Myiomma scutellata, Henry & Carpintero, 2012

Henry, Thomas J. & Carpintero, Diego L., 2012, Review of the jumping tree bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Isometopinae) of Argentina and nearby areas of Brazil and Paraguay, with descriptions of nine new species, Zootaxa 3545, pp. 41-58 : 54-56

Myiomma scutellata , n. sp.

( Figs. 39–43)

Diagnosis. Myiomma scutellata can be distinguished by the dark brown antennal segment I and pale segment II; the dark brown to fuscous pronotum, with an elongate, pale, subapical, humeral spot ( Fig. 41); the uniformly fuscous scutellum; the fuscous propleura with a large, white, posterior spot; the hemelytra ( Fig. 39) with the clavus, cuneus, basal half of the corium, and a spot on the apical half of the corium strongly clouded with brown; and the pale fore and middle legs ( Fig. 40) with a narrow, subapical, brown band on each femur (hind legs missing).

This new species is similar to M. apicalis , also from Paraguay, in sharing a dark antennal segment I, pale antennal segment II, fuscous to black pronotum with a pale spot at the posterior angle, but can be distinguished by the uniformly reddish-brown eyes lacking a white posterior margin, the uniformly fuscous to black scutellum lacking a white apex, the strongly brown-clouded hemelytra, and the narrow subapical brown bands on the fore and middle femora (rather than having the apical fourth embrowned).

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 2.57 mm, maximum width 1.17 mm; cuneus length 0.44 mm, basal width 0.35 mm. Head: Length 0.24 mm, width across eyes 0.55 mm, interocular width 0.12 mm. Antenna: Segment I length 0.11, II 0.67 mm; III and IV missing. Pronotum: Length 0.37 mm, basal width 1.05 mm.

COLORATION: Head: Eyes silvery reddish brown, lacking narrow posterior white margin; ocelli red; narrow interocular space, frons, and clypeus shiny black. Labium: Yellowish brown, segment IV darker brown. Antenna: Segment I dark brown or fuscous, segment I pale yellowish brown, slightly darker brown distally; III and IV obscured by glue. Pronotum: Shiny fuscous to black, with a clear whitish mark near posterior angle. Mesoscutum: Shiny fuscous to black. Scutellum: Uniformly shiny fuscous to black, including apex. Hemelytron: Translucent, strongly clouded with brown on clavus, cuneus, basal third and apex of corium, and along narrow costal margin. Ventral surface: Propleura shiny black, with posterior margin white, except for dark apex; remainder of thorax fuscous to black; abdomen (shriveled) mostly brown, with upper basal half pale yellowish brown or dirty white. Ostiolar evaporative area: Brown; auricle white. Legs: Coxae pallid or whitish; fore and middle femora pale yellowish brown or dirty white, each with a narrow subapical brown band; fore and middle tibiae pale yellowish brown with base and apex of each darker brown; tarsi and claws yellowish brown; hind legs missing.

STRUCTURE, TEXTURE, AND VESTITURE: Head: Eyes nearly contiguous in front, separated by a distance less than the diameter of an ocellus, hind lateral margin with a row of five erect bristlelike setae; ocelli red tinged, somewhat more clear centrally, contiguous with inner margin of eyes, nearly contiguous with each other, set on weakly a swollen mound only very slightly above level of eyes; frons smooth, sparsely and finely punctate; with only a few scattered, erect setae (some possibly rubbed off). Labium: Extending well beyond middle of abdomen. Antenna: Segment I barrel-shaped; II thickened, cylindrical, relatively straight, with dense, semierect setae subequal to half the diameter of the segment; III and IV missing or obscured by glue. Pronotum: Weakly convex, shiny, evenly punctate and weakly wrinkled or rugose; calli indistinct; lateral margins straight, carinate, and narrowly explanate, widening posteriorly, with edges weakly curved upward; posterior margin sinuate; with relatively long, dense, recumbent, brown setae. Mesoscutum: Evenly and finely punctate, with long, recumbent, brown setae. Scutellum: Transversely rugose, with long, recumbent, brown setae. Hemelytron: Weakly convex laterally, evenly punctate, thickly set with semierect, brown setae.

Male genitalia: Unique male not dissected.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. This species is named scutellata to denote the uniformly fuscous to black scutellum, lacking the white apex found on most other species.

Distribution. Known only from Bella Vista, Paraguay.

Discussion. Myiomma scutellata is only the third species of Isometopinae reported from Paraguay, the others being M. apicalis and M. argentinensis (the latter also known from Argentina).

Type material. Holotype ♂, Paraguay, Bella Vista , Oct. 1999, CDC (trap), D. L. Carpintero ( MACN).