Jiwarli ptilotus, Soto & Weirauch, 2009

Soto, Diane & Weirauch, Christiane, 2009, Description of the Australian Plant Bug Genus Jiwarli, n. gen. (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 3653, pp. 1-16 : 11-12

Jiwarli ptilotus , new species

Figures 1 , 3 , 4

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Blowholes Rd NW of North West Coastal Hiway, Beagle Hill Area, 24.49068 ° S 113.4626 ° E, 20 m, 27 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Tatarnic, Symonds, Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff 6988911, 13(00216390) ( WAMP).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the uniformly transparent hemelytron, whitish abdomen, the apex of the labium extending from the middle region to almost the apex of the pygophore, absence of the distal flaplike process of the vesica, and the condensed and broad proximal process with about 3 to 4 spines.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous; total length 3.80–5.00, length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 2.75–3.25, width across pronotum 1.35–1.45. COLORATION (fig. 1): General coloration whitish with some pale green, appendages pale tan. Head: Vertex pale tan with few dark brown spots, clypeus with tan stripe, mandibular and maxillary plates tannish; antennal segment 1 pale tan to pale green, segment 2 pale tan to pale brown, segment 3 pale brown to brown, segment 4 brown; labium with segment 1 pale tan, segment 2 pale tan to brown, segment 3 brown. Thorax: Pale green suffused with shade of green on posterior pronotal lobe, eight bold brown spots on posterior pronotal lobe, arranged in variable pattern, scutellum pale tan, spots present on scutellum of some specimens, mesoscutum yellow-orange with some pale tan; pleura pale tan. Legs: Pale tan to pale brown, few dark brown spots, more spots on anterior surface than on posterior surface, tibia pale tan, tarsus brown proximally and dark brown distally to tibia. Hemelytra: Corium including clavus whitish, part of corium transparent, cuneus transparent proximally and distally; membrane transparent with pale tan, distal to cuneus pale brown spot with apex of membrane transparent to pale tan. Abdomen: Whitish, suffused with yellowish to pale tan. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum shining, with adpressed setae of moderate length; adpressed setae on pronotum and abdomen; cuneus covered with setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Mandibular plate relatively small, buccula slightly convex; eyes moderately large; apex of labium extending from middle to almost apex of pygophore, segments 2 through 4 slender. Thorax: As in generic description. Abdomen: Corpulent abdomen extending to cuneal base. GENITALIA: Vesica: Distal flaplike process absent, secondary gonopore located subapically, partly sclerotized proximal process, process short and broad, condensed, with 3–4 spines.

FEMALE (fig. 1): Female as in generic description. Total length 3.75–4.70, length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 2.60– 3.15, width across pronotum 1.20–1.50.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the genus of the host plant, Ptilotus , where many of the specimens of J. ptilotus were found.

HOST (table 2): Predominantly recorded from Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F. Muell. (Amaranthaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION (fig. 4): Known from central Australia and the coastal areas of Western Australia . Given the extremely wide distribution of its host plant, Ptilotus obovatus , the plant bug may be suspected to also occur in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Paratypes: AUSTR- ALIA: Western Australia: Blowholes Rd NW of North West Coastal Hiway, Beagle Hill Area, 24.49068 ° S 113.4626 ° E, 20 m, 27 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Tatarnic, Symonds, (Gaudich.) F.Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff 6988911, 13 (00216392), 1♀ (00216089) ( AM). (Gaudich.) F.Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff 6988911, 13 (00216393), 1♀ (00216090) ( AMNH). (Gaudich.) F.Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff 6988911, 23 (00216389, 00216391), 2♀ (00216087, 00216088) ( WAMP).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: South Australia: 18.8 km NW of Cordillo Downs Homestead, 26.64315 ° S 140.4723 ° E, 140 m, 05 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, (Gaudich.) F. Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F. Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. Royal Bot Gard. NSW 427988, 23 (00130483, 00130484), 4♀ (00130485–00130488) ( AMNH). Western Australia: 24 km SE of jct of Manga Rd and Shark Bay Rd, Shark Bay World Heritage Area, 26.39014 ° S 114.0094 ° E, 60 m, 26 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Symonds, (Gaudich.) F. Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F. Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. Field ID, 13 (00214557), 2♀ (00214559, 00214560), 1 nymphs (00214558) ( AM). 53.9 km N of Kalgoorlie, 30.28882 ° S 121.2558 ° E, 600 m, 24 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, (R.Br.) F.Muell. Eremophila scoparia (R.Br.) F.Muell. (Myoporaceae) , det. PERTH staff 05095123, 13 (00216382) ( AMNH). 89.2 km N of jct of Agana Kilabarra Rd and Brand Hiway, on Brand Hiway, 27.18877 ° S 114.6159 ° E, 178 m, 24 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Symonds, (Gaudich.) F.Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff 6989845, 33 (00214553–00214555), 1♀ (00214556) ( AM). Blowholes Rd NW of North West Coastal Hiway, Beagle Hill Area, 24.49068 ° S 113.4626 ° E, 20 m, 27 Oct 2004, Cassis, Wall, Weirauch, Tatarnic, Symonds, (Gaudich.) F. Muell. Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. (Amaranthaceae) , det. PERTH staff 6988911, 63 (00216383–00216388), 5♀ (00216091– 00216092, 00216396–00216398), 2 nymphs (00216394, 00216395) ( AMNH).

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus photographs of the four species of Jiwarli, new genus.

Fig. 3. Male genitalic structures of Jiwarli spp. (A–D) and female genitalic structures of J. heliotropium (F, G). A. Vesica seen from left. B. Apex of vesica seen from right. C. J. pilotus, process proximal to secondary gonopore. C. J. heliotropium, left paramere. D. J. heliotropium, right paramere. E. J. heliotropium, phallotheca. F. Bursa copulatrix and associated structures. G. Interramal sclerites with hookshaped processes.

Fig. 4. Distribution maps of species of the plant bug genus Jiwarli, based on specimen records examined during this project, and host plants of the four species based on data from the Australia’s Virtual Herbarium. The mapped species of Solanum are Solanum ellipticum (black), S. lasiophyllum (white), and S. orbiculatum (grey).