Slaterocoris elongatus, Schwartz, 2011

Schwartz, Michael D., 2011, Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The North American Genus Slaterocoris Wagner With New Synonymy, The Description Of Five New Species And A New Genus From Mexico, And A Review Of The Genus Scalponotatus Kelton (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (354), pp. 1-290 : 252-254

Slaterocoris elongatus , new species

Figures 13 , 59 , 60 ; plates 2 , 4G; map 12

HOLOTYPE: MALE: ‘‘ MEXICO: Puebla 4 mi east of Azumbilla [18.697836 N 97.340196 W, 2113 m], July 22, 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, Friedlander; taken on Montanoa sp. [ Asteraceae ], det. Oswaldo Tellez ’97’’ ( AMNH _PBI 00184691). Holotype Slaterocoris elongatus n. sp. det. M.D. Schwartz, 2010 [red label]. Deposited in the collection of the Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, D.F.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from all other Slaterocoris species by the large size and conspicuous sexually dimorphic hemelytron, with male elongate with parallel-sided costal margin and female obovate (pl. 2); black except for pale whitish yellow on the coxae, except basally, trochanters, femora, except for the sharply delineated black apical halves, and tarsomeres I and II (fig. 13); the vestiture of silvery white, long, practically erect setae (pl. 4G, fig. 59B); and the right paramere with five large, ventrally directed spines (fig. 60E), endosomal spicule with ventral lobe bifurcate and dorsal lobe trifurcate (fig. 60A), and a large, medial, tergal process with slightly twisted, serrate apex (fig. 60F).

DESCRIPTION: Male: Large, elongate, length 6.80–7.10, width 1.88–2.25 (pl. 2); hemelytron elongate, costal margin parallel. COLORATION: Shining black, except for pale whitish yellow on coxa, except for base, trochanter, basal one half of femur, and tarsomeres I and II (fig. 13). VESTITURE: Densely distributed, long, practically erect silvery white setae (pl. 4G; fig. 59B); setae on antenna long, about three times as long as segment II at base; tibia with setae longer than tibial bristles. DORSAL SCULPTURATION: Frons striate, vertex rugose (fig. 59A); calli rugose, pronotal disc deeply rugulopunctate. STRUCTURE: Labium reaching posterior margin of mesosternum; metepisternal scent gland as figure 59C; length of abdomen including parameres extending to even with base of cuneus, in lateral view. GENITALIA: Pygophore: Moderately broad, medial tergal process, apex sparsely serrate, slightly twisted in relation to aperture margin, and reaching apex of proctiger (fig. 60F). Phallotheca: Left dorsal notch shallowly U-shaped (fig. 60). Endosomal spicule: Dorsal lobe of spicule trifurcate with terminal process serrate, remaining processes smooth margined of unequal length; ventral lobe recurved, bifurcate with serrate margined processes (fig. 60A). Right paramere: With three or four large ventrally directed spines, basalmost spine apically serrate, length subequal to length of paramere apical to spine; apical region bifid, with large terminal spines (fig. 60E). Left paramere: Shaft moderately long, in apical view approximately equal to length of paramere body in lateral view; apical portion slightly constricted subapically (fig. 60C, D).

Female: Large, elongate ovoid, length 5.90–6.25, width 2.00–2.20 (pl. 2). GENITALIA: GENITALIA: First gonapophyses: Left overlapping right, in ventral view, comparative size at overlap with left greater than right. Left first gonapophyses: Dorsal surface concave, apex broadly convoluted. Vestibulum, anteroventral margin of anterior wall: Widely sclerotized medially, with sclerotized reaching lateral margins of bursa copulatrix. Ventral labiate plate: Strongly produced ventrally with right side somewhat more produced than left, moderately wide and triangular at base. Second gonapophyses: Anterior medial surface slightly convex. Interramal sclerite: Dorsomedial region flat, not produced anteriorly; medial sclerite with posterior surface tumid, abutting ovipositor bulb, and not greatly overlapped by lateral sections of interramal sclerite. Interramal lobe: Broad, with broadly protruding, curved medial margin and with short, narrow, more dorsal lobe; ventral apex short, practically truncate, nominally attenuate, with strong marginal serration.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin elongatus , ‘‘prolonged,’’ for the long, parallel-sided body of the male.

HOSTS: All known specimens were taken from a species of Montanoa Llave and Lex. (Asteraceae) . Further collecting is needed to determine which species of Montanoa serve as the breeding host. Comprising approximately 25 species, Montanoa is widespread in the New World and contains forms ranging from small shrubs in semixeric habitats to large cloud forest trees ( Funk and Raven, 1980).

DISTRIBUTION: 15 specimens are known from the single collection event in July at the type locality in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca of southeastern Puebla, Mexico ( map 12 ).

DISCUSSION: Within the punctatus group, the cladistic analysis places S. elongatus in an clade with S. clavatus and S. tanydexios . This group of three species is supported by two nonhomoplasious states of leg coloration (coxa and base of femur pale; 3-1, 4-1), and one homoplasious character (vestiture long, 8-2). The sublinear or obovate costal margin of the female (15-0) is a homoplastic character shared by S. elongatus and S. maculatus . Although placed in a clade with S. clavatus and S. tanydexios , the male genitalia of S. elongatus show affinity with two other species in the punctatus group, S. maculatus and S. punctatus . These two species and S. elongatus share the bifurcate ventral lobe of the endosomal spicule and dorsal lobe of the right paramere with widely separated spines and large, parallel apical spines.

PARATYPES: MEXICO: Puebla: 4 mi E of Azumbilla, 18.697836 N 97.340196 W, 2113 m, 22 Jul 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, Friedlander, Montanoa sp. , det. Oswaldo Tellez 1997, 18 (00184693), 1♀ (00184702) (AMNH), 18 (00184694), 3♀ (00184700–00184701, 00184703), 18 (00118447) (CNC), 18 (00184692), 5♀ (00184695–00184699), 18 (00094245) (TAMU).

Figures

Plate 2. Dorsal habitus photographs of Slaterocoris elongatus—S. pilosus (see appendix 1 for USI codes and localities).

Map 12. Localities for Slaterocoris clavatus, S. elongatus, S. maculatus, S. punctatus, S. simplex, S. subalbicans, and S. tanydexios.

Fig. 13. Hind leg coloration for Slaterocoris species.

Fig. 59. Slaterocoris elongatus, scanning electron micrographs. A. Head and pronotum, lateral view. B. Hemelytron, dorsal view. C. Mesothoracic spiracle and metathoracic scent-efferent system, lateral view.

Fig. 60. Slaterocoris elongatus, male genitalia. 4 mi E of Azumbilla, PU.