Nysius caledoniae Distant

Usinger, Robert L., 1946, Hemiptera Heteroptera of Guam, Insects of Guam II, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Bulletin 189, pp. 11-103 : 28

18. Nysius caledoniae Distant , Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. IX, 6: 151, 1920.

Thirty specimens collected at Piti, April 30, on Emilia, Usinger ; one specimen, Piti, May 1, Usinger . This species was repeatedly observed throughout our stay on Guam on the recently (within the previous 10 years) introduced composite, Emilia . The incubation period of eggs in Emilia heads was five days. I collected the same species commonly at Los Banos and Montalban, Philippine Islands, on the closely related composite, Erigeron .

These specimens agree closely with topotypic New Caledonia material determined by Distant. They are close to pacificus China but have a slightly shorter and less dense pubescence dorsally, particularly on the hemelytra. The presence of pacificus on Tutuila, alone of the Samoan Islands, is not particularly remarkable since it was probably introduced there. I also have specimens from Fiji and Amboina . Specimens are at hand from India determined as ceylanicus Motschulsky by Distant. These also belong with pacificus while a paratype of turneri Evans from Tasmania is closely allied but has longer, erect pubescence, especially on the pronotum. These closely related species form a group which is widely distributed throughout the Austro-Oriental region. Representatives of this group are also at hand from south and central China and from Japan. The status of the various Oriental species of Nysius can only be determined by a thorough systematic revision based upon a study of type specimens.