Wallabicoris rhamnicola, Schuh & P. Pedraza, 2010

Schuh, R. T. & P. Pedraza, 2010, Wallabicoris, New Genus (Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Phylini) From Australia, With The Description Of 37 New Species And An Analysis Of Host Associations, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (338), pp. 1-118 : 68-69

Wallabicoris rhamnicola , new species Figure 34; map 2; plate 4

DIAGNOSIS: Among those species with numerous red spots on the dorsum (pl. 4), most similar to W. spyridii , the left paramere being short, deep bodied, and blunt apically, secondary endosomal strap incomplete, with a large gap between proximal end of secondary gonopore and remainder of strap (fig. 34); the broken strap also seen in a similar form in the Rhamnaceae feeder W. pomaderri , but that species without red spots on the dorsum and with an apically acuminate left paramere, and in W. rutidosi , but in that species the strap broken medially and with a relatively long section attached to the secondary gonopore.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body weakly elongate, weakly ovoid, total length 3.79–4.14, ratio l/w 5 2.97. COLORATION (pl. 4): Pronotum heavily covered with carmine botches, pale along midline and sometimes more broadly; scutellum mostly pale with some red or carmine spots or blotches; hemelytron with a few red or carmine spots on anterior half of corium; broad, solid red fascia present on corium just anterior to cuneal fracture; red markings on clavus solid over most of area with apex pale; cuneus pale on basal half, solid orange or red over most of remaining area; membrane with elongate, contrasting, fumose marking at extreme base, remainder weakly to strongly fumose over entire area, veins white; venter unicolorous pale or mostly so; antennal segment 1 unicolorous pale, with one or two black medial setae; antennal segment 2 unicolorous pale; labium pale with segment 4 heavily infuscate; hind femora with many brown spots; hind tibial spines dark with very small dark bases. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum with erect or suberect black setae, and with some sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Somewhat projecting, ratio wh/lh 5 3.45; antennal fossa with ventral margin of fossa at ventral margin of eye; interocular space moderate, ratio iod/wh 5 0.44; eyes leaving gena moderately exposed in lateral view (hg3/he20); labium just reaching onto abdomen. GENITALIA (fig. 34): Endosoma: Base very long, with a tight Ushaped bend; distal half of shaft smoothly curving; primary endosomal strap weakly elongate apically, ratio lae/lsg 1.96; apex of primary endosomal strap weakly arcuate; secondary endosomal strap very slender, of uniform width from endosomal bend to gonopore, reaching midway to gonopore from major bend in endosoma; secondary gonopore seen frontally in lateral view of endosoma; fingerlike protuberance at distal margin of secondary gonopore absent. Phallotheca: Smoothly curving on dorsal margin; dorsal surface without a conspicuous keel. Left Paramere: Body relatively short, just exceeding margin of pygophore; in dorsal perspective open over nearly entire length; body not distinctly tapering toward apex; anterior process arising at posterior margin of shaft; anterior process directed posteriorly; posterior process appearing tubular, fingerlike; posterior process with strongly projecting shoulder at base; base of posterior process at least somewhat elevated above level of paramere body. Right Paramere: Body moderately elongate, ratio lrp/wrp 3.33; body tapered from base to apex; posterior margin without distinct protuberance subapically; body elevated at juncture with base; apex with short fingerlike process.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on species of Rhamnaceae .

HOSTS: Recorded only from Spyridium vexilliferum (Hook.) Reissek (Rhamnaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION (map 2): Known from a single collecting event in southwestern Victoria.

DISCUSSION: The distribution of Spyridium vexilliferum ranges from southwestern Victoria to the Eyre Peninsula as well as most of Tasmania. We surmise that the single locality for W. pultenaei is indicative of the need for additional field effort.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Victoria: Discovery Bay National Park, Swan Lake Beach area, 38.21766 ° S 141.3098 ° E, 33 m, 08 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Spyridium vexilliferum (Hook.) Reissek (Rhamnaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658136, 13 (AMNH_PBI 00172696) ( MVMA).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Victoria: Discovery Bay National Park, Swan Lake Beach area, 38.21766 ° S 141.3098 ° E, 33 m, 08 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Spyridium vexilliferum (Hook.) Reissek (Rhamnaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658136, 73 (00172702– 00172705, 00172707–00172709) ( AM), 153 (00172688–00172695, 00172697–00172701, 00172706, 00172713), 25♀ (00172655–00172676, 00172680, 00172684, 00172687) ( AMNH), 23 (00172720, 00172721), 2♀ (00172685, 00172686) ( MVMA), 93 (00172710–00172712, 00172714– 00172719), 6♀ (00172677–00172679, 00172681– 00172683) ( UNSW).