Melaleucoides ozzii, 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 : 50-52

Melaleucoides ozzii , new species Figure 23, map 4, plate 3

DIAGNOSIS: Similar in size and coloration to Melaleucoides pileanthicola , the total length not exceeding 3.01, and the strongly reddish clavus and posterior portion of the endocorium. Also similar to M. akaina in size and general coloration. Distinguished from M. akaina and M. pileanthicola by the pale coloration of the cuneus in both of those species; distinguished from M. pileanthicola by the strongly reddish clavus and posterior portion of the endocorium in that species as well as the structure of the endosoma. Further distinguished from M. akaina by short apical endosomal spine and the complete absence of processes associated with the secondary gonopore in that species.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Body moderately elongate, parallel sided; mean total length 2.90, mean width pronotum 1.02. COLOR- ATION (pl. 3): Head: Uniformly pale; scapus and pedicellus unicolorous pale; labium pale with segment 4 heavily infuscate. Thorax: Pronotum pale with red or carmine blotches; scutellum white; hemelytron pale yellow with red suffusion; markings on cuneus present as a contrasting white basal fascia, remainder red; membrane weakly fumose, veins white or pale; hind femur unicolorous pale, without black spots; tibial spines with very small dark bases. Abdomen: Venter unicolorous pale or mostly so. SUR- FACE AND VESTITURE: Dorsum with reclining simple setae matching background coloration, without sericeous or woolly setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Moderately projecting; interocular space large; 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: Pulvilli absent. GENITALIA (fig. 23): Endosoma: Primary strap relatively short, straight, with a bifid apex; secondary endosomal strap free of primary strap and much longer, ornamented with denticles near apex; spinelike, elongate process arising near gonopore on dorsal surface present, erect, unornamented; secondary gonopore seen laterally in lateral view of endosoma. Phallotheca: Nearly erect; dorsal surface without a fingerlike projection, and without a platelike projection; anterior surface with a short to elongate keel; ventral surface with a projecting keel; apex simple. Left Paramere: Shaft at right angles to body; body spoon shaped; apex medially broadly rounded to weakly quadrate; anteri- or process slender and cylindrical in lateral view; posterior process in the form of a short, slender, 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 3.04, mean width prono-

tum 1.04. COLORATION (pl. 3): As in male. GENITALIA: Not examined.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the late Ozzie Massie, with thanks for his encouragement and interest in our work on the Australian Miridae fauna.

HOSTS: Thryptomene kochii E. Prinz. (Myrtaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION (map 4): Known from one locality in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 135 km W of Coolgardie on Great Eastern Hiway, 31.27202uS 120.0059uE, 489 m, 17 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh, G. Cassis, & R. Silveira, Thryptomene kochii E. Pritz. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05671302, 1 - (AMNH_PBI 00371239) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 135 km W of Coolgardie on Great Eastern Hiway, 31.27202uS 120.0059uE, 489 m, 17 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh, G. Cassis, & R. Silveira, Thryptomene kochii E. Pritz. (Myrtaceae) , det. Perth 05671302, 4 - (00371230, 00371233, 00371236, 00371238), 5 U (003- 71242, 00371245, 00371247–00371249) ( AM), 3 - (00371231, 00371234, 00371237), 3 U (00371241, 00371243–00371244) ( AMNH), 3 - (00371229, 00371232, 00371235), 2 U (00371240, 00371246) ( WAMP).