Plagiognathus paramundus, 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 : 185-186

Plagiognathus paramundus , new species Figures 11 , 18 , 29

HOLOTYPE: Male: ‘‘[ USA] Oregon: Lake Co., 16 mi. S of Adel, July 3, 1979, 1675 m., R. T. Schuh and B. M. Massie; ex Salix sp. (Salicaceae) ’’. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the large size, moderately elongate body form, pale anterior portion of corium extending posteriorly along radial vein, mostly pale costal vein and cuneus, scutellum always pale laterally with a dark median stripe, clavus narrowly pale along claval suture (fig. 11), and length of antennal segment 2 about 1.9 times the width of head. Pattern of coloration in paramundus similar to alboradialis (fig. 5), flavoscutellatus (fig. 8), and mundus (fig. 10), especially anterior pale portion of the corium extending posteriorly along radial vein, and scutellum apparently always pale laterally in paramundus , but only occasionally so in alboradialis . Distributions of alboradialis and paramundus apparently nonoverlapping. Clavus narrowly pale along claval suture in paramundus whereas clavus totally dark in alboradialis , and structure of genitalia distinctive for the two species, with the posterior spine being slightly more slender and nearly as long as the anterior in alboradialis , and being slightly broader and reaching only to the level of the subapical bend of the anterior spine in paramundus . Scutellum in mundus never with a dark median stripe as in para­ mundus , although frequently broadly pale. Body in flavoscutellatus heavier than in paramundus and distributions nonoverlapping.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Elongate, more or less parallel­sided, large; total length 3.97–4.90, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.73– 3.24, width across pronotum 1.11–1.32. COLORATION (fig. 11): Background coloration of dorsum brown, frons and vertex pale, disc of pronotum at least partially pale, corium pale on basal one­fourth, this area extending posteriorly along the radial vein to about midpoint of corium, costal vein almost entirely pale, cuneus entirely pale, corium narrowly pale adjacent to extreme base of membrane; all antennal segments castaneous to black (fig. 18), except segment 1 with pale apical annulus; labium mostly castaneous; venter entirely castaneous, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area; legs mostly pale yellowish, extreme base of coxae usually infuscate, femora with numerous dark spots, tibiae pale, dorsal spines with dark bases; tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly granular, smooth, dull. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, golden, shining, relatively short, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Body nearly parallel­sid­ ed, lateral corial margins weakly convex; frons weakly convex, clypeus visible from above; anteocular distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to about apex of middle coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 29): Body of vesica relatively long, J­shaped, base of vesica falling well below level of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine long, nearly erect relative to body of vesica, anterior spine not substantially longer than posterior, angled at about 45° relative to body of vesica; flange narrow, not surpassing margin of body of vesica, terminating at about base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Body shorter, broader, and much more strongly ovoid than in male (fig. 11). Pronotum more extensively pale than in male, including pale anterior margin, with only calli dark; hemelytra usually more extensively pale than in male, this sometimes extending onto clavus. Total length 3.94– 4.41, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.78–3.12, width across pronotum 1.22–1.32.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its similarity of appearance to Plagiognathus mundus Van Duzee.

HOST: Salix sp. (Salicaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Known from localities in California, Nevada , and Oregon in the northwestern United States.

PARATYPES: USA.— California: Costra Costa Co.: Moraga, June 30, 1977, D. G. Denning, 13 (UCD). Mendocino Co.: Hopland Field Station, May 22, 1976, D. G. Denning, 93, 6♀ (UCD). Nevada Co. : Truckee, July 6, 1927, E. P. Van Duzee, 1♀ (CAS). Placer Co.: Emigrant Gap, July 20, 1966, E. L. Smith, 1♀ (UCD). Tahoe Vista, July 20, 1966, E. L. Smith, 13, 1♀ (UCD). Shasta Co.: Old Station, June 26, 1947, E. E. Seibert, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 23 (UCB). Sierra Co. : Little Truckee River, July 10, 1966, P. R. Schultz, 2♀ (UCD). Siskiyou Co.: Bear Basin, 7000 ft, August 9, 1967, L. Eighme, 13 (PUC). Nevada: Eureka Co. : 23 mi W of Carlin, Humboldt River, June 23, 1966, W. Gagne and J. Haddock, 23 (UCB). Washoe Co.: Nixon, June 29, 1927, E. P. Van Duzee, 23 (CAS). Reno, June 27, 1927, E. P. Van Duzee, 13 (CAS). Sparks, June 28, 1927, E. P. Van Duzee, 343, 30♀ (CAS). Oregon: Lake Co.: 16 mi S of Adel, 1675 m, July 3, 1979, R. T. Schuh and B. M. Massie, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 133, 11♀ (AMNH).

Figures

Fig. 11. Habitus figures of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. (see p. 263 for localities).

Fig. 18. Antennal segments 1 and 2 of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.

Fig. 29. Male genitalia of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. fl flange.