Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957

Konstantinov, Fedor V. & Neimorovets, Vladimir V., 2021, Bryocorinae Baerensprung, 1860 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of European Russia and the Caucasus: synopsis and key to species, Zootaxa 4920 (3), pp. 301-338 : 326

Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957

Figures 6 , 9

Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957: 125 .

Material examined. GEORGIA: Adjara, Chakvistavi , 1♀ 21 VII 1949, Kiritshenko RUSSIA: Adygea Rep.: Caucasus Nature Reserve , Abago Mount, 2♀ 23 VIII 1959, Putshkov . Krasnodar Terr.: Krasnaya Polyana , 1♀ 3♂ 7 VII 1935, Chistovsky . North Ossetia Rep.: Eastern Tsey Mt. Range , 1♀ 3 VIII 1925, Kiritshenko .

Diagnosis. Total body length 3.7–4.4; vertex of male 2.0–2.4 X as wide as eye, female 2.7–3.2 X ( Putshkov 1978); antennal segment I dark brown; dark brown longitudinal stripe behind eye broad, about one-third of eye height; apex of scutellum usually more or less darkened, rarely scutellum uniformly greenish yellow.

Distribution. Macrolophus rubi is a predominantly central European species, which was originally described from Great Britain and subsequently reported from the Netherlands ( Aukema & Hermes 2009), Belgium ( Aukema et al. 2007), France ( Ehanno, 1983), Portugal, Spain ( Ribes et al. 2008), Switzerland ( Heckmann & Blöchlinger 2011), Germany ( Gossner & Schuster 2005), Czech Republic (Stehlik 1970), Slovakia ( Kment et al. 2003), Poland ( Cmoluchowa 1982), Ukraine ( Putshkov 1978; Putshkov & Putshkov 1996), and extending east to Caucasus and Dzhungar Alatau in Kazakhstan ( Kerzhner & Josifov 1999). Within the Caucasus, the species is mainly distributed on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasian Ridge, from the Caucasian Nature Biosphere Reserve (Krasnodar Terr.) in the west till the Chechen Rep. in the east, extending through Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Northern Osetia. However, a single male of M. rubi was sampled from the Lesser Caucasus, Mt. Chakvistavi in Georgia ( Kerzhner & Josifov 1999). Gossner & Schuster (2005) erroneously credited Putshkov (1978) for a record of M. rubi from Azerbaijan.

Host. In the Caucasus, M. rubi is a mountainous species, living higher than 1000 m asl and found in large numbers on Rubus sp. ( Rosaceae ) and, occasionally, on Salvia glutinosa L. ( Lamiaceae ) ( Putshkov 1978). The most recent account on the natural history of M. rubi in Europe was given by Gossner & Schuster (2005), who also listed Rubus sp. as a main host for the species and mentioned its occasional records from Stachys sylvatica L.

Discussion. See M. costalis .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Dorsal habitus images and head in lateral view of Macrolophus and Nesidiocoris spp. Macrolophus costalis Fieber, 1858, Macrolophus epilobii Putshkov, l978, Macrolophus glaucescens Fieber, 1858, Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur, 1839, Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957, and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter, 1895).

FIGURE 9. Images of parameres. Bryocoris pteridis (Fallén, 1807), Monalocoris filicis (Linnaeus, 1758) Macrolophus costalis Fieber, 1858, Macrolophus epilobii Putshkov, l978, Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur, 1839, Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957, and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter, 1895).