Sejanus palumae Carvalho and Gross Plate, 1982

Menard, Katrina L. & Schuh, Randall T., 2011, Revision Of Leucophoropterini: Diagnoses, Key To Genera, Redescription Of The Australian Fauna, And Descriptions Of New Indo-Pacific Genera And Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (361), pp. 1-159 : 139-140

Sejanus palumae Carvalho and Gross Plate 7, Figures 34 , 38H–K

Sejanus palumae Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 18 , figs. 19–21, 100 (n. sp., descr., disc., DV, MG).

Sejanus rosei rosei Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 19 , fig. 101 (n. sp., descr., disc., DV). NEW SYNONYMY.

Sejanus rosei obscurior Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 20 (n. ssp., descr.); Schuh, 2008. NEW SYNONYMY.

DIAGNOSIS: Similar in coloration to S. brittoni but with darker brown hemelytron (pl. 7), absence of a transverse fascia across medial portion of claval suture in male, less intense white cuneal pigmentation, presence of a narrow yellowish-white band along dorsolateral surface of metepisternum, only half of antennal segment 2 gold basally in male, lack of red pigmentation on veins in membrane, and primarily yellow femora in both sexes.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, small, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 2.47–3.12, width pronotum 0.85– 0.96, maximum width across hemelytra 0.99–1.24. COLORATION: Eyes deep red to purple. Labium pale brown with medial segments a paler gold color. Antennal segment 1 gold, segment 2 gold proximally and dark on distal K, segment 3 gold on proximal M, segment 4 completely dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with a narrow band of whitish-yellow pigmentation. All coxae, pro- and mesofemora, and tibiae completely gold. Metafemora gold proximally, pale brown distally. Tibiae gold, metatibiae with parallel rows of dark spicules. Basal tarsomeres gold, distally brown. Hemelytron pale red to dark red with a partial, faint gold transverse fascia across medial area of clavus just posterior to apex of scutellum (pl. 7). Anterior margin of cuneus with one lateral faint white spot, transparent and reddish next to cuneal fracture, remainder dark red. Membrane pale brown with medial lightening, veins without pigmentation. Abdomen dark red. STRUCTURE: Frons convex, clypeus exserted and visible in dorsal view of head. Vertex flat, posterior margin flat, wider than width of one eye. Eyes distinctly removed from dorsal surface of vertex in anterior view, occupying entire height of head in lateral view, posterior margin partially obscuring anterior of pronotum. Labium just reaching apex of metacoxa. Antennal segment 2 more than 1.33 times longer than head width. Metafemur approximately 1.33 times longer than pro- and mesofemora, all femora weakly flattened. GENITALIA: Pygophore: Small and lacking elaborations, occupying about one-fifth total length of abdomen, ventral margin sloping upward toward apex. Endosoma: Small, slender, twisted, C-shaped, composed of a fused tube, with a serrated membrane on dorsal margin continuous along surface and extending past apex of endosoma. Secondary gonopore small, horsecollar shaped, located at apex of endosoma (fig. 38I). Phallotheca: Fairly small, Lshaped, apex gently tapering toward a point (fig. 38K). Right Paramere: Moderately sized, smaller than left paramere, parallel sided with a tapering, pointed apex (fig. 38H). Left Paramere: Moderately sized; posterior process slender, with sensory pits, and gently curving ventrally, relatively short and closer in size to anterior process; anterior process stout but without sensory pits on interior margin (fig. 38J).

Female: Macropterous, small, elongate ovoid. Total length 2.55–2.62, width pronotum 0.95–1.02, maximum width across hemelytra 1.08–1.19. STRUCTURE: Width of vertex nearly half total head width, over 1.5 times width of one eye. Antennal segment 2 1.2 times total head width. COLORATION: Same pattern as in male with following exceptions: hemelytron darker and browner (pl. 7), metafemur sometimes distally golden brown, and female with a complete transverse hemelytral fascia.

HOSTS: Unknown. Collected at lights.

DISTRIBUTION: Queensland.

DISCUSSION: Sejanus brittoni and S. palumae appear to be closely related based on overall coloration and characters of the male genitalia. However, in S. palumae the serrat- ed membrane extends past the dorsal surface of the endosomal apex and partially around the anterior surface (fig. 38F). The female has a transverse hemelytral fascia, which is not usually present in the male and is absent in all the other species of Sejanus . Based on the original description and examination of the female holotypes of S. rosei rosei and S. rosei obscurior , both nominal taxa are S. palumae , and therefore are treated as junior synonyms.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Paluma Dam , 30–31.xii.1964, H.A. Rose 18 ( QM).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Dunbulla State Forest 1.1 km along Robson Creek track NW of Dunbulla Forest Drive, 17.11666 ° S 145.9 ° E, 25 Apr 1998, G. Cassis, 48 (00371854–00371857), 9♀ (00371858–00371866) ( AM). Mt. Lewis , 11.3 km along Mt. Lewis Road , 16.59194 ° S 145.27083 ° E, 30 Apr 1998, G. Cassis, 2♀ (00371870, 00371871) ( AM). Tully Falls , 17.783 ° S 145.567 ° E, 900 m, 10 Mar 1956, J.L. Gressitt, Light Trap, 28 (00318928, 00318929) ( BPBM) Ravenshoe, 23.xii.1964, H.A. Rose ( QM) [holotype S. rosei rosei ] ; Windsor Tableland via Mt Carbine , at light, in rainforest, 28.xii.1976, R.I. Storey ( DPIQ) [holotype S. rosei obscurior ] .

Figures

Figure 34. Distribution of Sejanus spp. in Australia.

Figure 38. Male genitalia of Sejanus spp. A–D. S. brittoni. A. Endosoma, B. Right paramere, C. Left paramere, D. Phallotheca. E–G. S. howardae. E. Endosoma, F. Left paramere, G. Phallotheca. H–K. S. palumae. H. Right paramere, I. Endosoma, J. Left paramere, K. Phallotheca.