Scalponotatus dissimulans ( Distant, 1893 )

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 : 50

Scalponotatus dissimulans ( Distant, 1893) , new combination

Jornandes dissimulans Distant, 1893: 448 , pl. 39, fig. 12 (orig. desc.); Carvalho and Dolling, 1976: 796 (desig. lectotype); Carvalho, 1988: 101 (restored status); Schuh, 1995: 81 (catalog); Schaffner and Schwartz, 2008: 21 (disc., incertae sedis).

Jornandes subalbicans: Carvalho, 1952: 6 (n. synonymy); Carvalho, 1958: 80 (catalog).

Amulacoris subalbicans: Carvalho and China, 1959: 70 (n. comb.).

Amulacoris dissimulans: Carvalho, 1981: 1 (n. comb.).

HOLOTYPE: MEXICO: Guerrero: Amula [17.63336 N - 99.25006 W], 6000 ft. [1829 m], Sept., H.H. Smith, 1♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00085375 ) ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Jornandes dissimulans Distant, 1893 , was treated as incertae sedis by Carvalho (1988; Schaffner and Schwartz, 2008) based on dorsal sculpturation without dense, small, discrete punctures and the absence of an associated male. However, its cuticular sculpturation, composed of a surface of minute, discrete punctures forming smooth reticulations, does fit the revised diagnosis of Scalponotatus . The female holotype, the only known specimen was not dissected. Absent an association with a male and knowledge of the female genitalia, a better placement for this species is in Scalponotatus , necessitating the new combination, S. dissimulans (Distant) . Although placed in Scalponotatus , the following features of S. dissimulans are unlike any known species of the genus: sparse dorsal vestiture; black coloration with obscure pale markings on the lateral margins of the transverse basal carina and adjacent temporal area of the frons, pale antennal segments I (except with black basally along ventral margin and apically) and II (except black at base and distal one fourth), trochanter, femur apically, tibia (except apex), and tarsomeres I and II; and length of antennal segment II (0.90). Within the genus, the practically glabrous dorsum of S. dissimulans is similar to the vestiture in S. albibasis , S. howdeni , and S. maturus , but it can be distinguished by the black carina of the vertex, shorter length of the hemelytron, and pale antennal segment II and tibia, respectively.