Plagiognathus, Fieber, 1858

Çerçi, Barış, 2022, A new species of Plagiognathus (Heteroptera: Miridae) associated with the locally endemic Phlomis leucophracta (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) from Karaman, Turkey, European Journal of Taxonomy 806, pp. 148-160 : 157

Identification key of Western Palearctic * species of Plagiognathus with predominantly pale yellow vestiture **

1. Dorsum unicolorous dark brown to black, antennal segments completely black, sometimes third and fourth segments dark brown. Vesica: cf. Schuh (2001: fig. 39). Body length: 3.3–3.6 mm (♂♂), 3.2–3.5 mm (♀♀). West Mediterranean, Balkan peninsula, Turkey.................................... P. reuterellus Schuh, 2001 (= P. flavipes Reuter, 1875 , preoccupied)

– Dorsum whitish yellow to orange colored, antennal segments either unicolorous yellow or yellow with dark rings in first and second segments .................................................................................... 2

2. Corium with a faint black stripe along outer margin of endocorium, cuneus largely black, first antennal segment yellow with basal ring and pre-apical dots, second antennal segment yellow with very narrow basal ring ( Fig. 2F ), vesica as in Fig. 3A–C . Body length: 2.6–2.9 mm (♂♂), 2.6– 3.0 mm (♀♀). Endemic to Turkey................................................................ P. ozgurkocaki sp. nov.

– Hemelytra and antennae unicolorous, body length 3.0– 4.2 mm ...................................................... 3

3. Membrane without a black spot, interocular distance 1.1–1.2 × as long as the eye width ( Fig. 4B ). Vesica: cf. Linnavuori (2010: figs 10g –h). Body length: 3.8–4.0 mm (♂♂), 3.5–3.8 mm (♀♀). Iran, Turkey.......................................................................................... P. marivanensis Linnavuori, 2010

– Membrane with a black spot, interocular distance 1.5–1.7 × as long as the eye width ( Fig. 4C ). Vesica cf. Schuh (2001: fig. 39). Body length: 3.1–3.4 mm (♂♂), 3.0– 3.6 mm (♀♀). Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkey................................................................................... P. bipunctatus albicans ( Reuter, 1901)

* Western Palearctic Region includes Europe, Northern Africa and South-West Asia, as defined by Vigna Taglianti et al. (1999).

** Some specimens of Plagiognathus bipunctatus albicans can have predominantly black vestiture.

Figures

Fig. 2. Plagiognathus ozgurkocaki sp. nov. A. ♂, holotype (LEMT). B. ♀, paratype (LEMT). C. Head from dorsal view, ♂, paratype (LEMT). D. Head from lateral view, ♂, paratype (LEMT). E. Variability of buccal plate, ♂, paratype (LEMT). F. Antenna, ♂, paratype (LEMT). Scale bars: A–B = 1 mm; C–F = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 3. Plagiognathus ozgurkocaki sp. nov., ♂, paratype (LEMT). A–C. Vesica from different perspectives. D–G. Left paramere from different perspectives. H. Right paramere. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 4. Plagiognathus spp. A. P. ozgurkocaki sp. nov., ♂, paratype (LEMT). B. P. marivanensis Linnavuori, 2010, ♂ (BCIT), Karaman. C. P. bipunctatus albicans (Reuter, 1901), ♂ (BCIT), Karaman. D. P. bipunctatus bipunctatus, ♂ (BCIT), İzmir. Scale bar = 1 mm.