Aitkenia latevagans Carvalho and Gross, 1982

Menard, Katrina L. & Schuh, Randall T., 2011, Revision Of Leucophoropterini: Diagnoses, Key To Genera, Redescription Of The Australian Fauna, And Descriptions Of New Indo-Pacific Genera And Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (361), pp. 1-159 : 23-24

Aitkenia latevagans Carvalho and Gross Figures 2 , 3E–H ; plates 1, 8

Aitkenia latevagans Carvalho and Gross, 1982: 41 , figs. 59–62, 118A (n. sp., descr., disc., DV, MG).

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by castaneous coloration, nearly complete white transverse fascia with a dark brown posterior margin (pl. 1), lateral margins of corium parallel sided, dorsoventrally flattened metafemur, and shape of left paramere. Female recognized by trapezoidal-shaped pronotum in dorsal view with anterior margin relatively narrow compared to posterior margin.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: Macropterous, medium sized, elongate, and parallel sided. Total length 2.92–2.97, width pronotum 0.89–0.90, maximum width across hemelytra 0.94–0.99. COLORATION: Dorsolateral margin of metepisternum with relatively narrow white band not extending to lateral margin of scent gland, width equal to about one-eighth of total width of metepisternum (pl. 8). Remaining characters as in generic description. STRUCTURE: Anterior margin of clypeus surpasses anterior margin of frons, clypeus visible in anterior view. Less than M of total height of head below eyes (pl. 8). GENITA- LIA (fig. 3E–H): Pygophore tapering dorsally toward apex with very small protrusion on ventral-posterior surface. Endosoma: Apex relatively narrow, secondary gonopore weakly sclerotized and not horse-collar shaped (fig. 3F). Phallotheca: Anterior-ventral margin with ridges (fig. 3H). Left Paramere: Dorsomedial margin nearly flat between anterior and posterior process (fig. 3G).

Female: Macropterous, medium sized, with nearly parallel lateral margins. Total length 2.62–3.17, width pronotum 0.87–0.96, maximum width across hemelytra 0.99–1.09. STRUCTURE: Vertex half of total head width. Length antennal segment 2 over 1.25 times total head width. COLORATION: Dark brown dominant color rather than castaneous as in male, antennal segment 2 proximally pale in some specimens. White margin of dorsolateral margin of metepisternum extending ventrally to base of scent gland, unlike male.

HOSTS: Casuarinaceae , specifically Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq.

DISTRIBUTION: New South Wales (fig. 2).

DISCUSSION: Carvalho and Gross (1982) described this species based on a specimen from the Australian Capital Territory and illustrated the genitalia from a Northern Territory specimen, which they did not designate as a paratype due to the high variability they observed for this species. Based on subsequent investigation of the specimen used for the illustrations, the second specimen is in fact a specimen of Aitkenia exocarpos . The male genitalia are therefore redrawn for this species (fig. 3E–H).

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital Territory: Cotter River , 7.xii.1962, D.K. McAlpine. 18 ( ANIC).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 43 km SE of Braidwood, Deua National Park, Deua River, 35.76339 ° S 149.92323 ° E, 100 m, 10 Nov 1995, Schuh and Cassis, ( Casuarinaceae ), 2♀ (00088899, 00088900) ( AM). Bateman’s Bay, 35.71475 ° S 150.1839 ° E, 2 m, 21 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh, Schwartz, Silveira, Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng. (Casuarinaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW658209, 1♀ (00272788) ( AMNH). Warrumbungle National Park, Wambelong Campground, 31.21666 ° S 149.08333 ° E, 550 m, 25 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Casuarina cunninghamiana subsp. cunninghamiana Miq. (Casuarinaceae) , det. R.G. Coveny 1996 NSW 395933, 4♀ (00275380–00275383) ( AM), Casuarina cunninghamiana subsp. cunninghamiana Miq. (Casuarinaceae) , det. R.G. Coveny 1996 NSW 395933, 28 (00272033, 00272034), 17♀ (00272037–00272053) ( AMNH). Yadboro State Forest, Castle Campground, 35.22 ° S 150.1 ° E, 20 Jan 1994, G. Cassis, Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq. (Casuarinaceae) , 5♀ (00371957–00371961) ( AM).

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution map of Aitkenia spp.

Figure 3. Male genitalia of Aitkenia spp., and illustration of weakly sclerotized and horse-collar– shaped secondary gonopores in Leucophoropterini (A–H).