Melaleucaphylus nodosae, Schwartz & Weirauch & Schuh, 2018

Schwartz, Michael D., Weirauch, Christiane & Schuh, Randall T., 2018, New Genera And Species Of Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae From Australia, And The Description Of A New Species Of Restiophylus (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) Michael D. Schwartz Christiane Weirauch, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (424), pp. 1-161 : 45-47

Melaleucaphylus nodosae , new species

Figures 8 , 9A , map 3, plates 2, 17, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from M. ngarkat , another completely dark-colored species, by black body with pale posterior margin of head, vestiture of black and thin brown setae, endosoma with subapical spine on posterior edge of ventral strap and bifurcate dorsal strap with long apical spines.

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.10, mean pronotum width 1.10. COLORATION (pl. 2): Black; posterior margin and carinal area of head white; gula, maxillary, and mandibular plates bordering eyes pale; pro- and mesotibiae pale; membrane infuscate, veins dusky; tibia without dark spots at base of spines. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 2): Shining; dorsum with mixture of moderately dense, curved, reclining, black and thinner brown simple setae; thoracic venter with similar setae, erect setae on coxae; tibia with black spines. STRUCTURE: Labium reaching apex of metacoxa. Pretarsus: Claws small, narrow with unexpanded bases; parempodia setiform, length relatively long, parallel, apices sharp; pulvilli small, just proximal of angle of claw (fig. 9A). GENITALIA (pl. 17A–J): Pygophore: Relatively short and broad in dorsal view, caudal surface subperpendicular to aperture in lateral view, otherwise as in generic description. Endosoma: Distal one-half with torsion, twisted more caudad than to left side; ventral strap entire with anterior surface terminating basad of secondary gonopore with smooth curved distal margin; posterior surface with short, smoothmargined, sublinear, subsharp subapical spine protruding beyond curvature of ventral strap, subapical spine originating level with proximal end of, and with length equal to width of proximal secondary gonopore process; dorsal strap bifurcate at level of secondary gonopore, apical portion of strap forming pair of diverging, narrow, pointed spines, separated by distance equal to length of secondary gonopore, apices curving caudally, anterior spine longer than posterior spine. Secondary gonopore: Well sclerotized, deep, with well-sclerotized proximal process; interstrap membrane with very thin sclerite reaching from secondary gonopore to base of endosoma. Phallotheca: Attenuate, apical region with moderate height crest on posterior surface; aperture on anteroventral surface relatively wide and undulating. Parameres: Left paramere: Subquadrate in dorsal view, posterior process relatively short, gradually narrowed to truncate curved apex, base expanded laterally; anterior process of moderate length with rounded apex; posterior surface of paramere produced in form of a broad shoulder, not raised above bases of anterior and posterior processes. Right paramere: Moderately small, margins smoothly rounded, gently narrowed distally to small rounded apex.

FEMALE (pl. 2): Coloration as in male; differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.13, mean pronotum width 1.17. GENITALIA (pl. 17K–M): Posterior margin of sternite 7: With triangular projection. Vestibular sclerites: Moderately large, J-shaped, convoluted, lateral margin curved, extending to right side, anterior edge not extending anteriad of ring, just reaching within medial margin of right ring in dorsal view; vestibulum strongly sclero- tized throughout, basal sclerites of first gonapophyses enlarged, triangular. Dorsal labiate plate: Moderately large; posteroventral margin of dorsal labiate plate folded, enlarged posteriad, but not tumid. Sclerotized rings medium sized with narrow border, ovoid, separated by one-half width of ring, lateral margins subangulate, attaining lateral margin dorsal labiate plate. Intersegmental process: Ventral projection small, membranous, apical margin round, entire, anterior surface microspiculate. Posterior wall: Medium sized, ventral one-half well sclerotized. Interramal sclerites: With relatively broad posteriorly directed medial prominence, with small knob on middle portion abutting ovipositor bulb; ventrolateral regions with obvious sclerotized subrectangular extensions. Interramal lobes: Dorsolateral region predominately hyaline, lateral regions with a few scattered microspicules; regions on either side of medial prominence not tumid or produced into genital chamber.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on Melaleuca nodosa .

HOST: Recorded from Melaleuca nodosa (pl. 39I) and M. sp. ( Myrtaceae : Melaleuceae ). The record of specimens from Acacia sp. (Fabaceae) , we consider to be suspect and probably the result of commingled specimens or simple mislabeling.

DISTRIBUTION (map 3): Known from several collecting events from coastal New South Wales in the southeastern phytogeographic subregion.

DISCUSSION: The posteroventral margin of the dorsal labiate plate is not as strongly tumid in M. nodosae as in other species where the male has a subapical spine on ventral spine of the endosoma ( M. beaufortiae , M. halmaturorum , M. micranthae , and M. rhaphiophyllae ). Melaleucaphylus pauperiflorae has similar structure of the endosoma, but the female is unknown.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Booti Booti National Park, jct Lakes Way and Green Point, 32.33334 ° S 152.5333 ° E, 5 m, 21 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca nodosa (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Sm. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395914, 13 ( AMNH _PBI 00370950) ( AM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Booti Booti National Park, jct Lakes Way and Green Point, 32.33334 ° S 152.5333 ° E, 5 m, 21 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca nodosa (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Sm. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395914, 15♀ (00371416, 00371417, 00058593, 00132869, 00132882–00132886, 00132898– 00132900, 00370956–00370958), 113 (00132865– 00132867, 00370944–00370949, 00370951, 00370952) ( AM), 193 (00371383–00371390, 00132849–00132859), 47♀ (00371393–00371415, 00132868, 00132870–00132876, 00132894– 00132897, 00132901–00132912) ( AMNH), 23 (00132863, 00132864), 2♀ (00132880, 00132881) ( CNC), 13 (00132862), 1♀ (00132879) ( UCR), 23 (00371391, 00371392), 2♀ (00132913, 00132914) ( USNM), 23 (00132860, 00132861), 2♀ (00132877, 00132878) ( ZISP). Hat Head National Park near Kempsey, 31.06667 ° S 153.03333 ° E, 5 m, 22 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Leptospermum sp. (Myrtaceae) , 2♀ (00370959, 00370960) ( AM), 1♀ (00370961) ( UNSW). Kurnell, 34.015 ° S 151.201 ° E, 19 Oct 1958, C. E. Chadwick, 93, 4♀ (00414823– 00414826 with multiple specimens) ( AM). Myall Lakes National Park, 10.3 km S of Seal Rocks Rd on Hawks Nest Rd, 32.5 ° S 152.35 ° E, 5 m, 20 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca nodosa (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Sm. (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395909, 2♀ (00370955, 00131679), 23 (00370953, 00131664) ( AM), 93 (00131661– 00131663, 00131665–00131669, 00414831), 9♀ (00131670–00131678) ( AMNH), 13 (00370954) ( UNSW). Royal National Park, 34.072 ° S 151.05789 ° E, 20 m, 15 Oct 1993, G. Cassis, 133 (00370962–00370974), 16♀ (00370975–00370990), Melaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae) , 23 (00087158, 00087444), 1♀ (00087159) ( AM). Sydney, 33.8652 ° S

151.2096 ° E, Oct 1931, K.K. Spence, 23 (00391155, 00391156) ( AM). Wattamolla, Royal National Park, 34.08 ° S 151.07 ° E, 11 Oct 1984, M. Stevens, Acacia sp. (Fabaceae) , 103 (00168854–00168863), 7♀ (00168864–00168870) ( ANIC).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUS-

TRALIA: New South Wales: Royal National Park, 34.072 ° S 151.05789 ° E, 20 m, 15 Oct 1993, G. Cassis, 2 nymphs (00370991, 00370992) (AM).

Figures

FIG. 8. Melaleucaphylus nodosae, AMNH_PBI 00371390. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Head and pronotum, caudolateral view. B. Detail of pronotal setae, lateral view.

FIG. 9. Melaleucaphylus spp. Scanning electron micrographs of pretarsus. A. M. nodosae, AMNH_PBI 00371390, frontodorsal view. B. M. omnivorus, AMNH_PBI 00391104, frontodorsal view. C. M. phymatocarpi, AMNH_PBI 00372120, frontal view. D. M. polyphagus, AMNH_PBI 00132521, frontodorsal view. E., F. M. rhaphiophyllae, AMNH_PBI 00393437. E. Frontodorsal view. F. Detail of parempodia, ventral view. G. M. sheathianae, AMNH_PBI 00370823, frontolateral view. Abbreviations: pe, parempodium; pul, pulvillus.