Plagiognathus tinctus Knight, 1923

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 : 230-231

Plagiognathus tinctus Knight Figures 13 , 19 , 33

Plagiognathus albonotatus tinctus Knight, 1923: 437 (n. var.).

Plagiognathus tinctus Knight, 1929b: 70 (n. status).

Plagiognathus debilis Blatchley, 1926: 941 (n. sp.; syn. by Knight, 1929b: 70).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized, in common with maculipennis and albatus , by mostly pale antennal segment 2 (fig. 19), generally pale costal vein on hemelytra, and cuneus and basal portion of corium pale or mostly pale in contrast to much darker remainder of hemelytra (fig. 13). Distinguished from maculipennis (fig. 9) by antennal segment 1 being pale in that species and dark in tinctus . Further distinguished from maculipennis and albatus (fig. 5) by scutellum being pale laterally and dark mesially in those species, whereas scutellum unicolorous dark in tinctus ; apical vesical spines much longer and more slender in tinctus (fig. 33) than in other two species (figs. 20, 27).

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Relatively broadbodied, of medium size; total length 3.43– 3.69, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.30–2.54, width across pronotum 1.11– 1.17. COLORATION (13): Background coloration of dorsum castaneous, lighter colored areas often tinged with red­orange, including mesoscutum laterally, anterior one­half of corium and adjacent clavus, and cuneus; costal vein of hemelytra pale and lighter than adjacent corium; clypeus and sometimes adjacent face castaneous, darker than, and contrasting with, surrounding areas of head; antennal segment 1 castaneous except for pale apical annulus, segment 2 pale except for extreme basal portion (fig. 19), segments 3 and 4 pale; labium pale to weakly infuscate, except base and apex darker; venter, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area, castaneous; legs generally pale, yellowish, except for darker basal portion of coxae; femora with some dark spots; tibial spines with small dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, pale, golden, shining, relatively short, simple setae; face more highly polished at and below level of antennal insertion than above. STRUCTURE: Elongate ovoid; frons weakly convex, slightly projecting beyond anterior margin of eyes, clypeus barely visible from above; anteocular distance 1.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below level of eye by 1.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 33): Body of vesica relatively stout, sigmoid, base of vesica not recurved and falling below level of secondary gonopore, posterior apical spine long, slen­ der, nearly straight, perpendicular to body of vesica, anterior spine much longer than posterior, also perpendicular to body of vesica; flange relatively narrow, reaching to about base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Similar to male in coloration but body more strongly ovoid in outline. Total length 3.46–3.69, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.39–2.56, width across pronotum 1.07–1.20.

HOSTS: Salix spp. (Salicaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Eastern North America, ranging from New Brunswick west to Minnesota and south to Louisiana.

DISCUSSION: Knight (1929b) discussed the synonymy of debilis with tinctus , and the fact that the two nominal species shared the same host. I have not seen the type of debilis and therefore have not verified the synonymy of debilis with tinctus through the comparison of type material, but rather I have relied on Knight’s comparison.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: CANADA.— New Brunswick: Sheffield, June 24, 1966, L. A. Kelton, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13 (CNC). Ontario: Burtch, July 11, 1961, L. A. Kelton, 1♀ (CNC). Dunnville, July 9, 1962, Kelton and Thorpe, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 183, 42♀ (CNC). Exeter, July 12, 1962, Kelton and Thorpe, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 2♀ (CNC). Selkirk, July 9, 1962, Kelton and Brumpton, 13 (CNC). Thornhill, August 15, 1961, L. A. Kelton, 1♀ (CNC). Tillsonburg, June 20, 1962 – July 2, 1962, G. Thorpe, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13, 2♀ (CNC). Vienna, July 18, 1962, Kelton and Thorpe, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13, 2♀ (CNC). Quebec: Mt. Albert, 400–700 ft, July 25, 1954, W. J. Brown, 1♀ (CNC). Mt. Pleasant, July 10, 1958, L. A. Kelton, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13 (CNC). USA.— Illinois: Clark Co.: Marshall, June 14, 1933, Frison and Ross, 1♀ (USNM). Indiana: Cass Co.: 2 mi E of Walton, July 4, 1979, T. J. Henry, Salix nigra (Salicaceae) , 23 (USNM). Howard Co.: NW Howard County, June 23, 1986, D. A. Rider, 13 (DAR). Iowa: Woodbury Co.: Sioux City, June 28, 1950, C. Ainslie, 1♀ (USNM). Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Co.: LSU Campus, May 4, 1988, D. A. Rider, 13 (DAR). Maryland: Montgomery Co.: Plummers Island, June 7, 1914, W. L. McAtee, 1♀ (USNM). Prince Frederic Co.: Plum Point, June 21, 1914, W. L. McAtee, 13 (USNM). Prince Georges Co.: New Carrolton, May 31, 1983, T. J. Henry, 23, 2♀ (USNM). Massachusetts: Bristol Co.: Seekonk Pond, June 15, 1981, K. and R. Schmidt, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 1♀ (AMNH). Minnesota: Ramsey Co.: No specific locality, July 11, 1925, H. H. Knight, Salix longifolia (Salicaceae) , 1♀ (CNC). St. Anthony Park, August 2, 1924, H. H. Knight, 103, 8♀ (USNM). Mississippi: Adams Co.: Natchez, May 15, 1931, H. G. Johnston, 63, 7♀ (TAMU). Missouri: Barry Co.: Roaring River State Park, June 15, 1954, J. W. Green, 1♀ (CAS). New York: Albany Co.: Rensselaerville, Huyck Preserve, June 29, 1977, R. T. Schuh, 13 (AMNH). Tompkins Co.: Ithaca, July 4, 1979, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix interior (Salicaceae) , 53 (PDA). Ithaca, Six­ Mile, July 2, 1978, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix nigra (Salicaceae) , 2♀ (PDA). North Carolina: Madison Co.: Hot Springs, E. P. Van Duzee, 1♀ (CAS). Rockingham Co.: Rt 220, 2.3 mi S of Virginia state line, June 3, 1983, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13 (PDA). Pennsylvania: Bedford Co.: Rt 220, 0.8 mi N of Maryland state line, June 8, 1979, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix humilis (Salicaceae) , 23, 1♀ (PDA). Dauphin Co.: Harrisburg, July 8, 1917, J. G. Sanders, 13 (USNM). Harrisburg, June 20, 1920, Champlain, 1♀ (PDA). Harrisburg, June 20, 1920, Champlain, holotype male (USNM). Harrisburg, June 23, 1920, Champlain, paratype: 13 (CAS). Harrisburg, Wildwood Park, July 7, 1900, W. Reinick, 1♀ (PDA). Rt 322 at Rt 443, June 21, 1979, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 1♀ (PDA). Erie Co.: Fairview, Fairview Nurseries, July 7, 1976, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13 (PDA). near Erie, I­90 and Rt 97, June 25, 1975 – July 7, 1975, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix nigra (Salicaceae) , 73, 15♀ (PDA). Monroe Co.: Delaware Water Gap, E. P. Van Duzee, 1♀ (CAS). Tennessee: Knox Co.: Knoxville, May 27, 1985, A. G. Wheeler, Jr., Salix nigra (Salicaceae) , 13, 1♀ (PDA).

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.