Plagiognathus repetitus Knight, 1923: 453

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 : 208-209

Plagiognathus repetitus Knight, 1923: 453 (n.

sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the small size, unicolorous, brown to castaneous dorsum (fig. 12), vestiture of recumbent golden, weakly shining, simple setae (fig. 12), golden legs (including coxae) with hind femur sometimes very weakly infuscate, tibia black at articulation with femur, tibial spines with dark spots at bases, and antennal segments 1 and 2 dark (fig. 18). Similar to fuscipes (fig. 8), although that species larger, at least weakly pale on corium adjacent to extreme base of cuneus and at cuneal fracture, and usually with femora at least partially infuscate. General appearance very much like many Sthenaridea spp. Breeds on Ericaceae .

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Relatively small, ovoid; total length 2.78–3.13, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.02–2.27, width across pronotum 0.90–0.94. COLORATION (fig. 12): Dorsum and venter brown to castaneous; membrane fumose, including veins; all antennal segments dark brown (fig. 18); legs largely golden, femora with dark spots; dorsal tibial spines with dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at femoral articulation. SUR­ FACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, weakly golden, shining, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Body elongate­ovoid, conspicuously broadest at point just anterior to cuneal fracture; head exserted from anterior margin of pronotum, eyes appearing weakly protuberant; frons tumid, bulging beyond anterior margin of eyes in dorsal view, clypeus visible from above; anteocular distance 1.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by 1.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium just surpassing apex of middle coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 31): Body of vesica short and stout, strongly curving, base of vesica reaching to just below level of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spines relatively short, nearly erect relative to body of vesica, anterior spine much longer than posterior, curving apically, and forming an oblique angle with body of vesica; flange broad, straight over much of length, reaching to base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Body somewhat more strongly ovoid than in male; coloration as in male. Total length 2.87–3.13, length apex clypeus– cuneal fracture 2.02–2.26, width across pronotum 0.93–1.02.

HOSTS: Kalmia angustifolia , Ledum sp. , Vaccinium sp. , and possibly Rhododendron (Ericaceae) . The biology of this species was reviewed by Wheeler (1996).

DISTRIBUTION: Eastern North America, from Virigina north into Canada.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: CANADA.— Nova Scotia: Truro, July 26, 1917, paratype: 13 (CAS). Ontario: Ignace, August 12, 1960, Kelton and Whitney, 1♀ (CNC). One Sided Lake, August 2, 1960, Kelton and Whitney, 1♀ (CNC). Shawanaga, July 26, 1962, Kelton and Thorpe, Ledum sp. (Ericaceae) , 103, 10♀ (CNC). Quebec: Cascapedia, August 16, 1933, W. J. Brown, 13, 8♀ (CNC). Fabre, July 5, 1963, L. A. Kelton, 43 (CNC). Lac Brule, August 9, 1945, O. Peck, Vaccinium sp. (Ericaceae) , 3♀ (CNC). Laniel, July 24, 1963, W. Gagne, 23, 6♀ (CNC). Laniel, July 6, 1963, L. A. Kelton, 53 (CNC). Parke Reserve, July 21, 1957, G. E. Shewell, Rhododendron maximum (Ericaceae) , 1♀ (CNC). Thunder River, August 15, 1930, W. J. Brown, 13 (CNC). USA.— Massachusetts: Essex Co.: Beach Bluff, July 5, 1914, H. M. Parshley, 1♀ (CAS). Pigeon Cove, July 28, 1916, C. E. Olsen, 1♀ (USNM). Plymouth Co.: Wareham, July 21, 1927, H. J. Franklin, 23 (USNM). Michigan: Berrien Co.: E. K. Warren Preserve, Sawyer Dunes, July 10, 1920, R. F. Hussey, 13, 1♀ (USNM). Cheboygan Co.: No specific locality, July 8, 1935, M. Sanderson, 1♀ (USNM). New York: Essex Co.: Whiteface Mountain, August 22, 1916, H. H. Knight, 1♀ (USNM). Whiteface Mountain, August 22, 1916, H. H. Knight, paratype: 13 (CAS); holotype male (USNM). St. Lawrence Co.: Wanakena, August 12, 1920, C. J. Drake, 4♀ (USNM). Pennsylvania: Monroe Co.: Long Pond, Scrub Oak–Pitch Pine Barrens, July 15, 1990, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Kalmia angustifolia (Ericaceae) , 13, 1♀ (PDA). Schuykill Co.: 4.8 mi S of Frackville on Rt 81, June 28, 1984, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Kalmia angustifolia (Ericaceae) , 13, 1♀ (PDA). 5 mi S of Frackville on Rt 81, June 13, 1986, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Vaccinium sp. (Ericaceae) , 13, 2♀ (PDA). 5.5 mi S of Rt 61 along I­81, June 24, 1974, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Kalmia angustifolia (Ericaceae) , 13, 2♀ (PDA).