Orthotylus kikin, Forero, 2009

Forero, Dimitri, 2009, Description of One New Species of Chileria and Three New Species of Orthotylus, with Nomenclatural and Distributional Notes on Neotropical Orthotylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylini), American Museum Novitates 3642, pp. 1-50 : 38-40

Orthotylus kikin , sp. nov.

Figures 2 , 14B, F , 15B, F, J , 16B , 18

Orthotylus chilensis Carvalho and Afonso, 1977: 13 (in part) [misidentification, vesica and left paramere, figs. 1, 3].

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the triangular, right, anterior process of the genital capsule (fig. 15J, arrow), posterior process not enlarged (fig. 15J); apex of left paramere with an acute, anteriorly directed process (fig. 14F); dorsal process of left paramere in medial view with margin slightly concave (fig 15F); anterior portion of the basalmost rami of the right spicule deeply cleft apically (fig. 14B); apex of right spicule with a dorsal, single, posteriorly directed ramus and a ventral, apically bifurcated ramus (fig. 14B); medial margin of first gonapophysis of anterior wall of females with sclerotized left dorsal part as an inverted Cshaped area (fig. 16B).

Orthotylus kikin is most similar to O. chilensis (figs. 2, 14A, E, 15A, E, 16A), and it is easily distinguished from it by the structure of the vesica (fig. 14B), and genital capsule (fig. 15J). The genital capsule of O. kikin shares with O. chilensis a pronounced right anterior process and a nearly inconspicuous posterior process (figs. 15I, J, arrows). Orthotylus kikin has the anterior process as a triangular prolongation (fig. 15J, arrow), whereas O. chilensis has it as a lobate, tonguelike prolongation (fig. 15I, arrow). The apex of the vesica of O. kikin has two rami (fig. 14B), whereas in O. chilensis it has a preapical ramus and an apical one (fig. 14A). The ventral apical ramus of O. kikin (fig. 14B) cannot be confused with the preapical ramus of O. chilensis (fig. 14A) due to the position of the insertion and the long pedicel of the former. Furthermore, the vesica of O. kikin has the anterior portion of the basal rami deeply cleft (fig. 14B), whereas in O. chilensis it is gently concave and expanded apically (fig. 14A). The dorsal process of the left paramere in O. kikin and O. chilensis is very similar, with a slightly concave margin (figs. 15E, F). Some degree of intraspecific variability in the left paramere with respect to the degree of development of the spines present on its dorsal process occurs both in O. kikin and O. chilensis , similar to the variability of the right paramere (fig. 14E, F). The structure of the dorsal process is not diagnostic for O. kikin in respect to O. chilensis . Nonetheless, the apical process of the left paramere is narrow and acute in O. kikin (fig. 14F) and wider in O. chilensis (fig. 14E). Most of the specimens of O. kikin are easily distinguished from the other three closely related species ( O. chilensis , O. chullan , and O. kakan ) (fig. 2) by the dark brown embolium (figs. 2A, B) that is whitish in the other species. Nonetheless, in a few female specimens of O. kikin , the embolium is whitish as in O. chilensis (e.g., AMNH_PBI 00105556) (fig. 2C). Because coloration is a variable character, male and female genitalic dissections are needed to identify O. kikin .

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Elongate ovoid; total length 3.27–3.58. COLORATION: Overall coloration dark brown, very similar to O. chullan (see above) (fig. 2), except as follows. Head: Mandibular and maxillary plates dark brown; labrum brown; labial segments I–II pale brown, III–IV dark brown. Thorax: Hemelytron: Embolium brown; cuneus sometimes medially reddish brown. Legs: Similar to O. kakan (see above), but femora without irregular brown areas. Abdomen: Dark brown, nearly black. Genitalia: Genital capsule dark brown; proctiger and parameres brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Similar to O. chullan (see above). STRUCTURE: Similar to O. chullan (see above), except as follows. Genitalia: Genital capsule similar to O. chullan (see above), but anterior right process triangular (fig. 15J, arrow), posterior right process not enlarged (fig. 15J); cuplike sclerite as in O. chullan (see above); parameres as in O. chullan (see above) (fig. 14F), but transverse dorsal margin of left paramere not elevated (fig. 14F); left paramere with dorsal process in medial view concave, anterior and posterior portion of dorsal process about the same height (fig. 15F); right paramere with medial subapical projection small, round or acute (fig. 14F); dorsal anterior process of right paramere small, denticulate, directed medially (fig. 14F, apical view); phallotheca as in fig. 15B; vesica with two spicules(fig. 14B); right spicule with basal portion not greatly expanded, connected with conjunctiva, basalmost rami with anterior ramus bifurcate, deeply cleft medially, posterior ramus shorter than anterior, directed caudally (fig. 14B); apex of right spicule with dorsal ramus nearly straight, directed posteriorly, ventral ramus with long pedicel, bifurcate apically (fig. 14B); left spicule gently curved at midpoint, gently swollen before bifurcation of rami, rami apically denticulate or not (fig. 14B).

FEMALE: Similar in structure and coloration to male; total length 3.32–344. COLOR- ATION: As in male (fig. 2), except the following. Thorax: Hemelytron: Embolium sometimes whitish, not brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUC- TURE: As in male (fig. 2), except the following. Genitalia: Similar to O. chullan (see above), but dorsal portion of left margin of first gonapophyses as an inverted C-shaped sclerotized area (fig. 16B), area dorsal to medial margins of first gonapophyses evenly sclerotized (fig. 16B).

DISTRIBUTION: Orthotylus kikin is found in the ‘‘Valle Central’’, in areas around Santiago in the Metropolitan Region, and in the Araucania Region in the south (fig. 18). The distribution pattern of O. kikin is largely sympatric with that of O. chilensis , although O. kikin is found farther south than O. chilensis .

HOSTS: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: The species name is taken from the Quechua (Qheswa Simi) kikin , which means ‘‘very similar’’, due to the similarity of O. kikin with O. chilensis .

DISCUSSION: Carvalho and Afonso (1977: figs. 1–4) illustrated the vesica and parameres for this species but misidentified it as O. chilensis . Examination of a series of males and females of O. chilensis collected near Santiago (the type locality) and the illustration provided by Carvalho (1985) (see Discussion above under O. chilensis ), support the hypothesis that the species concept of O. chilensis of Carvalho and Fontes (1973) is different from the one used by Carvalho and Afonso (1977).

Even when some degree of intraspecific variability is acknowledged in vesical structure (fig. 14B), the differences between O. chilensis , the most similar species (see Diagnosis), and these specimens are such, that I consider these specimens as a new species.

HOLOTYPE ( MALE): [ CHILE: Araucania – Region IX: Malleco ]: El Radal , [38.9833 ° S 72.4 ° W], 900 m, 28 Sep 1957 – 30 Sep 1957, [Unknown collector] , Holotype Orthotylus kikin n.sp. D. Forero det., 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00104529 ) ( CNC) .

PARATYPES: CHILE: Araucania – Region IX: Malleco: El Radal , 38.9833 ° S 72.4 ° W, 900 m, 28 Sep 1957 – 30 Sep 1957, Unknown collector, 23 ( AMNH _ PBI 00104531 , AMNH _ PBI 00104532 ), 2♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00104558 , AMNH _ PBI 00104559 ) ( AMNH) ; 253 ( AMNH _ PBI 00104520 – AMNH _ PBI 00104528 , AMNH _ PBI 00104530 , AMNH _ PBI 00104533 – AMNH _ PBI 00104547 ), 32♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00104548 – AMNH _ PBI 00104557 , AMNH _ PBI 00104560 – AMNH _ PBI 00104577 , AMNH _ PBI 00104579 – AMNH _ PBI 00104582 ) ( CNC) . Metropolitana De Santiago: Chacabuco: (Rd) between La Dormida and Tiltil , 33.0615 ° S 70.9986 ° W, 700 m, 13 Nov 1982 – 18 Nov 1982, L. E. Peña, 23 ( AMNH _ PBI 00185398 , AMNH _ PBI 00185399 ), 3♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00185406 – AMNH _ PBI 00185408 ) ( USNM) . Santiago: El Canelo , 33.58333 ° S 70.45 ° W, Nov 1979 – Dec 1979, L. E. Peña, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00185401 ) ( USNM) . La Obra, 33.59869 ° S 70.50021 ° W, Jan 1979, L. E. Peña, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00185400 ) ( USNM) .

Figures

Fig. 2. Dorsal habitus digital photographs. Orthotylus chilensis, O. chullan, O. kikin, O. kakan, O. tafoensis, and Saileria bella. Specimens of O. kikin (A–C, arrows) show variation on embolium coloration from brown to white.

Fig. 14. Orthotylus spp. Male genitalia. A–D. Vesica. A. The small arrow indicates variation at apex of right spicule; the large arrow points to the anterior portion of basal rami; B. outline drawing shows variation at apex of left spicule. E–H. Right and left parameres, in lateral and apical, and dorsal views respectively. E, F. Variation among right parameres. H. Arrow shows elevated dorsal ridge.

Fig. 15. Orthotylus spp. Male genitalia. A–D. Phallotheca; arrow in D points to dorsal process on right margin. E–H. Dorsal process of left paramere, medial view. I–L. Genital capsule, lateral right view; arrow indicate processes on aperture margin.

Fig. 16. Orthotylus spp. A–D. Female genitalia: anterior wall showing asymmetrical medial margins of first gonapophyses and various degrees of sclerotization, anterior view.

Fig. 18. Distribution map of Orthotylus chilensis, O. chullan, O. kikin, O. kakan, and O. tafoensis.