Macrolophus pygmaeus ( Rambur, 1839 )

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 : 323

Macrolophus pygmaeus ( Rambur, 1839)

Figures 6 , 9

Capsus nubilus Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835: 48 (junior primary homonym of Capsus nubilus Say, 1832 ; synonymized by Reuter, 1883: 477)

Phytocoris pygmaeus Rambur, 1839: 163 .

Material examined. ABKHAZIA: Pitsunda, 1♀, 3 IX 1932, Belizin. Sukhum, 32♀ 13 XI 1911, 1♀ 16 X 1911, Zaitsev, 1♀ 20 X 1927, G. Zimin. Gagra, 1♂ 12 IX 1937, Zhenzhurist. Gulripshi distr., Tsebelda, 1♀ 5♂ VIII 1931, Vorornov. ARMENIA: Byurakan, 1♂ 24 IV 1948, Richter. Syunik Prov., Meghri, 1♂ 6 VI 1955, Loginova. Kotayk Prov., Bjni, 1♀ 5 X 1956, Tryapitsyn. Lori Prov., Manes [Alaverdi], 2♂ 13 IX 1930, Korinek. Lori Prov., Shnogh, 1♂ 22 VIII 1930, Korinek. Tavush Prov., Dilijan, 1♀ 16 VIII 1927, Diakonov. CRIMEA: Gurzuf, forelend Nikita, 1♀ 3 VII 1924, Kiritshenko. GEORGIA: Lagodekhi, on tobacco, 1♀ 1♂ no date and collector provided. Adjara, Kakhaberi near Batumi, 2♀ 6♂ 10 IX 1971, N. Agekyan. IRAN: Persia, Shachrud [IShachrood], 3♀ 7♂ 26 V 1914, 1♀ 2♂ 28 V 1914, 1♂ 29 V 1914, Kiritshenko. RUSSIA: Ingushetia Rep.: Egochkal [Egikhal] near Dzheyrakh, 4♀ 2♂, 24 VII 1927, Kiritshenko. Krasnodar Terr.: Slavyanskaya [Slavyansk-na-Kubani], 1♂ 15 VII 1936, Rysakov. Lazarevskoye, 2♂ III 1987, Slobodyanyuk & Dergacheva, 1♂, Lyashova, 1♂ 1988, Ignatieva. Moscow Prov.: Porechye, Mozhaisky Uezd, 1♀ 13 VI 1903, 1♀ 16 VI 1903, 1♀ 18 VI 1903, Bianchi. Bitza Railway Station, 9♀ 13 VI 1968, Nosyrev. North Ossetia Rep.: Redant near Vladikavkaz, 1♂ 22 VII 1927, Kiritshenko. Orenburg Prov.: Akbulaksky distr. , Novopavlovka, 1♀ 1♂ 2 VII 1955, Chistovsky. Samara Prov.: Samarskaya Luka National Park , 1♀ 24 VI 1987, Erokhova. Voronezh Prov.: Near Ramon, 1♀ 28 VII 1976, Golub. UKRAINE: Khomutov Steppe north of Budennovka [Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve], 2♀, 2 VII 1948, Medvedev .

Diagnosis. Body length 2.8–3.7; vertex of male 2.6–2.2 X as wide as eye, female 1.9–2.6 X; antennal segment I dark brown, sometimes paler at middle; longitudinal stripe behind eye wide, about one-third of eye height, dark to pale brown, with diffuse margins; scutellum uniformly greenish yellow.

Distribution. This species is widely distributed in the western Palearctic, including North Africa, and reaching Finland to the north, central Asia to the east but not extending to Siberia ( Kerzhner & Josifov 1999). Within European Russia, M. pygmaeus is known from the south and central regions, reaching north to Belgorod, Tambov, Voronezh, and Moscow Provinces ( Kiritshenko 1951; Beskokotov & Samokhin 2009). In the Caucasus, M. pygmaeus occurs almost everywhere on both northern and southern slopes of the Greater Caucasian Ridge from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea.

Host. In Europe, this species is known to feed on many small arthropods such as whiteflies and aphids. Macrolophus pygmaeus is an economically important species released in European greenhouses since 1994 to control crop pests ( Castañé et al. 2013). The species also has a relatively broad range of documented host plants, mainly from the families Solanaceae and Asteraceae (see Martinez-Cascales et al. 2006 for the list of species). In the south of European Russia and Caucasus, M. pygmaeus is known to occur on Echinops sphaerocephalus L., Stachys sylvatica L., Cirsium oleraceum Scop. , and was frequently found in large numbers on Nicotiana fields ( Putshkov 1971, 1978; Akramovskaya 1959, 1972).

Discussion. The nomenclatural history of M. pygmaeus is confusing. The species was referred to as Macrolophus nubilis (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835) in most publications relevant to Russian and Caucasian fauna (e.g., Bianchi & Kiritshenko 1923; Kiritshenko 1918, 1951; Akramovskaya 1959, 1972; Putshkov 1971, 1978). Putshkov (1978) also indicated M. insignis Josifov, 1968 which was subsequently synonymized with Macrotylus pygmaeus ( Josifov 1992) from Abkhazia (Gagry and Tsebelda). Reexamination of specimens determined by Putshkov as M. insignis shows that they have somewhat enlarged eyes in males but clearly fit the species concept of M. pygmaeus in all other respects. A detailed analysis of morphology and the sequence variation of mtDNA of M. pygmaeus were provided by Martinez-Cascales et al. (2006) and Castañé et al. (2013).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Dorsal habitus images and head in lateral view of Macrolophus and Nesidiocoris spp. Macrolophus costalis Fieber, 1858, Macrolophus epilobii Putshkov, l978, Macrolophus glaucescens Fieber, 1858, Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur, 1839, Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957, and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter, 1895).

FIGURE 9. Images of parameres. Bryocoris pteridis (Fallén, 1807), Monalocoris filicis (Linnaeus, 1758) Macrolophus costalis Fieber, 1858, Macrolophus epilobii Putshkov, l978, Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur, 1839, Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957, and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter, 1895).