Thaumastomiris Kirkaldy, 1902

Yeshwanth, H. M. & Konstantinov, Fedor V., 2021, Review of the plant bug tribe Eccritotarsini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of India and Sri Lanka with description of two new genera and six new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 745, pp. 1-69 : 33-34

Thaumastomiris Kirkaldy, 1902

Figs 9G–J , 10

Thaumastomiris Kirkaldy, 1902: 56 .

Thaumastomiris – Stonedahl 1988: 89–97 (revision).

Type species

Thaumastomiris sanguinalis Kirkaldy, 1902 (by monotypy).

Diagnosis

Distinguished by the following characters: Body elongate-oval, brightly reddish orange ( Fig. 10 ); head transverse, produced ventrally, with sessile eyes, wide vertex, and vertical, weakly convex frons; vertex with distinct transverse depression from one eye to another; labium robust, long, reaching hind coxa; pronotum with dense shallow punctures; hemelytron with broadly arcuate costal margin and long, apically falciform cuneus reaching apex of membrane; vein of single membranal cell apically weakly convex to almost straight; genital capsule boat-shaped, with spinelike subapical process on left wall ( Stonedahl 1988: figs 95a, 96a, 97a, 98a); left paramere U-shaped, with bifid apex ( Stonedahl 1988: figs 95b–c, 96b–c, 97b–c, 98b–c); aedeagus tubular, with endosoma non-retractable, entirely expanded from phallotheca in repose; basal part of aedeagus sclerotized, with large subapical spinelike process; apical part of aedeagus membranous, with several elongate lobes ( Stonedahl 1988: figs 95e, 96e, 97e, 98e).

Host

Thaumastomiris philippinensis Hsiao, 1944 and T. discoidalis Poppius, 1912 were collected from Pandanus sp. ( Pandanaceae ) ( Carvalho 1981a; Stonedahl 1988) and the latter species was also recorded from Zingiber sp. ( Zingiberaceae ) ( Poppius 1912). The crinium lily Crinum asiaticum Blanco (Amaryllidaceae) was mentioned as a host for T. sanguinalis Kirkaldy, 1902 in the original description ( Kirkaldy 1902).

Distribution

From Sri Lanka, southwestern and northern India in the west to Philippines, Lombok and New Guinea in the east ( Stonedahl 1988).

Remarks

This genus comprises six species ranging from northern India and Sri Lanka to New Guinea and recognized among other eccritotarsines by the reddish orange coloration, distinct transverse depression on vertex, characteristically long, curved cuneus, and bifurcate apex of the left paramere. Thaumastomiris dissimilis ( Fig. 9I–J ), one more species of this genus described by Hsiao (1944) from the Philippines, was considered not congeneric with the type species and was excluded from Thaumastomiris ( Stonedahl 1988) . Stonedahl also suggested that Th. dissimilis may in fact belong to the genus Taricoris but refrained from establishing a new combination before examination of the type species, Taricoris wauensis Carvalho, 1981 . Only two species are currently known from the studied area, viz. Th. piceatus Distant, 1911 (Northern India) and Th. sanguinalis ( Sri Lanka).

Key to species of genus Thaumastomiris Kirkaldy, 1902 of India and Sri Lanka

1. Medioapical part of corium and apical part of clavus with a diffuse brown spot. ( Fig. 10C, E ). Two spines on left margin of genital capsule contrastingly long ( Stonedahl 1988: fig. 99) ....................................................................................................... Th. piceatus Distant, 1911

— Dorsum uniformly bright reddish, without a medioapical spot ( Fig. 10G ). Spines on left margin of genital capsule distinctly shorter ( Stonedahl 1988: fig. 100a) .......... Th. sanguinalis Kirkaldy, 1902

Figures

Fig. 9. Dorsal view and label data of type specimens. A–B. Prodromus clypeatus Distant, 1904, ♀, lectotype,AMNH_PBI00340350, NHM.C–D. Prodromussubflavus Distant,1904,♂,lectotype,AMNH_ PBI 00340343, NHM. E–F. Prodromus subviridis Distant, 1904, ♂, lectotype, AMNH_PBI 00340344, NHM. G–H. Thaumastomiris cotabato Stonedahl, 1988, ♂, holotype, USNM. I–J. Thaumastomiris dissimilis Hsiao 1944, ♂, holotype, USNM.

Fig. 10. Dorsal view and label data of Thaumastomiris spp. A–B. Thaumastomiris philippinensis Hsiao, 1944, ♀, holotype, USNM. C–D. Thaumastomiris piceatus Distant, 1911, ♂, lectotype, NHM. E–F. Thaumastomiris piceatus Distant, 1910, ♀, specimen from Burma, USNM. G–H. Thaumastomiris sanguinalis Kirkaldy, 1902, ♀, specimen from Sri Lanka, NHM.