Pachytomella doriae ( Reuter, 1884 )

Namyatova, Anna A., 2010, Revision of the genus Pachytomella (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae: Halticini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (2), pp. 341-368 : 354-356

Pachytomella doriae ( Reuter, 1884)

( Figs. 1 , 2 , 4–7 )

Orthocephalus doriae Reuter, 1884: 480 .

Pachytomella doriae: REUTER (1890) : 253 (revised generic placement).

Pachytomella nitens Reuter, 1894: 137 (synonymized by REUTER (1902: 174)).

Type locality. Tunisia.

Type material examined. Pachytomella nitens : LECTOTYPE: ♁, SYRIA: Homs, 34.73333 ° N 36.71667 ° E, 08 May 1952 – 14 May 1952, Seidenstücker (AMNH_PBI 00145127) ( FMNH) (designated by KERZHNER (1997)).

Additional material examined. FRANCE: PICARDIE: AISNE CO.: Clairfontaine, 49.98333 ° N 3.98333 ° E, Sahlberg, 1 ♀ (AMNH_PBI 00311224) ( HNHM), 1 ♁ (AMNH_PBI 00334005), 2 ♀♀ (AMNH_PBI 00313869, AMNH_PBI 00314433) ( FMNH). MOROCCO: OUJDA: Taforalt, 34.82 ° N 2.4 ° W, May 1962, without collector, 1♁ (AMNH_PBI 00312826) ( RLRF). SPAIN: VALENCIANA: Villajoyosa, 30 km NO Alicante, 38.509 ° N 0.238 ° W, 03 May 1971, Eckerlein, 1♁ (AMNH_PBI 00145222) ( JRBS). TUNISIA: EL QASRAYN: Djebel Bireno, 35.45 ° N 8.63333 ° E, 1150 m, 19 May 1991, A. Carapezza, 1 ♀ (AMNH_PBI 00307366) ( ACPI), 1 ♁ (AMNH_PBI 00307365) ( ZIN).

Redescription. Male: Brachypterous, oval, somewhat elongated, total length 1.8–2.1 mm. COLOURATION ( Fig. 1 ): As in Pachytomella cursitans , but vertex always uniformly dark brown to black. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in generic description, hemelytra somewhat rugose. STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENTS: Body 2.3–2.8× as long as width of pronotum. Head: Shape, position of antennal fossa and length of labium as in generic description; eye slightly protruding, located at some distance from anterior pronotal margin; head 1.3–1.6× wider than high; vertex 2.0–2.1× width of eye; antennal segment II 0.8–0.9× as long as basal width of pronotum, 0.7–0.8× as long as width of head; segments III and IV combined, longer than segment II. Thorax: Pronotum 1.9–2.1× as wide as long and 0.9–1.0× width of head, with posterior margin slightly concave; mesoscutum somewhat exposed; hind femur swollen; hemelytra reaching abdominal tergum VII, not in contact with each other, claval comissure longer than scutellum, posterior margin of hemelytra rounded, clavus not delineated. GENITALIA: Right paramere with apex truncate ( Fig. 5 ), apical process of left paramere with triangular, dorsally projected process at base ( Fig. 5 , as in P. cursitans ); structure of aedeagus as in P. cursitans ( Fig. 4 ).

Female: Brachypterous, oval, total length 2.0– 2.3 mm. COLOURATION ( Fig. 1 ): Similar to male, but tibiae and anterior margin of hind femur yellowish or pale brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENTS: Structure as in generic description. Body 2.3–2.6× as long as width of pronotum. Head: 1.3–1.5× wider than high; vertex 2.4–2.5× width of eye; antennal segment II 0.5–0.6× as long as basal width of pronotum, 0.5–0.6× as long as width of head; antennal segments III and IV combined, longer than segment II. Thorax: Pronotum 2.2–2.3× as wide as long and equal in width to head with posterior margin straight, mesoscutum partly exposed; hind femur somewhat swollen; hemelytra reaching abdominal tergum VI, in contact with each other, claval commisure as long as scutellum, clavus not delineated. GENITALIA: Sclerotised ring 1/4 th– 1/5 th width of dorsal labiate plate; sclerotised areas near sclerotised rings distinct, fused along midline ( Fig. 6 ); posterior wall with single trapeziform sclerite ( Fig. 7 ).

Differential diagnosis. Distinguished by the small body, brachypterous male, vertex uniformly dark brown to black, eye in males at a small distance from anterior margin of pronotum, antennal segment II 1.5–1.7× as long as width of vertex, yellowish tibiae of females, apical process of left paramere with triangular process at base ( Fig. 5 , as in P. cursitans ), dorsal wall of theca with depression at apex ( Fig. 4 ), endosoma with denticulate area ( Fig. 4 ), sclerotised ring 1/4 th– 1/5 th width of dorsal labiate plate and distinct sclerotised area near slerotized ring ( Fig. 6 ). This species can be confused with P. cursitans , but females of the latter species differ in the dark brown to black tibiae and dorsal labiate plate with larger sclerotised ring, 1/3 rd– 1/4 th width of dorsal labiate plate, and sclerotised area ventral to ring ( Fig. 6 ). Males can be distinguished in having eye in contact with the anterior margin of pronotum, antennal segment II 1.1–1.3× as long as width of vertex. Apparently not separable from P. cursitans by the structure of male genitalia ( Fig. 4 ).

Distribution. Mediterranean species, known from France, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Syria ( KERZHNER & JOSIFOV 1999).

Discussion. This species is very similar to P. cursitans . Refer to the corresponding section of P. cursitans for discussion of the difficulties in separating these species.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus views of Pachytomella alutacea (Puton, 1874), P. cursitans Reuter, 1905, P. doriae (Reuter, 1884), P. parallela (Meyer-Dür, 1843), P. passerinii (A. Costa, 1842), and P. phoenicea (Horváth, 1884).

Fig. 2. Ductus seminis. Pachytomella cursitans Reuter, 1905 and P. doriae (Reuter, 1884): dorsal and lateral views of distal part of ductus seminis; P. parallela (Meyer-Dür, 1843): dorsal view of ductus seminis; P. passerinii (A. Costa, 1842): dorsal and lateral views of ductus seminis; P. phoenicea (Horváth, 1884): dorsal and lateral views of distal and medial parts of ductus seminis. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.

Fig. 4. Dorsal view of aedeagus: Pachytomella alutacea (Puton, 1874), P. cursitans Reuter, 1905, P. doriae (Reuter, 1884), P. parallela (Meyer-Dür, 1843), P. passerinii (A. Costa, 1842), and P. phoenicea (Horváth, 1884). Scale bar: 0.05 mm.

Fig. 5. Parameres: Pachytomella alutacea (Puton, 1874), P. cursitans Reuter, 1905, P. parallela (Meyer-Dür, 1843), and P. passerinii (A. Costa, 1842): right paramere form dorsal view, left paramere from behind, left paramere from dorsal view; P. doriae (Reuter, 1884): right and left parameres from dorsal view. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.

Fig. 6. Dorsal labiate plate. Pachytomella alutacea (Puton, 1874), P. cursitans Reuter, 1905, P. doriae (Reuter, 1884), P. parallela (Meyer-Dür, 1843), P. passerinii (A. Costa, 1842), and P. phoenicea (Horváth, 1884). Scale bar: 0.05 mm.

Fig. 7. Posterior wall of bursa copulatrix:Pachytomella alutacea (Puton, 1874), P. cursitans Reuter, 1905, P. doriae (Reuter, 1884), and P. parallela (Meyer-Dür, 1843). Sclerites near vulva: P. passerinii (A. Costa, 1842). Scale bar: 0.05 mm.