Platycranus alkestis Linnavuori, 1999

Knyshov, Alexander & Konstantinov, Fedor V., 2013, A taxonomic revision of the genus Platycranus Fieber, 1870 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae), Zootaxa 3637 (3), pp. 201-253 : 225-227

Platycranus alkestis Linnavuori, 1999

Figures 12 , 58, 98, 146

Platycranus alkestis Linnavuori, 1999: 39 [n.sp.]

Diagnosis. Distinguished by the following combination of characters: pronotum and scutellum brown, head yellow with pale brown vertex, antennae pale ( Fig. 12 ), first antennal segment relatively long, 0.7 × as long as width of head, hemelytra pale. Clearly differs from all other species of subgenus Genistocapsus in having brown-colored pronotum and scutellum, relatively long first antennal segment, and short body.

Redescription. Male. Small, 3.7. COLORATION. Head: yellowish, with pale brown vertex; antenna pale yellow, segments 3 and 4 slightly darkened. Thorax: pronotum brown with dirty yellowish lateral margins, exposed part of mesonotum, scutellum and scuto-scutellar suture dark brown; pronotal sides, meso- and metapleura yellow.

Hemelytron: uniformly yellow with dark membrane. Legs: yellow, apical part of third segment dark brown. Abdomen: yellow. SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Mesial stiff setae on first antennal segment present; antenna with pale brown simple setae. STRUCTURE. Head: flattened; vertex 1.75 × as wide as eye; first antennal segment long, 0.67 × as long as width of head; second antennal segment 1.85 × as long as width of head and 1.73 × as long as width of pronotum. Thorax: pronotum with straight anterior and posterior margins; 1.94 × as wide as long and 1.0 7 × as wide as head. Hemelytron: cuneus 2.5 × as long as wide. Legs: third tarsal segment nearly equal in length to first and second combined. GENITALIA. Left paramere as in Fig. 98; right paramere with strongly tapering sharp apex ( Fig. 146 ).

Female. (Not studied, given according to Linnavuori [1999]) Small, 3.75. COLORATION. As in male except entirely pale head. SURFACE, AND VESTITURE. As in male. STRUCTURE. As in male except larger interocular distance, vertex 2.34 × as wide as eye; first antennal segment 0.62 × as long as width of head; second antennal segment 1.68 × as long as width of head and 1.53 × as long as width of pronotum; pronotum 2.1 × as wide as long.

Material. Holotype: GREECE: Dodecanese Islands: Petaloudes, Rhodos, 36.444 ° N 28.222 ° E, 29 May 1990, Linnavuori, Genista acanthoclada (Fabaceae) , 13 ( AMNH _PBI 00337123) ( NMWC).

Distribution. So far known exclusively from the type locality, Rhodes Island, Greece (Fig. 58).

Host associations. Genista acanthoclada de Candolle ( Linnavuori 1999).

Discussion. The species is known by only two specimens, male and female. These specimens were collected from two different localities in Rhodes, and we were able to examine only the male holotype. According to the original description, the female paratype has relatively long antennal segments, so despite the entirely pale coloration of vertex it seems to be the same species as the male specimen.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 25. Dorsal habitus of Platycranus species: 12, P. alkestis, male; 13 – 15, P. b i c o l o r: 13 – 14 — males, 15 — female; 16 – 17, P. genistae: 16 — male, 17 — female; 18 – 19, P. pictus: 18 — male, 19 — female; 20 – 23, P. re m a n e i: 20 — male (Slovenia), 21 — male (France), 22 — female (Slovenia), 23 — female (Spain); 24 – 25, P. w a g n e r i: 24 — male, 25 — female.

FIGURES 146 – 150. Right parameres: 146 — P. alkestis; 147 — P. genistae; 148 — P. pictus; 149 - 150 — P. w ag ne ri.