Plagiognathus rosicoloides, SCHUH, 2001

SCHUH, RANDALL T., 2001, Revision Of New World Plagiognathus Fieber, With Comments On The Palearctic Fauna And The Description Of A New Genus (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2001 (266), pp. 1-267 : 214-215

Plagiognathus rosicoloides , new species Figures 12 , 18 , 31

HOLOTYPE: Male : ‘‘ Lake Louise, Alta [Alberta]. [ CANADA], 3 August 1970, L. A. Kelton’ ’. Deposited in the Canadian National Insect Collection, Ottawa.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the large size, elongate body form (fig. 12), membrane with a large quadrate, fumose patch posterior to cuneus and cells, and the form of the male genitalia (fig. 31). Most similar in size and general appearance to lattini (fig. 9), but fresh specimens with a more reddish cast, male genitalia distinctive and the coloration of antennal segment 2 (see also Discussion below).

DESCRIPTION: Male: Large, elongate, nearly parallel­sided; total length 4.86–5.03, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 3.12– 3.33, width across pronotum 1.13–1.23. COLORATION (fig. 12): General coloration brownish or reddish; thoracic and abdominal venter mostly dark brown; dorsum without distinctive markings; mesoscutum often orange laterally; membrane moderately fumose with a darker quadrate marking posterior to cuneus and membrane cells; veins of membrane yellowish; antennal segment 1 black except for pale apical annulus, segment 2 often entirely black, sometimes with pale area mesially (fig. 18), segments 3 and 4 dark; labium pale to weakly infuscate basally, more strongly infuscate apically; legs, including all coxae, pale to weakly infuscate, femora with some dark spots; dorsal tibial spines without dark spots at bases; tibiae very weakly darkened at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, golden, shining, simple setae; vestiture of antennal segments 2–4 suberect. STRUCTURE: Body slender; frons weakly tumid, clypeus barely visible from above; anteocular distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching between apices of middle and hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 31): Body of vesica relatively broad, more or less sigmoid, base of vesica distant from level of secondary gonopore; apical spines relatively short, at nearly right angle to body of vesica, anterior spine much long and more slender than posterior; flange narrow.

Female: Body much more strongly ovoid than in male (fig. 12); antennal segment 2 mostly pale, dark only at base (fig. 19). Total length 3.99–4.85, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.71–3.23, width across pronotum 1.07–1.19.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its similarity of appearance to Plagiognathus rosicola Knight.

HOSTS: Alnus rhombifolia , Alnus sp. (Betulaceae) ; Ribes sp. (Grossulariaceae) ; and Salix sp. (Salicaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Western North America from British Columbia and Alberta south to Oregon.

DISCUSSION: Antennal segment 2 is often completely dark in males of rosicoloides but less commonly shows the broad, pale, median annulation found in lattini . The females of both species, however, ordinarily have antennal segment 2 largely pale.

Although rosicoloides has been recorded from a number of plant species, I would predict that careful documentation will show the breeding host to be Alnus .

PARATYPES: CANADA.— Alberta: Banff National Park, Banff­Japser Hwy, August 25, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 13 (CNC). Lake Louise, August 3, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 253, 14♀ (AMNH, CNC). Lake Louise, August 3, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 33, 1♀ (CNC). British Columbia : Glacier National Park, July 15, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 63, 9♀ (CNC). Kootenay Pass, August 8, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 2♀ (UBC). Manning Prov. Park, Blackwall, July 23, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 1♀ (UBC). Yukon Territory: Porcupine River at Dave Lord Creek, July 17, 1981, S. G. Cannings, 13 (UBC). Rose Lake, July 28, 1981, C. S. Guppy, 43, 2♀ (UBC). USA.— Montana: Glacier Co.: 11 mi SW of East Glacier Park on Rt 2, Marias Pass, 5280 ft, August 2, 1994, M. D. Schwartz, 1♀ (CNC). Oregon: Baker Co.: Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Creek Meadow Campground on Forest Service Road 77, T5S R43E Sec 32, July 29, 1997, M. D. Schwartz, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 2♀ (CNC). Union Co.: 0.1 mi NE of Tollgate Shopping Center on Hwy 204, August 17, 1979, M. D. Schwartz, Picea sp. (Pinaceae) , 1♀ (AMNH). 4.5 mi E of Tollgate, Woodland Campground, 5000 ft, August 4, 1986, Schuh, Schwartz, Stonedahl, Alnus rhombifolia (Betulaceae) , 3♀ (AMNH). Washington: Pierce Co.: Mount Rainier, Yakima Park, 4000 ft, August 26, 1932, A. R. Rolfs, 43, 10♀ (USNM). Yakima Co.: Mount Adams, April 3, 1930, A. R. Rolfs, 1♀ (USNM).

Figures

Fig. 12. Habitus figures of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. (see p. 264 for localities).

Fig. 18. Antennal segments 1 and 2 of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.

Fig. 31. Male genitalia of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.