Orthotylus chilensis Carvalho and Fontes, 1973

Forero, Dimitri, 2009, Description of One New Species of Chileria and Three New Species of Orthotylus, with Nomenclatural and Distributional Notes on Neotropical Orthotylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylini), American Museum Novitates 3642, pp. 1-50 : 30-34

Orthotylus chilensis Carvalho and Fontes

Figures 2 , 14A, E , 15A, E, I , 16A , 18

Orthotylus chilensis Carvalho and Fontes, 1973: 495 [n. sp.]; Carvalho, 1985: 277 [male genitalia, distribution]; Schuh, 1995: 153 [catalog].

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the elongate right anterolateral process on the genital capsule (fig. 15I, arrow), posterior process not enlarged (fig. 15I); apex of left paramere with a thick, anteriorly directed process (fig. 14E); dorsal process of left paramere in medial view with margin slightly concave (fig. 15E); anterior portion of the basalmost rami of the right spicule expanded distally with apex slightly concave (fig. 14A, large arrow); apex of right spicule with preapical, dorsally directed rami and a single, posteriorly directed ramus (fig. 14A); medial margin of first gonapophysis of anterior wall in female with large, dorsal left sclerotized area (fig. 16A).

Orthotylus chilensis is very similar to the new species O. chullan , O. kakan , and O. kikin in its dorsal coloration (fig. 2) and external morphology, sharing a common pattern of male and female genitalic structure (figs. 14– 16). Male and female genitalia, however, also have good characters to separate the species (figs. 14A, E, 15A, E, I, 16A). Orthotylus chilensis can be distinguished from these three species by the shape of the anterior right process of the genital capsule (fig. 15I), which is not strongly enlarged in any of the three new species (fig. 15J–L). Orthotylus chilensis is most similar to O. kikin sharing a similar structure of the vesica (fig. 14B), parameres (fig. 14F), and posterior wall of the female (fig. 16B), but can be distinguished by the basalmost portion of the basal rami of the right spicule expanded toward the apex, with its margin slightly concave (fig. 14A), which in O. kikin is not expanded but deeply cleft (fig. 14B). The apex of the vesica in O. chilensis has only one ramus (fig. 14A), whereas in O. kikin the apex of the vesica has a dorsal ramus and a ventral, bifurcated ramus with a long pedicel (fig. 14B). The anterior right process of the genital capsule is not as enlarged in O. kikin (fig. 15J) as in O. chilensis (fig. 15I). The anterior wall in O. chilensis and O. kikin is very similar (figs. 16A, B), but in O. chilensis the dorsalmost area of the left margin has a large quadrangular sclerotized area (fig. 16A, arrow), which in O. kikin is small and medially concave (fig. 14B, arrow).

DISTRIBUTION: Orthotylus chilensis is found in the ‘‘Valle Central’’, in areas around Santiago in the Metropolitan Region and in Maule (fig. 18). Orthotylus chilensis is largely sympatric with O. kikin and O. chullan (fig. 18).

HOSTS: Orthotylus chilensis is associated with Proustia pungens Poepp. ex Less. (Asteraceae) and with an unidentified Scrophulariaceae .

DISCUSSION: Carvalho (1985) illustrated the vesica and the genital capsule of O. chilensis from specimens of the same collection event as the female holotype (i.e., ‘‘ Santiago, Chile, Kuschel col.’’ [ Carvalho and Fontes, 1973]). Carvalho (1985) cited additional localities for this species, but did not mention where the illustrated specimens came from. I am assuming that the male examined by him is part of the same collection event as the female holotype, because he listed this locality first in his list of material examined ( Carvalho, 1985: 277). Even though his illustrations of the vesica are highly schematic ( Carvalho, 1985: figs. 70–73), his drawings allow identification of O. chilensis . Key characters are the anterior right prolongation on the genital capsule and the apex of the right spicule ( Carvalho, 1985: figs. 70, 73). More accurate drawings of the parameres, vesica, phallotheca, and genital capsule are here provided (figs. 14A, E, 15A, E, I arrow) to facilitate comparisons with the closely related new taxa described below. Females also have species-specific characters that allow species identification (fig. 16A). Examination of the female paratypes could have confirmed the association of the specimens at hand with O. chilensis . Unfortunately, I was unable to locate those paratypes, and dissection of the female holotype did not seem advisable.

Some specimens of O. chilensis (e.g., AMNH_PBI 00194630) bear a small prolongation near the base of the preapical rami on the right spicule (fig. 14A, inset, arrow). This variation occurs in specimens from the same locality and is not correlated with any other morphological character.

Orthotylus chilensis and all other closely related species from Chile are tentatively placed in Orthotylus until a broader study of the genus can be made. Similar approaches to this problem have been taken elsewhere (e.g., Polhemus, 2002, 2004).

HOLOTYPE FEMALE: CHILE: [ Metropolitana de Santiago: Santiago:] Santiago, Nov 1952, Kuschel, ‘‘ Orthotylus chilensis n. sp. ’’ J.C.M. Carvalho det., 1♀ ( ANMH _ PBI 00071380 ) ( USNM).

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: CHILE: Maule – Region VII: Curico: Curico, 34.98333 ° S 71.23333 ° W, Sep 1909, M.J. Rivera, Proustia pungens (Asteraceae) , 53 ( AMNH _PBI 00185425– AMNH _PBI 00185429), 4♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00185430– AMNH _PBI 00185433) ( USNM). Metropolitana De Santiago: Santiago: 17 Km W of Maipu, near Rinconada, 33.51653 ° S 70.9504 ° W, 10 Nov 1981, R. T. Schuh and N. I. Platnick, ( Scrophulariaceae ), 23 ( AMNH _PBI 00194629, AMNH _PBI 00194631), 40♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00194784– AMNH _PBI 00194823) ( Scrophulariaceae ), 23 ( AMNH _PBI 00102064, AMNH _PBI 00102065), 2♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00102066, AMNH _PBI 00102067) ( Scrophulariaceae ), 53 ( AMNH _PBI 00194587– AMNH _ PBI 00194590, AMNH _PBI 00194630), 38♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00194591– AMNH _PBI 00194628) ( AMNH). Cerro el Carmen, Quilicura, 33.35 ° S 70.71667 ° W, 18 Oct 1983, Irarrazaval, 73 ( AMNH _PBI 00185511– AMNH _PBI 00185517), 27♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00107607, AMNH _PBI 00185518– AMNH _PBI 00185543) ( USNM). Renca, 33.4 ° S 70.7333 ° W, Oct 1953, L. E. Peña, 83 ( AMNH _PBI 00194713– AMNH _PBI 00194720), 11♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00194702– AMNH _PBI 00194712) ( AMNH). 7 km N of Tiltil, 33.02025 ° S 70.93333 ° W, 620 m, 03 Nov 1994, S. Oygur & E. Barrera, 73 ( AMNH _PBI 00194559– AMNH _PBI 00194565), 20♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00194566– AMNH _PBI 00194585), 1 nymph ( AMNH _PBI 00194586) ( AMNH). Unknown Locality: ‘‘ex Edwyn C. Reed Chilean collection, Sinop. Hem. Chile’’, Unknown collector, 23 ( AMNH _PBI 00191164, AMNH _PBI 00191165) ( USNM).

Figures

Fig. 2. Dorsal habitus digital photographs. Orthotylus chilensis, O. chullan, O. kikin, O. kakan, O. tafoensis, and Saileria bella. Specimens of O. kikin (A–C, arrows) show variation on embolium coloration from brown to white.

Fig. 14. Orthotylus spp. Male genitalia. A–D. Vesica. A. The small arrow indicates variation at apex of right spicule; the large arrow points to the anterior portion of basal rami; B. outline drawing shows variation at apex of left spicule. E–H. Right and left parameres, in lateral and apical, and dorsal views respectively. E, F. Variation among right parameres. H. Arrow shows elevated dorsal ridge.

Fig. 15. Orthotylus spp. Male genitalia. A–D. Phallotheca; arrow in D points to dorsal process on right margin. E–H. Dorsal process of left paramere, medial view. I–L. Genital capsule, lateral right view; arrow indicate processes on aperture margin.

Fig. 16. Orthotylus spp. A–D. Female genitalia: anterior wall showing asymmetrical medial margins of first gonapophyses and various degrees of sclerotization, anterior view.

Fig. 18. Distribution map of Orthotylus chilensis, O. chullan, O. kikin, O. kakan, and O. tafoensis.