Dicyphus alkannae, SEIDENSTUCKER, 1956

Sanchez, Juan Antonio & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2018, Towards solving the taxonomic impasse of the biocontrol plant bug subgenus Dicyphus (Dicyphus) (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) using molecular, morphometric and morphological partitions, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 184, pp. 330-406 : 352-356

DICYPHUS ALKANNAE SEIDENSTUCKER, 1956

( FIGS 9 A, 12 A, 30, 32)

Dicyphus alkannae Seidenstucker 1956: 145 (original description); Wagner, 1974: 74 (redescription; host plant); Schuh, 1995: 489 (catalogue; full citation); Kerzhner & Josifov, 1999: 21 (Palaearctic catalogue).

Material examined

Turkey: Kayseri, 38.52666°N 35.92805°E, 1490 m, 23–26 May 1995, Seidenstucker , 1♀, paratype ( AMNH _ PBI 00210746 ) ( MZH), 1♂ ( AMNH _ PBI 00208540 ), ex. Alkanna orientalis (L.) Boiss ( Boraginaceae ) ( MZH). Ulukischla , 37.54423ºN 34.48504ºE, 1425 m, 16 May 1955, 22 May 1955, Seidenstücker, 2♀♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00208542 , AMNH _ PBI 00208541 ), ex. Alkanna orientalis (MZH) .

Iran: Tabriz , 38.00590ºN 46.42168ºE, 1650 m, 21 May 1965, Eckerlein, 3♀♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00210747 t o A M N H _ P B I 0 0 2 1 0 7 4 9), 1 ♂ (A M N H _ P B I 00210751), ex. Alkanna orientalis (MZH) .

Diagnosis

Dicyphus alkannae is recognized by the following combination of characters: macropterous and brachypterous males ( Fig. 30); only brachypterous females known; small species, brachypterous males 2.40–3.63 mm, brachypterous females 2.88–3.51 mm; AII 0.93× shorter than posterior width of pronotum in brachypters; AII with proximal 2/3 to 3/4 mostly stramineous, apex dark brown; eyes barely removed from anterior margin of pronotum; callosite region and pronotal disk of brachypters subequal in length; propleuron with broad transverse dark brown to fuscous band; clavus, exocorium and endocorium each with a faint red stripe ( Fig. 30); apophysis of left paramere short and robust, distally expanded and non-serrated ( Fig. 9A); endosoma with two asymmetrical enlarged straight lobal sclerites ( Fig. 12A).

KEY TO SPECIES OF DICYPHUS (DICYPHUS) FROM THE WESTERN PALAEARCTIC 1. Left sternal process present as expanded flange with denticulate substructure( Figs7D, 8F)…………………2 – Left sternal process as expanded flange with denticulate substructure absent, SVIII sometimes expanded on left side, with clump of bristlelike setae ( Fig. 6F)….............. .................................................3

2. AII <2.1× longer than head width; body length 5.00 mm in macropters, 3.65–4.06 mm in brachypters; pygophore without posteroventral brown spot .......................................................... Dicyphus flavoviridis – AII>2.1× longer than head width; body length 5.23–5.80 mm in macropters, 4.34–5.10 mm in brachypters; pygophore with posteroventral brown spot................................................. Dicyphus pallidus

3. Left sternal margin of abdominal SVIII laterally tumose (adjacent to left paramere) ( Fig. 6F), with clump of bristlelike setae; apophysis of left paramere short ( Fig. 23B); endosomal sclerites asymmetrical and arcuate ( Fig. 12E); macropters only ................................................................................... Dicyphus cerastii – Left sternal margin of abdominal SVIII laterally not expanded adjacent to left paramere, setae uniformly distributed across segment; apophysis of left paramere short or elongate .....................................4

4. Antennae uniformly black; mandibular plate dark brown to black; macropters only................................5 – Either first and/or second antennal segments with medial stramineous region; mandibular plate stramineous; macropters and/or brachypters ...............................................................................................6

5. Pronotum with a stramineous midline ( Fig. 30); posterior margin of vertex post-X marking stramineous to light brown; endosomal lobal sclerites asymmetrical; body length> 5 mm .......... Dicyphus deylamanus – Pronotum entirely dark brown ( Fig. 2); band behind the X-shape mark dark brown; endosomal lobal sclerites symmetrical ( Fig. 12D); body length <4 mm ............................................... Dicyphus caycumensis

6. Second antennal segment greatly elongate,>1.45× longer than posterior width of pronotum both in macropters and brachypters when present; apophysis of left paramere short; aedeagus with pair of large endosomal lobal sclerites ...............................................................................................................................7 – Second antennal segment shorter, <1.4× longer than posterior width of pronotum both in macropters and brachypters when present; apophysis of left paramere short or long; aedeagus with or without lobal sclerites .........................................................................................................................................................10

7. First antennal segment mostly stramineous, with subbasal and subapical darker annulations ( Fig. 2); pronotal disk subequal to a little longer than callosite region, generally <1.2× in macropters; macropters and brachypters............................................................................................................. Dicyphus constrictus – First antennal segment mostly red to reddish brown or dark brown, without evident paler medial part; pronotal disk>1.2× greater than callosite region; macropters only ............................................................8

8. Darker species ( Fig. 2); second antennal segment mostly dark brown, stramineous medially but narrowly so; first antennal segment red to reddish dark brown; apophysis of left paramere short and robust, spatulate apex expanded ( Fig. 23F); paired endosomal lobal sclerites asymmetrical ( Fig. 13B); macropters only … ............................................................................................................................................ Dicyphus errans – Paler species; second antennal segment always broadly stramineous medially, with dark brown subbasal annulation and distally dark brown; first antennal segment reddish. Apophysis of left paramere short, spatulate apex weekly expanded ( Figs. 10C–D, 23E) ........................................................................9

9. Frons+vertex with a short and faint V-shaped brown marking ( Fig. 2), not extending to the posterior margin of eyes; endosoma with a pair of medium size (c. 1/4 of endosomal length) lobal sclerites weakly asymmetrical ( Fig. 13A) ...................................................................................................... Dicyphus epilobii – Frons+vertex with a distinct X-shaped dark-brown marking ( Fig. 2), extending to the posterior margin of eyes. Endosome with a pair of big (>1/3 of the endosome length) and thick lobal sclerites slightly asymmetrical ( Fig. 14B) ....................................................................................................... Dicyphus josifovi

10. Small species ( Fig. 5), body length <3.1 mm in macropters, <2.1 mm in brachypters; eyes very small, interocular distance>2× eye width; pale species; endosoma without sclerotization ( Fig. 22B); macropters and brachypters............................................................................................................ Dicyphus tumidifrons – Body variable in size, always> 3.3 mm in macropters,> 2.5 mm in brachypters; eyes moderate to large size; interocular distance <1.7× eye width; pale to dark species; endosoma with sclerotization .............11

11. Femora with greatly enlarged dark spots, in irregular two rows, spots very often touching ( Fig. 5); first antennal segment entirely dark reddish to dark brown; apophysis of left paramere with broad and recurved apex, outer margin strongly denticulate ( Fig. 23G–I); endosoma without small or large lobal sclerites; two endosomal lobes with fields of spinules ( Fig. 13C); macropters and brachypters .................. ........................................................................................................................................... Dicyphus escalerae

– Femora with two rows of relatively small spots, separated; first antennal segment mostly medially stramineous with red or brown subbasal and subapical annulations, rarely mostly pale red; apophysis of left paramere variable; endosoma with or without lobal sclerites and with or without fields of spinules.......................................................................................................................................................................12

12. Clavus and corium with uniform distribution of enlarged brown spots ( Fig. 5); apophysis of left paramere broad and short; endosoma lacking small or large lobal sclerites, with fields of spinules only; macropters and brachypters..................................................................................................................... Dicyphus poneli – Clavus and corium either generally without uniform distribution of enlarged brown spots or at most with small red or brown spots, latter often faint; if enlarged spots present, then left paramere elongate; endosoma always with small or large lobal sclerites, sometimes also with fields of spinules……………..…..13

13. Left paramere elongate to greatly elongate ( Fig. 9C–F) ............................................................................14 – Left paramere short ( Fig. 9A, B)...............................................................................................................17

14. Left paramere with non-expanded apophysis; distal region of apophysis angulate with a serrated outer margin ( Fig. 11A); medial lobe of endosoma with 5–11 small lobal sclerites ( Fig. 31B); macropters and brachypters............................................................................................................... Dicyphus rubicundus – Left paramere with apophysis expanded apically...................................................................................15

15. Left paramere greatly elongate ( Fig. 11C), apophysis 530–600 ηm (from outer margin of the base to tip of shaft); medial lobe of endosoma with 2–5 lobal sclerites ( Fig. 22A) ......................... Dicyphus tamaninii – Left paramere moderately elongate ( Figs 9C–F, 10E), significantly smaller than D. tamaninii ( Fig. 11C), apophysis 350–450 ηm; medial lobe of endosoma with 5–12 small lobal sclerites ( Figs 12C, 14C–D) ......6

16. Endosoma generally with 8–12 small lobal sclerites, rarely 6–7 ( Fig. 12C); left paramere moderately elongated ( Fig. 9C–F), apophysis 440–450 ηm .................................................................. Dicyphus bolivari – Endosoma with five small lobal sclerites ( Fig. 14C, D); left paramere elongate ( Fig. 10E), apophysis <400 ηm ............................................................................................................................ Dicyphus lindbergi

17. Second antennal segment with proximal 2/3rd stramineous and small apical dark-brown annulation ( Fig. 30); endosoma with asymmetrical pair of large lobal sclerites ( Fig. 12A)..................................... Dicyphus alkannae – Second antennal segment stramineous medially ( Fig. 3), always with basal and apical reddish brown or dark-brown annulations ..........................................................................................................................18

18. Spatulate apex of left paramere with base of outer margin rounded ( Fig. 11B); pair of endosomal lobal sclerites near symmetrical, weakly arcuate distally ( Fig. 31C); most often with pale body, occasionally very dark; macropters and brachypters .......................................................................... Dicyphus stachydis – Spatulate apex of left paramere with base of outer margin crested ( Figs 9B, 10B, 23D); endosomal lobal sclerites symmetrical to moderately asymmetrical ( Figs 12B, G, 14A)...................................19

19. Spatulate apex of left paramere with a smooth crest ( Fig. 23D). Pair of endosomal lobal sclerites straight and symmetrical ( Fig. 12G).............................................................................................. Dicyphus eckerleini – Spatulate apex of left paramere with a marked crest ( Figs 9B, 10B). Pair of endosomal lobal sclerites arcuate and asymmetrical ( Figs 12B, 14A) .................................................................................................20

20. Mostly pale species ( Fig. 3); spatulate apex of the left paramere joining the neck of apophysis in an obtuse angle ( Fig. 9B); pair of endosomal lobal sclerites moderately large, with right sclerite bended medially and significantly bigger than left ( Fig. 12B) macropters only .......................... Dicyphus argensis – Either pale or dark morphs ( Fig. 3); left paramere apophysis angulate, apically, toothed ( Fig. 10B); endosomal lobal sclerites elongate, asymmetrical and arcuate at the tip ( Fig. 14A); macropters and brachypters .................................................................................................................................... Dicyphus hyalinipennis

Description

Males. Macropters and brachypters (only later examined).

Coloration ( Fig. 30): Dorsum mostly stramineous to pale brown, with contrasting dark-brown markings, sometimes with red/orange highlighting. Head: frons+vertex with a broad, X-shaped dark-brown marking, sometimes with orange highlighting; clypeus and maxillary plate mostly dark brown; postocular margins of head broadly dark brown to black and shiny; gula and bucculae pale brown. Antennae: AI mostly pale brown to stramineous brown, with subbasal brown band and small apical red band; AII proximal 2/3 to 3/4 mostly stramineous, apex dark brown. Pronotum: collar white to stramineous, translucent; calli stramineous to pale brown with dark brown highlighting; disk stramineous to pale brown, with humeral angles embrowned. Thoracic pleura and sterna: propleuron with transverse dark brown to fuscous band, ventral margin stramineous; metepisternum most often with anterior half dark brown, and posterior half stramineous, including evaporative area. Mesoscutum: mesoscutum medially pale brown to orange with lateral margins dark brown. Scutellum : lateral angles broadly stramineous with a broad brown stripe along midline, sometimes more broadly stramineous. Hemelytra : translucent, mostly pale brown, with red stripes and brown spotting at base of setae; clavus and corium mostly concolorous, with faint red stripe medially on clavus, endocorium and exocorium; apex of exocorium adjacent to costal fracture with prominent dark brown to reddish brown spot; apex of endocorium with obscure dark brown spot; cuneus mostly stramineous to pale brown with apical dark brown to reddish brown spot. Abdomen: venter either mostly dark brown to black and shiny, with pale lateral margins, or with banded colour pattern, with contrasting yellow and brown markings.

Structure: Head: interocular distance 1.31–1.44× greater than eye width; eyes moderately large, removed from pronotum by distance greater than width of AII in brachypters. Antennae: AI short, 0.97–1.14× longer than interocular distance; AII 0.79–0.93× longer than posterior width of pronotum in brachypters. Pronotum: disk region 0.93–1.13× longer than the callosite region. Male genitalia: left paramere with robust and short apophysis, distantly expanded and non-serrated at outer margin ( Fig. 9A); aedeagus with two well-developed endosomal lobes, each with a single elongate sclerite, lobal sclerites asymmetrical ( Fig. 12A).

Females. Only brachypterous females known. Coloration, vestiture, texture and structure mostly as in brachypterous males. Interocular distance 1.19– 1.38× greater than eye width; AI 0.95–1.12× longer than interocular distance; AII 0.81–0.86× longer than the posterior pronotal width; pronotal disk region 0.85–1.13× the length of the callosite region.