Wallabicoris thomasii, Schuh & P. Pedraza, 2010

Schuh, R. T. & P. Pedraza, 2010, Wallabicoris, New Genus (Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Phylini) From Australia, With The Description Of 37 New Species And An Analysis Of Host Associations, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (338), pp. 1-118 : 82-84

Wallabicoris thomasii , new species Figure 44; map 2; plate 5

DIAGNOSIS: Among those species with numerous red spots on the dorsum (pl. 5), most similar to W. cuneotinctus and W. trymalii in the complete transverse fascia posteriorly on the corium, the cuneus red at least on the posterior half, the secondary endosomal strap with a submedial bifurcation and left paramere elongate (fig. 44) and extending well beyond the margin of the pygophore. Separated from W. cuneotinctus and W. trymalii by the less intense red spotting of the dorsum in those species; distinguished from W. cuneotinctus by the occurrence of that species on the south coast of Victoria instead of the south coast of Western Australia, and from W. trymalii by feeding on Trymalium (Rhamnaceae) rather than Thomasia and Lasiopetalum (Sterculiaceae) .

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body weakly elongate, weakly ovoid, total length 4.06–4.16,

(AMNH_PBI 00128562).

l/w 5 3.02. COLORATION (pl. 5): Pronotum pale with numerous red botches; hemelytron with red botches; diffuse red fascia on corium/clavus present anterior to cuneal fracture and on clavus; markings on cuneus present as individual or coalesced red blotches; membrane with elongate, contrasting, fumose marking at extreme base, remainder partially fumose, veins white; venter heavily red laterally; antennal segment 1 dirty yellow, with one or two black medial setae; antennal segment 2 dirty yellow; labium unicolorous red; hind femora with many brown or black spots; hind tibial spines dark with conspicuous dark spots at bases. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum with suberect black setae, especially on pronotum, intermixed with pale setae on hemleytron, and with some sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Moderately projecting, ratio wh/lh 5 3.08; antennal fossa with ventral margin 1 diameter above ventral margin of eye; interocular space small, ratio iod/wh 5 0.54; eyes leaving gena broadly exposed in lateral view (hg5–14/he20); labium very long, reaching well onto pygophore. GENITALIA (fig. 44): Endosoma: Base very long, with an open U-shaped bend; distal half of shaft smoothly curving; primary endosomal strap elongate apically, ratio lae/lsg 2.50; apex of primary endosomal strap distinctly curving; secondary endosomal strap very slender, of uniform width from endosomal bend to gonopore, reaching to level of secondary gonopore, bifurcating at about midpoint; secondary gonopore seen frontally in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: Smoothly curving on dorsal margin; dorsal surface without a conspicuous keel. Left Paramere: Body very elongate, greatly exceeding margin of pygophore; in dorsal perspective closed over about one-half length; body tapered toward apex in lateral perspective; anterior process arising slightly forward of posterior margin of shaft; anterior process angled posterodorsally; posterior process appearing tubular, fingerlike; posterior process with strongly projecting shoulder at base; base of posterior process at least somewhat elevated above level of paramere body. Right Paramere: Body elongate and slender, ratio lrp/ wrp 4.67; body more or less parallel sided; posterior margin without distinct protuberance subapically; body more or less confluent with base; apex with short fingerlike process.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the host genus, Thomasia Gay (Sterculiaceae) .

HOSTS: Recorded from Thomasia heterophylla E.M. Benn. & K. Shepherd (pl. 11D), Lasiopetalum floribundum Benth. (Sterculiaceae) , Chorilaena quercifolia Endl. (Rutaceae) , and Spyridium globulosum (Labill.) Benth. (Rhamnaceae) (pl. 11A, B).

DISTRIBUTION (map 2): Southwestern Western Australia.

DISCUSSION: The four species recorded as hosts for W. thomasii have a combined distribution along the coastal Western Australia ranging from Shark Bay to Esperance. Spyridium globulosum has by far the widest distribution, the other three being restricted to the extreme southwest and the area of Cape Leeuwin. If W. thomasii is indeed breeding on Spyridium globulosum we might expect it to have a somewhat wider distribution than presently known.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 10.3 km N of South Coast Hiway on North Walpole Road toward Mt. Frankland, 34.89687 ° S 116.7099 ° E, 190 m, 02 Dec 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Thomasia heterophylla E.M. Benn. & K. Shepherd (Sterculiaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 054671418, 13 (AMNH_PBI 00128560) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 2.1 km W of Broke Inlet Road on Chesapeak Road, D’Entrecasteaux National Park, 34.8918 ° S 116.4644 ° E, 30 m, 02 Dec 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Spyridium globulosum (Labill.) Benth. (Rhamnaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 05672066, 13 (00089546), 1♀ (00089547) ( AM). 3.5 km S of Mt. Chudalup, D’Entrecasteaux National Park, 34.80198 ° S 116.0753 ° E, 50 m, 16 Dec 1997, Schuh, Cassis, Brailovsky, Chorilaena quercifolia Endl. (Rutaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05055350, 13 (00087318), 3♀ (00087319, 00087847–00087848) ( AM). 10.3 km N of South Coast Hiway on North Walpole Road toward Mt. Frankland, 34.89687 ° S 116.7099 ° E, 190 m, 02 Dec 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Thomasia heterophylla E.M. Benn. & K. Shepherd (Sterculiaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 054671418, 33 (00088808–00088810), 1♀ (00088823) ( AM), 63 (00128559, 00128561– 00128564, 00128566), 5♀ (00128576, 00128578– 00128581) ( AMNH), 23 (00128565, 00128567), 2♀ (00088821, 00128577) ( UNSW), 33 (00128558, 00128568–00128569), 3♀ (00088822, 00088824, 00128582) ( WAMP). Walpole-Nornalup National Park just W of Walpole, 34.98624 ° S 116.713 ° E, 40 m, 02 Dec 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Lasiopetalum floribundum Benth. (Sterculiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671183, 1♀ (00087718) Lasiopetalum floribundum Benth. (Sterculiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671183, 23 (00087716, 00087717), 1♀ (00087720) 13 (00087715), 2♀ (00087721, 00087722) ( AM), 1♀ (00087719) ( WAMP), Thomasia heterophylla E.M. Benn. & K. Shepherd (Sterculiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671418, 13 (00129946), 3♀ (00129947–00129949) ( AMNH).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRA- LIA: Western Australia: 10.3 km N of South Coast Hiway on North Walpole Road toward Mt. Frankland, 34.89687 ° S 116.7099 ° E, 190 m, 02 Dec 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Thomasia heterophylla E.M. Benn. & K. Shepherd (Sterculiaceae) , det. field ID PERTH 054671418, 6 nymphs (00088815– 00088820) (AM), 6 nymphs (00128570– 00128575) (AMNH). Walpole-Nornalup National Park just W of Walpole, 34.98624 ° S 116.713 ° E, 40 m, 02 Dec 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Lasiopetalum floribundum Benth. (Sterculiaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671183, 8 nymphs (00087723–00087730) (AM). Nr. Jarrahdale, Serpentine Dam, 32.402 ° S 116.103 ° E, 09 Dec 1971, J.A. Slater, Lasiopetalum floribundum (Sterculiaceae) , 53 (00181892–00181896) (AMNH).