Melaleucaphylus phymatocarpi, 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 : 51-54

Melaleucaphylus phymatocarpi , new species

Figures 9C , 10 , map 4, plates 3, 20, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished by predominately drab olive coloration with small variable black and pale areas, short, curved, and laterally directed apical spines of dorsal strap, short subapical spine on posterior edge of ventral strap, and folded posteroventral margin of dorsal labiate plate. All other species with a subapical spine on posterior edge of ventral strap with posteroventral margin of dorsal labiate plate conspicuously tumid.

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.21, mean pronotum width 1.15. COLORATION (pl. 3): Pale or dark dusky tannish olive; head dark brown to black with pale yellowish tan on mandibular plate, gula and frons near eyes, vertex, and collum; antenna and labium black; dark marking on frons extending in relatively broad band dorsally from clypeus to majority of vertex. Thorax with calli variously black, mesoscutum black medially, dull orange, then black laterally, scutellum dusky black medially, black apically; hemelytron dusky and variably infuscate on apices of embolium and cuneus, membrane infuscate, veins dusky yellow; tibia without dark spots at bases of spines, tarsus black; ventral surface pale on maxillary plate, gula, buccula, xyphus, ventral portion of propleuron, lateral surface of mesosternum, mesepimeron, entire metepisternal scent gland, and basalar plate; venter dark dusky brown to black. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 3): Shining (fig. 10A); dorsum with moderately dense, curved, reclining, black, simple setae; thoracic venter and venter with similar black setae, erect on coxae; tibiae with black spines (fig. 10B). STRUCTURE: Labium reaching base of metacoxa. Pretarsus: Claws moderate sized, slightly curved with bases slightly expanded; parempodia setiform, moderate length, parallel, apices pointed; pulvilli wide, height low, proximad of angle to base of claw (fig. 9C). GENITA- LIA (pl. 20A–J): Pygophore: As in generic description. Endosoma: Distal one-quarter with torsion, twisted to left side; ventral strap entire with anterior surface terminating level with proximal end of secondary gonopore with smoothly curved distal margin, posterior edge terminating in small, hooked, smooth-margined, subapical spine slightly protruding beyond curvature of ventral strap, apex of spine even with middle of proximal secondary gonopore process; dorsal strap bifurcate level with base of secondary gonopore, divided into pair of equal-length, sigmoid, sharply pointed, somewhat apically divergent sclerites reaching distad beyond apex of secondary gonopore by length of gonopore; dorsal strap wide proximad of gonopore, notched level with proximal end of gonopore, strap continuing distad as narrow spines. Secondary gonopore: Proximal edge with large well-sclerotized process, proximal end of process broadly attenuate, distal and proximal edges of secondary gonopore with spiculate patches on lateral surface; interstrap membrane with very thin sclerite reaching from secondary gonopore to base of endosoma. Phallotheca: Moderate sized, relatively short, attenuate apical region slightly compressed anteriorly and posteriorly; aperture narrow, undulate on anterior surface; ventroposterior surface with outpocket. Parameres: Left paramere: Triangular in dorsal view, posterior and anterior processes with expanded bases; posterior process abruptly narrowed, longer than anterior process, but relatively short; anterior process relatively long, apex smoothly rounded; posterior surface of paramere not expanded posteriorly or above anterior and posterior processes. Right paramere: Moderate length, somewhat expanded posteriorly, margins smoothly rounded; apex short, knoblike.

FEMALE (pl. 3): Coloration as in male; differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.59, mean pronotum width 1.30. GENITALIA (pl. 20K–M): Posterior margin of sternite 7: Bearing elongate, narrow projection. Vestibular sclerites: Situated medially, moderate sized, C-shaped, convoluted, extending to right side, anterior edge extending even with medial side of right sclerotized ring in dorsal view; strongest sclerotization on medioventral extension of ventral labiate plate and basal sclerites of first gonapophyses. Dorsal labiate plate: Moderate sized, ovoid; posteroventral margin of dorsal labiate plate folded, not tumid. Sclerotized rings moderately large with narrow margins, subquadrate, separated by one-half width of ring, medial margin of ring rounded, lateral margin sublinear, almost reaching lateral margin of dorsal labiate plate. Intersegmental process: Ventral projection broadly rounded, apical margin entire, flattened, compressed on horizontal axis, microspiculate. Posterior wall: Moderately large, well sclerotized. Interramal sclerites: With small, prominent, posteriorly directed medial prominence; ventrolateral regions with obvious sclerotized subrectangular extensions. Interramal lobes: Dorsolateral region hyaline; regions either side of medial prominence not produced into genital chamber.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on the genus Phymatocarpus .

HOST: Recorded from Eremaea pauciflora

( Myrtaceae : Melaleuceae ) and Pileanthus ver-

nicosus ( Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae ), but with

the preponderance of specimens known from

Phymatocarpus porphyrocephalus ( Myrtaceae :

Melaleuceae ) (pl. 41B).

DISTRIBUTION (map 4): Known from three

localities on the west coast of Western Australia

in the southwestern phytogeographic subregion.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Austra-

lia: NW Coastal Hiway 57 km N of Kalbarri

Road, 27.44756 ° S 114.6867 ° E, 500 m, 30 Oct

1996, Schuh and Cassis, Phymatocarpus porphy-

rocephalus F. Muell. ( Myrtaceae ), det. PERTH

staff PERTH 05879264, 13 ( AMNH _PBI

00372116) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia:

49 km S of Eneabba, Coomallo Rest Area, jct of

Brand Hiway and Jurien East Rd, 30.22333 ° S

115.39808 ° E, 162 m, 21 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall,

Weirauch, Symonds, Eremaea pauciflora (Endl.)

Druce ( Myrtaceae ), det. PERTH staff

PERTH6987028, 13 (00129885) ( AMNH). 54.3

km N of jct of Agana Kalbarri Rd and Brand

Hiway (rest area), 27.47362 ° S 114.7054 ° E, 240 m,

24 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Symonds,

13 (00368519), 1♀ (00368520) ( AMNH). NW

Coastal Hiway 57 km N of Kalbarri Road,

27.44756 ° S 114.6867 ° E, 500 m, 30 Oct 1996,

Schuh and Cassis, Phymatocarpus porphyrocepha-

lus F. Muell. ( Myrtaceae ), det. PERTH staff

PERTH 05879264, 133 (00372115, 00372117–

00372127, 00087184), 18♀ (00393355–00393357,

00393360, 00393370–00393377, 00136671–

00136676) ( AM), 73 (00136643–00136649), 14♀

(00393363–00393369, 00136663–00136669)

( AMNH), 13 (00087456), 1♀ (00136670) ( CNC),

83 (00136650–00136657), 8♀ (00393358,

00393359, 00393361, 00393362, 00136658,

00136659, 00136661, 00136662) ( WAMP).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUS- TRALIA: Western Australia: NW Coastal Hiway 57 km N of Kalbarri Road, 27.44756 ° S 114.6867 ° E, 500 m, 30 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Pileanthus vernicosus F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120306, 1♀ (00393452) ( AM), Phymatocarpus porphyrocephalus F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05879264, 1♀ (00136660 severely damaged) ( AMNH).

Figures

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.

FIG. 10. Melaleucaphylus phymatocarpi, AMNH_PBI 00372120. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. B. Detail of pronotal setae, dorsal view. C. Thoracic pleuron, lateral view, showing metathoracic spiracle opening, metathoracic scent-gland auricle, and evaporatory area. Abbreviations: mttsp, metathoracic spiracle; sgaur, scent gland auricle; sgev, scent gland evaporatory area.