Telophylus, Randall T. Schuh & Michael D. Schwartz, 2016

Randall T. Schuh & Michael D. Schwartz, 2016, Nineteen new genera and 82 new species of Cremnorrhinina from Australia, including analyses of host relationships and distributions (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylininae: Cremnorrhinini), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 401, pp. 1-279 : 201-203

Telophylus , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Telophylus eremophilae , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the elongate body, either ovoid or slender and parallel sided in both sexes, narrow vertex, bulging frons, beady eyes, antennal segment 1 black, pale or dark coloration, black pygophore, and hemelytron with contrasting dark or subtle darker spot on the inner angle of cuneus and at apex of membrane cells (pl. 30); male and female genitalia unique among Australian Cremnorrhinina with conspicuous erect, black spines on left dorsal surface of pygophore, secondary gonopore with lateral crest, situated at midpoint of robust, strongly sclerotized endosoma, straps bent to left at level of secondary gonopore, apical region with variably shaped microtrichiate plate(s) or tubercle, one long, narrow apically directed spine, and billowy membrane, and phallotheca with low sclerotized ridge on posterior surface (figs. 92, 93, pl. 31). Sclerotized rings asymmetrical in Telophylus spp. with right much smaller than left and twisted above plane of dorsal labiate plate (pl. 55A, C). Variable body form similar to Dicyphylus and some Spinivesica spp., but black bristles on pygophore, robust endosoma with medially placed, crested secondary gonopore, and absence of either a proximally directed slender spine subtending secondary gonopore or a prominent laterally directed spine distinguish Telophylus . Secondary gonopore in Grandivesica cassisi situated medially on endosoma, but that taxon without flanking crest lateral to secondary gonopore and habitus differing from Telophylus spp.

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Total length 2.30–2.75, pronotum width 0.53–0.81. COLORATION (pl. 30): Variable, pale yellowish green or heavily infuscate, including all appendages; antennal segment 1 black, sometimes with pale apical ring; sometimes clypeus darker or vertex paler than general coloration; corium with infuscate mark adjacent to inner angle of cuneus; membrane weakly infuscate with a dark marking at apex of cells. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 30): Dorsum smooth and weakly shining. Dorsum clothed with medium length, reclining, dark, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Head (pl. 30): Short, transverse, conforming to anterior margin of pronotum; frons surpassing or weakly surpassing anterior margin of eyes; eyes moderately large, weakly bulging; antennal segment 2 relatively short, weakly tapered proximally. Thorax (pl. 30): Pronotum with lateral margins straight, anterior lobe short, calli weakly demarcated along posterior margin, posterior lobe weakly elevated, posterior margin straight, with rounded humeral angles; mesoscutum moderately exposed; scutellum flat. Hemelytron: Short to moderately elongate, corial margin nearly straight to weakly convex. GENITALIA (figs. 92, 93, pl. 31): Pygophore: Broadly conical, sometimes small; dorsal surface with field of black bristles just anterior of aperture on left dorsal surface; sometimes with dorsomedial tubercle. Endosoma: Well sclerotized, sigmoid, apical one-half strongly bent to left at level of secondary gonopore; apical one-half of shaft complex; subapically with variable plate with undulate microtrichiate margin and long, narrow, sharp, apically directed spine; apically with flattened serrate plate or robust, strongly spinose spine, and billowy membrane; secondary gonopore with lateral serrate crest situated medially. Phallotheca: Sometimes apical portion with posterior ridge; anterior surface with aperture situated on dorsal prominence; basal portion with long, well sclerotized, internal ridge on right side. Parameres: Left paramere typically phyline, with variable dorsoposterior margin and anterior process. Right paramere variable in size; somewhat fusiform with medial apical spine.

FEMALE (pl. 30: Coloration and structure as in male, except eyes somewhat smaller, costal margin of hemelytron more strongly convex, and body form more strongly ovoid; total length 2.13–2.80, pronotum width 0.78–0.83. GENITALIA (pl. 55): Subgenital plate of sternite 6: Concave medially. Vestibular sclerites: Moderately large, not reaching beyond anterior edge of dorsal labiate plate. First gonapophyses: Relatively small, basal spherical blocks. Ventral labiate plate: Shieldlike medial anteroventral extension relatively broad, surrounding anterior surface of basal structures. Dorsal labiate plate: Long. Sclerotized rings: Asymmetrical left ring large, suboval, lying coplanar to surface of dorsal labiate plate, right ring much smaller than left, triangular, obliquely situated on posterior margin of dorsal labiate plate. Posteromedial region: Surface without apparent microstructure. Anterolateral region: Projecting anteriad of sclerotized rings; right anterior margin with long oblique fracture. Posterior wall: Intersegmental structure: Concave medially. Interramal sclerites: Weakly sclerotized, lateral sclerites broad, attenuate dorsally, medial sclerite spherical.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Greek, telos, “end,” in reference to the placement of this taxon at the end of our publication and the generic name Phylus ; masculine.

DISCUSSION: Dark marking at apex of membrane cells is more obvious when the general coloration is pale.