Tytthus femoralis Henry

Henry, Thomas J., 2012, Revision of the Plant Bug Genus Tytthus (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae, Phylinae), ZooKeys 220, pp. 1-114 : 26-28

Tytthus femoralis Henry sp. n. Figs 13, 14128-131

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished by the combination of a black head, pronotum, and scutellum; translucent hemelytra usually marked with dark brown through middle of the corium; the fuscous antennal segment I, with only the apex pale; the pale antennal segment II having a fuscous basal band; the fuscous hind femur contrasting with the pale yellow pro- and mesofemora; and the pale tibiae with the bases or “knees” fuscous. All known specimens of this species are macropterous.

Tytthus femoralis keys to Tytthus entrerianus based on the pale tibiae with knee spots and the apically infuscated hind femora. It can be distinguished from Tytthus entrerianus by the pale antennal segment II and the more extensively infuscated hind femur.

Description.

Male (n =10, plus holotype in parentheses) (Fig. 13): Length to apex of hemelytron 2.56-3.42 mm (2.83 mm), length to base of cuneus 1.90-2.25 mm (2.08 mm), width across hemelytra 0.80-0.99 mm (0.88 mm). Head: Length 0.30-0.34 mm (0.35 mm), width across eyes 0.61-0.67 mm (0.63 mm), interocular width 0.27-0.29 mm (0.29 mm). Labium: Length 1.20-1.38 mm (1.28 mm). Antenna: Segment I length 0.38-0.50 mm (0.38 mm), II 0.94-1.21 mm (1.10 mm), III 0.58-0.72 mm (0.66 mm), IV 0.40-0.59 mm (0.58 mm). Pronotum: Length 0.34-0.38 mm (0.35 mm), basal width 0.75-0.90 mm (0.78 mm).

Coloration: Head: Uniformly fuscous to black, with a large, yellow, interocular spot near inner margin of each eye, spots nearly converging on some specimens; eyes fuscous to dark reddish brown. Labium: Pale yellow, with apical half of segment IV brown. Antenna: Segment I fuscous to black, with apical one quarter pale or yellowish; segment II pale yellowish brown, with a distinct fuscous band at base and sometimes with apex infuscated; segments III and IV black. Pronotum: Uniformly black. Mesoscutum: Uniformly black. Scutellum: Uniformly black. Hemelytron: Translucent, with a dark brown cloud or patch on apical half of cor- ium and inner apical half of clavus ranging from somewhat indistinct to a definite dark pattern (Figs 13, 14); membrane pale translucent brown. Ostiolar evaporative area: Dark brown to fuscous, with a yellow patch on posterior edge. Ventral surface: Thorax and abdomen uniformly fuscous to black. Legs: Coxae pale yellow, with basal thirds to halves dark brown; pro- and meso femora pale yellow, metafemur dark brown to fuscous, with basal third and apex pale yellow; tibiae pale, each with a fuscous base or “knee”; tarsi, and claws pale yellow.

Structure, texture, and vestiture: Head: Shiny, impunctate; buccula relatively broad, tapering posteriorly, ending near level with middle of eye; set with scattered, semierect setae. Labium: Extending to metacoxe or base of abdomen; segment I extending beyond base of head onto xyphus to bases of procoxae. Antenna: Segment I sparsely set with recumbent setae and two erect, subapical bristlelike setae; segment II set with only very short, recumbent setae. Pronotum: Shiny, impunctate; anterior angles rounded; lateral margins weakly concave, widening at posterior angles; posterior margin weakly sinuate; calli weakly swollen; set with relatively long, recumbent setae. Mesoscutum: Weakly shining, impunctate, broadly exposed; set with a few scattered semierect setae. Scutellum: Shiny, impunctate; equilateral; set with scattered erect and semierect setae. Hemelytron: Macropterous, with cuneus and membrane fully developed, extending well beyond apex of abdomen; evenly set with relatively long, recumbent setae.

Male genitalia: Left paramere (Fig. 128): Mitt-shaped; right arm long, broad, acute apically; left arm short, apically acute. Right paramere (Fig. 129): Endosoma (Fig. 130): S-shaped. Phallotheca (Fig. 131): Slender, apically acute.

Female (n =5) (Fig. 14): Length to apex of hemelytron 2.82-3.52 mm mm, length to base of cuneus 2.05-2.50 mm, width across hemelytra 1.00-1.14 mm. Head: Length 0.30-0.35 mm, width across eyes 0.62-0.69 mm, interocular width 0.30-0.32 mm. Labium: Length 1.12-1.50 mm. Antenna: Segment I length 0.32-0.50 mm, II 0.85-1.17 mm, III 0.53-0.75 mm, IV 0.54-0.59 mm.

Pronotum: Length 0.40-0.41 mm, basal width 0.91-0.99 mm.

Similar to males in general appearance and coloration, differing primarily in the overall broader form. The one color exception is that the ventral area of the abdomen in many females is pale yellow, whereas in males the abdomen is always uniformly fuscous to black.

Etymology.

The specific epithet A "femoralis" denotes the dark brown to fuscous hind femur in contrast to the uniformly pale pro- and mesofemora.

Hosts.

Four specimens from San Carlos, Ecuador, with the label a "Host-Eggs of Perkinsiella spp. " Three specimens intercepted on Musa sp. certainly represent incidental or sitting records.

Distribution.

So far recorded from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (00161890) (USNM): ECUADOR: Manabi: Bahia de Caraquez (35 kms SE), 10 May 1975, Ashley B. Gurney. Paratypes: BOLIVIA:El Beni: Capivara on Rio Itenez, approx. 20 km E. of Versalles, 22 Jul 1964, J. K. Bouseman, J. Lussenhop, 1 ♂ (00165937) (AMNH). BRAZIL:Amazonas: Reserva Ducke, 25 km NNE Manaus, 2.9136°S, 59.9464°W, 120 m, 26 Jul 1973, R. T. Schuh, 1 ♀ (00165831) (AMNH). COLOMBIA:Valle del Cauca: Jamundi, 3.25833°N, 76.54°W, 13 Jul 1985, F. Garcia, on Jameo arroz ( Poaceae ), 6 ♂♂ (00161854 - 00161859), 2 ♀♀ (00161860, 00161861) (USNM). COSTA RICA:San Jose: San Jose, 9.9333°N, 84.0833°W, 1147 m, 1932, H. Schmidt, 1 ♂ (00165935), 1 ♀ (00165936) (AMNH). CUBA: Origin unknown, intercepted at Baltimore, Maryland by APHIS/PPQ, 26 Nov 1925, in “ship’s light socket"), 1 ♀ (00161862) (USNM). ECUADOR:Chimborazo: Huigra, 15 Jun 1914, H. S. Parish, 1 ♂ (00161899) (USNM). El Oro: Victoria-Arenillas, 150 m, 18 Aug 1977 - 19 Aug 1977, L. Pena G., 1 ♀ (00161931) (USNM). Guayas: Duran, 91 m, 23 Jun 1914, H. S. Parish, 2 ♂♂ (00161900, 00161901) (USNM), 2 ♂♂ (CU). Ingenio San Carlos, 07 May 1982, Robert Morey, host–eggs of Perkinsiella spp., 1 ♂ (00161898), 3 ♀♀ (00161930, 00161936 - 00161937) (USNM). Los Rios: Babahoyo, 21 Jun 1975, Cohen, Langley & Monnig, at blacklight, 1 ♂ (00161934) (USNM). Chone, 0.6833°S, 80.1°W, 110 m, 09 May 1975, Ashley B. Gurney, 2 ♂ (00161929, 00161935) (USNM). Manabi: Chone, 0.6833°S, 80.1°W, 110 m, 09 May 1975, Ashley B. Gurney, 2 ♂♂ (00161929, 00161935) (USNM). Napo: Baeza (72 Km E), 1280 m, 14 Apr 1977, Elaine R. Hodges, near cut trees and bamboo, 1 ♂ (00161933) (USNM). Origin unknown, intercepted at Long Beach, California, by APHIS/PPQ, 12 May 1997, on Musa sp., 1 ♂ (00161891), 1 ♀ (00161932) (USNM). Origin unknown, intercepted at San Diego, California by APHIS/PPQ, 32.71528°N, 117.15639°W, 20 May 2008, on Musa sp. (fruit), 1 ♂ (00161902) (USNM). GUATEMALA: Locality unknown, 13 Sep 2007, P. Perez, Musa sp. ( Musaceae ), 1 ♀ (00161864) (USNM). HONDURAS:Atlantida: Lancetilla, 1900 - 1900, M. Bates, Paratype, 2 ♂♂ (00165933, 00165934) (AMNH). JAMAICA:St. Ann Parish: 5 mi S of St Anns Bay, 05 Jul 1971, J. A. Slater & R. M. Baranowski & J. E. Harrington, 1 ♂ (00165830) (AMNH). MEXICO: Origin unknown, 03 Nov 1988, intercepted at Elpaso, Texas, by APHIS/PPQ, on Musa sp. ( Musaceae ), 1 ♀ (00161863) (USNM). PANAMA:Pinogana: El Real, 08 Aug 1952, F. S. Blanton, 4 ♀♀ (00161850 - 00161853), 1 ♀ (00161849) (USNM). PERU:Huanuco:Leoncio Prado Co.: Tingo Maria, 671 m, 19 Apr 1969-24 Apr 1969, P. & P. Spangler, 1 ♂ (00161938), 1 ♀ (00161939) (USNM).