Tuxedo flavicollis (Knight)

SCHUH, RANDALL T., 2004, Revision of Tuxedo Schuh (Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 3435 (1), pp. 1-26 : 18-19

Tuxedo flavicollis (Knight)

Figures 1 , 2

Microphylellus flavicollis Knight, 1929: 43 (n.sp.).

Tuxedo flavicollis: Schuh, 2001: 252 (n.comb.).

HOLOTYPE: Female: ‘‘Tampico, Wash., May 10, 1926, E. W. Davis Coll. ’’ Deposited in the National Museum of Natural History , Washington, D.C.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the relatively large size, uniformly dark coloration of the dorsum, except for the pale base of the cuneus (fig. 1); males rarely with a faint marking on the clavus. Apical vesical spine in the male genitalia with a distinct tooth (fig. 2). Most similar in appearance to dark­colored specimens of susansolomonae , but distinguished from that species by the larger size and the distally infuscate fore­ and middle femora, with only the hind femora being darkened in susansolomonae .

DESCRIPTION: Male: Relatively large; total length 3.32–3.84, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.33–2.71, width pronotum 1.01– 1.21. COLORATION (fig. 1): Background coloration castaneous; basal one­third to onehalf of cuneus creamy white; clavus infrequently with a rounded pale area just posterior to apex of scutellum, but always of limited extent and never forming a transverse fascia; antennal segments 1–4 entirely black; entire labium infuscate; all coxae pale, all femora pale proximally and infuscate on distal onethird to one­half, all tibiae weakly to strongly infuscate. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (fig. 1): Pronotum moderately shining, remainder of dorsum weakly shining. STRUC­ TURE: Body moderately rounded and convex in dorsal view. GENITALIA (figs. 2, 5H): Body of vesica with broad, open curve at base; vesica with a single apical spine extending well beyond secondary gonopore and envelope of vesica, spine relatively broad and with a distinct subapical tooth.

Female: Relatively large; total length 3.23–3.48, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.19–2.43, width pronotum 1.04–1.22. COLORATION (fig. 1): Background coloration of dorsum frequently castaneous, as in male, but always with cunei creamy­white on basal one­third to one­half and with transverse fascia at apex of scutellum always broad and complete, extending to and including costal margin of wing; pronotum sometimes with a broad, pale brown or yellowish band across posterior lobe, in which case hemelytra ranging from faded castaneous to pale brown; all antennal segments, and legs, including coxae, pale except for castaneous distal half of hind femur. SUR­ FACE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE: As in generic description.

HOST: Known from Quercus spp. (Fagaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION: Eastern Washington south to San Luis Obispo County, California .

DISCUSSION: Schuh (2001) noted that it is unfortunate that the holotype of T. flavicollis from Tampico, Washington (near Yakima), is a female and in poor condition. Subsequent to writing that statement other material from H. H. Knight’s collection has come to light, also collected at Tampico, Washington. Included is one male with the same collection data as the holotype female, and three males and one female collected by A. R. Rolfs on May 21, 1932. None of these specimens has host data. The Rolfs specimens bear identification labels that read ‘‘ Plagiognathus cruralis Van D. Det. H. H. Knight. ’’ There is no date on the ID labels, so it impossible to know when Knight made the determinations; however, the style of the locality and ID labeling is more modern than that for the material collected by E. W. Davis on which the original description of Microphyllelus flavicollis was based, so I would conclude that the cruralis identifications postdate the publication of the description of T. flavicollis .

It is my opinion that all of the specimens from Tampico, Washington, referred to above represent T. flavicollis . This judgment is based on the similarity in appearance of the female holotype of flavicollis and the female specimen collected by Rolfs. The dimensions of these specimens are also very similar: holotype (measurements from Knight, 1929)— total length 3.40, width head 0.78, width vertex 0.37; Rolfs female—total length 3.43, width head 0.77, width vertex 0.37. The specimens from Tampico, Washington are among the largest of all known Tuxedo specimens. A substantial amount of material of similar dimension is known from central California, especially from the coastal counties with labels indicating collection on Quercus spp. In the north, specimens in this size range are known from Hood River County, Oregon, and from Tampico, Yakima County, Washington. The male genitalia of the Tampico specimens are very similar to the large specimens from California (fig. 2), and differ consistently from the much more widely distributed, commonly­collected, and consistently smaller oak feeder I am calling susansolomonae , new species (see fig. 2).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: USA: California: Alameda Co.: 10 mi E of Livermore, Tesla Road, April 18, 1962, J. Doyen, 13, 1♀ (UCB). Butte Co.: Chico, April 28, 1922, E. P. Van Duzee, Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , 13, 11♀ (CAS). Oroville, April 27, 1927, H. H. Keifer, Quercus lobata (Fagaceae) , 3♀ (CAFA, CAS). Oroville, April 29, 1927, H. H. Keifer, Quercus lobata (Fagaceae) , 2♀ (USNM). Calaveras Co.: Altaville, May 4, 1961, W. E. Simonds, 13 (CAFA). Contra Costa Co.: Concord, April 17, 1963, R. M. Brown, 53, 2♀ (CAS). Russellman Park, May 14, 1955, H. B. Leech, 1♀ (CAS). Walnut Creek (San Ramon Cr.), April 7, 1968, J. Powell, Quercus lobata (Fagaceae) , 13, 1♀ (UCB). Walnut Creek, foot of Shell Ridge, April 22, 1962, J. Powell, 213 (UCB). Kern Co.: Tehachapi Mts., 4200–5200 ft, May 15, 1976, N. J. Reimer, 13 (UCB). Lake Co.: Little Borax Lake, May 9, 1951, J. D. Lattin, 1♀ (OSU). Lower Lake, May 18, 1922, E. P. Van Duzee, 1♀ (CAS). Middletown, April 9, 1970, P. W. Wiard, 33 (CAFA). Mendocino Co.: 5 mi N of Branscomb, May 25, 1976, S. Szerlip, Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , 43, 7♀ (UCB). Hopland Experiment Station, 2500– 2800 ft, May 14, 1977, K. Yagi, 33, 5♀ (CAS). Merced Co.: 5 mi S of Hilmar, April 22, 1956, J. I. Stage, 13, 2♀ (CAS). Monterey Co.: 5 air mi NE of Arroyo Seco Guard Station, 800 ft, May 4, 1975, P. Rude and E. Rogers, Quercus douglasii (Fagaceae) , 53, 2♀ (CAS, UCB). 6 mi W of Greenfield, Wiley Ranch, 1200 ft, May 3, 1975, J. Powell and S. Szerlip, Quercus douglasii (Fagaceae) , 103, 7♀ (UCB). Bryson, May 20, 1920, E. P. Van Duzee, 2♀ (CAS). Paraiso Springs, April 14, 1932, L. S. Slevin, 1♀ (CAS). Santa Lucia Memorial Camp, Lost Padres Natl. Forest , April 23, 1977, D. Wil­ der, 13 (CAS). Placer Co.: Auburn, May 19, 1967, T. A. Sears, 13 (UCD). Sacramento Co.: Andrus Island, March 31, 1931, Rosaceae , 1♀ (CAFA). Arcade Creek, April 2, 1934, H. H. Keifer, Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , 1♀ (CAFA). Fair Oaks, April 15, 1933, H. H. Keifer, Quercus wizlenzii (Fagaceae) , 43 (CAFA). Sacramento, April 9, 1930, H. H. Keifer, Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , 3♀ (CAFA). San Luis Obispo Co.: E of Arroyo Grande, Huasna Valley, Avenales Guard Station Jct., 840 ft, May 9, 1985, R. T. Schuh and B. M. Massie, 13, 15♀ (AMNH). San Mateo Co.: Portola Valley, May 4, 1917, W. M. Giffard, 1♀ (CAS). Santa Clara Co. : Stanford University, April 16, 1915, 13, 1♀ (USNM). Santa Cruz Co. : No specific locality, June 7, 1917, W. M. Giffard, 13 (USNM). Shasta Co.: Redding, April 14, 1968, R. P. Allen, 13 (CAFA). Sonoma Co. : Petaluma Marsh, April 24, 1980, J. T. Polhemus, 1♀ (JTP). Stanislaus Co.: Del Puerto Canyon, Frank Raines Park, 1200 ft, April 12, 1974, D. Green, 13 (UCB). Tehama Co. : 0.3 mi N of Red Bluff, 304 ft, April 14, 1981, M. D. Schwartz, Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , 23, 4♀ (AMNH). Red Bluff, jct Rts 36 and 15, April 26, 1980, L. Russell and M. D. Schwartz, Quercus garryana (Fagaceae) , 2♀ (AMNH). Ventura Co.: Casitas Reserve, N end, March 15, 1967, P. A. Opler, 13 (UCB). Yolo Co.: Putah Canyon, April 6, 1957, J. Powell, Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , 13, 2♀ (UCB). Oregon: Hood River Co.: Hood River, May 21, 1893, 1♀ (CNC). Washington: Yakima Co.: Tampico, May 10, 1926, E. W. Davis, 13, holotype ♀. Tampico, May 21, 1932, A. R. Rolfs, 33, 1♀ (USNM).

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus views of Tuxedo spp. See appendix 1 for localities.

Fig. 2. Male genitalia of Tuxedo spp. See appendix 1 for localities.