Polyozus bulita, WEIRAUCH, 2007

WEIRAUCH, CHRISTIANE, 2007, Revision and Cladistic Analysis of the Polyozus Group of Australian Phylini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 3590, pp. 1-64 : 45-46

Polyozus bulita , new species figures 1 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 17–20

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Bullock Creek, Camfield Homestead , 17.1 ° S 131.25 ° E, 17 Aug 1982 – 20 Aug 1982, I. Archibald, Light Trap, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00088030 ) ( AM).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the large size (2.86–3.51), stout and ovoid body, reddish brown coloration, and characters of the male genitalia, most notably the small vesica with dorsal apical process long, slender, and acute, without serration, proximal process squarish, slender and elongate, median apical process weakly sclerotized, tree-shaped with several branches, and ventral apical process long and slender, connected to strap of vesical body by broad sclerotized strap. Distinguished from all other species of Polyozus by the stout ovoid body shape, the short and stout antennal segment 2, and the reddish brown coloration.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Large (2.86–3.51), ovoid and stout, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.15–2.31, width across pronotum 1.21–1.37. COLORATION ( fig. 1 ): General coloration light brown with red tinge. Head: Vertex pale with six red fasciae, the most posterior fascia large, base of clypeus with red mark, clypeus with paired, longitudinal red stripes, mandibular and maxillary plates, gena, and gula pale with red suffusion. Antennal segments pale, segment 1 suffused with red, and segment 4 slightly infuscate. Labial segments pale, segment 1 suffused with red, labium infuscate toward apex. Thorax: Pronotum light brown with red suffusion, with anterior margin very pale, almost white, red suffusion most prominent on calli; mesonotum and scutellum red with apex of scutellum pale or white. Pleura pale with extensive red suffusion, mesepisternum mostly red, evaporatory area mostly pale. Legs: Pale with bases of coxae suffused with red, red spots on femora, similarly distributed on the three pairs of legs, tibial spines dark, with indistinct dark bases, tarsi infuscate. Hemelytra: Corium light brown, almost translucent, with red suffusion, exocorium and cuneus red, cuneus with narrow proximal area pale, membrane translucent, cells and area distal to cuneus only weakly infuscate. Abdomen: Mostly dark red or reddish brown, with small pale areas, especially on lateral margins of anterior sternites and on pygophore. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum weakly shining, densely covered with adpressed, flattened, silvery or dark brown setae, scattered suberect, stout, dark, simple setae, especially on pronotal margins ( fig. 4C ). STRUCTURE: Head: Very short triangular, much wider than long, vertex not as wide as width of one eye, clypeus not distinctly produced, maxillary plate large and not sunken, eye large, as high as head, and much longer dorsally than ventrally. Antennal segment 1 very stout and short, not surpassing apex of head, segment 2 short and stout, tapering at both ends, segments 3 and 4 very slender compared to segment 2, segment 3 longer than segment 4. Labium slender, just reaching base of metacoxa. Thorax: Pronotum wider than long, anterior margin very weakly sinuate. Legs: Claws of moderate length, slender, and moderate-sized pulvilli ( fig. 5C ). Hemelytra: Convex laterally, cuneus elongate triangular. Abdomen: Stout, reaching to about middle of cuneus. GENITALIA: Parameres: Right paramere, see figure 7 ; left paramere ( fig. 9 ) with anterior process short and slender, posterior process long, slender, bent ventrad, and truncate at apex, body with short but distinct, almost horizontal lobe. Phallotheca ( fig. 11 ): External portion tubular with tapering apex, anterior surface basally with shallow horizontal flange, no serrate lobes, opening ventral, short, elongate ovate. Vesica ( fig. 12 ): Small, with dorsal apical process long, slender, and acute, without serration, proximal process squarish, slender and elongate, median apical process tree-shaped with several branches, weakly sclerotized, ventral apical process long and slender, connected to strap of vesical body by broad sclerotized strap.

Female: Coloration, size, and shape similar to male. Total length 3.11–3.22, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.13–2.48, width across pronotum 1.30–1.41.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for one of the collecting sites, Bulita outstation in the Northern Territory.

HOST: Unknown, collected at light.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from three collecting events, two in the Northern Territory and one in South Australia close to the boarder of the Northern Territory. This species seems to be restricted to the dry interior of Australia ( fig. 17 ) .

DISCUSSION: Although the male genitalia unambiguously associates this species with the remaining species of Polyozus , P. bulita is distinct from all other species of the genus Polyozus by its different body shape (ovoid) and distinct coloration (brown and reddish, rather than green). The cladistic analysis presented here treats P. bulita as the sister group to all remaining species of Polyozus ( figs. 18 , 19 ).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Bulita outstation, 16.07 ° S 130.25 ° E, 22 Jun 1986 – 03 Jul 1986, M. Malipatil, Light Trap, 153 ( AMNH _ PBI 00168429–00168443 , AMNH _ PBI 00087652 ), 3♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00- 168444–00168446) ( MAGD) . Bullock Creek, Camfield Homestead , 17.1 ° S 131.25 ° E, 17 Aug 1982 – 20 Aug 1982, I. Archibald, Light Trap, 193 ( AMNH _ PBI 00088020 – PBI 0008- 8029 , AMNH _ PBI 00088031–00088039 ), 13♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00088048–00088060 ) ( AM) . Light Trap, 53 ( AMNH _ PBI 00088040– 00088043 , AMNH _ PBI 00139099 ), 4♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00088044 – PBI 00088047 ) ( AMNH) . South Australia: Cadelga Homestead , 26.08949 ° S 140.4106 ° E, 150 m, 04 Nov 1998, Schuh, Cassis, Silveira, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00087709 ) ( AM) .

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus photographs of Ancoraphylus spp., Exocarpocoris spp., and Polyozus pp.

Fig. 4. Setae comprising hemelytral vestiture. A, Ancoraphylus arctous (AMNH_PBI 00087680); B, Exocarpocoris tantulus (AMNH_PBI 00135796); C, Polyozus bulita (AMNH_PBI 00168436); D, P. furcilla (AMNH_PBI 00099437); E, P. galbanus (AMNH_PBI 00139062); F, P. kojonup (AMNH_PBI 00136470). Scale bar: 50 mm.

Fig. 5. Pretarsus. A, Ancoraphylus arctous (AMNH_PBI 00087680); B, Exocarpocoris tantulus (AMNH_PBI 00135796); C, Polyozus bulita (AMNH_PBI 00168436); D, P. furcilla (AMNH_PBI 00099437); E, P. galbanus (AMNH_PBI 00139062); F, P. kojonup (AMNH_PBI 00136470). Scale bar: 50 mm.

Fig. 7. Right parameres of species of Ancoraphylus, Exocarpocoris, and Polyozus.

Fig. 9. Left paramere of species of Polyozus, shown in dorsal and lateral view. Numbers on illustrations refer to characters and character states in table 2.

Fig. 11. Phallotheca of species of Polyozus, in dorsal and ventral perspective. Numbers on illustrations refer to characters and character states in table 2.

Fig. 12. Vesica of species of Ancoraphylus, Exocarpocoris, and Polyozus.

Fig. 17. Distribution of species of Polyozus.

Fig. 18. Phylogenetic relationships of the 16 species of the Polyozus group: The strict consensus of the eight equally most parsimonious trees (L 5 91; CI 5 67; RI 5 83) derived from the character matrix in table 3. Solid circles on the branches indicate uniquely derived apomorphic character states; empty circles indicate homoplastic characters under unambiguous character optimization. Figures above the bars indicate number of character as shown in table 2 and appendix 1; figures below bars indicate the character state. Large figures in shaded circles denominate clades. Branch support values (Bremer support) are given above branches in square boxes.

Fig. 19. Strict consensus of the two most parsimonious trees obtained with the analysis using implied weights. Characters and clades are shown as explained in figure 18.

Fig. 20. Fast optimization of host plants of Phylini of the Polyozus group on the strict consensus of the unweighted analysis.