Melaleucoides leuropomae, 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 : 45-48

Melaleucoides leuropomae , new species Figure 21, map 4, plate 2

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the presence of discrete small dark spots on the dorsum (pl. 2), and the structure of the male genitalia, the left paramere with a somewhat elongate, apex positioned more or less symmetrically and the posterolateral shoul- der with a low projection; endosoma with a long row of heavy, elongate denticles on the postgonoporal portion of the secondary strap and recurved ventral process associated with the secondary gonopore. Most easily confused with M. micranthae on the form of the spots and the structure of the male genitalia, but the spots in that species sometimes larger, the apical medial process of the left paramere more nearly symmetrically placed, and the row of denticles on the secondary endosomal strap shorter a and in the form of a more condense grouping. Spots on the dorsum of M. beaufortiae always somewhat coalescent and those in M. brevifoliae tiny and much more numerous.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body weakly elongate, weakly ovoid; mean total length 3.25, mean width pronotum 1.25. COLORATION (pl. 2): Head: Pale with heavy dark dots; scapus unicolorous pale; pedicellus dirty yellow proximally, weakly to heavily infuscate distally; labium pale with segment 4 heavily infuscate. Thorax: Pronotum pale with heavy dark spots; scutellum pale with brown spots; hemelytron unicolorous pale with scattered dark spots; markings on cuneus present as weakly darkened apex; membrane weakly fumose, veins pale; hind femur with many brown or black spots; hind tibial spines black with conspicuous dark spots at bases. Abdomen: Venter unicolorous pale or mostly so. SURFACE AND VESTI- TURE: Dorsum with suberect or reclining black setae, without sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Weakly projecting; interocular space relatively large; eyes leaving gena broadly exposed in lateral view. Antenna: Segment 2 weakly tapering, more slender at base; antennal fossa with dorsal margin somewhat below ventral margin of eye. Labium: Just reaching onto abdomen. Thorax: Pretarsus: Pulvilli present, flaplike, covering about one third of ventral claw surface. GENITALIA (fig. 21): Endosoma: Primary strap apically greatly elongate, without ornamentation, extreme apex curving dorsally; secondary endosomal strap fused with primary strap proximal to secondary gonopore, reaching well beyond gonopore, with a comblike edge; spinelike, elongate process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface absent; spinelike, elongate process near gonopore on ventral surface present, strongly recurved toward base of endosoma; bladderlike process distad of secondary gonopore absent; secondary gonopore seen frontally (facing up) in later- al view of endosoma. Phallotheca: Nearly erect; anterior surface with a short to elongate keel; apex simple. Left Paramere: Shaft at right angles to body; body more or less quadrate; apex medially drawn into a blunt fingerlike process; apex posterolaterally with a low shoulder; 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: Slightly more ovoid than male; mean total length 3.46, mean width pronotum 1.32. COLORATION (pl. 2): As in male. GENITALIA: Posterior wall laterally with distinct crescent-shaped interramal sclerites; posteriorly without a sclerotized transverse band; posterolaterally with a distinct swelling covered with microtrichia; longitudinal fold on either side of midline along part of length; posterior margin of posterior wall without spicules and not reflexed dorsally; 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 present as short heavily sclerotized tube on left side.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the host species, Melaleuca leuropoma (Myrtaceae) .

HOSTS: Most known specimens were taken on Melaleuca leuropoma L.A. Craven (Myrtaceae) (pl. 5C). Additional specimens are recorded from the following species of Myrtaceae : Melaleuca conothamnoides C.A. Gardner , Melaleuca viminea Lindl. , and Phymatocarpus porphyrocephalus F. Muell.

DISTRIBUTION (map 4): Known from several localities in Western Australia, including one locality in the Wheatbelt region and coastal areas north to Kalbarri.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Kalbarri National Park, 7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.68008uS 114.2386uE, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca leuropoma L.A. Craven (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05879175, 1 - (AMNH_PBI 00137075) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: 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 staff PERTH 05670624, 3;m (AMNH_PBI 000- 87325, AMNH_PBI 00087534, AMNH_ PBI 00372261), 4;f (AMNH_PBI 00087326, AMNH_PBI 00372262 - AMNH_PBI 003- 72264) ( AM). Brand Hiway 45.9 km S of Dongarra Road, 29.57703uS 115.1348uE, 100 m, 31 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Phymatocarpus porphyrocephalus F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05879264, 1;m (AMNH_PBI 00087192), 1;f (AMNH_ PBI 00087193) ( AM), 2;m (AMNH_PBI 00130199, AMNH_PBI 00130200), 1;f (AMNH_PBI 00130201) ( AMNH). Cervantes, 30.49902uS 115.0684uE, 3 m, 10 Dec 1997, Schuh, Brailovsky, Melaleuca viminea Lindl. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05879205, 1;f (AMNH_PBI 00181- 857) ( AMNH), 3;f (AMNH_PBI 001305- 52, AMNH_PBI 00181855 - AMNH_PBI 00181856) ( WAMP). Kalbarri National Park, 7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.68008uS 114.2386uE, 400 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca leuropoma L. A. Craven (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05879175, 8;m (AMNH_PBI 001- 37073 - AMNH_PBI 00137074, AMNH_PBI 00137076 - AMNH_PBI 00137081), 16;f (AMNH_PBI 00137082 - AMNH_PBI 001- 37097) ( AMNH), 1;m (AMNH_PBI 001- 30202), 3;f (AMNH_PBI 00137098, AMNH_ PBI 00137320 - AMNH_PBI 00137321) ( WAMP). Kalbarri National Park, 22.9 km E Kalbarri, 27.75408uS 114.3711uE, 500 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, 3;m (AMNH_ PBI 00135363 - AMNH_PBI 00135365), 1;f (AMNH_PBI 00135366) ( WAMP).