Melaleucaphylus viridiflorae, 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 : 65-67

Melaleucaphylus viridiflorae , new species

Figure 14 , map 4, plates 4, 25, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by dorsal coloration with dark head, darkened posterior one-half of pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum, and prominent well-sclerotized, strongly microspiculate distal swellings of secondary gonopore of endosoma. Distinguished from M. beaufortiae , also with darkened frons, vertex and posterior margin of pronotum, but lacking darkened mesoscutum and scutellum and enlarged projecting microspiculate prominences of secondary gonopore as in M. viridiflorae .

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.27, mean pronotum width 1.18. COLORATION (pl. 4): Pale yellow tan with variable dark brown vertex, frons, antennal segments 3 and 4, dark brown to black on posterior one-half of pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum, except reddishbrown lateral margins, hemelytron very faintly infuscate, hemelytral membrane faintly fumose with dark small cell and anal ridge, tibiae with dark apices; claws and phallotheca black; dark pronotal marking always with distinct anterior margin; thoracic venter pale orange brown except propleuron, ventral portion of metepisternal scent-gland evaporative area, and auricle; in palest specimens dark markings largely indistinct on pronotum, but always present on frons, vertex, mesoscutum, and scutellum; tibia without dark spots at bases of spines. SURFACE AND VESTI- TURE (pl. 4): Subshining; dorsum with moder- ately dense, curved, reclining black simple setae (fig. 14A); coxae with erect pale setae, tibia with dark or vaguely darkened spines. STRUCTURE: Labium reaching to base of metacoxa. Pretarsus: Claws moderate sized, curved; parempodia lamelliform, thickened and truncate apically; pulvilli minute, situated within angle of claw (fig. 14B). GENITALIA (pl. 25A–L): Pygophore: As in generic description. Endosoma: Dorsal strap with torsion, but only with distal portion of apical spine slightly twisted to left side; ventral strap entire, reaching to proximal end of secondary gonopore, anterior surface smoothly concave, posterior surface without projection on edge, reaching under secondary gonopore as well-sclerotized undulating plate; dorsal strap entire with posterior edge a long, smooth-margined, narrow, pointed, apical spine, extending beyond distal apex of ventral strap by length of secondary gonopore. Secondary gonopore: Well sclerotized, deep, located distal to middle of endosoma by length of secondary gonopore; aperture convoluted, proximal edge with medium-sized, wellsclerotized, irregular process ringing and projecting somewhat proximal to aperture, distal edge with large, well-sclerotized microspiculate tumid prominence, anterolateral edge with faintly microspiculate membranous sac extending beyond apical sclerotized spine of ventral strap. Phallotheca: Protruding apical portion thick at base, then sharply attenuate to narrow apex; dorsal surface with long narrow carina, posterior surface with short carina; otherwise as in generic description. Parameres: Left paramere: Posterior margin and shoulder region between posterior and anterior processes broadly produced with slight shoulder; posterior process short, narrow, anterior process short with weakly serrate apex. Right paramere: As in generic description.

FEMALE (pl. 4): Coloration much paler than in male, otherwise differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.82, mean pronotum width 1.41. GENITALIA (pl. 25M–Q): Subgenital plate: Elongate, relatively narrow. Vestibular sclerites: Situated medially, moderate sized, convoluted, extending to right side, anterior margin extending even with middle of medial side of right sclerotized ring and occupying posteromedial quarter of ring in dorsal view. Dorsal labiate plate: Sclerotized rings large with narrow margins, subcircular, and separated by almost width of ring, lateral margin of ring rounded, reaching lateral margin of dorsal labiate plate; posteroventral margin of dorsal labiate plate folded, not tumid. Posteromedial region: Sunken microspiculate invaginated plate, divided on midline, strongly concave and rolled dorsad. Intersegmental process: Strongly invaginated pair of well-sclerotized, cone-shaped paramedial prominences. Posterior wall: Anterior surface microspiculate, well sclerotized, wedgeshaped interramal sclerites widely separated and placed on ventrolateral margins; posterodorsal portion membranous, with pair of widely separated, tumid, microspiculate interramal lobes projecting anteriorly into genital chamber; midline of wall strongly sclerotized, moderately projecting posteriad.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on Melaleuca viridiflora .

HOST: Recorded from Melaleuca viridiflora ( Myrtaceae : Melaleuceae ) (pl. 40F, G).

DISTRIBUTION (map 4): Known only from the type locality in the Armhen Land phytogeographic subregion near Daly River Conservation Area, Northern Territory, taken during the 2012 Fish River Bush Blitz.

DISCUSSION: The strongly sclerotized serrate apical spine of the ventral strap and entire apical spine of the dorsal strap in M. viridiflorae are most similar to the structure observed in M. glomeratae . The coloration of the pronotum in M. viridiflorae is similar to that in M. beaufortiae . The endosoma is superficially similar to that of some Campylomma spp. (tribe Nasocorini ), but the fact that M. viridiflorae lacks a single row of short bristlelike setae on the dorsal edge of the metafemora (a diagnostic feature of Nasocorini ) leads us to refute a relationship between these taxa placed in different phyline tribes. Careful comparison of the endosoma in Campylomma spp. and M. viridiflora reveals that the apical por-

tion of the endosomal strap(s) has divergent structure. Apically the strongly serrate sclerite and longer smooth spine are located on separate straps in M. viridiflora , whereas they are on the same strap in Campylomma spp. ( Schuh, 1984 ; Yasunaga et al., 2015; Yasunaga, 2016).

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Fish River Station, Site B3, 13.82642 ° S 130.71502 ° E, 25 m, 23 Apr 2012, C. Symonds, Melaleuca viridiflora Sol. ex Gaertn. (Myrtaceae) , det. NT Herbarium D0217498, 13 ( UNSW _ ENT 00025510) ( MAGNT).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Fish River Station, Site B3, 13.82642 ° S 130.71502 ° E, 25 m, 23 Apr 2012, C. Symonds, Melaleuca viridiflora Sol. ex Gaertn. (Myrtaceae) , det. NT Herbarium D0217498, 33 ( UNSW _ENT 00025507, UNSW _ENT 00025508, UNSW _ENT 00025515), 2♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00025500, UNSW _ ENT 00025502) ( AMNH), 43 ( UNSW _ENT 00025512- UNSW _ENT 00025514, UNSW _ ENT 00025516), 11♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00025488, UNSW _ENT 00025490- UNSW _ENT 00025499) ( MAGNT), 33 ( UNSW _ENT 00025509, UNSW _ ENT 00025511, UNSW _ENT 00025517), 4♀ ( UNSW _ENT 00025486, UNSW _ENT 00025487, UNSW_ENT 00025489, UNSW _ENT 00025501) ( UNSW).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUS-

TRALIA: Northern Territory: Fish River Station, Site B3, 13.82642 ° S 130.71502 ° E, 25 m, 23 Apr 2012, C. Symonds, Melaleuca viridiflora Sol. ex Gaertn. (Myrtaceae) , det. NT Herbarium D0217498, 4 nymphs (UNSW_ENT 00025503– UNSW_ENT 00025506) (MAGNT).

Figures

FIG. 14. Melaleucaphylus viridiflorae, UNSW_PBI 00025515. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Detail of pronotal setae, dorsal view. B. Pretarsus, lateral view. Abbreviations: pe, parempodium; pul, pulvillus.