Plagiognathus concoloris, 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 : 63-64

Plagiognathus concoloris , new species Figures 7 , 16 , 22

HOLOTYPE: Male : ‘‘[ USA] CA[lifornia]: Siskiyou Co., 2 mi. W McCloud, VI­26– 1981, 3750̍, coll. J. D. Lattin, Abies concolor ’’. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the large size,

light orange or greenish orange coloration of dorsum (fig. 7), the black antennae (fig. 16), the heavily infuscate to nearly black tibiae and tarsi of all legs, and vesica with short spines and a very narrow flange (fig. 22). Similar in size and coloration of dorsum to flavus and lonicerae (figs. 8, 9), but those species with antennal segment 2 and legs mostly pale and unicolorous with dorsum. Structure of genitalia similar to that of flavus and lonicerae , with a heavy, sigmoid vesica with relatively short apical spines and a narrow flange. Among other large, mostly pale western species, similar to longipennis and phaceliae in having antennal segment 2 dark and in having the apical vesical spines relatively short.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Large, nearly parallelsided; total length 4.43–5.26, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 3.08–3.51, width across pronotum 1.36–1.46. COLORATION (fig. 7): General coloration, including most of venter, pale orange, sometimes rather strongly greenish; membrane weakly fumose with a darker, transverse, fumose marking posterior to cuneus and membrane cells, veins of membrane orange; antennae entirely castaneous to black (fig. 16); labium infuscate over entire length; all femora weakly to moderately infuscate with some darker spots; tibiae and tarsi heavily infuscate, dark spots at bases of tibial spines indistinct; tibiae black at femoral articulation. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum smooth, moderately shining. Vestiture of dorsum composed of recumbent, pale to golden, shining, simple setae with some darker suberect setae on pronotum. STRUCTURE: Body somewhat flattened, moderately broad; frons weakly tumid, clypeus readily visible from above; anteocular distance 1.5 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below level of eye by 1.3 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium relatively short, not quite reaching apex of middle coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 22): Vesica, including apical spines, sigmoid, body relatively heavy, base falling well below base of secondary gonopore; apical spines relatively short, weakly curving, anterior spine much longer than posterior; flange very narrow.

Female: More strongly ovoid than male; coloration similar to male. Total length 3.84– 4.51, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.60–3.12, width across pronotum 1.18– 1.46.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on Abies concolor.

HOSTS: Abies concolor, A. amabilis (Pinaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Southern Oregon and Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.

PARATYPES: USA.— California: Alpine Co. : just W of Monitor Pass on Rt 89, 2550 m, July 27, 1999, M. D. Schwartz, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 13, 1♀ (CNC). Kern Co.: Greenhorn Summit on Rt 155, 1860 m, July 16, 1999, M. D. Schwartz, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 33, 11♀ (AMNH, CNC). S of Spout Spring on Rt 155, Slick Rock Creek, 1700 m, July 26, 1999, M. D. Schwartz, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 43, 23♀ (AMNH, CNC). 14 mi W of Wofford Heights on Rt 155, 1830 m, July 28, 1999, M. D. Schwartz, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 33, (AMNH). Madera Co.: Biledo Meadows, July 27, 1946, R. L. Usinger, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 53, (UCB). Mariposa Co. : Fish Camp Post Office, in meadow, 1521 m, July 24, 1999, M. D. Schwartz, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 13, (CNC). Yosemite National Park, August 1, 1940, L. C. Kuitert, 1♀ (KU). Nevada Co. : Hobart Mills, Sagehen, August 3, 1962, C. A. Toschl, 3♀ (UCB). Plumas Co.: near Chester, July 5, 1932, R. L. Usinger, Abies sp. ( Pinaceae ), 13, (UCB). Siskiyou Co.: 2 mi W of Mc­ Cloud, 3750 ft, June 26, 1981, J. D. Lattin, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 13, 1♀ (OSU). 2 mi W of McCloud, 3750 ft, June 26, 1981, J. D. Lattin, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 23, 3♀ (OSU). 6.9 mi S of Medicine Lake on Powder Hill Road, July 19, 1985, G. M. Stonedahl and J. D. McIver, Abies sp. ( Pinaceae ), 1♀ (AMNH). Willow Creek Mountain, Shovel Creek Meadow, August 10, 1962, W. Peters and J. Schuh, 43, 7♀ (OSU). Tehama Co. : Childs Meadow, August 20, 1954, B. P. Bliven, 83, 8♀ (AMNH, CAS). Deer Creek, July 18, 1954, B. P. Bliven, 83, 13♀ (AMNH, CAS). Tulare Co.: Sequoia National Park, August 6, 1940, L. C. Kuitert, 33, 4♀ (KU). Tuolumne Co.: Strawberry, August 2, 1960, M. E. Erwin, 13, (UCB). Strawberry, July 14, 1962, J. T. Doyen, 2♀ (UCB). Strawberry on Rt 108, above S Fork of Stanislaus River, 1590 m, July 27, 1999, M. D. Schwartz, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 33, (AMNH). Unknown Co.: Illilouette Falls, 5816 ft, July 29, 1946, T. O. Thatcher, Abies concolor ( Pinaceae ), 13, (UCB). Oregon: Jackson Co.: Moon Prairie, July 29, 1962, J. D. Vertrees, 1♀ (OSU). Klamath Co.: 4 mi S of Four Mile Lake, August 11, 1956, J. Schuh, Abies amabilis (Pinaceae) , 23, 7♀ (OSU).

Figures

Fig. 7. Habitus figures of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. (see p. 263 for localities).

Fig. 16. Antennal segments 1 and 2 of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp.

Fig. 22. Male genitalia of Nearctic Plagiognathus spp. fl = flange.