopeltis pellucida sex unknown AMNH_PBI 19628. Hind tarsus. I, Physophoropterella bondroiti ♂ AMNH_PBI 19110. Claw, lateral view. J, Chamus sp. sex unknown, not databased; K, Pachypeltis brevirostris sp. nov. sex unknown, not databased; L, Helopeltis bradyi sex unknown, not databased.

Figure 14. Male genitalia, dorsal view. Afropeltis hyalospilosus AMNH_PBI 5137. A, aedeagus; B, right paramere; C, left paramere; D, genital capsule. Arculanus marshalli AMNH_PBI 5102. E, aedeagus; F, right paramere; G, left paramere; H, genital capsule. Arthriticus eugeniae AMNH_PBI 19573. I, aedeagus; J, right paramere; K, left paramere; L, genital capsule. Boxia khayae AMNH_PBI 5065. M, aedeagus; N, left paramere; O, genital capsule. Distantiella theobromae AMNH_PBI 19056. P, aedeagus; Q, right paramere; R, left paramere; S, genital capsule. Chamus bellus AMNH_PBI 19059. T, aedeagus; U, right paramere; V, left paramere; W, genital capsule. Chamus conradti AMNH_PBI 19048. X, aedeagus; Y, right paramere; Z, left paramere; AA, genital capsule. Chamus overlaeti AMNH_PBI 19073. AB, aedeagus; AC, right paramere; AD, left paramere; AE, genital capsule. The smaller scale is for genital capsule, the larger scale is for aedeagi and paramers.

Figure 18. Female genitalia, bursa copulatrix. Afropeltis lalandei AMNH_PBI 5261. A, dorsal labiate plate; B, posteri- or wall. Arculanus marshalli AMNH_PBI 19290. C, dorsal labiate; D, posterior wall. Arthriticus eugeniae no USI. E, dorsal labiate plate; F, posterior wall. Bryocoropsis laticollis var. infuscate AMNH_PBI 29096. G, dorsal labiate plate; H, posterior wall. Bryocoropsis soror AMNH_PBI 5144. I, dorsal labiate plate; J, posterior wall. Chamus bellus AMNH_PBI 19290. K, dorsal labiate plate. Chamus conradti AMNH_PBI 19046. L, dorsal labiate plate; M, posterior wall. Chamus overlaeti AMNH_PBI 19073. N, dorsal labiate plate; O, posterior wall. Dimia inexpectata AMNH_PBI 271341. P, dorsal labiate plate; Q, posterior wall. Distantiella theobromae. R, dorsal labiate plate; S, posterior wall.

Figure 23. Distribution maps of Bryocoropsis, Dimia, Distantiella, Lycidocoris, Pachypeltis, Parapachypeltis, Platyngomiris, Rayieria, Schuhirandella, Villiersicoris and Volkeliopsis.