Tytthus columbiensis Carvalho

Henry, Thomas J., 2012, Revision of the Plant Bug Genus Tytthus (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae, Phylinae), ZooKeys 220, pp. 1-114 : 22-24

Tytthus columbiensis Carvalho Fig. 11

Tytthus columbiensis Carvalho 1984: 202 (orig. descrip.); Schuh 1995: 248 (cat.)

Diagnosis.

This distinct species is recognized by the overall shiny fuscous to black body, antennae, and femora, contrasting with the pale or white cuneus, basal area of corium and clavus, antennal segments III and IV, and tibiae.

It is similar to the Nearctic Tytthus montanus in the overall dark brown to fuscous dorsum and femora and the basally pale corium, but differs in having most of the cuneus, antennal segments III and IV pale (segments I and II uniformly black) and most of the tibiae (except bases) pale or whitish, whereas in Tytthus montanus the cuneus and antennal segment III and IV are uniformly black (segments I pale and II pale on basal third to half) and the tibiae are pale only on the distal halves.

Description.

Holotype male (Fig. 11): Length to apex of hemelytron ca 3.40 mm (wing separated from body), length to base of cuneus 2.33 mm (wing separated from body), width across hemelytra 1.12 mm. Head: Length 0.43 mm, width across eyes 0.64 mm, interocular width 0.32 mm. Labium: Length 1.12 mm. Antenna: Segment I length 0.32 mm, II 1.04 mm, III 0.64 mm, IV ca 0.51 mm (curled and in glue). Pronotum: Length 0.42 mm, basal width 0.82 mm.

Coloration: Head: Uniformly black, with a vague pale spot on interocular space adjacent to each eye; eyes dark reddish brown. Labium: Segments I, II, and apex of IV dark brown; segment III, apex of II, and basal two thirds of IV pale or whitish. Antenna: Segments I and II fuscous to black; segment III and IV pale or whitish. Pronotum: Uniformly black. Hemelytron: Fuscous to black, with basal one fourth of corium and clavus and cuneus, except for apex, pale or white; membrane translucent brown. Ostiolar evaporative area: Fuscous to black. Ventral surface: Propleura black, ventral areas of thorax dark to reddish brown; abdomen dark reddish brown. Legs: Procoxae reddish brown, mesocoxa reddish brown with only apex pale, metacoxa uniformly pale to whitish; femora uniformly black; tibiae pale yellow to whitish, with only basal one fourth of each fuscous to black; tarsi and claws pale yellow to whitish.

Structure, texture, and vestiture: Head: Shiny, impunctate, width subequal to length, shiny; buccula slender (less than half the width of labial segment I), tapering posteriorly; sparsely set with scattered, short, semierect, dark brown setae on vertex and frons and a few longer, erect setae along posterior margin. Labium: Extending to bases of mesocoxae; segment I extending only to base of head. Pronotum: Shiny, impunctate; anterior angles rounded, lateral margins weakly concave, posterior anterior angles strongly flared, posterior margin concave; sparsely set with scattered, short, erect and semierect, dark brown setae. Mesoscutum: Broadly exposed, impunctate, sparsely set with short, erect, dark brown setae. Scutellum: Equilateral, impunctate, sparsely set with short, erect, dark brown setae. Hemelytron: Macropterous, impunctate, basal width of cuneus about two thirds the length, membrane fully developed with two areoles; evenly set with short, semierect dark brown setae (pale setae on pale or white areas).

Male genitalia: The unique holotype was not dissected.

Female: Unknown.

Host.

The holotype was taken on Oryza sp. ( Poaceae ).

Distribution.

Described and known only from the holotype collected in Colombia.

Type material examined.

Holotype ♂ (00162207) (USNM): COLOMBIA:Valle del Cauca: Palmira, 25 Oct. 1958, G. Bravo, Arroz, Oryza sp. ( Poaceae ).

Discussion.

The left hemelytron of the holotype is missing, and the right one is glued to the point next to the specimen. Otherwise, the specimen is in reasonably good condition. Carvalho (1984) illustrated the holotype, apparently before the specimen was damaged. Figure 11 depicts the original condition, using Adobe Photoshop to reconstruct the position of both hemelytra.