Plagiognathus negundinis Knight, 1929c: 263

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 : 173-174

Plagiognathus negundinis Knight, 1929c: 263 (n.

sp.).

Plagiognathus negundinis fulvotinctus Knight,

1929c: 264 (n. var.)

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by dorsum, venter, and antennal segments 1 and 2 being entirely castaneous (figs. 10, 17), legs pale with some dark markings, and the elongate, nearly parallel­sided body form. Similar to rideri (fig. 12) and specimens of obscurus (fig. 10: obscurus 4) with almost totally dark dorsum. Distinguished from obscurus by the narrowly pale area of the corium adjacent to the extreme base of the membrane and the at least faintly pale base of the cuneus in that species. Veins and membrane completely and intensely dark in rideri ; membrane not so strongly darkened in negundinis and obscurus and veins pale along posterior margin of cells in both species. Vesica of negundinis distinct from that of both obscurus and rideri (compare figs. 28, 29, 31). Also similar in appearance to dispar (fig. 7), but antennal segment 2 in that species mostly pale.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Moderately large, elongate, nearly parallel­sided; total length 3.75–4.09, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.74–2.84, width across pronotum 1.20– 1.26. COLORATION (fig. 10): Dorsum castaneous, vertex tending toward pale; membrane and veins fumose, except veins pale along posterior margin of cells; antennal segment 1 castaneous with pale apical annulus, segments 2, 3, and 4 castaneous; labium pale; venter entirely castaneous, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area; legs, including coxae, pale yellow­white; hind femora with some dark spots; dorsal tibial spines with obvious dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SUR­ FACE AND VESTITURE: Entire body surface smooth, moderately shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, weakly golden, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Relatively slender, corial margin nearly straight; frons weakly convex, clypeus visible from above; anteocular distance equal to diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to near apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 28): Vesica strongly curving, sigmoid, base falling somewhat below level of base of secondary gonopore; apical spines long, posterior spine relatively broad at base, tapering to apex, weakly angled relative to body of vesica, anterior spine at right angle to body of vesica, substantially longer than posterior, apical portion narrow; flange moderately broad, extending beyond main body of vesica, terminating at base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Body more strongly ovoid than in male; coloration as in male. Total length 3.70–3.88, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.70–2.76, width across pronotum 1.24– 1.25.

HOST: Acer negundo (Aceraceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Known from limited localities ranging from Quebec to Saskatchewan in the north, and from Iowa and Texas farther south.

DISCUSSION: Knight (1929c) described the variety negundinis fulvotinctus, designating a female as the type. Although the coloration of the legs and antennae are very much like that of most of the specimens that Knight treated as typical negundinis , much of the anterior half of the corium and the cuneus is pale. I continue to treat this name as a color variant under negundinis , although it does not easily fit my concept of the species; without recourse to the male genitalia, resolution of this issue is made more difficult.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: CANADA.— On­ tario: St. Ann’s, June 9, 1962, Kelton and Thorpe, 13 (CNC). Tillsonburg, June 20, 1962, Kelton and Thorpe, Salix sp. (Salicaceae) , 13 (CNC). Quebec: Mt. Albert, July 25, 1954, W. J. Brown, 1♀ (CNC). Saskatchewan: Saskatoon, July 17, 1951, A. R. Brooks, 1♀ (CNC). Saskatoon, July 20, 1955, A. R. Brooks, 13 (CNC). Saskatoon, June 2, 1958, A. R. Brooks, Acer negundo (Aceraceae) , 13, 1♀ (CNC). Saskatoon, June 6, 1956, A. R. Brooks, Acer negundo (Aceraceae) , 1♀ (CNC). USA.— Iowa: Story Co.: Ames, June 10, 1928, H. M. Harris, 1♀ (TAMU). Ames, June 19, 1927 – June 20, 1928, H. H. Knight, paratypes: 203, 20♀ (USNM); holotype male (USNM). Minnesota: Hennepin Co.: Fort Snelling, July 10, 1924, H. H. Knight, holotype male (fulvotinctus) (USNM). Texas: Travis Co.: Zilker Park, April 3, 1985, P. W. Kovarik, Acer negundo (Aceraceae) , 53, 5♀ (TAMU).