Melaleucoides cassisi, 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 : 40-43

Melaleucoides cassisi , new species Figures 17, 18; map 3; plate 2

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized among Melaleucoides spp. by the relatively large size (mean total length 3.95), the monotonous pale coloration of the dorsum, and the structure of the male genitalia, notably the clublike aggregation of denticles distad of the secondary gonopore and their position ventral to the primary endosomal strap. Most similar in size and coloration to M. grossi and M. sheathiana . Distinguished from the former by the arrangement of the endosomal denticles on an elongate, conical, free spine ventral to the primary endosomal spine, and from the latter by the strongly orange scutellum and the dorsal position of the endosomal spicules and the fusion of the primary and secondary endosomal straps distad of the secondary gonopore in that species.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body weakly elongate, weakly ovoid; mean total length 3.95, mean width pronotum 1.38. COLORATION (pl. 2): Head: Uniformly pale, faded yellow; scapus and pedicellus yellow to dirty yellow; labium pale with segment 4 heavily infuscate. Thorax: Pronotum unicolorous, faded yellow; scutellum white; hemelytron unicolorous, faded yellow; cuneus mostly white, markings absent; membrane and veins weakly fumose; hind femur unicolorous pale, without black spots; hind tibial spines black, without dark spots at bases. Abdomen: Venter unicolorous pale or mostly so. SUR- FACE AND VESTITURE (fig. 17B): Dorsum with suberect or reclining black setae and some sericeous or woolly setae. STRUC- TURE: Head (fig. 17A): Barely projecting; interocular space relatively large; eyes leaving gena moderately exposed in lateral view. Antenna: Segment 2 of equal diameter over entire length; antennal fossa with ventral margin at ventral margin of eye. Labium: Just reaching onto abdomen. Thorax: Pretarsus (fig. 17C, D): Pulvilli present, flaplike, covering about one third of ventral claw surface. GENITALIA (figs. 17E, F, 18): Endosoma: Primary strap apically greatly elongate, weakly arcuate and curving ventrally, without ornamentation; secondary endosomal strap fused with primary strap proximal to secondary gonopore, fused with primary strap distal to gonopore ornamented with denticles at about midpoint of apical region of primary strap; spinelike, elongate process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface absent; spinelike, elongate process near gonopore on ventral surface present, strongly recurved toward base of endosoma; bladderlike process distad of secondary gonopore absent; secondary gonopore seen frontally (facing up) in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: More or less right angulate; dorsal surface with a curving, posteriorly directed, platelike projection; apex simple. Left Paramere: Shaft at right angles to body; body spoon shaped; apex medially drawn into a blunt, recurved, fingerlike process; anterior process triangular in lateral view; posterior process in the form of a short, straight, fingerlike projection; base of posterior process without conspicuous shoulder. Right Paramere: Body short and broad, lanceolate; apex short, clawlike, decurved.

Female: Distinctly more ovoid than male; mean total length 4.12, mean width pronotum 1.53. COLORATION (pl. 2): As in male. GENITALIA (fig. 18): Posterior wall laterally with distinct crescentshaped 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 present and asymmetrical, reclining, overlapping, 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 Gerasimos Cassis, who collected most of the known specimens, in recognition of his groundbreaking efforts in field documentation and study of Australian Heteroptera .

HOSTS: Melaleuca uncinata R. Br. (Myrtaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION (map 3): Known from two localities west and north of Yalgoo and in the northeastern Wheatbelt region of 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. (Myrta-

ceae), det. Perth 05120640, 1 - (AMNH_PBI 00371607) ( 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, 10 - (00087172, 00371142–00371150), 33 U (00087173, 003- 71151–00371182) ( AM), 24 - (00087452, 003- 71608–00371610, 00371612–00371630, 0037- 1639), 31 U (00371565–00371593, 0037- 1611, 00371699) ( AMNH), 1 - (00371631) ( UCR), 1 - (00371056), 6 U (00371057– 00371062) ( UNSW), 6 - (00371633– 00371638), 21 U (00371183–00371191, 00371594–00371605) ( WAMP).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRA- LIA: Western Australia: 13.5 km W of Nungarin on Rt 50, 31.11547uS 117.945uE, 300 m, 16 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh, G. Cassis, & R. Silveira, 1 - (00129374) ( UNSW). 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, 9 - (00371133– 00371141) ( AM), 41 U (00371641–00371661, 00371663–00371682), 1 nymph (00371662) ( AMNH), 1 - (00371632), 4 U (00371687– 00371690) ( CNC), 4 U (00371683–00371686) ( UCR), 1 - (00371640), 4 U (00371695–003- 71698) ( USNM), 1 - (00371606), 4 U (003- 71691–00371694) ( ZISP).