Phytocoris marqua, Menard & Schwartz, 2023

Menard, Katrina L. & Schwartz, Michael D., 2023, Four new species of Phytocoris Fallen (Hemiptera, Miridae) from the Davis Mountains in Texas and further documentation of known species of Jeff Davis County, ZooKeys 1174, pp. 97-139 : 97

Phytocoris marqua sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Type material.

Holotype male, pinned. Original label: "United States: Texas: Jeff Davis Co., Davis Mts. Resort, 5,800 ft. (Marqua residence), UV, 30.62842°N, 104.08360°W, VII-4-5-09, E & M. L. Riley, TAMU-ENTO X0615825" (TAMU). Paratypes: Same collecting event as holotype; X0615711 (USNM) 1♂; X0615790 (CNC) 1♂; X0615785 (UCONN) 1♂.

Diagnosis.

This species shares the diagnostic characteristics of the rostratus group, particularly the brown to dark brown coloration, the subquadrate head with a broad vertex, a dorsum with narrow, dark, scale-like setae mixed with other types of vestiture, and male genitalia with greatly reduced primary membranous sac of endosoma with two sclerotized processes and patches of spinules on the basal lobes. It is unique, however, in the combination of characteristics of the male genitalia including: the tapered and narrow shape of the right sclerite of the male endosoma, and the lack of spines on the left paramere.

Description.

Male (n = 3): Macropterous, medium sized, lateral margins weakly convex. Total length clypeus to apex membrane from 3.75-4.25 mm, widest point across hemelytra 1.25-1.38 mm; general coloration dark brown (Fig. 1A ).

Coloration. Head: predominantly dark brown in dorsal view, vertex with two parallel pale spots adjacent to eye margins at medians, frons with macula at approximate midline and anterior to lateral spots by eyes, area between antennal fossae and anterior margin of eyes also with narrow pale band, clypeus with narrow pale horizontal band on burgundy-brown background that transverses clypeus and genae medially in frontal view, maxillary plate with burgundy-brown stripe extending medially across into primarily whitish colored gena in lateral view, buccula burgundy-brown extending with darker coloration patterning along ventral margin of head including xyphus giving appearance of two horizontal dark stripes, labrum golden brown; labium basally burgundy on first segment, distally pale yellow-white on remaining segments; antennal segment I primarily dark burgundy-brown with pale maculae along anterior 2/3 of length and remaining length dark burgundy-brown, segment II with relatively narrow white band basally and wider band medially with remaining coloration dark brown, segment III with narrow pale band basally and remainder coloration dark brown, segment IV completely dark brown; eyes brownish burgundy. Thorax: dorsal 1/2 of propleura dark brown and whitish yellow on ventral 1/2, mesopleura dark brown excluding white margins along mesocoxa, metapleura dark brown with ostiolar peritreme and metathoracic spiracle whitish yellow, anterior of pronotum and collar whitish grey with two dark brown stripes extending anteriorly along lateral angles of calli onto collar, posterior pronotum primarily pale brown with irregular dark brown line weakly connected to darker lateral stripes on anterior portion contrasting with whitish coloration of pronotal posterior margin, mesoscutum dark brown with lateral 1/4 areas whitish yellow, scutellum primarily whitish yellow with dark brown inverted triangle-shape corresponding to brown area of mesoscutum along dorsal 1/2, distal 1/2 variously mottled with dark brown spots; all coxae pale yellowish white with metacoxae possessing dark brown spot on anterior-basal surface, all femora pale whitish yellow basally with increasing coverage of burgundy-brown maculae distally particularly on metafemora, tibiae primarily whitish yellow with burgundy-brown bands of maculae at basal and anterior margins as well as two defined bands medially to form four defined annuli, all tarsal segments dark brown. Hemelytra: predominantly greyish brown with darker blackish brown diffuse stripes along claval vein, cubitus, and costal vein, with dark and pale checkerboard pattern along costal margin and interior margin of cuneus adjacent to membrane, corium adjacent to medial 2/3 of cuneus with large whitish yellow patch extending distally into antero-lateral 1/3 of cuneus, with remaining cuneus dark brown with increasing number of blackish maculae distally towards membrane, membrane primarily comprised of brown maculae excluding two white patches along lateral margins adjacent cuneus apex, veins brown to dark brown. Abdomen: burgundy-brown, apex of lateral tubercle and distal margins of genital segment transitioning to greyish white coloration.

Surface and vestiture. Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum and hemelytra with long black erect setae mixed with silvery-sericeous setae, hemelytral surface texture otherwise matte.

Structure. Head: clypeus not visible in dorsal view, vertex relatively rounded and slightly declining posteriorly and dorsal surface of eyes not surpassing vertex in lateral view, eyes relatively small with total height slightly <1/2 total height head in lateral view, interocular distance slightly <1/2 total width head, antennal segment I length> 1/2 length II antennal segment and width of head, apex of labium extending to hind coxae. Thorax: collar well-developed, pronotum trapezoidal in shape with developed calli and posterior margin weakly concave, mesoscutum and scutellum relatively flat with declining margins towards clavus, legs relatively narrow with hind legs elongate, pretarsi with convergent parempodia and developed pulvillus. Hemelytra: lateral margins weakly convex on distal 1/2, cuneus with angled declivity. Abdomen: <1/2 of total body length, apex not reaching apex of wing membrane, genital capsule relatively large, nearly 1/2 total length of abdomen. Genitalia: Genital capsule with a well-developed tubercle on left margin weakly pointed at apex (Fig. 1C ). Endosoma with elongate, relatively narrow membrane and two medially located well-developed sclerites; right sclerite basally rounded, distally narrowed with arrow-like shaped apex, attached to basal process below the secondary gonopore; left sclerite relatively wide terminating abruptly into narrow spine-like process pre-apically (Fig. 1B ). Left paramere C-shaped with duck-head shaped apex (Fig. 1E ). Right paramere leaf-shaped with hook-like apex and six serrated “teeth” on dorsal margin (Fig. 1D ).

Female. Unknown

Measurements. Table 1 .

Hosts.

Unknown; collected at a light sheet.

Distribution.

Davis Mountains, Jeff Davis County, Texas.

Etymology.

Named for the late entomologist David Marqua, whose property in the Davis Mountains yielded this unique taxon during light sampling. Noun in apposition.

Remarks.

This species is most similar to Phytocoris kerrvillenis Stonedahl based on the shape of the right paramere (particularly the serrations on the dorsal margin), the well-developed tubercle, the rounded base of the right sclerite of the endosoma, and the reduced primary membrane. However, it can easily be separated by the different dorsal patterning, including the completely pale grey scutellum, completely dark brown posterior margin of the pronotum in P. kerrvillenis versus the dark and grey patterning in P. marqua . Further, the differences in the spines on the left paramere that are present on P. kerrvillenis but absent in P. marqua , and the tapered and narrow portion of the right sclerite in P. marqua that is relatively squat and broad in P. kerrvillenis separate the two.

Stonedahl (1988) initially proposed the rostratus species group for taxa that are united by the following characters: brown to dark brown coloration; head usually subquadrate to slightly elongate and strongly produced frons and tylus base, and broad vertex; length of the eye of male subequal to width of vertex except as noted in the species key; dorsum with narrow, dark, scalelike setae mixed with other types of vestiture; and male genitalia with greatly reduced primary membranous sac of endosoma with two sclerotized processes and patches of spinules on the basal lobes. Phytocoris marqua fits these characteristics, but Stonedahl (1995) further refined his concepts of species relationships when conceptualizing his newly described taxa from Texas, P. kerrvillenis , and P. davisi . He grouped these taxa with previously described eastern taxa P. albifacies , P. corticevivens , P. fumatus , P. sulcatus , and P. tuberculatus of Knight’s (1923, 1941) "group 1" based on the following: head mostly pale ventrad of eyes; head with broad, dark band anteriorly stretching uninterrupted between antennal fossae; pronotal collar with series of stout, dark setae dorsally; pronotum with prominent, medially confluent calli, genital capsule with strongly developed tubercle above base of left paramere; endosoma of male with single, elongate primary membranous sac often with spines distally; sclerotized process of endosoma elongate, usually twisted and/or with reflexed margins. Phytocoris marqua fits all these characteristics as well, suggesting it is closely related to this possible monophyletic group though a cladistic analysis should be performed to support this hypothesis.

Figures

Figure 1. Phytocoris marqua sp. nov. A male dorsal habitus B male endosoma C male genital capsule in dorsal view D right paramere in lateral view E left paramere in lateral view.