Eremophylus Yasunaga, 2001

Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2022, The plant bug subfamily Phylinae in Japan, with key to genera and descriptions of eight new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae), Zootaxa 5094 (1), pp. 1-52 : 5-6

Genus Eremophylus Yasunaga, 2001

Diagnosis: This Japanese endemic genus is recognized by the following combination of characters: Body elongateovoid, moderate in size (total length 3.2–4.3 mm), with both simple and silvery lanceolate setae; basic coloration brown to dark brown; dorsum weakly shining, matte, with curly or roughly upright vestiture; labium short, shorter than antennal segment II; not exceeding mesial mesocoxa; right paramere elongate, larger than left; vesica (endosoma) broad, sigmoid, bifurcate apically; and female genital chamber with ovoid, thick-rimmed sclerotized rings and relatively developed vestibular sclerite.

Discussion. Eremophylus was proposed by Yasunaga (2001a) to accommodate a single representative, E. hirtus Yasunaga , based on two male specimens found from temperate deciduous forests in Honshu and Shikoku. Schuh & Menard (2013) provisionally placed Eremophylus as incertae sedis within the tribe Phylini , as the original description ( Yasunaga, 2001a) suggested no plausible close relative. Recent field investigation by some enthusiastic colleagues yielded an additional species ( E. nakagawai n. sp.) and more than a few female specimens of E. hirtus , which enables to posit its suprageneric placement in the subtribe Oncotylina .

Based on similarity in the vestiture pattern and genitalic structures, Eremophylus is now assumed to have closest relationship with Europiella . The following diagnostic characters are shared by both genera: presence of both simple setae and silvery lanceolate setae; elongate right paramere that is much longer than left; and sigmoid vesica with bifurcate apical part. On the other hand, Eremophylus species are arboreal, whereas the majority of Europiella are associated with herbaceous weeds (mostly Asteraceae ) ( Yasunaga, 2001d; Schuh, 2004). Further investigation depending upon the DNA sequence data is encouraged to determine the unequivocal systematic position of this unique genus currently considered endemic to Japan.