Plagiognathus annulatus Uhler, 1895: 51

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 : 41-42

Plagiognathus annulatus Uhler, 1895: 51 (n. sp.).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the unicolorous dark, nearly black, shining body (fig. 5) covered with recumbent, shining, golden setae, the pale, almost white legs, and tibial spines with dark spots at bases, the tibia black at articulation with femur, antennal segment 1 black, and antennal segment 2 in females black basally and distally with a broad yellow band in middle, often entirely black in males (fig. 15), antennal segments 3 and 4 pale to moderately infuscate. Similar to punctatipes , rideri , schaffneri , and specimens of obscurus with a uniformly dark dorsum, in the dark coloration of the dorsum and the generally pale coloration of the legs, but those species neither so conspicuously black nor having antennal segment 2 (in females) dark proximally and distally with a pale median annulus.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Moderately large, elongate, more or less parallel­sided; total length 3.27–4.09, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.41–2.94, width across pronotum 0.94–1.27. COLORATION (fig. 5): Dorsum and head castaneous to blackish, posterior margin of vertex vaguely pale; membrane and veins strongly fumose, except veins white along posterior margin of cells and membrane pale at angle between posterior margin of cells and posteromesal margin of cuneus; antennal segment 1 dark except pale apical annulus, segment 2 frequently entirely dark, sometimes dark proximally and distally with a more or less conspicuous pale median annulus (fig. 15); segments 3 and 4 pale to moderately infuscate; labium infuscate basally and apically, pale medially; venter entirely castaneous, including metathoracic scent­gland evaporatory area; legs, including coxae, mostly pale, nearly yellow­white, middle and hind coxae often castaneous on basal one­half, femora often with a dark stripe dorsodistally, hind femur with a dark stripe distally on medioventral surface; dor­ sal tibial spines with obvious dark spots at bases; tibiae dark at articulation with femora. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Entire body surface weakly granular, smooth, shining, corium and clavus weakly rugulose. Dorsal vestiture composed of reclining, golden, simple setae. STRUCTURE: Frons weakly convex, clypeus visible from above; anteocular distance about 1.3 times diameter of antennal segment 1; head projecting below eye by 1.6 times diameter of antennal segment 1; labium reaching to near apex of hind coxae. GENITALIA (fig. 21): Vesica elongate, relatively slender, rather broadly curving, base falling well below level of secondary gonopore; posterior apical spine relatively short, slender, nearly erect relative to body of vesica, anterior spine longer than posterior, angled near apex, and more strongly angled relative to body of vesica; flange relatively narrow, weakly projecting beyond body of vesica, terminating at base of secondary gonopore.

Female: Body slightly more strongly ovoid than in male (fig. 5); antennal segment 2 conspicuously pale medially (fig. 15). Total length 3.49–4.16, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.48–2.99, width across pronotum 1.03–1.26.

HOSTS: Rosa spp. and Potentilla sp. (Rosaceae) . The record from Cornus sp. is almost certainly just a sitting record.

DISTRIBUTION: Interior western North America from Alberta west to British Columbia , south to Nevada and Colorado.

DISCUSSION: Uhler (1895) described annulatus from a single female specimen from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I have been unable to find any specimens in the National Museum of Natural History collections with these data. To prevent further confusion concerning the identity of this taxon, I am designating a neotype (male). The specimen bears the following label data and is deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.:

Steamboat Springs, COLO., July 14, 1964, 6700 ft., H. H. Knight; Plagiognathus annulatus Uhler , det. H. H. Knight; NEOTYPE Plagiognathus annulatus Uhl­ er, det R. T. Schuh.

Knight (1923) recorded annulatus from

Denver, Colorado, Huntington and New Ha­ ven, Connecticut. He also described two new varieties, cuneatus and nigrofemoratus. It seems clear from examination of the types of these varieties, as well as from other available material, that the records of annulatus published by Knight from the eastern United States are not annulatus of Uhler, but rather are specimens of obscurus with an almost totally dark dorsum. All specimens assignable to annulatus from the western United States have a black stripe distally on the lower inner surface of the hind femur, and most have black stripes dorsally on all femora. These specimens usually agree closely with the description of Uhler (1895) in having the middle third of antennal segment 2 pale, whereas this is never the case in eastern specimens. Equally convincing, the western specimens have a rather slender, elongate vesica with a narrow ‘‘flange’’ subtending the secondary gonopore, whereas eastern specimens identified as annulatus by Knight have a short, very robust vesica, with a broad ‘‘flange’’ subtending the secondary gonopore; this latter type is the vesica of obscurus Uhler (see also discussion under obscurus ).

As here conceived, annulatus shows substantial variation in size. There is apparently no geographic pattern to these differences, however, and other characteristics, such as coloration of antennal segment 2 and structure of the male genitalia, suggest that a single taxon is involved.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: CANADA.— Alberta: Lundbreck , July 7, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 13 (CNC). Lundbreck, July 7, 1970, L. A. Kelton, 4♀ (CNC). British Columbia : Elko, E Kootenay, July 9, 1949, H. B. Leech, 13 (CAS). Summerland, June 24, 1975, L. A. Kelton, Rosa sp. (Rosaceae) , 1♀ (CNC). USA.— California: Mono Co. : West Walker Canyon, July 9, 1934, E. P. Van Duzee, 13, 1♀ (CAS). Nevada Co. : Boca, July 23, 1970, R. M. Bohart, 1♀ (UCD). Colorado: Costilla Co.: Fort Garland, July 6, 1982, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, Rosa sp. (Rosaceae) , 13, 2♀ (JTP). Denver Co.: Denver, July 12, 1900, E. P. Van Duzee, 1♀ (CAS). Denver, July 16, 1909, W. J. Gerhard, 13 (USNM). Dolores Co.: 19 mi NE of Dolores, West Dolores River, 7600 ft, July 22, 1976, L. and N. Herman, 2♀ (AMNH). Eagle Co.: Vail, June 23, 1986, J. T. Polhemus, 13 (JTP). Vail, June 26, 1977, J. T. Polhemus, 13, 1♀ (JTP). El Paso Co.: Colorado Springs, August 1, 1900, E. S. Tucker, 13 (USNM). Gunnison Co.: Stueben Creek, 7500 ft, July 5, 1961, 2♀ (USNM). Hinsdale Co.: 11 mi N of Lake City, August 6, 1997, J. C. Schaffner, 33, 3♀ (TAMU). Larimer Co.: Fort Collins, June 4, 1902, 13 (USNM). Montrose Co.: 18 mi SE of Naturita, July 8, 1980, J. T. and D. A. Polhemus, 1♀ (JTP). Pitkin Co.: Aspen, July 24, 1919, 1♀ (AMNH). Routt Co.: Steamboat Springs, 6700 ft, July 14, 1964, H. H. Knight, 1♀ (CNC). Steamboat Springs, July 14, 1964, H. H. Knight, 83, 4♀ (USNM). Saguache Co.: 17 mi S of US 50 on Colorado Rt 114, August 31, 1980, D. A. and J. T. Polhemus, 13 (JTP). Summit Co.: S end of Green Mountain Reservoir, August 12, 1973, S. Szerlip, 1♀ (UCB). Idaho: Bannock Co.: 3 mi E of McCammon, June 29, 1966, J. Haddock, Cornus sp. (Cornaceae) , 2♀ (UCB). Blaine Co.: 6 mi NW of Carey, Little Wood River, June 30, 1966, W. Gagne and J. Haddock, 33, 1♀ (UCB). Franklin Co.: Mink Creek, July 6, 1935, C. F. Smith, 13 (USU). Latah Co.: Moscow, July 10, 1932, T. A. Brindley, 63, 7♀ (USNM). Madison Co.: Rexburg, 4864 ft, July 22, 1922, C. Wakeland, 23, 1♀ (USNM). Montana: Gallatin Co.: 15 mi S of Big Sky on Rt 191, Teepee Creek, 6600 ft, August 10, 1986, Schuh, Schwartz, and Stonedahl, Potentilla fruticosa (Rosaceae) , 33, 2♀ (AMNH). Granite Co.: 6 mi S of Drummond on Rt 10A, Hall, 4200 ft, August 9, 1986, Schuh, Schwartz, and Stonedahl, Rosa sp. (Rosaceae) , 2♀ (AMNH). Nevada: Elko Co. : Carlin, July 11, 1968, G. E. Bohart, 43 (USU). Lyon Co.: 5.2 mi S of Sweetwater Summit on Rt 22, Toiyabe Natl. Forest, 6460 ft, July 11, 1980, G. M. Stonedahl, Rosa sp. (Rosaceae) , 73, 11♀ (AMNH). 5.7 mi S of Sweetwater Summit on Rt 22, Toiyabe Natl. Forest, 2015 m, July 11, 1980, R. T. Schuh and G. M. Stonedahl, Rosa sp. (Rosaceae) , 103, 27♀ (AMNH). Washoe Co.: Sparks, June 28, 1927, E. P. Van Duzee, 23, 2♀ (CAS). Oregon: Malheur Co.: 12 mi E of Juntura, June 18, 1963, K. Goeden, 1♀ (AMNH). Unknown Co.: Dixie, July 8, 1931, R. H. Beamer, 13 (KU). Utah: Box Elder Co. : Willard Basin, July 5, 1966, G. F. Knowlton, 13 (USU). Cache Co.: Blacksmith Fork Can­ yon, July 29, 1976, G. F. Knowlton, 23, 1♀ (USU). Cove, July 5, 1973, G. F. Knowlton, 33, 1♀ (UCD). Logan Canyon, July 15, 1958, Knowlton, 13 (CNC). Logan, July 17, 1973, G. F. Knowlton, 1♀ (UCD). Logan, July 8, 1973, G. F. Knowlton, 23, 3♀ (USU). Newton, July 3, 1954, W. R. Walker, 13 (USU). Duchesne Co.: Uinta Mountains, Ashley National Forest, Hades Campground, 7400 ft, August 17, 1986, Schwartz and Stonedahl, Rosa sp. (Rosaceae) , 13, 1♀ (AMNH). Emery Co.: Emery, August 16, 1929, R. H. Beamer, 13 (KU). Rich Co.: Garden City, July 7, 1977 – July 23, 1975, G. F. Knowlton, 43, 3♀ (USU). Randolph, July 10, 1974, G. F. Knowlton, 13 (USU). Sanpete Co.: Mt. Pleasant, August 7, 1904, E. G. Titus, 13 (USU). Spring City, June 28, 1933, G. F. Knowlton, 1♀ (USNM). Unknown Co.: Barclay, July 2, 1931, R. H. Beamer, 13 (KU). Utah Co.: American Fork, July 22, 1922, E. P. Van Duzee, 2♀ (CAS). Washington: Whitman Co.: Pullman, July 2, 1918, A. C. Burrill, 1♀ (USNM). Yakima Co.: Yakima, July 3, 1930, A. R. Rolfs, 13, 1♀ (USNM). Yakima, June 20, 0191, A. R. Rolfs, 53, 9♀ (TAMU). Wyoming: Teton Co.: Jackson, July 15, 1961, J. E. R. Stainer, 13 (CNC).