Jornandes ater, Schaffner & Schwartz, 2008

Schaffner, JC & Schwartz, MD, 2008, Revision Of The Mexican Genera Ficinus Distant And Jornandes Distant With The Description Of 21 New Species (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae: Orthotylini), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2008 (309), pp. 1-87 : 27-29

Jornandes ater , new species Figures 2, 10A, 12

HOLOTYPE: 3, MEXICO: Puebla: 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec [18.98809 ° N 98.33118 ° W], July 26, 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe , Schaffner ( AMNH _ PBI 00184917 ). Deposited in the collection of the Instituto de Biología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, D.F.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by head dark fuscous to black with limited brown areas contiguous with eyes, remainder of body dark fuscous to black, antennal segment II dark on males, but middle area pale on females (fig. 2); body with short sparse setae; coxa dark, with remainder of legs yellowish brown to brown, hind femur somewhat fuscous; vertex clearly wider than length of antennal segment I; labium short, barely reaching or surpassing procoxa; antennal segment II and III with scattered long erect setae much longer than diameter of segment; pronotum smooth and strongly shining, width of pronotum greater than length of antennal segment II; metepisternum with microtrichia extending dorsal to evaporative area of scent gland. Jornandes ater is distinguished from J. xochipalensis on the basis of size, with J. ater almost a millimeter longer. In addition, the procoxa is dark in color whereas it is pale in J. xochipalensis . The form of the male genitalia of the two species is similar, especially the unique narrow tubelike process at the base of the right paramere; however, other genitalic features are species specific. The form of the paired distal processes of the right paramere, in the left paramere the length of the medial lobe and width of the distal notch, and the presence of a subapical spine on the vesical spiculum differ between J. ater and J. xochipalensis .

DESCRIPTION: Male: COLORATION: Generally dark fuscous to black, legs paler. Head dark fuscous to black with maxillary plate usually pale fuscous; antenna dark fuscous; labium pale to dark fuscous. Except for legs, remainder of body dark fuscous to black. Coxa dark fuscous; trochanters pale yellowish brown, femora and tibiae pale yellowish brown variously with fuscous areas; femora usually dark fuscous but pale at apex. VESTITURE: Head and thorax with short, sparse inconspicuous setae. Setae on antennal segments II–IV mainly short and decumbent but also with a few conspicuous erect, long setae, longer than diameter of respective segments; semierect spines of tibiae as long as or longer than diameter of respective tibia; decumbent setae of abdomen long and denser than on dorsum. GENITA- LIA (fig. 12): Genital segment with small, pointed, medially placed tergal process on dorsal margin of aperture; ventroposterior margin of capsule with flattened flange, subgenital plate narrow distally, slightly projecting beyond aperture of capsule. Left paramere stoutly C-shaped in dorsal view; sensory lobe broadly produced, extreme base of paramere with long, narrow process reaching to base of sensory lobe; diameter of paramere constricted medially; apex mittenlike, medial process of apex longer than lateral portion. Right paramere stout, similar in size to left paramere; sensory lobe sharply pointed dorsally; diameter of paramere equally thick distal to sensory lobe, terminating in small dorsally directed apical point; base of paramere with narrow, distally directed, tubelike process. Phallotheca small, cone shaped, as long as 1/2 of vesical spiculum; aperture open widely on dorsal surface, narrowing to apex. Vesica small; spiculum narrow, sinuate, thickened and serrate medially; base situated on dorsal surface of ductus seminis, without process; distal region long, with small subapical spine, needlelike, length 2/3 of spiculum body.

Female: Shorter in length and proportionally broader; otherwise color and vestiture same as for male; antennal segment II pale with both base and apex dark.

MEASUREMENTS: Male: (n 5 5; those of holotype given first followed in parentheses by average and range): Length, 3.64 (3.65, 3.50–3.76); width, 1.36 (1.42, 1.36–1.48). Head length, 0.22 (0.20, 0.18–0.22); width, 0.76 (0.77, 0.76–0.80); vertex width, 0.36 (0.38, 0.36–0.38). Length of antennal segment I, 0.18 (0.20, 0.18–0.22); II, 0.80 (0.83, 0.80– 0.88); III, 0.62 (0.60, 0.56–0.64); IV, 0.26 (0.24, 0.22–0.26). Pronotal length, 0.60 (0.60, 0.58–0.60); width across base, 1.22 (1.29, 1.22–1.34). Cuneal length, 0.66 (0.71, 0.66– 0.76); width across base, 0.52 (0.52, 0.50– 0.52).

Female (n 5 5; average followed in parentheses by range): Length, 3.25 (3.16– 3.34); width, 1.57 (1.52–1.68). Head length, 0.25 (0.22–0.28); width, 0.78 (0.76–0.80); vertex width, 0.42 (0.40–0.44). Length of antennal segment I, 0.20 (0.18–0.22); II, 0.68 (0.66–0.72); III, 0.45 (0.44–0.46); IV, 0.27 (0.24–0.30). Pronotal length, 0.62 (0.60– 0.64); width across base, 1.30 (1.26–1.38). Cuneal length, 0.56 (0.54–0.58); width across base, 0.53 (0.52–0.54).

DISCUSSION: This species shares several characters with J. xochipalensis separating the two of them from other species of the genus. Both are slightly flattened and have very similar color patterns with a highly polished and shining head and pronotum. The antennal segment II of both species has a few erect setae that are usually twice as long as the diameter of the segment. Both species have a short labium that extends to the apex of the procoxa. Microtrichia are present on the metepisternum dorsal of the evaporatorium. The coxae of both species exhibit conspicuous pollinose areas formed by fields of microtrichia.

HOST PLANT: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its predominately black coloration.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the type locality in southwestern Puebla (fig. 10A).

PARATYPES: MEXICO: Puebla: 4.4 mi SW of Acatepec, 18.98809 ° N 98.33118 ° W, 26 Jul 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner, 13 (AMNH_PBI 00119087), 1♀ (AMNH_ PBI 00094277) (AMNH). 23 (AMNH_PBI 00094278, AMNH_PBI 00118192), 1♀ (AMNH_PBI 00119088) (CNC). 23 (AMNH_ PBI 00184783, AMNH_PBI 00245158), 3♀ (AMNH_PBI 00184784–AMNH_PBI 00184786) (TAMU).