Plagiognathus salviae Knight, 1968: 30

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 : 217

Plagiognathus salviae Knight, 1968: 30 (n. sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the moderately small size, the mostly pale yellowish coloration of the dorsum (fig. 12), the entirely black antennae (fig. 19), and the face at and below base of clypeus castaneous, polished, and contrasting with coloration of vertex and remainder of frons. Similar to fulvidus (fig. 8), melliferae (fig. 9), and mexicanus (fig. 10) in coloration and texture of lower portion of face. Separated from melliferae by that species being much larger and occurring in coastal southern California rather than in the western Great Basin. Separated from mexicanus by the uniformly dark red coloration and coastal northern Baja California distribution of that species, and from fulvidus by its orange coloration and occurrence in the northeastern United States.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Elongate ovoid, moderately small; total length 3.17–3.73, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.22– 2.53, width across pronotum 1.03–1.15. COLORATION (fig. 12): Dorsum mostly pale, head, pronotum, and scutellum often more strongly yellowish or suffused with orange, endocorium sometimes weakly brown; membrane weakly fumose, veins pale; face castaneous and shining at and below base of clypeus; antennae entirely black (fig. 19); venter almost entirely brown to castaneous; labium mostly castaneous; coxae mostly infuscate, remainder of legs pale to yellowish, femora with some dark spots; dorsal tibial spines with dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at femoral articulation. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent simple setae unicolorous with dorsum with darker suberect setae on pronotum and anterolaterally on hemelytra. STRUCTURE: Frons tumid, clypeus visible from above; anteocular distance 2.0 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by 1.3 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium long, slightly exceeding apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 31): Vesica more or less J­shaped, basal portion very broadly curving, base falling well below base of secondary gonopore; apical spines weakly elongate, angled relative to body of vesica, anterior spine weakly bent subapically and longer than posterior; flange moderately broad, terminating slightly above base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Similar to male in shape and coloration. Total length 3.13–3.32, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.19–2.40, width across pronotum 1.06–1.12.

HOST: Salvia spp. (Lamiaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Western Great Basin and Mojave Desert areas of western North America.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA.— California: Kern Co. : near Walker Pass, 5000 ft, May 30, 1981, J. T. Polhemus, 13, 5♀ (JTP). San Bernardino Co.: 12.5 mi SE of Ivanpah, Ivanpah Road, May 25, 1977, J. D. Pinto, Salvia dorrii (Lamiaceae) , 63, 4♀ (UCR). 8 mi SE of Ivanpah, Lanfair Valley, May 25, 1977, S. Frommer, 123, 7♀ (UCR). Siskiyou Co.: 4 mi NW of Lava Beds Natl. Monument Headquarters, 4200 ft, June 26, 1979, J. D. Lattin, Salvia carnosa (Lamiaceae) , 23, 1♀ (OSU). 4 mi NW of Lava Beds Natl. Monument Headquarters, 4200 ft, June 26, 1979, M. D. Schwartz, Salvia carnosa (Lamiaceae) , 23, 2♀ (OSU). Lava Beds Natl. Monument, Sconchin Flow, 1315 m, June 26, 1979, R. T. and Joe Schuh, Salvia sp. (Lamiaceae) , 123, 6♀ (AMNH). Nevada: Nye Co. : Atomic Test Site, Rock V. on Jackass Flats Rd., 3300 ft, June 6, 1983, Schuh, Schwartz, Stonedahl, 13 (AMNH). Mercury, 12 M, 401 M, June 11, 1965, H. H. Knight and J. Merino, Salvia dorrii (Lamiaceae) , paratypes:103, 10♀ (USNM). Mercury, 19 M, June 22, 1965, H. Knight and J. Merino, holotype male (USNM).