Plagiognathus syrticolae Knight, 1941: 31

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 : 228-229

Plagiognathus syrticolae Knight, 1941: 31 (n.

sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the suberect, silvery, shining vestiture of dorsum appearing somewhat bristly, the small eyes, the transversely rugose pronotum (fig. 13), antennal segment 2 mostly pale to weakly infuscate except at extreme base and only slightly longer than the width of head (fig. 19), and the coxae, trochanters, and femora infuscate to castaneous. Most similar in the form of the dorsal vestiture to davisi (fig. 7), but distinguished by its larger size, dark femora, and form of male genitalia (fig. 32). Antennal segment 1 always completely dark in syrticolae , whereas usually mostly pale in davisi .

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Elongate, nearly parallel­sided, of moderate size; total length 3.40–3.54, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.37–2.48, width across pronotum 1.05– 1.15. COLORATION (fig. 13): Dorsum deeply and uniformly castaneous, never with additional pale markings; membrane and veins fumose; antennal segment 1 entirely castaneous, segment 2 dark at extreme base, remainder of segment pale to weakly infuscate (fig. 19), segments 3 and 4 pale to weakly infuscate; labium largely castaneous; venter, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area, castaneous; coxae, trochanters, and femora castaneous, or largely so, tibiae yellow, tibial spines with small dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, weakly shining. Calli demarcated along posterior margin; pronotum distinctly transversely rugose. Vestiture of dorsum composed of suberect, shining simple setae, forming a distinctive, somewhat bristly appearance. STRUCTURE: Body elongate, nearly parallel­sided; eyes relatively small; frons weakly bulging, clypeus prominent; anteocular distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by nearly 2 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of middle coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 32): Body of vesica more or less Jshaped, base of vesica falling well below level of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine long, relatively broad, nearly straight and erect relative to body of vesica, anterior spine about same length as posterior, weakly curving backward, and forming a very weak angle relative to body of vesica; flange narrow, reaching to middle of secondary gonopore.

Female: Similar to male in coloration but body more strongly ovoid in outline. Total length 3.09–3.44, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.18–2.51, width across pronotum 0.99–1.08.

HOST: Salix spp. (Salicaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Known from a limited number collections from Illinois, New York, and New Hampshire.

DISCUSSION: My concept of this species is based on the examination of paratypes designated by the author from the type locality. Although Knight (1941) indicated that the date of collection was July 6, 1932, all specimens I have seen are labeled as having been collected on July 8, 1932.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA.— Illinois: Lake Co.: Waukegan, July 8, 1932, Frison et al., paratypes: 5♀ (USNM). New Hampshire: Coos Co.: Gorham, July 21, 1929, G. S. Walley, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 63, 9♀ (AMNH, CNC). New York: Albany Co.: Rensselaerville, Huyck Preserve, June 29, 1977, R. T. Schuh, 13 (AMNH).