Henryhalticus, Cassis, Gerasimos, 2018

Cassis, Gerasimos, 2018, Henryhalticusphilippinensis gen. et sp. n., a minute halticine from the Philippines (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Orthotylinae), ZooKeys 796, pp. 187-195 : 188-189

Henryhalticus gen. n. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4

Type species.

Henryhalticus philippinensis sp. n., by original designation.

Diagnosis.

Henryhalticus is recognized by the following combination of characters: body minute, oval (Figs 1, 2A,B); posterior margin of head weakly carinate (Figure 2C); antennae inserted in front of and dorsad of ventral margin of eyes (Figure 2D); first antennal segment short (Figure 2D); labium very short, reaching only procoxae; costal fracture deep (Figs 1, 2A); evaporative area restricted to posterior margin of metepister num, not reaching mesepimeron (Figure 2E); metafemora greatly enlarged (Fig. 2B, F); parameres overlapping (Figs 2H, 3B); endosoma without sclerotization (Fig. 3 E–G); secondary gonopore large, apical, extending to apex of phallotheca at rest (Fig. 3 E–G).

Description.

STRUCTURE. Body minute, oval, dorsal surface weakly convex, cuneus strongly deflexed (Figs 1, 2A, B). Head strongly dorsoventrally oriented, face strongly convex (Figs 1, 2A, B, C); vertex partly carinate (Figure 2C); eyes contiguous with anterior margin of pronotum (Fig. 2A, B, C). Antennae short, inserted anterior to eyes, and dorsad to ventral margin of eyes (Figure 2D); AI shorter than interocular distance; AII shorter than anterior margin of pronotum. Labium thick, very short, reaching only procoxae (Figure 2D). Pronotum large, subtrapezoidal; without collar; lateral margins linear; humeral angles broadly rounded; posterior margin deeply excavated (Figs 1, 2C). Scutellum large, broad, with mesoscutellum broadly exposed (Figs 1, 2C). Hemelytra oval, with costal margins broadly rounded; clavus large; embolium thickened; costal fracture deeply incised; cuneus transverse, lateral margins rounded; two membrane cells present, large vein rounded (Figs 1, 2A). Metathoracic gland efferent system well developed, arcuate, with peritreme reaching dorsal margin of metepisternum; peritreme tongue-like, reaching dorsal margin of evaporative area; evaporative area not reaching mesepimeron; metathoracic spiracle weakly exposed, without evaporative bodies (Figure 2E). Profemora and mesofemora small, metafemora greatly enlarged (Fig. 2B, F); parempodia lyre-shaped (Figure 2G). Male parameres overlapping (Figs 2H, 3B); aedeagus without sclerotization, secondary gonopore apical (Fig. 2 E–G). Female posterior wall without inter-ramal lobes (Figure 3A).

See species description for coloration, texture, vestiture, and fine details of genitalia.

Remarks.

Henryhalticus is unlike other halticines in color, size, and shape. This is one of the smallest mirids described, with both sexes <2 mm in length. This genus keys to the Australian genus Goodeniaphila Tatarnic, in Tatarnic and Cassis’ (2012) global conspectus of the tribe Halticini . As with this latter genus, Henryhalticus lacks inter-ramal lobes on the posterior wall of the bursa copulatrix, but differs by possessing sclerotized rings on the dorsal labiate plates of the internal female genitalia. These two genera share a similar oval body, but Henryhalticus lacks any punctation or rugosity on the body, whereas Goodeniaphila has a rugose pronotum. The parempodia of these two genera are similar; however, Henryhalticus lacks tarsal pulvilli, in contrast to the former genus, which has large pulvilli. The male aedeagus is the most distinctive fine-scale difference between these two genera, with Goodeniaphila having multiple large endosomal spicules, whereas Henryhalticus lacks any endosomal sclerotization.

The aedeagus of Henryhalticus is most like that of Halticus Hahn. Both genera lack endosomal sclerotization, the posterior margin of the head is contiguous with the pronotum, and the posterior margin of the vertex is carinate. Henryhalticus , however, lacks sclerotized rings and tarsal pulvilli, and the efferent system of metathoracic glands is less well developed. In addition, the pronotum is more rounded posteriorly in Halticus and the mesoscutum is not as exposed in Henryhalticus .