Hamatophylus, WEIRAUCH, 2006

WEIRAUCH, CHRISTIAN E., 2006, New Genera, New Species, and New Combinations in Western Nearctic Phylini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 3521 (1), pp. 1-44 : 6-7

Hamatophylus , new genus

Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 6–10

TYPE SPECIES: Plagiognathus guttulosus ( Reuter, 1876) , p. 89.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the rather large size and elongate ovoid body form, relatively large eyes (figs. 1, 2B, 3), broad head, pale coloration with small brown or reddish brown spots at the base of the setae, red cuneus (fig. 1), and male genitalia with twisted vesica with a long hook-shaped apical blade and one short straight blade, secondary gonopore ovoid, gonopore sclerite distinct, slender and elongate (fig. 3). Distinguished from other at least partly spotted Phylini described in this paper by the pale coloration and by the spotted scutellum and hemelytra (i.e., spots not restricted to the pronotum and scutellum as in Insulaphylus cruz , new species, or only the pronotum as in Quernocoris caliginosus , new species). Also distinguished from these taxa, but also from Psallus Fieber and Plagiognathus , by the characters of the male vesica mentioned above.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Rather large size, ovoid and slightly elongate, stout in lateral view. COLORATION (fig. 1): Pale brownish, sometimes tinged with red, with small brown or reddish brown spots at bases of setae on entire dorsum, anterior crescent-shaped portion of cuneus whitish hyaline, remaining part bright red. Head: Pale with dark spots, brownish transverse fasciae on vertex indistinct, apex of mandibular plate often reddish, posterior portion of maxillary plate often suffused reddish and brownish, gena usually brown, buccula white and gula whitish; antennal segment 1 pale, with very few dark spots around setal bases, base of segment 1 suffused with light brown, segments 2 and 3 pale yellowish, segment 4 light brown; labium pale yellowish, with apical half of segment 4 suffused with brown. Thorax: Pronotum pale yellow to pale brown with dark spots around setal bases, transverse band across calli brown, pale or whitish median longitudinal stripe on anterior and posterior lobes in darker specimens, mesoscutum variable pale to brown, sometimes with lateral parts orange or paired submedian clusters of dark spots, scutellum pale with dark spots, often with an anterior semicircular area brownish, propleuron pale with scattered dark spots dorsally, mesepisternum brown with dorsal margin whitish, mesepimeron and metepimeron pale yellowish to pale brown, metapleuron pale, sometimes suffused with light brown and sometimes with evaporatory area suffused with light brown. Legs: Pale or yellowish with coxal bases suffused with brown, apical half of metafemur sometimes suffused with light brown, femora with small dark spots, denser toward apex of segment, apex of tibia and of tarsus slightly suffused with brown. Hemelytra: Pale with reddish brown spots around setal bases, distal portions slightly suffused with light brown, cuneus with crescent-shaped anterior area whitish, remaining portion red. Abdomen: Venter, pygophore, parameres, and phallotheca reddish brown with a broad median longitudinal stripe and ventral connexival margins a lighter brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (fig. 9B): Dorsum weakly shining, moderately densely covered with simple, rather short, recumbent, subadpressed setae, some of them stouter (black asterisk) than others (white asterisk), with bases of most setae surrounded by brownish spots. STRUCTURE: Head (figs. 2B, 3): Broader than long, short, vertex relatively wide, slightly convex, posterior margin straight, vertex and frons sloping, clypeus only slightly produced, maxillary plate slightly sunken, buccula short, buccal cavity oval, gula very short; eyes large, protruding laterally, almost as high as head, distinctly emarginate posterior to antennal fossa, posterolateral margin contiguous with anterolateral margin of pronotum; antennal segment 1 short and moderately slender, segment 2 longest, diameter smaller at base than segment 1, increasing slightly toward apex, segments 3 and 4 combined somewhat shorter than segment 2; apex of labium reaching base of metacoxa. Thorax (figs. 7B, 8B): Pronotum trapeziform, anterior margin slightly sinuate, lateral margins slightly convex, posterior margin slightly concave, anterior and posterior pronotal lobes not demarcated, callus obsolete; metapleural evaporatorium with mushroomlike cuticle area rather narrow and elongate, mushroomlike cuticle anterior to mesothoracic spiracle well developed (fig. 7B). Legs: Slender; claws moderately slender, pulvilli of moderate size, covering about half of ventral claw surface, parempodia setiform, slender and moderately elongate, very short seta medially on the ventrodistal surface of pretarsus represents the dorsal arolium (fig. 8B, white arrow head). Hemelytra: Subparallel, cuneus elongate triangular. Abdomen: Reaching apex of cuneus. GENITALIA (fig. 3): Pygophore: Large and relatively long. Parameres: Right paramere typically phyline lanceolate; left paramere with anterior process of moderate length and pointed apex, posterior process elongate with apex bent ventrad. Phallotheca: Slender and elongate, L-shaped, with ridge running along left side and pointed apex, ventral opening slitlike. Vesica: S-shaped, with two apical blades circular in cross-section, left blade long and bent to the right, right blade short and straight, low flange proximal to secondary gonopore, secondary gonopore subapical, large and ovate, gonopore sclerite present, of moderate length, stout and bent proximally.

Female (fig. 1): Color pattern similar to that of male, but coloration generally paler, body shape slightly more ovoid and larger than in male (fig. 1), eyes distinctly less laterally protruding than in male but still about as high as head, vertex wider, antennal segments 1 and 2 more slender, segment 2 with diameter slightly increasing toward the apex. GENITALIA (fig. 6): See description of type species.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the hook-shaped apex of the male vesica in caudal view, after Latin adjective hamatus, meaning ‘‘curved like a hook’’, combined with the generic name Phylus Hahn to emphasize its systematic position within Miridae . The gender of the name is masculine.

DISCUSSION: Comparison of Hamatophylus guttulosus , new combination, with species of the genus Plagiognathus ( Schuh 2001) leaves no doubt that this species—placed here in the new, monotypic genus Hamatophylus —does not belong to Plagiognathus . Apart from the shared type of simple setation, which H. guttulosus and species of Plagiognathus have in common, H. guttulosus disagrees with species of Plagiognathus in several characteristics. In addition to having a stouter and more ovoid shape and a shorter head than species of Plagiognathus , the hook-shaped apical blade, ovoid secondary gonopore, and the presence of a well-developed gonopore sclerite in H. guttulosus separate Hamatophylus from Plagiognathus .

Hamatophylus guttulosus , new combination

Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 6–10

Psallus guttulosus Reuter, 1876: p. 89 (n.sp.).

Plagiognathus guttulosus Knight, 1941: 40 (n.comb.).

Plagiognathus guttulosus Carvalho, 1958: 102 (cat.).

Plagiognathus guttulosus Schuh, 2001: 255 (tax. disc., incertae sedis).

HOLOTYPE: Male : USA: Texas: [unknown locality, date, and collector] ( AMNH _ PBI 00099654 ) ( MZH).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the characters given in the generic diagnosis.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: As in generic description, total length 3.36–3.77, length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 2.42– 2.72, width across pronotum 1.20–1.37. COLORATION (fig. 1): General coloration, head, thorax, and abdomen as in generic description. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (fig. 9B): As in generic description. STRUCTURE (figs. 3, 7B, 8B): Head, thorax, and abdomen as in generic description.

FEMALE: As in generic description. Total length 3.56–3.77, length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 2.53–2.68, width across pronotum 1.28–1.36. GENITALIA (fig. 6): Vestibulum slender, S-shaped, bursa copulatrix wider than long, posterior margin medially with distinct indentation, sclerotized rings large and slender.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus photographs of Galbinocoris caepa, Hamatophylus guttulosus, Insulaphylus spp., Maculamiris spp., Quernocoris caliginosus, and Vesperocoris paddocki.

Fig. 2. Lateral aspect of head and pronotum, scanning micrographs, scale measurements in mm. A. Galbinocoris caepa. B. Hamatophylus guttulosus. C. Insulaphylus cruz. D. Maculamiris baja. E. Quernocoris caliginosus. F. Vesperocoris paddocki.

Fig. 3. Head and male genitalic structures of Galbinocoris caepa and Hamatophylus guttulosus. Galbinocoris caepa, head in frontal and lateral view, right and left paramere, phallotheca, and vesica. Hamatophylus guttulosus, head in frontal and lateral view, right and left paramere, phallotheca, vesica, and apex of vesica in caudal view.

Fig. 6. Female genitalic structures, with bursa copulatrix in dorsal view and vestibulum in frontal view. Galbinocoris caepa, Hamatophylus guttulosus, Insulaphylus cruz, Maculamiris baja, Quernocoris caliginosus, Vesperocoris paddocki.

Fig. 7. Mesothoracic spiracle and metathoracic scent gland evaporatory area. A. Galbinocoris caepa. B. Hamatophylus guttulosus. C. Insulaphylus cruz. D. Maculamiris baja. E. Quernocoris caliginosus. F. Vesperocoris paddocki.

Fig. 8. Pretarsus, in frontal (above) and lateral (below) aspect. A. Galbinocoris caepa. B. Hamatophylus guttulosus. C. Insulaphylus cruz. D. Maculamiris baja. E. Quernocoris caliginosus. F. Vesperocoris paddocki.

Fig. 9. Detail of setae comprising hemelytral vestiture, where two types of setae are present, the black asterisk indicates the stouter seta, the white asterisk the more slender seta. A. Galbinocoris caepa. B. Hamatophylus guttulosus. C. Insulaphylus cruz. D. Maculamiris baja. E. Quernocoris caliginosus. F. Vesperocoris paddocki.

Fig. 10. Distribution of species of Galbinocoris caepa and Hamatophylus guttulosus. The localities of H. guttulosus are mapped onto the distribution of one of its primary hosts, Quercus virginiana.