Brachycoleus medes, Hosseini & Mohammadi, 2019

Hosseini, Reza & Mohammadi, Saadi, 2019, A new species of the genus Brachycoleus (Hemiptera: Miridae), with a revised identification key to the species found in Iran, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 63-69 : 64-69

Brachycoleus medes sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 , Table 1 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, IRAN: KURDISTAN PROVINCE: Sarvabad, Dezli (35°21 ′ N 46°10 ′ E, 1806 m), 15.v.2017; S. Mohammadi lgt. PARATYPES (7 ♁♁ 12 ♀♀): 4 ♁♁ 5 ♀♀, same data as holotype; 3 ♁♁ 7 ♀♀, IRAN: KURDISTAN PROVINCE: Sarvabad, Daraki (35°17 ′ N, 46°11 ′ E. 1876 m). 3.vi.2018, S. Mohammadi lgt.. The holotype and most paratypes are deposited in the Natural History Museum of the University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran; two paratypes will be deposited at the Hayk-Mirzayans Insect Museum ( HMIM) in Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection ( IRIPP), Tehran, Iran.

Diagnosis. Brachycoleus medes sp. nov. is recognized by the following combination of characters: body elongate- ovoid, mostly black ( Fig. 1 ), pronotum and scutellum uniformly black in males, with orange to stramineous stripe along embolium in both sexes, extending to cuneus, interrupted by a narrow black mark at the cuneus anterior margin. In males, antennomere I black, antennomere II black with proximal quarter indistinctly stramineous ( Fig. 1 ); antennomere I incrassate ( Fig. 1 ), 0.77–0.84× (♁♁) / 0.71–0.86× (♀♀) as long as head width, 1.74–1.84× (♁♁) / 1.43–1.66× (♀♀) longer than interocular distance; antennomere II 1.65–2.2× (♁♁) / 2× (♀♀) longer than head width; ocular index 1.56–1.80 in males, 1.87–2.10 in females; femora black in males.

Description. Male. Coloration. Body mostly black ( Fig. 1A ). Head: frons, vertex, posterior margin, maxillary plates and clypeus black ( Fig. 1C ); mandibular plates, margin of eyes on vertex and genae stramineous. Eyes mostly black, marginally stramineous ( Figs 1A, C ). Antennae: antennomere I uniformly black ( Fig. 1A ); antennomere II black with proximal quarter indistinctly dark stramineous ( Fig. 1A ); antennomeres III and IV black. Labium mostly stramineous, last segment black ( Fig. 1C ). Pronotum uniformly black, collar black ( Fig. 1A ). Mesoscutum and scutellum uniformly black ( Fig. 1A ). Hemelytra mostly black; embolium uniformly stramineous, narrow black mark between embolium and cuneus, cuneus stramineous, sometimes orangish, apical margin of cuneus internally black, membrane fumose ( Fig. 1A ). Thoracic pleura mostly black, outer margin of propleura stramineous, metathoracic scent gland evaporative area and peritreme stramineous ( Fig. 1C ). Legs: femora (except apices) and tarsomeres black, apices of femora and tibiae stramineous, in meso- and metatibiae base of spines with black dots ( Fig. 1C ). Abdomen black, including pygophore ( Fig. 1C ).

Vestiture. Dorsum covered with erect to semierect hairlike golden setae ( Figs. 1A ). Antennae covered mostly with semierect hair-like setae, on antennomere I long, on antennomeres II to IV shorter. Thoracic pleura covered with a few semierect hair-like golden setae. Abdomen covered with hair-like setae.

Texture. Body impunctate.

Structure. Body length 8.40–8.72 mm, width 2.84–2.90 mm, robust, elongate-ovoid ( Fig. 1A ). Head: width of head across eyes 1.28–1.33 mm; interocular distance 0.57–0.60 mm; ocular index 1.56–1.80. Eyes: width 0.35 mm. Antennae: antennomere I incrassate, thicker than other segments, 1.0– 1.10 mm long, 0.77–0.84× as long as head width, 1.74–1.84× longer than interocular distance; antennomere II slender, antennomeres III and IV narrow and gracile; antennomere II length 2.2–2.93 mm, 1.17–1.65× longer than head width, 0.90–1.20× as long as posterior width of pronotum; antennomere III 1.12–1.49 mm long, antennomere IV 0.90 mm long. Labium thick and short, reaching middle of mesosternum. Pronotum: callose region distinct, length of pronotum 1.23–1.28 mm, 1.80–1.90× as long as posterior width of pronotum, anterior width 0.77–0.90 mm, posterior width 2.30–2.45 mm; collar length 0.17–0.20 mm. Scutellum: length 0.98–1.07 mm, anterior width 1.16–1.26 mm, flat, mesoscutum narrowly exposed ( Fig. 1A ).

Male genitalia. Similar to other species of the genus. Apex of endosoma with well-developed dentate plate. Spiculum present, with reduced process ( Fig. 2 ).

Female. Vestiture, texture and structure mostly as in males, with some exceptions given below.

Colouration. Head: vertex more or less with V-shaped black mark, posterior margin of vertex black, rest of head stramineous ( Fig. 1B ). Antennae: antennomere I internally brownish stramineous, externally black ( Fig. 1B ); antennomere II brownish stramineous, distal quarter black ( Fig. 1B ). Collar mostly stramineous (reddish orange in two paratypes), pronotum with four black longitudinal strips. Calli black, separated from each other, each callus attached to two longitudinal stripes extending almost to posterior margin of pronotum. Scutellum either uniformly black or apically with stramineous mark ( Fig. 3 ). Hemelytra mostly black; embolium uniformly stramineous (reddish orange in two paratypes), clavus with narrow stramineous band along claval suture except basally, cuneus stramineous (reddish orange in two paratypes), sometimes orangish, basal margin black ( Fig. 1B ). Thoracic pleura mostly stramineous (reddish orange in two paratypes), including evaporative area and peritreme ( Fig. 1D ) (reddish orange in two paratypes). Legs stramineous, apical quarter of metafemora black (femora reddish orange in two paratypes). Abdomen stramineous (reddish orange in two paratypes), each abdominal segment dorsolaterally with black marks.

Structure. Body length 8.51–9.13 mm. Head: width across eyes 1.37–1.42 mm; interocular distance 0.68–0.73 mm. Eyes: width 0.34–0.36 mm; ocular index 1.87–2.13. Antennae: antennomere I 0.98–1.20 mm long, 0.71–0.86× as long as head width, 1.43–1.66× longer than interocular distance; antennomere II 2.61–2.86 mm long, 1.90–2.04× longer than head width, 1.0–1.04× posterior width of pronotum; antennomere III 1.23–1.49 mm long; antennomere IV 0.88 mm long. Pronotum: length 1.26–1.49 mm, 1.84–2.14× as long as posterior width; posterior width 2.54–2.77 mm; collar length 0.18–0.20 mm; anterior width 0.96–1.05 mm. Scutellum: length 1.05–1.2 mm, anterior width 1.3–1.49 mm. Female genitalia were not dissected in this study due to the poor condition of the female specimens.

Differential diagnosis. Brachycoleus medes sp. nov., compared to other species of Brachycoleus recorded in Iran, is darker ( Fig. 4 ). Its males are easily recognized by their unique coloration, with pronotum and scutellum uniformly black, except for an orange to stramineous stripe along embolium, extending to cuneus ( Fig. 1 ). Similarities can be noticed between females of B. medes and B. steini in colour pattern, although in B. steini there is a continuous transverse black mark on callose region, both stramineous bands of clavus along claval suture and black mark between embolium and cuneus are wider.

Male genitalia exhibit only minor differences compared to other species of the genus. Endosoma in B. lineellus is smaller than in other species of the genus, process in spiculum absent, basal half of its apex serrate ( Figs 5A, B ), in B. steini with a narrow process in spiculum, apex of spiculum almost hook-shaped ( Figs 5 C–E), in B. thoracicus process of spiculum is more developed and spiculum apically simple ( Fig. 5F ), in B. medes process of spiculum is reduced and far from the apex ( Fig. 2E ).

The dorsal pattern of B. decolor Reuter, 1887 is relatively variable ( STICHEL 1930 inferred from SCHUH 2013); however, according to ROSENZWEIG’ S (1997) and WAGNER’ S (1974) figures of endosoma, B. decolor has an additional sclerite in the lateral lobe or on the other hand two spicula. Male genitalia of B. pilicornis (Panzer, 1805) and B. decolor Reuter, 1887 are depicted in Fig. 6 . ( ROSENZWEIG 1997).

Brachycoleus medes sp. nov. can be separated from other Iranian Brachycoleus species using the key below.

Etymology. The species is named after “the Medes”, an ancient Iranian people who lived in north-western Iran known as Media region; noun in apposition.

Collection circumstances. The species was collected by sweep net on Prangus ferulacea (L.) ( Fig. 3C ) and Eryngium caucasium Trautv. ( Fig. 3D ) ( Apiaceae ) in hilly slopes ( Figs 3 A, B ).

Distribution. Iran (Kurdistan province).

Key to males of the Iranian species of Brachycoleus (modified from HOSSEINI 2016).

1 Body color in dorsal view mostly black, pronotum and scutellum uniformly black, length from costal fracture to apex of cuneus 1.42 mm, ocular index 1.56‒1.80 in ♁ (1.48 mm and 1.87–2.13 respectively in ♀). .............. ........................................................... B. medes sp. nov.

– Body color in dorsal view variable, other characters different. ........................................................................... 2

2 Body color in dorsal view red or orange, pronotum red, calli and scutellum black, sometimes posteriorly red or orange. Antennomere II> 2.5× as long as width of head, length from costal fracture to apex of cuneus 2.0 mm in male, 1.66 mm in female, ocular index 1.43–1.51 in male, 2.0 in female. .................................... ............................................ B. thoracicus Puton, 1892

– Body color in dorsal view greenish or stramineous. Scutellum not black like in previous species. Antennomere II <2× width of head. ........................................... 3

3 Pronotum and hemelytra without distinct black marks. Ocular index 0.80‒0.82 in ♁ (2.33 in ♀). Antennomere I 0.65–0.69× as long as width of head, antennomere II 1.5× as long as posterior width of pronotum. Length from costal fracture to apex of cuneus 1.22 mm in ♀. ..................................... B. caucasicus (Poppius, 1912)

– Pronotum and hemelytra with distinct black marks. ... 4

4 Pronotum bright, with 1 to 3 small and narrow dark longitudinal stripes. Corium pale, each with only narrow dark longitudinal stripes on commissure and medial flexion line, length from costal fracture to apex of cuneus 1.71 mm, ocular index 1.66 in ♁ (1.26 mm and 2 respectively in ♀). ............ B. lineellus Jakovlev, 1884

– Pronotum with broad dark longitudinal stripes. Corium dark. Other characters variable. ............................. 5

5 A wide black stripe on corium produced laterad along embolium / cuneus boundary and touching lateral margin of hemelytron ( Fig. 4B : BM), hairs of metatibiae almost as long as the spines, apex of cuneus usually black, 2nd antennal segment about 2.1–2.2× width of head, length from costal fracture to apex of cuneus 1.82 mm, ocular index 1.5–1.65 in ♁ (1.42 mm and 2.14 respectively in ♀). ............... B. steini Reuter, 1877

– A wide black stripe on corium not produced laterad, outer margin of hemelytron completely yellow, hairs of metatibiae shorter than spines, apex of cuneus not black, ocular index approximately 2, endosome with two spicula ( WAGNER 1974). ............. [ B. decolor Reuter, 1887 ] (Known from Europe and Central Asia)

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus photographs of Brachycoleus medes sp. nov. A, C – male; B, D – female. A, B – dorsal view; C, D – lateral view. Scale = 1 mm.

Fig. 2. Genitalia of Brachycoleus medes sp. nov. A, B – left paramere, different views; C, D – right paramere, different views; E – endosoma, lateral view. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 3. Natural habitats (A–B) and host plants (C–D) of Brachycoleus medes sp. nov. A – Sarvabad, Dezli (35°21′N 46°10′E, 1806 m); B – Sarvabad, Daraki (35°17′N, 46°11′E, 1876 m); C Prangus ferulacea (L.); D – Eryngium caucasium Trautv.

Fig. 4. Dorsal habitus photographs. A – Brachycoleus thoracicus Puton, 1892; B – B. steini Reuter, 1877; C – B. caucasicus (Poppius, 1912); D – B. lineellus Jakovlev, 1884; A, B, D – male; C – female.BM – black mark. (A and D after MOHAMMADI et al. 2018). Scale = 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Male genitalia. A – Brachycoleus lineellus Jakovlev, 1884; B – spiculum; C – B. steini Reuter, 1877; D – spiculum; E – dentate plate; F – B. thoracicus Puton, 1892. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 6. Male genitalia. A–E – Brachycoleus pilicornis (Panzer, 1805); F–H – B. decolor Reuter, 1887; A, B, C, F – endosome different views; D, G – left paramere; E, H – right paramere (after ROSENZWEIG 1997).