Plagiognathus luteus Knight, 1929b: 72

SCHUH, RANDALL T., 2001, Revision Of New World Plagiognathus Fieber, With Comments On The Palearctic Fauna And The Description Of A New Genus (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2001 (266), pp. 1-267 : 159

Plagiognathus luteus Knight, 1929b: 72 (n. sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by moderate size, intense, uniform, orange coloration (fig. 9), and antennal segment 1 black (fig. 17). Size and coloration of body similar to vitellinus (fig. 14), but easily separated by black antennal segment 1.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Elongate, of medium size; total length 3.43–3.68, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.37–2.52, width across pronotum 0.97–1.10. COLORATION (fig. 9): General coloration intensely and uniformly orange; membrane pale, whitish, with orange veins; antennal segment 1 black, except for pale apical annulus, segment 2 dark at base and infuscate near apex (fig. 17), segments 3 and 4 infuscate; labium infuscate at apex; hind femora usually with a black stripe near apex on dorsal surface; dorsal tibial spines with dark spots at bases; tibiae black at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, dull. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent pale, golden, shining, simple setae. STRUC­ TURE: Corial margins nearly straight; frons weakly swollen, clypeus visible from above; anteocular distance 1.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of hind coxae or slightly beyond. GENITALIA (fig. 26): Vesica, including apical spines, sigmoid, relatively slender and of more or less uniform thickness over length of body, base of vesica falling below base of secondary gonopore; apical spines only moderately elongate, relatively slender, superposed, smoothly curving, anterior spine slightly shorter than posterior; flange narrow.

Female: Body form more compact and strongly ovoid than in male; coloration similar to male although often not so intensely orange. Total length 3.28–3.50, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.29–2.42, width across pronotum 1.00–1.13.

HOSTS: Berberis fremontii , B. haematocarpa (Berberidaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Interior southern California and Arizona.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA.— Arizona: Coconino Co.: Williams, June 12, 1925, A. A. Nichol, Berberis fremontii (Berberidaceae) , paratypes: 33, 3♀ (USNM); holotype male (USNM). Gila Co. : 12 mi W of Payson, 3200 ft, May 1, 1981, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, 1♀ (AMNH). 15 mi W of Payson along Verde River, 3000 ft, April 30, 1981, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, Berberis haematocarpa (Berberidaceae) , 13, 1♀ (AMNH). 17 mi N of Globe, Jones Water Campground, 4300 ft, May 30, 1983, R. T. Schuh and G. M. Stonedahl, Berberis fremontii (Berberidaceae) , 14♀ (AMNH). 6 mi S of jct of Rts 87 and 188 (Rt 87 at Forest Service Road 171), 3300 ft, May 29, 1983, R. T. Schuh and G. M. Stonedahl, Berberis fremontii (Berberidaceae) , 13, 3♀ (AMNH). East Verde River at Mazatzal Wild, April 30, 1981, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, 33, 2♀ (PDA). Mazatzal Wild along E. Verde River, April 30, 1981, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, Berberis haematocarpa (Berberidaceae) , 13, 1♀ (AMNH). Mazatzal Wild along E. Verde River, April 30, 1981, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, Berberis haematocarpa (Berberidaceae) , 33, 3♀ (TAMU). Navajo Co.: 15–20 mi SW of Show Low, 5200–6000 ft, May 30, 1983, Schuh, Stonedahl, Massie, Berberis fremontii (Berberidaceae) , 5♀ (AMNH). Yavapai Co.: 22.7 mi S of Ash Fork on Rt 89, June 4, 1983, G. M. Stonedahl, Berberis fremontii (Berberidaceae) , 253, 14♀ (AMNH). Ash Fork, June 20, 1991, W. F. Chamberlain, 53 (TAMU). California: Kern Co. : Mojave, June 7, 1930, R. L. Usinger, 13 (UCB).