Jiwarli exmaculae, 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 : 9

Jiwarli exmaculae , new species

Figures 1 , 3 , 4

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 79 km W of Sandstone , 28.03737 ° S 118.4983 ° E, 650 m, 26 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Light Trap, 13 (00214552) ( WAMP).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the numerous, small brown spots on pronotum and hemelytra (fig. 1), large eyes, short labium with apex extending only to the base of the abdomen, absence of the distal, flaplike process on the vesica and the elongate, hand-shaped proximal process with a broad base.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous; total length 3.70–4.50, length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 2.80–3.10, width across pronotum 1.35–1.45. COLORATION (fig. 1): General coloration pale green to pale or darker brownish suffused with some yellow, appendages pale tan. Head: Vertex brown with dark brown spots, clypeus pale brown to brown with brown spots and pale shade of red, mandibular and maxillary plates pale green to pale brown; antennal segment 1 pale brown with basal and subapical rings darker and some brown spots, segments 2 and 3 brown; labial segment 1 pale brown, segments 2 and 3 brown. Thorax: Pale green suffused with some yellow and redorange, indistinct pattern of brown spots, scutellum pale tan covered with small brown spots, mesoscutum yellow-orange; pleura pale tan suffused with pale yellow. Legs: Pale tan to pale brown, with few brown spots, tibia pale tan, tarsus brown to dark brown. Hemelytra: Corium including clavus pale tan, membrane transparent with pale brown patches and with apex of membrane pale tan to pale brown. Abdomen: Pale tan with some yellowish and pale brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum shining, few adpressed setae of moderate length, cuneus covered with very pale brown setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Mandibular plate relatively small, buccula slightly convex; eyes large; labium short, apex of labium extending to base of abdomen, segments 2 through 4 very slender. Thorax: With adpressed setae on lateral sides of pronotum. Abdomen: Corpulent abdomen extending to cuneal apex, translucent adpressed setae present on abdomen. GENITALIA: Vesica: Distal flaplike process absent, secondary gonopore located subapically, proximal process long and slender, with broad base and five spines.

FEMALE: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the many relatively small-sized spots (maculae) on pronotum and hemelytra.

HOST (table 2): One of the three known specimens was recorded from Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Labill.) Steetz (Asteraceae) , the second specimen does not bear host information, and the third specimen was taken at a light trap.

DISTRIBUTION (fig. 4): Known from three widely separated localities in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. Given the wide distribution of its host plant, C. apiculatum , this species may be very widespread in Australia .

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 75.7 km W of Windorah, 25.37703 ° S 141.9457 ° E, 250 m, 03 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Labill.) Steetz. (Asteraceae) , det. Royal Bot Gard. NSW 427518, 13 (00214551) (AMNH). South Australia: 45 km NE of Welbourn Hill, 27.05 ° S 134.36666 ° E, 20 Sep 1978, J. A. Cardale, 13 (00214550) (AM).

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).