Schizoptera rileyi, Weirauch, Christiane, Hoey-Chamberlain, Rochelle & Knyshov, Alexander, 2018

Weirauch, Christiane, Hoey-Chamberlain, Rochelle & Knyshov, Alexander, 2018, Synopsis of Schizopteridae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Dipsocoromorpha) from the United States, with description of seven new species from the US and Mexico, ZooKeys 796, pp. 49-82 : 49

Schizoptera rileyi sp. n.

Material.

Type material. Holotype: male: USA: Louisiana: Natchitoches Par Kisatchie Natl. For. Red Dirt W.M.A., 31.35549°N 92.43442°W, 12 Jul 1985, E.G. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00094298) (TAMU). Paratypes: USA: Louisiana: Natchitoches Par Kisatchie Natl. For. Red Dirt W.M.A., 31.35549°N 92.43442°W, 12 Jul 1985, E.G. Riley, 5 males (UCR_ENT 00094301, UCR_ENT 00094308-UCR_ENT 00094311) (TAMU). Natchitoches Park, Kisatchie National Forest, Red Bluff Camp, 31.498°N 93.144°W, 01 Apr 1989, E. Riley & L. Prochaska, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00094315) (TAMU). Texas: Brazos Co.: Koppe’s Bridge, 5 mi SW College Station, 30.58227°N 96.39809°W, 06 Mar 1988, R. Anderson, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00094314) (TAMU); 20 Nov 1993, E. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00094316), 3 females (UCR_ENT 00094317, UCR_ENT 00094312, UCR_ENT 00094313) (TAMU). Cameron Co.: 10.7 mi. N jct. 106 on FM 2925, 30.85325°N 96.97693°W, 02 Sep 1995 - 03 Sep 1995, E.G. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00094307) (TAMU). Sabal Palm Grove Ref. (site 1), 25.84851°N 97.41794°W, 03 Sep 2008 - 16 Sep 2008, E.G. Riley & J. King, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00093726) (TAMU). Sabal Palm Grove Ref. (site 2), 25.84851°N 97.41794°W, 03 Oct 2008 - 16 Oct 2008, E. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00093727) (TAMU); 17 Oct 2008 - 30 Oct 2008, E. Riley, 2 males (UCR_ENT 00093721, UCR_ENT 00093724) (TAMU); 31 Oct 2008 - 02 Jun 2009, E.G. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00093550) (TAMU). Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary, 25.85016°N 97.4244°W, 16 Oct 1993 - 17 Oct 1993, H. Blackmon & M. Quinn & E. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00094306) (TAMU); 02 Sep 1995, E.G. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00094300) (TAMU). Hidalgo Co.: Santa Ana NWR (site 3) Wildlife Drive, 26.07526°N 98.1388°W, 03 May 2008 - 17 May 2008, E. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00093549) (TAMU). Kerr Co.: 6.5 mi. SW Hunt, 29.99015°N 99.3874°W, 1960 m, 12 Nov 2005 - 15 Dec 2005, E.G. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00093551) (TAMU); 24 Feb 2006 - 30 Mar 2006, E.G. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00094320) (TAMU); 31 Mar 2006 - 27 Apr 2006, E.G. Riley, 2 females (UCR_ENT 00094318, UCR_ENT 00094319) (TAMU); 28 Apr 2006 - 02 Jun 2006, E.G. Riley, 1 female (UCR_ENT 00093548) (TAMU); 01 Jul 2006 - 27 Jul 2006, E.G. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00093718) (TAMU); 01 Jul 2006 - 27 Jul 2006, E.G. Riley, 4 males (UCR_ENT 00093728, UCR_ENT 00093730, UCR_ENT 00093719, UCR_ENT 00093720), 4 males (UCR_ENT 00094232, UCR_ENT 00093552-UCR_ENT 00093554) (TAMU); 28 Jul 2006 - 01 Sep 2006, E.G. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00093725) (TAMU); 28 Jul 2006 - 01 Sep 2006, E.G. Riley, 1 male (UCR_ENT 00093729) (TAMU).

Diagnosis.

Recognized among species of Schizoptera (Cantharocoris) by uniformly light to yellowish brown coloration, medium-sized posterior process on sternum 6, and subgenital plate with large lateral process posteriorly beset with tuft of flattened and long setae and smaller acute posteriad-oriented process (Figure 9D).

Description.

Male (Figure 8): macropterous, length: 1.42-1.48 mm; body ovate. Coloration: (Figure 8): generally light and yellowish brown, posterior margin of pronotum, costal margin, and scutellum yellow, Cu proximally, An1 on cuneus and An2 lined anteriorly with contrasting dark coloration, membrane white except 3 and dc1 yellowish and apical 1/3 slightly suffused, legs pale yellow (Figure 8). Surface and vestiture: long and moderately dense on head, pronotum, and forewing veins. Structure: Head: triangular in frontal view, wider than high (Figure 8), synthlipsis slightly less than three times width of eye. Thorax: with posterior pronotal margin medially slightly concave, posterior margin of clavus broadly elevated, R1 obsolete, dc1 very slender, width similar throughout. Abdomen: sternum 6 with medium-sized posterior process, with large lateral process beset posteriorly with tuft of flattened and long setae and smaller acute posteriad- oriented process (Figure 9D). Genitalia (Figure 9 D–F): right conjunctival irregularly shaped with two lobes and several ridges, left conjunctival appendage smaller, with three lobes (Figure 9F), right paramere large, broad, with broad, curved apex (Figure 9E), left paramere roughly quadrate with thumb-like process (Figure 9E), vesica looping, fairly stout, with slightly fewer than two coils (Figure 9B).

Female (Figure 8): coleopteroid with very narrow membranous border, length: 1.22-1.29 mm; body ovate. Coloration: (Figure 8): more uniformly brown compared to male, head slightly paler, legs pale yellow, An2 anteriorly and claval furrow lined with contrasting dark coloration, similar to pattern in male. Surface and vestiture: similar to male. Structure: Head: triangular in frontal view, approx. as wide as high (Figure 8), synthlipsis slightly more than 3 times width of eye. Thorax: pronotum narrower than in male, posterior pronotal margin medially slightly concave, forewing veins obsolete, claval furrow distinct, posterior margin of clavus broadly elevated. Genitalia: not examined.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Dr. Ed Riley, who collected most of the specimens examined for this study. A noun in genitive case.

Notes.

Coleopteroid females evolved several times independently in the Schizoptera genus group ( Leon and Weirauch 2017), but female coleopteroidy appears to be especially prevalent in the subgenus Schizoptera (Cantharocoris) . Associating conspecific macropterous males and coleopteroid females is often a challenge in Schizoptera . Species diagnoses heavily rely on male genitalic features, long series of males and females from a small collection event are rare, and molecular matching of males and females has been done only for a few minute litter bugs ( Knyshov et al. 2016). Matching male and female Schizoptera rileyi was comparatively straightforward because of the long series of specimens of both sexes from across the known distribution range, but also because of the distinctive dark lines on the forewings.

Although the collection method is unknown for the majority of specimens examined, both sexes have been collected using flight intercept traps and some males have been taken at UV light traps.

Distribution.

Known only from the U.S., where it has been collected in Natchitoches Parish in Louisiana and Brazos, Cameron, and Hidalgo Counties in Texas.