Plagiognathus texanus, 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 : 229-230

Plagiognathus texanus , new species Figures 13 , 19 , 33

HOLOTYPE: Male: ‘‘[ USA] TEXAS: Wood Co., Pine Mills , May 6, 1994, Will Godwin’ ’. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the moderate size and generally shining black coloration of the dorsum (fig. 13), the black coxae and femora with the distal one­fourth of the femora white, antennae entirely dark (fig. 19), the scent­gland evaporatory area white, and the dorsal vestiture of recumbent, golden, shining, simple setae on the pronotum, scutellum, and anterior one­half of the hemelytra and of dark dull setae posteriorly on corium, clavus, and cuneus. Rather broadly ovoid body form, relatively large size, and dark coloration of dorsum similar to punctatipes (fig. 12) and schaffneri (fig. 12); separated from both of those species by the femora being dark with only the apex pale rather than entirely pale. Possibly confused with dark specimens of brevirostris , brunneus , and shoshonea , but those species with northern and/or montane distributions and lacking the strongly contrasting black and white coloration.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Size moderate, ovoid; total length 3.58–3.90, length apex clypeus– cuneal fracture 2.51–2.71, width across pronotum 1.25–1.31. COLORATION (fig. 13): General coloration black, including membrane, veins, and venter; posterior margin of vertex white; antennal segments 1 and 2 black (fig. 19), 3 and 4 pale; strongly contrasting white on the ventral margin of propleuron, posterior margin of mesopleuron, scent­gland evaporatory area, coxotrochanteral articulation, distal one­fourth of femora, and tibiae; tarsi pale, tending to infuscate distally; tibial spines black, their bases at most only very narrowly dark. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Entire body surface smooth, weakly granular and moderately shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, simple setae, golden setae on pronotum, scutellum and anterior half of hemelytra, with dark dull setae posteriorly on corium, clavus, and cuneus. STRUCTURE: Broad­bodied, frons nearly straight across in dorsal view, clypeus not visible from above; head not projecting beyond anterior margin of eyes; anteocular distance negligible, face not projecting beyond anterior margin of eyes; head projecting below eye by 2 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium slightly surpassing apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 33): Body of vesica roughly J­shaped, base falling well below secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine very slightly curving, erect relatively to body of vesica, anterior spine strongly bent and angled relative to body; flange relatively narrow, apex falling at base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Body shape and coloration very similar to male. Total length 3.50–3.77, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.50– 2.70, width across pronotum 1.27–1.34.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence in Texas.

HOST: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from Texas and Georgia.

PARATYPES: USA.— Georgia: Cobb Co.: Kennesaw Mt., May 20, 1943, P. W. Fattig, 13, (USNM). Pike Co.: Zebulon, May 17, 1947, P. W. Fattig, 1♀ (USNM). Texas: Wood Co.: 6 mi NW of Hawkins on Hwy 14, May 23, 1998, W. Godwin, 1♀ (TAMU). Ca. 18 mi N of Hawkins, May 9, 1999, W. Godwin, 13, 1♀ (TAMU). Near Hawkins, jct Hwys 14 and 2869, May 9, 1999, W. Godwin, 13 (TAMU). Pine Mills, May 6, 1994, Will Godwin, 103, 8♀ (AMNH, TAMU).

Figures

Fig. 13. Habitus figures of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. (see p. 264 for localities).

Fig. 19. Antennal segments 1 and 2 of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.

Fig. 33. Male genitalia of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.