Solenoxyphus Reuter, 1875

Konstantinov, Fedor V. & Korzeev, Andrei I., 2014, Solenoxyphus Reuter, 1875 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae): revised diagnosis, a new species and new generic synonym, Zootaxa 3860 (5), pp. 464-478 : 467-468

Solenoxyphus Reuter, 1875

Solenoxyphus Reuter 1875: 93 (original description).

Malthacosoma Reuter 1879: 253–254 (original description). Type species by monotypy: Malthacosoma punctipenne Reuter, 1879. Synonymized by Carapezza 1997: 166.

Leucopterum Reuter 1879: 259 , Type species by subsequent designation ( Kirkaldy 1906: 126): Leucopterum fasciatum Reuter, 1879 (= Leucopterum candidatum Reuter, 1879 ). Synonymized by Konstantinov 2008a: 2.

Voruchia Reuter 1879: 252 (original description). Type species by monotypy: Voruchia vittigera Reuter, 1879 . New synonymy.

Type species. Macrocoleus lepidus Puton, 1874 (by monotypy).

Updated diagnosis. Distinguished by the following combination of characters: Small to medium-sized, 1.7 –5.0 mm long; vertex flat, not carinate; dorsum always with curved, adpressed to semierect silver simple setae, sometimes intermixed with brown simple setae on hemelytron; hemelytron except membrane at least partly covered with minute, usually round, brown spots, rarely with transverse ( S. candidatus ) or medial ( S. vittiger ) pale brown band; vesica with weakly sclerotized step-shaped projection distal to secondary gonopore, thin and more or less straight apical blade, and characteristic series of teeth near secondary gonopore ( Figs. 8–13 ); dorsal labiate plate with minute and strongly upturned, stirrup-shaped sclerotized rings and a pair of long and thin, straight, rodlike sclerites running from each ring towards midline ( Figs. 26–29, 31–34 ); posterior wall with distinct, elongated sword-shaped interramal sclerites at sides ( Figs. 36–38 ).

Solenoxyphus is most similar and may form a sister group relationship with Boopidocoris . Evidence supporting this relationship includes the maculate pattern on hemelytron, and the structure of the male and female genitalia. In particular, the peculiar shape of the vesica, with subapical step-shaped projection and remarkable dentation, is shared by both genera ( Figs. 14-16 ) and not found in any other phylines. Additionally, both genera have a number of unique traits in the female genitalia, including the strongly folded dorsally posterior corners of the dorsal labiate plate bearing sclerotized rings, the additional rod-like paired sclerites on the dorsal labiate plate, the minute size and characteristic stirrup-like shape of the sclerotized rings, typically equipped with acute spur-like medial process ( Figs. 25, 30 ), and the distinctly sclerotized lateral sclerites on the posterior wall of bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 35 ). Finally, host plant associations and distributional patterns are quite similar in both genera, as all three species of Boopidocoris utilize Salsola spp. ( Chenopodiaceae ) as hosts and known from Turkmenistan and Northeastern Iran.

Still, Boopidocoris can be easily distinguished from Solenoxyphus by the robust body with the comparatively short and thick legs ( Figs. 5–7 ), the distinctly carinate posteriorly vertex, and the absence of silvery setae on dorsum. Vestiture in Boopidocoris is scarce, entirely missing on head and pronotum and composed of very short, black, adpressed simple setae on hemelytron, giving an impression of distinctly shining dorsum. Boopidocoris further differs from Solenoxyphus in having short tibial spines, at most subequal to width of tibia. The hind tibia in Solenoxyphus is long and thin, 1.6–2.0 × as long as basal width of pronotum, while in Boopidocoris it is more or less incrassate, short, 1.1–1.5 × as long as width of pronotum. In contrast to Solenoxyphus , all Boopidocoris spp. have more or less expressed black marking along midline of head and sides of pronotum. See also Konstantinov (2008a) for comparison of Solenoxyphus with other similar looking phyline genera.

Discussion. The genus Voruchia was established by Reuter (1879) to accommodate the single species V. vittigera Reuter, 1879 . The original description was based on the specimens sampled by A.P. Fedchenko from Vorukh, Western Qalacha, a Tajikistan enclave within Kyrgyzstan territory, during the expedition of the Imperial Amateur Society of Natural History, Anthropology, and Ethnography to Turkestan in 1869–1871. Reuter (1879, 1887) provided no direct comparison of Voruchia with other taxa, although his arrangement of genera shows that he treated Voruchia as closely related to Solenoxyphus Reuter, Malthacosoma Reuter , and Leucopterum Reuter. The last two genera were subsequently synonymized with Solenoxyphus by Carapezza (1997) and Konstantinov (2008a) respectively.

The genus has not been studied since the original description and the structure of genitalia was unknown until our study. Careful investigation of Voruchia vittigera and all species of Solenoxyphus allows us to conclude that they are congeneric. All the diagnostic features of Voruchia indicated by Reuter, specifically the large and wide, strongly declivent head with strongly convex frons, comparatively long labium surpassing hind coxa, short pronotum with straight lateral margins, prosternal xyphus wider than long, with obtusely rounded apex and margins, pale tibial spines, and long claws, vary within both genera and cannot be viewed as diagnostic.

Solenoxyphus and Voruchia share a common color pattern, similar pretarsal structure, male and female genitalia. In both genera the vesica has a thin and more or less straight apical process, a weakly sclerotized stepshaped projection behind the secondary gonopore, and the secondary gonopore is bordered by a remarkable series of teeth. Based on the foregoing features the genus Voruchia Reuter, 1879 is synonymized with Solenoxyphus Reuter, 1875 .

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 16. Vesica: 8 – 10 — Solenoxyphus kazakhstanicus sp. n.: 8 — lateral view; 9 — ventral view; 10 — apex, magnified; 11 – 13 — Solenoxyphus vittiger (Reuter, 1879): 11 — lateral view; 12 — ventral view; 13 — apex, magnified; 14 – 16 — Boopidocoris vitticollis Reuter, 1879: 14 — lateral view; 15 — ventral view; 16 — apex, magnified. Abbreviations: ap. b. — apical blade, st. p. — subapical step – shaped projection, s. g. — secondary gonopore, dt. — dentation near secondary gonopore.

FIGURES 25 – 34. Female genitalia: 25 – 29 — Dorsal labiate plate, dorsal view: 25 — Boopidocoris vitticollis Reuter, 1879; 26 — Solenoxyphus kazakhstanicus sp. n.; 27 — Solenoxyphus lepidus (Puton, 1874); 28 — Solenoxyphus anabasius Konstantinov, 2008; 29 — Solenoxyphus vittiger (Reuter, 1879); 30 – 34 — Sclerotized ring of dorsal labiate plate, lateral view: 30 — Boopidocoris vitticollis Reuter, 1879; 31 — Solenoxyphus kazakhstanicus sp. n.; 32 — Solenoxyphus lepidus (Puton, 1874); 33 — Solenoxyphus anabasius Konstantinov, 2008; 34 — Solenoxyphus vittiger (Reuter, 1879). Abbreviations: sc. v. — sclerites encircling vulva, rd. sc. — rod-like paired sclerites, sc. r. — sclerotized ring, l. ov. — lateral oviducts, v. gl. — vermiform gland, v. 1 — first valvula.

FIGURES 35 – 40. Female genitalia: 35 – 38 — Posterior wall of bursa copulatrix: 35 — Boopidocoris vitticollis Reuter, 1879; 36 — Solenoxyphus vittiger (Reuter, 1879); 37 — Solenoxyphus kazakhstanicus sp. n.; 38 — Solenoxyphus anabasius Konstantinov, 2008; 39 – 40 — Solenoxyphus kazakhstanicus sp. n.: 39 — first valvula (gonapophysis); 40 — second valvula (gonapophysis).

FIGURES 1 – 7. Dorsal view: 1 – 2 — Solenoxyphus kazakhstanicus sp. n.: 1 — male; 2 — female; 3 – 4 — Solenoxyphus vittiger (Reuter, 1879): 3 — male; 4 — female; 5 — Boopidocoris vitticollis Reuter, 1879, male; 6 – 7 — Boopidocoris salsolae Putshkov, 1976: 6 — male; 7 — female.