Melaleucoides similis, 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 : 59-60

Melaleucoides similis , new species Figure 28, map 5, plate 3

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the yelloworange coloration of the body and append- ages, the elongate slender form of the body in most specimens, and the form of the male genitalia with the elongate, fingerlike apical projection on the apex of the left paramere. Most similar in size and coloration to M. verticordiae , but easily distinguished by the comblike fringe on the apical spine of the endosoma in that species.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body greatly elongate, parallel sided; mean total length 3.38, mean width pronotum 1.11. COLORATION (pl. 3): Head: Uniformly yellow; scapus and pedicellus yellow to dirty yellow; labium pale with segment 4 heavily infuscate. Thorax: Pronotum unicolorous yellow; scutellum unicolorous yellow; hemelytron, including cuneus, unicolorous yellow; markings on cuneus absent; membrane weakly fumose, veins yellow; hind femur unicolorous pale, without black spots; hind tibial spines black, without dark spots at bases. Abdomen: Venter unicolorous pale or mostly so. SUR- FACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum with suberect or reclining black setae, without sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Somewhat projecting; interocular space relatively large; eyes leaving gena moderately exposed in lateral view. Antenna: Segment 2 of equal diameter over entire length; antennal fossa with ventral margin at ventral margin of eye. Labium: Reaching to about anterior margin of pygophore. Thorax: Pretarsus: Pulvilli absent. GENITALIA (fig. 28): Endosoma: Primary strap apically greatly elongate, angled dorsally relative to body of endosoma, denticulate on apical half of ventral margin; secondary endosomal strap fused with primary strap primal to secondary gonopore, fused with primary strap distad of gonopore; spinelike, elongate process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface present, erect, unornamented; spinelike, elongate process near gonopore on ventral surface present, sharply recurved toward base of endosoma; bladderlike process distad of secondary gonopore present, balloonlike; secondary gonopore seen frontally (facing up) in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: Nearly erect; apex simple. Left Paramere: Shaft at right angles to body; body more or less quadrate; apex medially broadly rounded; apex posterolaterally with a greatly elongate projection (fig. 28); anterior process triangular in lateral view; posterior process in the form of a short, straight, fingerlike projection; base of posterior process without conspicuous shoulder. Right Paramere: Body short and broad, lanceolate; apex short, clawlike, decurved.

Female: Distinctly more ovoid than male; mean total length 3.11, mean width pronotum 1.08. COLORATION (pl. 3): As in male. GENITALIA: Not examined.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the remarkable similarity of appearance with Melaleucoides verticordiae , new species.

HOSTS: Recorded from Melaleuca conothamnoides C.A. Gardner , Scholtzia drum- mondii Benth., and Thryptomene aspera glabra E. Pritz. (Myrtaceae) . The very limited numbers of available specimens preclude conclusions regarding host specificity in this taxon.

DISTRIBUTION (map 5): Known form the Carnamah Shire Coast near Eneabba.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 15 km E of Merredin, 31.37749uS 118.6933uE, 330 m, 16 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Melaleuca conothamnoides C.A. Gardner (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 0567- 0624, 1 - (AMNH_PBI 00370994) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 11 km S of Eneabba, Eneabba National Park [96-50], 29.9025uS 115.24321uE, 150 m, 01 Nov 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Scholtzia drummondii Benth. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05120209, 1 - (00087307) ( AMNH). 15 km E of Merredin, 31.37749uS 118.6933uE, 330 m, 16 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh and G. Cassis, Melaleuca conothamnoides C.A.Gardner (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05670624, 1 U (00370993) ( AM). 24 km W of Sandstone, 28.01426uS 119.0474uE, 650 m, 26 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Thryptomene aspera glabra E. Pritz. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05095182, 1 - (00135637) ( AM), Thryptomene aspera glabra E. Pritz. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05095182, 1 - (00135638) ( AMNH).