Euryopicoris, REUTER, 1875

Tatarnic, Nikolai J. & Cassis, Gerasimos, 2012, The Halticini of the world (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae): generic reclassification, phylogeny, and host plant associations, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (3), pp. 558-658 : 599-601

EURYOPICORIS REUTER ( FIGS 3 , 26–27 )

Euryopicoris Reuter, 1875b: 11 (gen. nov.; type species: Capsus nitidus Meyer-Dür, 1843 (by monotypy); Stichel, 1933: 235 (key); Hedicke, 1935: 58 (key); Kiritshenko, 1951: 127 (key); Wagner, 1952: 96, 105 (key, descr.); Carvalho, 1955: 66 (key); Euryopicoris Reuter, 1875b: 24 (typogr. error, key); Reuter, 1875b (1): 87; (2): 99 (key, descr.); Reuter, 1891: 60, 158 (descr., key); Hueber, 1906: 4, 11 (key, descr.); Kirkaldy, 1906: 131 (cat.); Oshanin, 1910: 790 (cat.); Reuter, 1910: 147 (cat.); Carvalho, 1952: 73 (cat.); Carvalho, 1958: 11 (cat.); Wagner & Weber, 1964: 274 (descr.); Wagner, 1973: 51 (descr.); Schuh, 1995: 53 (world cat.).

Diagnosis: Distinguished from other genera by the combination of punctate, coleopteroid hemelytra and curved pro- and mesotibiae.

Redescription: Both sexes usually coleopterous, males rarely macropterous. 3–4.5 mm. Coloration ( Fig. 3 ): nearly uniform glossy black, sometimes with yellowbrown at apices of femora and antennal segments, hemelytra of macropterous individuals reddishbrown; eyes red. Surface and vestiture ( Figs 3 , 26A–F, H ): surface glossy; head smooth with radiating folds emanating from centre of vertex; pronotum irregularly rugulose anteriorly, punctate posteriorly; scutellum rugulose; hemelytron punctate. Body with sparse distribution of simple setae, mostly on ventral part of head and ventral and lateral surfaces of body; antennae and legs with semi-erect spine-like setae interspersed with longer, thicker spines, particularly on AI and tibiae. Structure: head ( Figs 3 , 26A–E ): transverse, broader than anterior of pronotum; vertex flat, posterior margin thin, weakly bisinuate; eyes small and rounded, substylate; head height approximately three times eye height; frons broadly rounded, confluent with clypeus; buccula thin; labium ( Fig. 26D, E ): reaches mesocoxae, LI short and thick. Antennae ( Figs 3 , 26A–E ): insertion in front and below ventral margin of eye; short, approximately as long as body; AI swollen, about two times length of eye height; AIII shorter than AIV. Thorax ( Figs 3 , 26A, B, E–G ): pronotum short, trapezoidal and nearly flat, posterior slightly broader than head, collar absent, callosite region weakly tumescent, lateral margins rounded, humeral angles broadly rounded, posterior margin weakly medially cleft; mesoscutum not visible; scutellum transverse; metathoracic spiracle prominent and elongate, surrounded by a thin band of evaporative bodies; MTG external efferent system broad, triangular, and swollen, ostiole vertically orientated, opens laterally, peritreme tear-shaped, orientated vertically, surrounded by evaporative bodies. Hemelytra ( Figs 3 , 26A ): macropterous: extending beyond apex of abdomen; costal margin weakly convex, nearly straight; membrane with single cell. Coleopterous individuals: long, partially covering tergite VI; undivided; lateral margins rounded, posterior margins weakly rounded. Legs ( Figs 3 , 26H ): metafemora slightly incrassate; fore- and mesotibiae distinctly curved and thickened; pretarsi with fleshy pulvilli. Abdomen ( Fig. 3 ): pear-shaped in both sexes, becoming conical at apex. Male genitalia ( Fig. 27A–C ): pygophore conical, genital opening narrow, posterior margin weakly sinuate, with shallow concavity below left paramere; both parameres long and thin basally; left paramere with tumescent sensory lobe, apophysis angled upwards, apically hooked; right paramere with angled apical club, apicolateral margin recurved; phallotheca broad basally, apically tapering; ductus seminis elongate, basally with flexible ribbing, subapically with elongate, weakly sclerotized section lacking flexible ribbing; secondary gonopore rounded, sclerotized, and U-shaped with prised operculum and fine scale-like texturing; endosoma with a single spine-like spicule. Female genitalia ( Fig. 27E, F ): sclerotized rings widely separated, strongly sclerotized, oval, lateral, and medial margins and adjacent portions of DLP strongly upturned; lateral margins of DLP moderately sclerotized, medially with transverse bilaterally sulcate sclerotized plate (similar to the inter-ramal bridge in Labops ), middle of plate a small carinate point projecting into bursa copulatrix; posterior margin of VLP weakly sclerotized; posterior wall of bursa copulatrix simple and plate-like, medially membranous, laterally weakly sclerotized; vestibulum symmetrical, opening bordered by short, narrow paired sclerites.

Diversity and distribution: There are two species of Euryopicoris , with Euryopicoris fennicus known only from Finland and Euryopicoris nitidus broadly distributed across central Europe into Siberia.

Included species: Eu. fennicus Wagner, 1954 Finland

Eu. nitidus ( Meyer-Dür, 1843) * Central and North Europe; Siberia

Biology and host plant associations: Euryopicoris nitidus is found in mountain meadows and is said to live on grasses. Adults are found from June to August. This species overwinters as eggs ( Wagner, 1973). There is no biological information for Eu. fennicus .

Remarks: Euryopicoris is similar to Anapus and Barbarosia in general structure. Although the secondary gonopore of Euryopicoris is most similar to that of Anapus , the lack of prominent sclerotized processes on the female posterior wall, the punctate hemelytra, and the curved fore- and mesotibiae of Euryopicoris set it apart. Euryopicoris shares punctate coleopteroid hemelytra and a bulging frons with Barbarosia , but the structure of the DLP in Euryopicoris is relatively simple in contrast to the complexity expressed in Barbarosia . Results of both unweighted and implied weighting phylogenetic analyses placed these three genera in a monophyletic clade, which together form the sister group to Myrmecophyes , Labops , and Scirtetellus .

Figures

Figure 3. Photographs of Halticini genera: Acratheus–Halticus. Abbreviations: F, female; M, male.

Figure 26. Scanning electron micrograph images of Euryopicoris nitidus (female). A, dorsum; B, head and pronotum, dorsal view; C, head, anterior view; D, head, ventral view; E, head and thorax, lateral view; F, thorax, lateral view; G, detail of external efferent system of the metathoracic scent gland evaporative bodies; H, tarsus.

Figure 27. Male and female genitalia of Euryopicoris nitidus. A, left paramere; B, right paramere; C, aedeagus; D, bursa copulatrix, ventral view; E, opening of vestibulum; F, posterior wall.