Plagiognathus subovatus Knight, 1929c: 266

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 : 223-224

Plagiognathus subovatus Knight, 1929c: 266 (n.

sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the relatively small size, anterior one­half of corium and all of cuneus pale, pronotal disc and part of scutellum also pale (fig. 13). Dorsal vestiture

composed of reclining, golden, shining common setae; antennal segment two entirely dark (fig. 19). Similar in general appearance to fuscosus (fig. 8) specimens with pale markings on the dorsum and to some specimens of albatus (fig. 5), but distinguished from fuscosus by the presence of only simple setae on the dorsum and from both species by the entirely dark antennal segment 2. Males of subovatus also more strongly ovoid than those of albatus .

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Relatively small, ovoid; total length 3.23, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.33, width across pronotum 1.10. COLORATION (fig. 13): Background coloration brown to castaneous, basal one­third to one­half of corium, cuneus, and costal vein pale; disc of pronotum at least partially pale; membrane largely fumose with a large, round, pale area centrally and veins mostly pale; antennal segments 1 and 2 castaneous except for pale apical annulus on segment 1 (fig. 19) (segments 3 and 4 missing in available specimens); labium dark basally, mostly pale apically; coloration of abdominal venter not known because all available males dissected; metathoracic scentgland evaporatory area varying from partially to almost totally pale; coxae, trochanters, and femora largely pale, hind femora weakly infuscate on distal one­half; tibiae pale, dorsal spines with small dark bases, tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SUR­ FACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, golden, shining, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Ovoid, lateral corial margins distinctly convex; frons very weakly tumid, clypeus barely visible from above; anteocular distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by 1.6 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 32): Body of vesica relatively short, not very strongly curving, weakly J­shaped, base of vesica falling well below level of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine elongate, tapering, somewhat bent medially, and weakly angled relative to body of vesica, anterior spine longer than posterior, at nearly right angle to body of vesica, attenuated; flange very broad, reaching to about midpoint of gonopore.

Female: Very similar to male in coloration and body shape. Abdominal venter mostly pale. Total length 3.51, length apex clypeus– cuneal fracture 2.49, width across pronotum 1.17.

HOSTS: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the plains of Iowa, Minnesota, and the Dakotas.

DISCUSSION: Knight (1929c) described Plagiognathus subovatus from St. Paul, Minnesota, on the basis of limited material. Some of Knight’s Minnesota specimens were collected at light and as a consequence no information is available concerning the host. I dissected a male, identified by Knight, from Brookings, South Dakota, as subovatus . The genitalia are similar to those of fuscosus . Knight (1929c) compared subovatus to P. albonotatus Knight (= fuscosus (Provancher)) , indicating the similarity of coloration, but noting that antennal segment 2 was dark in subovatus , whereas it is largely pale in fuscosus ; as noted in the diagnosis subovatus also differs from fuscosus in form of the dorsal vestiture.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA.— Iowa: Dickinson Co.: Lakeside Lab., July 18, 1959, J. L. Laffoon, 13 (USNM). Minnesota: Ramsey Co.: St. Anthony Park , July 6, 1921 – July 10, 1921, H. H. Knight, 1♀ (USNM) ; Paratypes: 13, 2♀ (USNM); holotype male (USNM). North Dakota: Traill Co.: No specific locality, August 4, 1923, A. A. Nichol, 13 (USNM). South Dakota: Brookings Co. : Brookings, July 22, 1930, B. C. Severin, 13, 1♀ (USNM). Kingsburg Co. : Arlington, July 10, 1921, 13 (USNM). Roberts Co. : 11 mi SE of Rosholt, Lake Traverse , July 12, 1974, B. Tollefson, 2♀ (AMNH, UCB) .