Melaleucoides, Schuh & C. Weirauch, 2010

Schuh, R. T. & C. Weirauch, 2010, Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) From Australia: Description And Analysis Of Phylogenetic And Host Relationships For A Monophyletic Assemblage Of Three New Genera, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (344), pp. 3-94 : 26-27

Melaleucoides , new genus Figures 10–37; maps 3–6; plates 1–4

TYPE SPECIES: Melaleucoides cassisi , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized within the Melaleucoides genus group by the unique structure of the left paramere, with its flattened, spoonshaped form and erect position, covering the dorsal margin of the pygophore in lateral view (fig. 12D; 53-1). Most easily confused with Harpagophylus and Thryptomenomiris on the basis of unique parempodial structure possessed by all three genera, but easily separated from both on the structure of the left paramere.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body weakly elongate, weakly ovoid; mean total length 2.33– 4.05, mean width pronotum 0.78–1.55. COL- ORATION (pls. 1–4): Variable, ranging from completely castaneous to almost completely pale, and sometimes with spots. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (figs. 12B, 17B): Dorsum with suberect or reclining black setae, without sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head (figs. 12A, 14A, 17A, 33A): Barely projecting; interocular space moderate; eyes leaving gena moderately exposed in lateral view. Antenna: Segment 2 weakly tapering, more slender at base; antennal fossa with ventral margin at ventral margin of eye. Labium: Just reaching onto abdomen. Thorax: Pretarsus (figs. 12C, 17C, 33D): Parempodia fleshy, recurved, lyriform; pulvilli present, flaplike, covering about one third of ventral claw surface. GENITALIA (e.g., figs. 11, 12E, F, 13, 18, 33F, G, 34): Endosoma: Base short; curving, C- or Jshaped; body without torsion; primary strap ventral to secondary gonopore, apically greatly elongate, straight, weakly curving, or angulate relative to body of endosoma, without ornamentation; secondary endosomal strap fused with primary strap proximal to secondary gonopore, usually reaching well beyond gonopore, often fused with primary strap, sometimes with denticles or comblike ornamentation; sometimes with elongate spinelike process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface; sometimes with spinelike elongate process near gonopore on ventral surface, ornamented with denticles or not; sometimes with bladderlike process distad of secondary gonopore; secondary gonopore sclerite absent; secondary gonopore usually seen frontally (facing up) in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: Smoothly curving on dorsal margin, without a fingerlike projection, and with a curving, posteriorly directed, platelike projection; anterior surface without a keel; ventral surface without a projecting keel; posterior surface lacking transparent window; apex simple. Left Paramere: Vertical; shaft at right angles to or in same axis as body; in dorsal perspective (fig. 12F) not exceeding margin of pygophore; in lateral perspective (fig. 12E) extending beyond dor- sal margin of pygophore; body quadrate or spoon shaped; apex medially broadly round- ed to weakly quadrate, sometimes elongated and or recurved; apex posterolaterally simple or in the form of a prolongation; anterior process triangular or elongate and cylindrical in lateral view; posterior process in the form of a short to long, fingerlike projection; base of posterior process with or without conspicuous shoulder. Right Paramere: Body short and broad, lanceolate; apex short, clawlike, decurved.

Female: Slightly more ovoid than male; small, mean total length 2.52–4.26, mean width pronotum 0.82–1.59. COLORATION (pls. 1–4): As in male. GENITALIA (figs. 11, 18, 25, 34): Posterior wall laterally with distinct crescent-shaped interramal sclerites; posterolaterally with a distinct swelling covered with microtrichia; longitudinal fold on either side of midline along part of length; interramal lobes present and asymmetrical, reclining, overlapping, and heavily ornamented with spicules; vestibulum with medial plates sclerotized and readily observed; small, nearly symmetrical, triangular; with sclerotized guide structure present as caplike structure with internal differentiation.

ETYMOLOGY: Named after the host genus, Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) , in combination with the Latin suffix - oides, a diminutive; gender feminine.