Xiphoides anangu, Schwartz & Weirauch & Schuh, 2018

Schwartz, Michael D., Weirauch, Christiane & Schuh, Randall T., 2018, New Genera And Species Of Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae From Australia, And The Description Of A New Species Of Restiophylus (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) Michael D. Schwartz Christiane Weirauch, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (424), pp. 1-161 : 90-92

Xiphoides anangu , new species

Map 5 , plates 5, 34, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the moderately large ovoid body, subshining dorsum, somewhat drab coloration, mixed, dense, white scalelike setae and black simple setae, coiled endosoma with two obvious straps, and needlelike ventral strap conspicuously separated from dorsal strap at midpoint of endosoma. Overall appearance very similar to that of Hypseloecus spp. (Pilophorini) .

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Macropterous, body ovoid; mean total length 3.83, mean pronotum width 1.51. COLORATION (pl. 5): Dull yellowish gray brown with large areas of darker grayish mahogany brown on head, pronotum, scutellum, endocorium, apices of embolium and cuneus, and venter; hemelytral membrane fumose with sparse dark gray speckles; antennal segment 1 dark mahogany brown, remainder of antenna gray brown; maxillary plate and metepisternal scent gland auricle reddish brown; apices of femora (with increasing intensity from pro- to metafemora) with dark spots or blotches; tibiae pale with dark brown spots at bases of pale spines. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 5): Subshining; vestiture a mixture of dense appressed, apically truncate, white scalelike and reclining black simple setae; scalelike setae also present on ventral aspect of thorax pleuron and abdomen.

STRUCTURE: Head (pl. 5): Short, transverse, conforming to anterior margin of pronotum; in lateral view frons surpassing anterior margin of eyes by approximately width of eye, eyes occupying nearly entire height of head; antennal fossa even with ventral margin of eye; eyes large, deeply emarginate near fossa; antennal segment 2 87% of pronotum width; labium reaching to base of metacoxa. Thorax (pl. 5): Pronotum shield shaped, lateral margins curved, calli confluent, weakly raised, posterior lobe flat, posterior margin straight; mesoscutum moderately exposed, scutellum transversely winkled. Pretarsus: Claw medium sized, curved; parempodia long, straight, setiform; pulvilli apparently absent. Hemelytron: Costal margin slightly convex. GENITALIA (pl. 34A–N): Pygophore: Large, broadly conical, posterior surface somewhat broad and slightly compressed laterally; large field of bristles lateral of left paramere insertion; posterior edge of aperture with flanged margin. Endosoma: Sigmoid, coiled, consisting of two straps, dorsal strap larger and reaching apex of endosoma as pointed spine; ventral strap separated from dorsal strap at distal end of first curve of coil, continuing distally as very narrow sclerite until end of second coil, separated from dorsal strap by membrane, then bifurcate proximal of secondary gonopore, one spine terminating at secondary gonopore other side rejoining apex of dorsal strap at apex of endosoma; dorsal strap without spines basad of secondary gonopore. S econdary gonopore: Well formed, ovoid, subapical, placed approximately 4× length of secondary gonopore from apex of endosoma. Phallotheca: Long, extending beyond pygophore aperture one-half length of apical portion, evenly narrow with rounded apex; surface without flanges; aperture long, narrow, situated on ventral margin; basal portion with long strut on entire right side and strongly sclerotized posterior plate. Parameres: Left paramere: Elongate, posterior process of moderate length, straight; anterior process elongate triangular in lateral view, horn shaped in dorsal view, well sclerotized, with spine about one-half length of process; orientation of spine either directed caudad (pl. 34G, I) or dorsad (pl. 34H, J). Right paramere: Elongate, lanceolate, as long as left paramere, smooth distally with long narrow apical spine; middle of paramere concave, sometimes apical one-quarter slightly curved away from body of paramere in dorsal view (pl. 34L).

FEMALE (pl. 5): Coloration as in male; differing from male by smaller eyes, antennal segment 2 more slender, costal margin more strongly convex; mean total length 3.71, mean pronotum width 1.63. GENITALIA (pl. 34O–R): Posterior margin of sternite 7: With a short, broadly triangular medial projection. Vestibular sclerites: Very large, fan shaped anteriorly, then as coiled tube posteriad; in dorsal view—sclerite reaching beyond right side of dorsal labiate plate by width of sclerotized ring; reaching to medial side of left sclerotized ring; anteriormost portion extending anteriad of dorsal labiate plate by length of plate. First gonapophyses: Pair of relatively large irregu- larly quadrate medial sclerites attached to vestibulum. Ventral labiate plate: Paramedial anteroventral extension moderately large, right-side sclerite larger than left-side sclerite; basomedial right-side extension sclerotized, covering anterior surface of basal structures; ventral surface sclerotized. Dorsal labiate plate: Large, shield shaped, lateral margin short, convex. Sclerotized rings: Moderately large ovoid, lateral angle rounded, medial margin with dorsally directed edge; rings separated by width of a ring, thick walled; lateral margin of ring almost reaching lateral margin of dorsal labiate plate. Posteromedial region: Undivided, sunken, medial sclerotized plate, located ventrad of lateral oviducts and spermathecal gland. Anterolateral region: Strongly microspiculate anterior to rings. Intersegmental structure: Thin, membranous, not extending to margins of posterior wall. Posterior wall: Relatively simple, not divided on midline or projecting anteriad into genital chamber. Interramal sclerites: Sclerotized, spanning interramal space with wide dorsoposterior sclerotized band and confluent on ventrolateral region with pair of wide sclerotized plates; ventromedially membranous. Interramal lobes: Dorsoposterior edge with pair of wide lateral microspiculate fields.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the Pitjantjatjara, an indigenous people of the Central Australian desert, who refer to themselves as Anangu.

HOST: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION (map 5): Known from two collecting events in the central Australian desert of northwest South Australia and one locality 340 km northwest in Western Australia placed in the western desert and eastern desert phytogeographic subregions, respectively.

DISCUSSION: Currently only X. anangu is known to have a small variable spine on the left paramere dorsad of the anterior process (pl. 34G–J). This is the first species of the genus recorded from central Australia; its host plant remains to be discovered.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Gill Pinnacle, [Schwerin] Mural Crescent , 24.88387 ° S 128.78239 ° E, 07 Nov 1963, P. Aitken and N. B. Tindale, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00110767 ) ( SAMA).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: South Australia: Musgrave Ra. NG01 10 km NNE of Mt Woodroffe, 26.24861 ° S 131.79333 ° E, 13 Oct 1994, Pitjantjatjara Lands Survey, 2♀ (00110768, 00110769) ( SAMA). Musgrave Ra. NG03, 7 km NE of Mt Woodroffe, 26.27833 ° S 131.79555 ° E, 15 Oct 1994, Pitjantjatjara Lands Survey, 13 (00110766) ( SAMA).

Figures

MAP 5. Distribution of Ancoraphylus victoriensis, Calytriphylus menzies, Leptospermia spp., Melaleucacoris glomeratae, Restiophylus orientalis, Xiphoidellus eucalyptae, and Xiphoides spp.