Salicarus cavinotum ( Wagner, 1973 )

Konstantinov, Fedor V. & Hosseini, Reza, 2024, Review of the genus Salicarus (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae), ZooKeys 1211, pp. 57-100 : 57-100

Salicarus cavinotum ( Wagner, 1973)

Figs 3 E, F , 5 A, B , 8 A

Heterocapillus cavinotum Wagner, 1973: 121.

Heterocapillus cavinotum : Wagner (1975 a): 128 (key, description, figures); Linnavuori (1999): 58 (figures, updated diagnosis); Kment et al. (2005): 12 (new record).

Salicarus cavinotum : Konstantinov (2023): 861 (phylogenetic placement, figures, discussion).

Material examined.

Holotype: ♂ Greece • Dodecanese Islands: Petaloudes , Rhodos, 36.444 ° N, 28.222 ° E, 01 Jun 1972, Eckerlein ( AMNH _ PBI 00184018 ) ( ZMUH) . Paratypes: Greece • Dodecanese Islands: Petaloudes , Rhodos, 36.444 ° N, 28.222 ° E, 01 Jun 1972, Eckerlein, 1 ♂ ( AMNH _ PBI 00184019 ), 1 ♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00336963 ) ( ZMUH) .

Other specimens examined: Greece • Dodecanese Islands: Petaloudes , Rhodos, 36.444 ° N, 28.222 ° E, 01 Jun 1972, Eckerlein, 1 ♂ ( AMNH _ PBI 00240965 ) ( ZISP) • Peloponnese: Corinth (Korinthia): nr Kehries , 37.885 ° N, 22.9875 ° E, 26 May 1989, R. Linnavuori, 2 ♂ ( AMNH _ PBI 00338309 , AMNH _ PBI 00338310 ) ( NMWC) • Karitena , 37.46667 ° N 22.03333 ° E, 02 Jul 2007, A. Matocq, 7 ♀ ( ZISP _ ENT 00011853 , ZISP _ ENT 00011852 ), 4 ♂ ( ZISP _ ENT 00011853 ) ( ZISP) • Thessalia: Magnesia Co.: nr Goritsa , 39.35389 ° N, 22.97694 ° E, 03 Jun 1989, R. Linnavuori, 3 ♀ ( ZISP _ ENT 00011721 ), 3 ♂ ( ZISP _ ENT 00011721 ) ( NMWC) .

Diagnosis.

Recognized by the small size, body length 2.0–2.6; antennal segment II fusiform in both sexes, wider in female; dorsum uniformly dark brown, with dense, wide and apically serrate silvery scale-like setae (Figs 3 E, F , 5 A, B ); legs and antennae without scales; apical blades of vesica gradually curved and tightly adjoining each other along their entire length, comparatively long, with length of larger blade distinctly exceeding distance between its base and secondary gonopore (Fig. 8 A ).

Salicarus cavinotum is most similar to S. perpusillus in general appearance, size, and vesica structure, which appear indistinguishable between these species (Fig. 8 A, F, G ). However, the latter species can be distinguished from S. cavinotum by the presence of dense scale-like setae on all femora, the bases of tibiae, antennal segment I, and the base of segment II (Fig. 5 D – F ). Additionally, in S. perpusillus , antennal segment II in males is 4.3–4.6 × as long as wide at the midpoint and appears only slightly narrower than in females, while in S. cavinotum this segment in male is less fusiform, 4.9–5.3 × as long as wide at the midpoint. Refer to the diagnosis of S. genistae for additional discussion.

Redescription.

Male. Coloration. Dorsum and venter uniformly brown to dark brown (Fig. 3 E ). Head: Brown to dark brown, apices of labial segments I and II usually pale brown; antennal segments III and IV uniformly pale yellow. Thorax: Uniformly brown to dark brown, extreme apices of fore and middle femora pale brown to dirty yellow, tibiae dirty yellow, with small but distinct round spots at bases of tibial spines; tarsi pale yellow, with darkened apices; membrane and veins uniformly brown. Abdomen: Uniformly dark brown.

Surface and vestiture. Smooth, moderately shiny; dorsum, thoracic pleura, and abdomen with dense, silvery, broad and apically serrate scale-like setae and adpressed to semierect, long, almost twice as long as scales, simple setae, dark on cuneus and apex of corium, yellowish elsewhere; legs and antennae without scale-like setae; sides of pronotum and hemelytron at base with robust, long, erect to semierect, black bristle-like setae.

Structure. Body 2.4–3.0 × as long as posterior width of pronotum; total length 2.0–2.6; vertex 2.3–2.7 × as wide as eye; antennal segment I short, swollen, widest at apex, about twice as long as width at apex; segment II fusiform, 1.6 × as wide at midpoint as segment I at apex, 4.9–5.3 × as long as wide, 0.6 × as long as posterior width of pronotum, 0.7–0.8 × as long as width of head; segments III and IV filiform; pronotum 2.1–2.4 × as wide as long, 1.2–1.3 × as wide as head.

Genitalia. Right paramere with oval body about twice as long as wide, basally broadly rounded and expanded well proximally beyond basal process, apical process long and straight, apically rounded. Left paramere similar to those of S. genistae (Fig. 9 E ) and S. nitidus (Fig. 9 H ), with comparatively short and straight apical process and gradually narrowing towards apex, broadly rounded sensory lobe. Apical blades of vesica gradually curved, tightly adjoining each other along their entire length, comparatively long, with length of larger blade distinctly exceeding distance between its base and secondary gonopore (Fig. 8 A ).

Female. Coloration, surface, and vestiture. As in male (Fig. 3 F ).

Structure. Body 2.2–2.5 × as long as posterior width of pronotum; total length 2.1–2.3; vertex 2.5–2.9 × as wide as eye; antennal segment I short, swollen, widest at apex, about twice as long as width at apex; segment II fusiform, wider than in male, 1.7–1.8 × as wide at midpoint as segment I at apex, 4.1–4.3 × as long as wide, 0.5–0.6 × as long as posterior width of pronotum, 0.7–0.8 × as long as width of head; pronotum 2.1–2.4 × as wide as long, 1.3 × as wide as head.

Genitalia. Dorsal labiate plate with large and wide, broadly oval, but apically tapering sclerotized rings.

Distribution.

Currently this species is documented exclusively in Greece, spanning Thessaly, the Peloponnese and Attic peninsulas, as well as Crete and Rhodes Island ( Wagner 1973; Linnavuori 1999; Kment et al. 2005)

Hosts.

Genista sp. ( Wagner 1975 a), Genista acanthoclada DC ( Linnavuori 1999) .

Discussion.

Wagner (1973, 1975 a) highlighted the significance of paired rounded pits on the pronotum as the primary distinguishing feature of S. cavinotum , effectively distinguishing it from closely related species. Upon examination of the holotype of this species, we discovered the absence of cavities on the pronotum as described originally, albeit the designated holotype being teneral specimen with a slightly deformed pronotum, as correctly noted by Linnavuori (1999). Other specimens from the type series are in good condition and exhibit no signs of pits on pronotum (Fig. 5 A, B ).

Figures

Figure 3. Dorsal habitus A, B ♂ Salicarus urnammu C, D ♀ S. urnammu E ♂ paratype of S. cavinotum F ♀ paratype of S. cavinotum G ♂ S. genistae H ♀ S. genistae I ♂ S. nitidus G ♀ S. nitidus K ♂ holotype of S. perpusillus L ♀ S. perpusillus.

Figure 5. Head, pronotum, and vestiture A, B paratype of Salicarus cavinotum, head and pronotum in dorsal view: A ♂ B ♀ C, G S. genistae, head and pronotum in dorsal view: C ♂ G ♀ D – F paratypes of S. perpusillus: D ♂ head and pronotum in dorsal view E ♀ head and pronotum in dorsal view F ♀ vestiture on dorsum and legs H – I S. nitidus, head and pronotum in dorsal view: H ♂ I ♀.

Figure 8. Vesica A Salicarus cavinotum, paratype B, C S. genistae D, E S. nitidus F, G S. perpusillus, paratype H, I apical part of vesica enlarged: H S. genistae I S. nitidus.

Figure 9. Male genitalia A – C Salicarus concinnus, paratype D – F S. genistae G – I S. nitidus J – L S. fulvicornis M – O S. halimodendri, paratype P – R S. roseri S – U S. urnammu A D G J M P S: right paramere B E H K N Q U: left paramere C F I L O R U: apex of phallotheca.