Thaumastomiris piceatus Distant, 1911

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 : 34-35

Thaumastomiris piceatus Distant, 1911

Fig. 10C–F

Thaumastomiris piceatus Distant, 1911b: 277 .

Thaumastomiris piceatus – Stonedahl 1988: 96 (figs 93, 99, redescr.).

Diagnosis

Recognized by the following characters: total length 5.1–5.4; dorsum reddish with large diffuse brown spot on apical half of clavus and medioapical area of corium; left wall of genital capsule with two very long and thin subapical spines ( Stonedahl 1988: fig. 99a); aedeagus with single-coned, spinelike subapical sclerotized process ( Stonedahl 1988: fig. 99e).

Material examined

Lectotype

INDIA • ♂; Ganges delta , Sorabkatti ; 14 Dec. 1909; Jenkins leg.; at light; NHM.

Paralectotype

INDIA • 1 ♂; Ganges delta, Khulna distr., Gurhhalee, 8 Dec. 1909; Jenkins leg.; at light; NHM .

Other material

BURMA • 1 ♀; Rangoon; Mar. 1927; E.J. Meggitt leg.; USNM .

Distribution

Burma, Pakistan, and northern India ( Stonedahl 1988).

Remarks

Phylogenetic analysis of the genus ( Stonedahl 1988) resolved this species as a sister taxon to Th. sanguinalis , which differs from Th. piceatus in having uniformly reddish dorsum, short subapical spines on the left wall of genital capsule ( Stonedahl 1988: fig. 100a), and twin-coned sclerotized process of the aedeagus ( Stonedahl 1988: fig. 100e). Thaumastomiris piceatus is similar to Th. discoidalis (New Guinea) in the body size and coloration, particularly in the presence of brown medial spot on hemelytron, but the latter species may be distinguished by the antennal segment II longer than width of head and the presence of single spine on the left wall of the genital capsule.

Figures

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.