Slaterocoris tanydexios, Schwartz, 2011

Schwartz, Michael D., 2011, Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The North American Genus Slaterocoris Wagner With New Synonymy, The Description Of Five New Species And A New Genus From Mexico, And A Review Of The Genus Scalponotatus Kelton (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (354), pp. 1-290 : 264-267

Slaterocoris tanydexios , new species

Figures 12 , 67–70 ; plates 3 , 4R; map 12

HOLOTYPE: MALE: ‘‘ MEXICO: Oaxaca 3 mi se. [of] Matatlan (Microondas road) [ 16.835816 N 96.351096 W, 2027 m,] elev. 6650 ft., July 17, 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner’’ ( AMNH _ PBI 00118717 ). Holotype Slaterocoris tanydexios n. sp. det. M.D. Schwartz, 2010 [red label]. Deposited in the collection of the Instituto de Biologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, D.F.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from other species of Slaterocoris by the brown to yellowish-brown evaporative area and peritreme of the metepisternal scent gland. The adjacent portions of the meso- and metacoxae are colored similarly to the scent gland. The unusually long and narrow right paramere (figs. 67B, 68A–E) and the large bifurcate tergal process (fig. 69C) are unique to this species and are sufficient to distinguish it from other Slaterocoris . The wide apicalmost portion of the ventral endosomal lobe, basal to the recurved distal region (fig. 69A), is reminiscent of the same region in S. pallidicornis (fig. 33A–C), S. pallipes (fig. 34A–C), and S. stygicus (fig. 39A–D) of the breviatus group.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Large, elongate; length 4.73–5.73, width 1.63–1.88; costal margin parallel (pl. 3). COLORATION: Shining black; metepisternal scent gland yellowish brown to brown; if brown then posterior margin of evaporative area always paler; usually coxa, except for base, trochanter, and basal one-third of femur pale whitish yellow to yellowish brown; sometimes only middle and hind legs with pale coloration and foreleg completely black; sometimes only apex of coxa and trochanter pale (fig. 12); if legs with pale coloration then metepisternal scent gland usually with similarly coloration. VESTITURE: Densely distributed, long, suberect silvery white setae (pl. 4R). DORSAL SCULPTURATION: Frons striate, vertex rugose; calli rugose, pronotal disc rugulopunctate. STRUCTURE: Labium practically reaching posterior margin of mesosternum. GENITALIA: Pygophore: Tergal process large, widely bifurcate, reaching apex of proctiger, process situated roughly in middle of aperture, bifurcate rami parallel to axis of process (fig. 69C). Phallotheca: Apex broadly truncate, ventral to aperture; left U-shaped dorsal notch small (fig. 69B). Endosomal spicule: Dorsal lobe bifurcate with smooth-margined processes, medial ramus straight, lateral ramus curved; ventral lobe with broad expanded apical region, terminating in sharply attenuate pointed apex (fig. 69C). Right paramere: Elongate, apex reaching beyond left lateral surface of pygophore (fig. 67B); serrate tubercle usually present (absent in fig. 68A, arrow) distal to base of paramere, often ventralmost project from body of paramere; all spines distal to serrate tubercle with variable arrangement; apex pointed (figs. 67B; 68A–E). Left paramere: Shaft sinuate, moderately long, in apical view, approximately of equal length to paramere body in lateral view (fig. 68F).

Female: Large, elongate ovoid, length 4.00–5.20, pronotal width 1.80–2.31 (pl. 3); except for the more arcuate costal margin, wider vertex, and smaller eye, the coloration and vestiture are as in the male. GENITALIA: First gonapophyses: Right overlapping left in ventral view; comparative size at overlap with left greater than right, although first gonapophyses wide in anterior/posterior axis (fig. 70A, B). Left first gonapophyses: Dorsal surface protuberant, apex broadly convoluted. Vestibulum, anteroventral margin of anterior wall: Sclerotized medially and sclerotization reaching to lateral margins bursa copulatrix. Ventral labiate plate: Strongly sclerotized broadly produced ventrally. Second gonapophyses: Anterior medial surface slightly convex (fig. 70C). Interramal sclerite: Dorsomedial region flat, not produced anteriorly; medial sclerite with broad tumid surface abutting ovipositor bulb; medial sclerite overlapped by lateral plates of interramal sclerite. Interramal lobe: Broad, with broadly protruding curved medial margin and moderately long attenuate ventral apex (fig. 70D).

ETYMOLOGY: From the Greek, tany-, ‘‘long,’’ and dexios, ‘‘on the right,’’ for the exceptionally long right paramere of the male.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: From the western slopes of the southern Sierra Madre de Oaxaca in central Oaxaca and eastern end of the Sierra Transvolcanica in northwestern Puebla ( map 12 ).

COLLECTION SUMMARY: 96 specimens are known from nine collection events in July.

DISCUSSION: As mentioned above, the ventral endosomal spicule (33-1) of this punctatus -group species is similar in form to three species of the breviatus group, particularly S. stygicus , the type species (see citations to figures in Diagnosis, above). Other features of the male genitalia show little similarity to the breviatus group, only the elaborate, bifurcate tergal process hints at the condition in the breviatus group, in which the bifurcate apices of the tergal process (23-2) are minute in comparison (cf. figs. 32E; 33D, E; 34G; 35D).

One character of the female genitalia (51- 1), the large right first gonapophysis overlapping the left (fig. 70A, B), also occurs only in the breviatus group. As a result of the phylogenetic analysis, S. tanydexios is placed in the punctatus group by virtue of the black apices of the femora, the medially situated long tergal process, and homoplasious structure of the dorsal lobe of the endosomal spicule, the right paramere, and the interramal lobe. The breviatus -group species have the apices of the femora pale, the tergal process is smaller and emanates from the genital aperture on the right side of midline, and different features of the genitalia.

In the right paramere, the overall length, number, and arrangement of the apical spines, and presence of the medial or subbasal serrate tubercle are variable (cf. figs. 67B; 68A–E) across the distributional range and at any particular locality. Similar variation is the norm for the genus, regardless of the fine structure of the right paramere and dorsal coloration, all examined specimens had similar structure in the endosomal spicule and tergal process.

PARATYPES: MEXICO: Oaxaca: 2.8 mi E of Matatlan, 16.866666 N 96.340786 W, 24 Jul 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner, 28 (00118404, 00118695), 1♀ (00118707) (CNC), 88 (00118694, 00118696–00118702), 4♀ (00118703– 00118706) (TAMU). 3 mi SE of Matatlan (Microondas road), 16.835816 N 96.351096 W, 2027 m, 17 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner, 18; (00118722), 2♀; (00118739, 00118746) (AMNH), 18; (00118407), 3♀; (00118725– 00118726, 00118744) (CNC), 148; (00118708– 00118716, 00118718–00118721, 00118723), 18♀; (00118724, 00118727–00118738, 00118740–00118743, 00118745), 18 (00118226) (TAMU). 4.2 mi N of Tonaltepec, 17.127746 N 96.616666 W, 21 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner, 18 (00184629) (TAMU). 6 mi NE of Mitla, 16.555616 N 96.105886 W, 20 Jul 1985, Jones and Schaffner, 18 (00118406) (CNC). 9 mi NE of Mitla, 17.045586 N 96.387866 W, 2409 m, 20 Jul 1985, Jones and Schaffner, 18 (00093266) (TAMU). Puebla: 4 mi W of Acatepec, 19.033326 N 98.344856 W, 26 Jul 1973, Mastro and Schaffner, 18 (00118405), 1♀ (00118765) (CNC), 138 (00118429, 00118747– 00118758), 7♀ (00118430, 00118759–00118764), 1♀ (00093415) (TAMU). 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, 18.988096 N 98.331186 W, 26 Jul 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner, 18 (00118766) (AMNH), 1♀ (00118773) (CNC), 28 (00118767– 00118768), 3♀ (00118770–00118772), 28 (00118395, 00245419) (TAMU). 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, 18.988096 N 98.331186 W, 09 Jul 1977, J.C. Schaffner, 1♀ (00094256) (AMNH), 1♀ (00094255) (CNC), 18 (00118769), 1♀ (00094254) (TAMU); 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, 18.988096 N 98.331186 W, 09 Jul 1981, Bogar, Schaffner and Friedlander, 18 (00184628) (TAMU).

Figures

Plate 3. Dorsal habitus photographs of Slaterocoris punctatus—S. tibialis (see appendix 1 for USI codes and localities).

Map 12. Localities for Slaterocoris clavatus, S. elongatus, S. maculatus, S. punctatus, S. simplex, S. subalbicans, and S. tanydexios.

Fig. 12. Hind leg coloration for Slaterocoris species.

Fig. 67. Slaterocoris tanydexios, scanning electron micrographs. A. Mesothoracic spiracle and metathoracic scent-efferent system, lateral view. B. Pygophore with left and right parameres, posterior view.

Fig. 68. Slaterocoris tanydexios, parameres. A. 2.8 mi E of Matatlan, OA. B, C, F. 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, PU. D. 4 mi W of Acatepec, PU. E. 3 mi SE of Matatlan, OA.

Fig. 69. Slaterocoris tanydexios, male genitalia. A, B. 4 mi W of Acatepec, PU. C. 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, PU.

Fig. 70. Slaterocoris tanydexios, female genitalia. 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, PU.