Plagiognathus rideri, 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 : 210-211

Plagiognathus rideri , new species Figures 12 , 18 , 31

HOLOTYPE: Male : ‘‘[ USA:] LA[Louisiana]:

St. Landry Par., Thistlethwaite WMA, 27­IV­

1986, E. G. Riley & D. A. Rider’’. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by dorsum, venter, and antennal segments 1 and 2 being entirely castaneous (figs. 12, 18), legs pale with some dark markings, and the elongate body form. Smoothly curving, nearly superposed apical spines of vesica distinctive for rideri (fig. 31). Similar to negundinis (fig. 10) and specimens of obscurus with almost totally dark dorsum (fig. 10: obscurus 4). Distinguished from obscurus by the narrowly pale area of the corium adjacent to the extreme base of the membrane and the at least faintly pale base of the cuneus in that species. Veins and membrane completely and intensely dark in rideri ; membrane not so strongly darkened in negundinis and obscurus and veins pale along posterior margin of cells in both of those species. Superposed apical spines of vesica also easily distinguish rideri from oth­ er similar­appearing species mentioned above.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Moderately large, corial margins nearly straight; total length 3.42– 4.08, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.41–2.73, width across pronotum 1.13–1.21. COLORATION (fig. 12): Dorsum usually castaneous, sometimes at least partially deep olive, vertex and frons somewhat lighter, clypeus and adjacent areas of face highly polished and nearly black; membrane heavily infuscate, veins entirely dark; antennal segment 1 castaneous except for pale apical annulus, segment 2 castaneous (fig. 18), segments 3 and 4 pale, yellowish; labium largely pale, segment 1 and apex partially infuscate; venter entirely castaneous, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area; legs, including at least distal one­half of coxae, entirely pale yellow­white; femora with some dark spots, forefemur with a dark stripe on dorsal surface; tibial spines with obvious dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Entire body surface smooth, dull to weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of reclining, dark, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Elongate, hemelytra somewhat broader at cuneus than at base; frons weakly convex, not projecting beyond anterior margin of eyes, clypeus partially visible from above; head projecting below eye by diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to near apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 31): Vesica strongly and broadly curving, U­shaped, base falling just below level of secondary gonopore; apical spines moderately long, superposed, smoothly curving, anterior spine longer than posterior; flange relatively narrow, terminating at base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Body slightly more strongly ovoid than in male; coloration as in male. Total length 3.35–3.71, length apex clypeus– cuneal fracture 2.31–2.63, width across pronotum 1.11–1.16.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for David A. Rider, collector of the holotype and other known specimens.

HOST: Possibly breeding on Rhus typhina (Anacardiaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Southern United States.

PARATYPES: USA.— Alabama: Winston Co.: Bankhead Natl. Forest, Sipsey Fork at Hwy 33 NE of Double Springs, May 16, 1988, C. B. Barr, 13 (LSU). Arkansas: Garland Co.: Ouachita Natl. Forest, Iron Springs Campground, May 17, 1986, C. B. Barr, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 23 (LSU). Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish: 1.2 mi S of Central, E of LA Rt 3035, April 26, 1986, C. B. Barr, 53, 3♀ (AMNH, LSU). Natchez Parish: 8 mi E of Kisatche, April 28, 1985, E. G. Riley, 13 (DAR). St. Landry Parish: 3 mi E of Washington, April 27, 1986, E. G. Riley and D. A. Rider, 1♀ (LSU). Thistlewaite WMA, April 27, 1986, E. G. Riley and D. A. Rider, 1♀ (LSU). Thistlewaite WMA, April 27, 1986, E. G. Riley and D. A. Rider, 63, 14♀ (AMNH, DAR). West Feliciana Parish : Tunica Hills W of Weyanoke, May 8, 1986, C. B. Barr, 3♀ (LSU). South Carolina: Newberry Co.: Newberry, May 15, 1988, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., 13 (USNM). Tennessee: Cannon Co.: 1.5 mi E of Woodbury on Rt 705, May 28, 1985, T. J. Henry and A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Rhus typhina (Anacardiaceae) , 13 (USNM). Texas: Angelina Co. : Upland Island Wilderness Area, Graham Creek bottomland, April 9, 1999, W. Godwin, 73, 7♀ (AMNH, TAMU). San Jacinto Co.: Big Creek Scenic Area, May 12, 1985, P. W. Kovarik, 13 (TAMU). Wood Co.: ca. 18 mi N of Hawkins, May 9, 1999, W. Godwin and E. Riley, 3♀ (TAMU). Jct Hwy 14 and 2869 nr Hawkins, May 9, 1999, A. Gillogly, W. Godwin, E. Riley, 1♀ (TAMU).

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.