Leucophoroptera Poppius 1921

Menard, Katrina L. & Schuh, Randall T., 2011, Revision Of Leucophoropterini: Diagnoses, Key To Genera, Redescription Of The Australian Fauna, And Descriptions Of New Indo-Pacific Genera And Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (361), pp. 1-159 : 105-109

Leucophoroptera Poppius 1921 Figures 25–26 , 44T–U ; plates 6, 8

Leucophoroptera Poppius, 1921: 56 (n. gen.); Carvalho, 1958: 138 (cat.); Schuh, 1974: 304 (disc.); Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 35 (descr., disc., key to spp.); Schuh, 1984: 143 (diag., disc).

TYPE SPECIES: Leucophoroptera quadrimaculata Poppius, 1921 , by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by relatively elongate hemelytra in male, dark and white coloration with majority of anterior of cuneus and anterior of corium white (pl. 6), relatively elongate head, presence of row of fringelike setae on metafemur, and structure of male genitalia. Female recognized by boxlike pronotum with anterior margin nearly equal in width to posterior margin, and parallel lateral margins of hemelytron.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, medium sized, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 2.62–3.59, width pronotum 0.68–0.83, maximum width across hemelytra 0.84–0.99. COLORATION: Dark brown and white. Head: Dark brown to blackish. Eyes deep red to purple. Labium brown. Antennal segment 1 gold, remaining antennal segments completely dark brown. Thorax: Pronotum, scutellum, and thorax dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with relatively thick white band, width equal to about third of total width of scent gland. Legs: Coxae completely dark brown or dark brown basally and white distally. Femora either completely dark brown or dark brown basally, white distally. Pro- and mesotibiae either dark brown or white, metatibia white basally, dark brown distally. Tarsomeres dark brown. Hemelytra: primarily dark brown, with translucent to whitish transverse fascia on anterior margin of hemelytron occupying most of anterior margin of corium and either approximately J width or nearly entire width of clavus at approximately posterior L of length of claval suture, with dark brown posterior margin along fascia that transverses across entirety of hemelytron (pl. 6). Lateromedial margin of corium posterior to transverse fascia weakly to strongly transparent, corium posterior to claval commissure and margins of cuneal fracture chocolate brown. Anterior margin of cuneus completely white for greater than half total length of cuneus, posterior portion dark brown to reddish brown. Membrane brown to pale brown with dark-brown colored veins. Abdomen: Dark brown. SURFACE AND VESTI- TURE: Dorsal surface of body and hemelytron covered with fine, gold simple setae, medial portion of hemelytron and medial portion of claval suture with reflective patches. Posteroventral surface of metafemur with row of setae forming distinctive fringe appearance. STRUCTURE: Head: Frons convex, clypeus exserted and partially visible in dorsal view of head. Vertex convex, posterior margin flat, width equal to or almost two times width of one eye. Area below eyes at least M total height of head in lateral view, gula well developed. Eyes confluent with dorsal surface of vertex or distinctly removed in anterior view, occupying about O total height of head in lateral view, posterior margin partially obscuring anterior of pronotum. Labial segment 1 extending past posterior margin of head, apex of labium surpassing apex of metacoxa. Antennal segment 1 inverted-cokebottle shaped, surpassing apex of head; segment 2 long and more slender than segment 1 proximally, increasing in diameter distally. Length of antennal segment 2 ranging from over 1.5 times head width to nearly two times. Antennal segments 3 and 4 slender and less than half length of segment 2. Thorax: Pronotum nearly two times as wide as long, no demarcation between anterior and posterior lobes laterally or dorsally, dorsal surface nearly flat, lateral margins straight, forming trapezoidal appearance in dorsal view. Calli and pronotal collar absent. Mesoscutum partially exposed, scutellum weakly transversely rounded. Legs: Elongate, narrow, metafemur more than 1.33 times longer than pro- and mesofemora, all femora weakly flattened dorsoventrally. Hemelytra: Lateral margins parallel sided, dorsally transversely rounded. Cuneus triangular, not thickened along cuneal fracture or lateral margin, relatively elongate and equal to or more than K total length of membrane, cuneal fracture angled anteromesially. Abdomen: Elongate and parallel sided. GENITALIA (fig. 26): Pygophore: Small and with very small protrusion on ventral-posterior surface of apex in type species, occupying about J length of abdomen, ventral margin sloping upward toward opening to almost boxlike. Endosoma: Small, slender, twisted, S-shaped, composed of two sclerotized straps, fused into tube toward base and separating toward apex, unified by membrane. Secondary gonopore small to medium sized, located at apex of endosoma (fig. 26B, F). Phallotheca: Small, C-shaped, apex gently tapering toward point (fig. 26D, H). Right Paramere: Moderately sized, approximately same size as left paramere or smaller, with relatively wide base asymmetrically expanded on right side, forming knife shape (fig. 26A) or rounded and without distinctly pointed apex (fig. 26E). Left Paramere: Moderately sized; posterior process slender, with dorsal surface convex medially, apex directed dorsally (fig. 26G) or ventrally (fig. 26C), with sensory pits; anteri- or process stout and with dorsal surface below midpoint of total height of paramere; dorsomedial margin between anterior and posterior processes curved.

Female: Macropterous, medium sized, with nearly parallel lateral margins. Total length 2.47–2.52, width pronotum 0.71–0.73, maximum width across hemelytra 0.72–0.74. COLORATION: Similar to male, although antennal segment 2 sometimes paler proximally. STRUCTURE: Frons and clypeus more strongly projecting anteriorly, vertex concave and wider. Antennal segment 2 long and more slender than segment 1 at basal joint with antennal segment 1, increasing in diameter distally toward segment 3. Length of antennal segment 2 ranging from just shorter of 1.33 times total head width to greater than 1.66 times total head width. Pronotum relatively boxlike, with anterior margin of pronotum nearly equal in width to posterior margin. lateral margins of hemelytron parallel sided, equal to or less than width across posterior margin of pronotum. Cuneus shorter and wider than in male. Abdomen tapering apically from median or distal O of total length. GENITALIA (fig. 44T–U): Two separate, triangular-shaped vestibular sclerites, no visible lateral tube, but vulva covered by relatively wide apical sclerite, sclerotized areas present on lateral margins of first gonapophyses between dorsal and ventral labiate plates, sclerotized rings weakly sclerotized (fig. 44U). Posterior wall mostly membranous, with posterior margin sclerotized and possessing medial invagination similar to Aitkenia (fig. 44T) and lateral area of interramal sclerite sclerotized (fig. 44T).

HOSTS: Primarily Myrtaceae ; also found on Fabaceae , Thymelaeaceae , Goodeniaceae , and Lauraceae .

DISTRIBUTION: Throughout Australia.

DISCUSSION: Leucophoroptera was initially described by Poppius (1921) with the inclusion of two species from New South Wales, L. fasciatipennis and L. quadrimaculata , both of which were based on females. Carvalho and Gross (1982) expanded the genus by describing four more species, also on the basis of females ( L. cavenda , L. nitidior , L. macrozonata , and L. fasciata ), and moved L. fasciatipennis to Blesingia . Schuh (1984) described three additional species from the Indo-Pacific ( L. novoirlandense , L. philippinensis , and L. solomonensis ) based on male specimens. A phylogenetic analysis of the tribe, including characters from both male and female specimens, found Leucophoroptera to be polyphyletic (Menard and Woolley, in press) and the type species, L. quadrimaculata , was found to group with two new species from Australia ( L. kangarooina and L. gloriosa ). Male somatic and genitalia characters are herein documented for L. quadrimaculata along with the synonymy of three species described by Carvalho and Gross (see L. quadrimaculata ).

Leucophoroptera cavenda Carvalho and Gross Figure 25 ; plates 6, 8

Leucophoroptera cavenda Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 35 , fig. 115 (descr., disc., DV).

DIAGNOSIS: Male unknown, female recognized by distal half of metacoxa completely white (pl. 8), white lateral margins to abdominal tergite 1, convex lateral margins of hemelytron, and trapezoidal-shaped pronotum.

REDESCRIPTION: Female: COLORATION: Head dark brown to blackish. Eyes deep red to purple. Labium brown. Antennal segment 1 gold, remaining antennal segments completely dark brown. Pronotum, scutellum, and thorax dark brown. Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum and scent gland with relatively thick white band, width equal to about third of total width of scent gland. Lateral margin of abdominal tergite 1 white. Pro- and mesocoxae completely dark brown, metacoxa dark basally, white distally for over half of length. Remaining structures of leg missing. Hemelytra primarily dark brown, with translucent to whitish transverse fascia on anterior margin of hemelytron, occupying most of anterior margin of corium and nearly extending across clavus at midpoint, with dark brown posterior margin along fascia transversing entire hemelytron (pl. 6). Remainder of hemelytron dark brown. Anterior half of cuneus completely white, posterior portion dark brown. Membrane brown with dark brown veins. Abdomen dark brown. STRUCTURE: Frons convex, clypeus exserted and partially visible in dorsal view. Vertex convex, posterior margin flat, width nearly two times width of one eye, over M total head width. Area below eyes at least M total height of head in lateral view. Eyes confluent with vertex, posterior margin partially obscuring anterior of pronotum. Apex labial segment 1 extending past posterior margin of head, apex of labium surpassing apex of metacoxa. Antennal segment 1 inverted-coke-bottle shaped, surpassing apex of head, segment 2 long and proximally more slender than segment 1, increasing in diameter distally, length of antennal segment 2 ranging from over 1.5–2 times head width. Antennal segments 3 and 4 slender and less than half length of segment 2. Pronotum nearly two times as wide as long. Calli and pronotal collar absent. Mesoscutum exposed, scutellum weakly transversely rounded. Hemelytra lateral margins convex, dorsally transversely rounded. Cuneus triangular, not thickened along anterior next to cuneal fracture or lateral margins, relatively elongate and equaling to or more than K total length of membrane, and with cuneal fracture angled anteromesially. Abdomen parallel sided, ovipositor parallel to dorsal margin of abdomen. Ovipositor spine present. GENITALIA: Not examined.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Tasmania.

DISCUSSION: We were able to view images of the holotype, which is based on one female from Tasmania, but were not able to examine the two paratypes. Although the external morphology is very similar to female Aitkenia with the convex lateral margins of the hemelytra and the more trapezoidal pronotum (especially A. latevagans ), hemelytron coloration in L. cavenda more similar to L. quadrimaculata in having mostly dark brown with the anterior margin of the corium whitish to transparent. It also is distinct in having the lateral margin to abdominal tergite 1 and a majority of the metacoxa white, which was not observed for females in either of the other genera. Until males are associated, L. cavenda will remain in Leucophoroptera .

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: Hobart , Lea. Reg, No. 120,983. 1♀ ( SAMA).

Leucophoroptera fasciata Carvalho and Gross

Leucophoroptera fasciata Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 38 , fig. 116 (n. sp., descr., DV).

DIAGNOSIS: Female recognized by broad, complete white transverse fascia dominating anterior margin of hemelytron, weakly convex lateral margins, strongly exserted clypeus, pale basal half of antennal segment 3, and completely dark coxae.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: New South Wales.

DISCUSSION: This taxon is currently known only from the female holotype, which we were not able to locate. The habitus illustration in the original description suggests that it may be a member of Leucophoroptera based on the relatively broad pronotum, the short silvery setae, and the strongly exserted clypeus. However, L. fasciata differs from most of the other female Leucophoroptera by the broad and complete white transverse fascia, which we have observed elsewhere in female Leucophoropterini only in L. macrozonata ; that species is now placed in Ausejanus and is primarily dark red in coloration and not dark brown. Because we were not able to examine the type directly, and there are no associated males that would allow for examination of additional somatic and genitalic characters, we are taking the conservative approach and leave this taxon in Leucophoroptera .

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Springwood, 1900. Biro , 1♀ ( ZMUH) [not examined].

Figures

Figure 25. Distribution of Leucophoroptera spp.

Figure 26. Male genitalia of Leucophoroptera spp (A–H).

Figure 44. Female genitalia of Aitkenia exocarpos (A–D), Arafuramiris queenslandensis (E–G), Ausejanus albisignatus (H–K), Austrodapus nitens (L–O), Blesingia gularis (P–Q), Collessicoris bellissimus (R–S), and Leucophoroptera quadrimaculata (T–U). Ls5 lateral reduced interramal sclerites; PM–PW5 posterior margin sclerite on the posterior wall; Osp5 ovipositor spine; SR5 sclerotized rings; As 5 anterior sclerite of first gonapophysis; Vg 5 vestibular sclerite of first gonapophysis.