Melaleucoides uncinatae, Schuh & C. Weirauch, 2010

Schuh, R. T. & C. Weirauch, 2010, Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) From Australia: Description And Analysis Of Phylogenetic And Host Relationships For A Monophyletic Assemblage Of Three New Genera, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (344), pp. 3-94 : 63-65

Melaleucoides uncinatae , new species Figures 30, 31; map 6; plate 4

DIAGNOSIS: Most similar to M. rhaphiophyllae in the heavily castaneous

coloration (pls. 3, 4) of the dorsum, with the apex of the scutellum and the base of the cuneus pale. Distinguished from that species by the different form of the phallotheca and the left paramere (figs. 26, 31), the endosoma of M. rhaphiophyllae being unknown.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body moderately elongate, parallel sided; mean total length 2.99, mean width pronotum 1.25. COLOR- ATION (pl. 4): Head: Uniformly dark; scapus brown; pedicellus unicolorous black or castaneous; labium generally infuscate, heavily so apically. Thorax: Pronotum unicolorous deep red to black; scutellum red or dark brown with white or pale tip; corium and clavus largely castaneous, markings on cuneus present as a contrasting white basal fascia, remainder castaneous; membrane strongly fumose, veins white; hind femur nearly unicolorous dark; hind tibial spines with conspicuous dark spots at bases. Abdomen: Venter heavily red laterally. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum with golden reclining setae; dorsum without sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head (fig. 30A): Barely projecting; interocular space moderate; eyes leaving gena moderately exposed in lateral view. Antenna: Segment 2 weakly tapering, more slender at base; antennal fossa with ventral margin at ventral margin of eye. Labium: Just reaching onto abdomen. Thorax: Pretarsus (fig. 30C): Pulvilli present, flaplike, covering about one third of ventral claw surface. GENITALIA (figs. 30D–F, 31): Endosoma: Primary strap apically weakly elongate, weakly curving, without ornamentation; secondary endosomal strap fused with primary strap proximal to level of secondary gonopore, and not projecting beyond gonopore; spinelike, elongate process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface present, erect, ornamented with denticles apically; spinelike, elongate process near gonopore on ventral surface absent; bladderlike process distad of secondary gonopore present; secondary gonopore seen laterally in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: More or less right angulate; dorsal surface with a long fingerlike projection; apex simple. Left Paramere: Shaft in same axis as body; body spoon shaped; apex medially broadly rounded; anterior process triangular in lateral view; posterior process in the form of a short, curved, fingerlike projection; base of posterior process with distinct shoulder. Right Paramere: Body short and broad, lanceolate; apex short, clawlike, decurved.

Female: Distinctly more ovoid than male; mean total length 3.26, mean width pronotum 1.34. COLORATION (pl. 4): Paler than male. GENITALIA: Posterior wall laterally with distinct crescent-shaped interramal sclerites; posteriorly without a sclerotized transverse band; posterolaterally with a distinct swelling covered with microtrichia; longitudinal fold on either side of midline along part of length; posterior margin of posterior wall without spicules and not reflexed dorsally; interramal lobes roughly symmetrical, erect, and heavily ornamented with spicules; vestibulum with medial plates sclerotized and readily observed, small, nearly symmetrical, triangular, with sclerotized guide present as short heavily sclerotized tube on left side.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the host species, Melaleuca uncinata (Myrtaceae) .

HOSTS: Nearly all available specimens are recorded from Melaleuca uncinata R. Br. (pl. 6D); a single specimen is recorded from Melaleuca rhaphiophylla Schauer (Myrtaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION (map 6): Known from Yalgoo and Eneabba in Western Australia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 56.6 km W of Yalgoo, 28.42397uS 116.1233uE, 600 m, 27 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca uncinata R.Br. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05120640, 1 - (AMNH_PBI 00368315) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 56.6 km W of Yalgoo, 28.42397uS 116.1233uE, 600 m, 27 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca uncinata R. Br. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05120640, 3 - (00136545– 00136546, 00368325), 12 U (00136547–001- 36558) ( AM), 14 - (00368313–00368314, 003- 68316–00368324, 00368327–00368328, 0036- 8364), 16 U (00368329–00368344) ( AMNH), 15 - (00368326, 00368353–00368363, 00368- 365–00368367) ( WAMP). Brand Hiway 8.2 km N of Eneabba, 29.7462uS 115.254uE, 100 m, 31 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca rhaphiophylla Schauer (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05120195, 1 U (00008726) ( AM).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRA- LIA: Western Australia: 56.6 km W of Yalgoo, 28.42397uS 116.1233uE, 600 m, 27 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca uncinata R. Br. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05120640, 8 U (00368345–00368352) (AMNH).