Tuxedo, 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 : 251-252

Tuxedo , new genus Figure 40

TYPE SPECIES: Chlamydatus bicinctus Van Duzee, 1914 .

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the mostly castaneous background coloration of the dorsum with one or two large white maculae on the hemelytra. Sexual dimorphism moderate to very pronounced, male with long to very long hemelytra, parallel­sided; females ovate. Antennal segment 2 sexually dimorphic, cylindrical and slightly enlarged in males, more slender and tapered toward base in females. Male genitalia (fig. 40) with vesica more or less J­shaped, very weakly twisted; secondary gonopore very close to apex, with an adjacent sclerotized rod. Most similar in coloration, sexual dimorphism (including antennae), and structure of male genitalia to Coniferocoris Schwartz and Schuh. Distinguished by the polished and shining dorsum, the strongly contrasting black and white coloration in at least the males of most species, and the fact that Coniferocoris spp. are restricted to members of the Pinaceae whereas Tuxedo spp. all feed on angiosperms.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, of small to moderate size, delicate, elongate, nearly parallel­sided. COLORATION: Dorsum reddish or castaneous, with distinctive contrasting white or cream­colored maculae on corium­clavus and cuneus or less frequently only on cuneus. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsal body surface polished and shining, impunctate. Dorsal vestiture of recumbent simple, often shining, setae. STRUCTURE: Head short, barely protruding beyond anterior margin of eyes, only slightly projecting below ventral margin of eyes; antennal segment 2 cylindrical, not tapered, about the same diameter as antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of hind coxae; abdomen slender, genital capsule relatively small. GENITALIA (fig. 40): Vesica more or less J­shaped, very weakly twisted; secondary gonopore very close to apex, with an adjacent sclerotized rod; phallotheca with apical portion elongate and slender, at nearly right angle to body of structure; left paramere boat­shaped; right paramere lanceolate.

Female: Ovate, body form more compact than in male; submacropterous, hemelytra just covering abdomen; coloration similar to male, but sometimes showing dimorphism; surface and vestiture as in male; antennal segment 2 sexually dimorphic, more slender and strongly tapered toward base in female than in male.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the distinctive black and white color pattern found in most species. From American English.

DISCUSSION: The species listed below appear to form a monophyletic group whose distribution is restricted to far western North America, ranging from Oregon south to northern Baja California, Mexico, and east as far as the Wasatch Range in Utah and eastern Arizona. All appear to feed on woody perennials, including species of Ceanothus , Cercocarpus , Quercus , and others.

In the present treatment I have made no attempt to determine issues of synonymy among the described nominal species, but establish only that they might be treated as congeneric. Material I have examined suggests that there are at least 12 species assignable to Tuxedo ; more detailed study may increase that number.

The structure of the genitalia appears to be quite constant across species. The overall size and type of coloration are similar to species placed in the genus Sejanus Distant , from the Indo­West Pacific (see Schuh, 1984) and might also be compared to species of Psallovius Henry from North America. The form of the male genitalia and the type of sexual dimorphism is most similar to that of species placed in Coniferocoris Schwartz and Schuh. The shining dorsum, the bold black and white coloration in the males of most species, and the habit of feeding on angiosperms (rather than Pinaceae ) in most species of distinguish Tuxedo spp. from those of Coniferocoris , however.

Figures

Fig. 40. Male genitalia of species transferred out of Plagiognathus and species incertae sedis.