Dicyphus epilobii Reuter, 1883

Konstantinov, Fedor V. & Neimorovets, Vladimir V., 2021, Bryocorinae Baerensprung, 1860 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of European Russia and the Caucasus: synopsis and key to species, Zootaxa 4920 (3), pp. 301-338 : 314-315

Dicyphus epilobii Reuter, 1883

Figures 3 , 8 , 11

Dicyphus epilobii Reuter, 1883: 52

Material examined. ABKHAZIA: Novye Gagry [Gagra], 1♀ 15 IX 1957, Tryapitsyn. BULGARIA: Asenovgrad, 40—Kladenci, 1♂ 1♀ 29 IX 1961, M. Josifov. RUSSIA: Chuvash Rep.: Toysinskoe forestry, 1♂ 1♀, 17 VIII 1928, Zoological expedition #284, unknown collector. Ingushetia: Egochkal [Egikhal] near Dzheyrakh, 1♂ 9 VIII 1927, Kiritshenko. Dzheyrakhsky distr. , Salgi, 2♂ 26 VII 1927, Kiritshenko .

Diagnosis. Recognized by the following combination of characters: always macropterous, total body length male 4.7–5.6, female 4.5–4.9; vertex wider than eye width in both sexes; antennal segment I reddish; segment II dirty yellow to pale brown, usually darker basally and apically, more than 1.4 X as long as basal width of pronotum in male; calli small, pronotum behind calli 1.6–1.8 X as long as calli length ( Fig. 3 ); left paramere gradually curved apically, with narrow dorsal crest gradually diminishing posteriorly, apical process of left paramere forming acute angle with paramere body ( Fig. 11 ).

Dicyphus epilobii is most similar to D. errans and D. constrictus . Refer to diagnosis of D. constrictus for discussion of distinctive features of these species. Dicyphus epilobii may be also confused with pale specimens of D. cerastii due to the similar body proportions, reddish antennal segment I, and comparatively small calli, but the latter species can be recognized by the smaller size, basally notched dorsal crest of the left paramere, and the presence of a tumid setose process on the left side of abdominal segment VIII.

Distribution. This species is known from central Europe, Spain, northern Italy, and spanning east to western Ukraine ( Wagner 1974; Kerzhner & Josifov 1999). Dicyphus epilobii was also reported from Krasnodar Terr., Northern Caucasus, Russia, based on a single specimen ( Neimorovets 2003, 2010). Here we report this species from Ingushetia (North Caucasus) and Abkhazia (South Caucasus). Two specimens of this species sampled in Chuvashia Rep. south-east of European Russia (Toysinskoe Forestry) could be mislabeled and need confirmation.

Host. This species has been reported from numerous plants including Antirrhinum majus L. ( Scrophulariaceae ), Calendula officinalis L. ( Asteraceae ), Circaea lutetiana L., Epilobium hirsutum L. ( Onagraceae ), Cucubalus sp. ( Caryophyllaceae ), Digitalis grandiflora Mill. (Plantaginaceae) , Galeopsis tetrahit L. ( Lamiaceae ), and Geranium pyrenaicum Burm. f. ( Geraniaceae ) ( Wagner, 1974; Ingegno et al. 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus images of Dicyphus (Dicyphus) spp. Dicyphus (D.) errans Wolff, 1804 and Dicyphus (D.) epilobii Reuter, 1883.

FIGURE 8. Images of genital capsule and aedeagus of Dicyphus and Nesidiocoris spp. Dicyphus (B.) albonasutus Wagner, 1951, Dicyphus (B.) geniculatus (Fieber, 1858), Dicyphus (B.) globulifer (Fallén, 1829), Dicyphus (B.) digitalidis Josifov, 1958, Dicyphus (B.) montandoni Reuter, 1888, Dicyphus (D.) epilobii Reuter, 1883, and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter, 1895).

FIGURE 11. Images of parameres of Dicyphus (Dicyphus) spp. Dicyphus (D.) constrictus (Boheman, 1852), Dicyphus (D.) cerastii Wagner, 1951, Dicyphus (D.) errans Wolff, 1804, Dicyphus (D.) epilobii Reuter, 1883, Dicyphus (D.) hyalinipennis (Burmeister, 1835), Dicyphus (D.) pallidus (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1836), and Dicyphus (D.) stachydis J. Sahlberg, 1878.