Slaterocoris apache

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 : 93

Slaterocoris apache species group

DIAGNOSIS: Among Slaterocoris species with a small right paramere, the members of this group have a prominent basal lobe or spine when compared to the flavipes group, where two species ( S. sheridani , and S. sparsus ), which closely resemble the members of the apache group, have the basal lobe broad. The same area in the latter species group has at most a bifurcate tubercle. The variation in the male genitalia of the apache group is great, but minute characteristics of the right paramere and endosomal spicule, in conjunction with coloration and vestiture differences, nevertheless allow for recognition of individual species. COLORATION: Black, including unicolorous vertex; male with antennal segment I and II usually concolorous black; segment I of female sometimes with apex and dorsal surface paler; legs predominantly black; sometimes apices and variable portions of femora paler, orange-red; hind tibia either black or pale; tarsomeres usually black, rarely with segment I and II pale; membrane of hemelytron uniformly fuscate or rarely with pale medial spot. VESTITURE: Reclining simple setae usually moderately long and with variable color and density. STRUCTURE: Body conformation usually dimorphic, male and female with arcuate costal margins; frons usually smooth; antennal segment II usually longer than length of foretibia. MALE GENITALIA: Pygophore: Aperture with short tergal process on right side with one or two point(s) directed toward midline (fig. 19E). Phallotheca: Left lateral surface slightly compressed (fig. 25H). Endosomal spicule: Ventral lobe of spicule with relatively uniform thickness throughout distal region (fig. 18A–E), apex with variable marginal serration (fig. 22A–H); sometimes apex flattened (fig. 26C–E) or long and attenuate (fig. 24A, B); dorsal lobe of spicule entire and flattened with narrow (fig. 19A, 22F) or wide distal region (fig. 26G). Right paramere: Small with variable number of apical spines, short subapical region, and erect, prominent basal lobe (figs. 17, 19D, 21, 25K–N, 27J–N). Left paramere: Distal portion shorter than basal portion and with scalloped ventral margin (figs. 25I, J, 26H, I). FEMALE GENITALIA: First gonapophyses: Left overlapping right, in ventral view, width of left greater than right at overlap; right lateral surface moderately large (fig. 23B). Left first gonapophyses: Dorsal surface concave and with narrow apex (fig. 23A). Vestibulum, anteroventral margin of anterior wall: Sclerotized medially, and reaching lateral margins of bursa copulatrix. Ventral labiate plate: Strongly produced, base moderately wide, triangular; sometimes with apical cleft. Second gonapophyses: Anteromedial surface strongly convex (fig. 23D). Interramal sclerite: Dorsomedial region flat, not produced anteriorly; posteromedial portion with tumid process abutting ovipositor bulb (fig. 23C); ventromedial region overlapping ventromedial plate. Interramal lobe: Dorsal or basal insertion with membranous attachment; dorsomedial margin variable; ventral projection short with concave anterior surface.

HOSTS: Species of this group are associated with a small number of western North American species of Asteraceae . The majority of specimens have been recorded on rubber rabbitbrush, Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa (formerly Chrysothamnus nauseosus and C. n. var. albicaulis ), and sagebrush, Artemisia species.