Ficinus distanti, 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 : 12-15

Ficinus distanti , new species

Figures 2, 5, 9

HOLOTYPE: 3, MEXICO: Guerrero: 6 mi E of Xochipala [17.7936 ° N 99.54263 ° W], elev. 3500 ft [1067 m], July 5–6, 1987, Kovarik, Schaffner ( AMNH _ PBI 00184916 ). Deposited in the collection of the Instituto de Biología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, D.F.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by body dark fuscous to black, except for two small, pale brown spots on vertex near eyes; antenna and first two pairs of legs primarily pale, metathoracic leg pale with apical half of femur reddish or reddish brown, apical 2/5 of tibia fuscous (fig. 2); metepisternum dorsal to evaporative area of scent gland without microtrichia. The dark fuscous to black hemelytron and the reddish coloration on the hind femur easily separates this species from F. sagittarius . In F. sagittarius microtrichia are present well dorsal to the scent gland evaporative area (fig. 6C), whereas in the new species the metepisternum, dorsal to the evaporative area, is devoid of microtrichia.

DESCRIPTION: Male: COLORATION: Generally dark brown to black. Head dark

0.20 mm.

brown with paler area adjacent to margin of eye; base of antennal segment I fuscous, remainder of antenna yellowish brown frequently darker apically; labium pale yellowish brown, dark fuscous at apex. Pronotum uniformly black. Scutellum black. Hemelytron with corium uniformly dark fuscous to black, cuneus slightly paler, membrane uniformly fuscous. Coxae, trochanters, fore and hind femora, and tibiae pale yellowish to pale yellowish brown, basal 60% of hind femur pale yellowish with apical 40% red to reddish fuscous, hind tibia pale yellowish, fuscous apically, basal two tarsomeres usually pale yellow, tarsomere 3 fuscous. Underside of thorax shining, dark reddish brown, evaporatorium dark reddish brown, abdomen dark reddish brown to fuscous. GENITALIA (fig. 5): Genital segment with bifurcate tergal process projecting from midline of dorsal margin of aperture; right side of process with short rounded tubercle, medial region of process with crest-shaped, serrate flange, base of process with short dorsal tubercle; ventroposterior margin of capsule with narrow dorsoventrally orientated ridge; distal width of subgenital plate narrow, not projecting beyond aperture of capsule. Left paramere C-shaped in dorsal view; without sensory lobe; diameter of paramere subequal for entire length, except slightly thickened medially; apical region bifurcate with longer ventral lobe terminating in slightly pointed apex and shorter pointed lobe. Right paramere elongate, twice length of left paramere; diameter of paramere slightly thickened basally and apically; apical region curved dorsally, terminating in large point and several more basal and slightly smaller points. Phallotheca cylindrical, 2/3 length of spiculum; aperture large, open on right side, apex, and distally on left side. Vesica with one large, medially thickened spiculum, situated on dorsal surface of ductus seminis; apical region of spiculum bifurcate with recurved, strongly serrate branches reaching middle of spiculum; base of spiculum with large bifurcate lobe on left side surpassing apex of secondary gonopore.

Female: Similar to male in color and form.

MEASUREMENTS: Male (n 5 9; measurements of holotype given first followed in parentheses by average and range): Length, 4.60 (4.72, 4.60–4.80); width, 1.16 (1.22, 1.16– 1.30). Head length, 0.24 (0.25, 0.22–0.28); width through eyes, 0.82 (0.84, 0.82–0.86); vertex width, 0.34 (0.34, 0.32–0.36). Length of antennal segment I, 0.28 (0.27, 0.24–0.28); II, 1.12 (1.12, 1.04–1.16); III, 0.82 (0.79, 0.70– 0.88); IV, 0.42 (0.44, 0.40–0.48). Pronotal length, 0.82 (0.87, 0.82–0.90); width, 1.16 (1.18, 1.14–1.22). Cuneal length, 0.80 (0.80, 0.76–0.84); width, 0.40 (0.38, 0.34–0.40).

Female (n 5 6; mean followed in parentheses by range): Length, 4.86 (4.74–5.00); width, 1.29 (1.20–1.42). Head length, 0.25 (0.24–0.26); width through eyes, 0.83 (0.82– 0.84); vertex width, 0.38 (0.38–0.40). Length of antennal segment I, 0.28 (0.26–0.28); II, 1.23 (1.20–1.30); III, 0.83 (0.80–0.86); IV, 0.44 (0.42–0.48). Pronotal length, 0.89 (0.86– 0.92); width, 1.19 (1.16–1.24). Cuneal length, 0.80 (0.78–0.82); width, 0.39 (0.34–0.42).

DISCUSSION: Distant’s 1893 description of Ficinus sagittarius , based on six specimens, listed a variety, ‘‘var. a. Clavus and corium black and unicolorous’’. The unnamed ‘‘variety’’ was not present at the BMNH during examination, by either of us on separate occasions, of the three paralectotypes (designated by Carvalho and Dolling, 1976). However, based on Distant’s small but revealing description ‘‘var. a’’ is conspecific

with the species here designated as Ficinus distanti , n. sp. The type locality of the Distant material is Chilpancingo, Guerrero, which is approximately 27 km south of Xochilapa, the area in which our specimens were collected. Both species of Ficinus were collected together near Xochipala, Guerrero. Three additional females from the type locality, but in poor condition because of alcohol preservation, are conspecific with the holotype.

HOST PLANT: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named in honor of W. L. Distant, the well-known English taxonomist, who described the genus Ficinus and its type species F. sagittarius .

DISTRIBUTION: Known from two localities in Guerrero (fig. 9).

PARATYPES: MEXICO: Guerrero: 6 mi E of Xochipala , 17.7936 ° N 99.54263 ° W, 1067 m, 13 Jul 1985, Jones, Schaffner, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00184976 ) ( TAMU) ; 05 Jul 1987 – 06 Jul 1987, Kovarik and Schaffner , 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00094259 ), 1♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00119113 ) ( AMNH). 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00118204 ), 1♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00119123 ) ( CNC). 53 ( AMNH _ PBI 00119122 , AMNH _ PBI 00184977 – AMNH _ PBI 00184980 ), 4♀

(AMNH_PBI 00094260, AMNH_PBI 00184981– AMNH_PBI 00184983) (TAMU); 06 Jul 1987, J. B. Woolley and G. Zolnerowich, 1♀ ( AMNH _ PBI 00184975 ) ( TAMU) ; 13 Jul 1985, J. B. Woolley and G. Zolnerowich, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00184974 ) ( TAMU). Chilpancingo, 17.55 ° N 99.5 ° W, 1402 m, Jun 1890, H. H. Smith, 1♀, paralectotype of F. sagittarius (BMNH) .

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: MEXICO: Guerrero: 6 mi E of Xochipala, 17.7936 ° N 99.54263 ° W, 1067 m, 13 Jul 1985, J. B. Woolley and G. Zolnerowich, 3♀ (AMNH_PBI 00184971–AMNH_PBI 00184973) (TAMU).