Solenoxyphus alkani Önder, 1975

Konstantinov, Fedor V., 2008, Review of Solenoxyphus Reuter, 1875 (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 3607 (1), pp. 1-44 : 16-17

Solenoxyphus alkani Önder, 1975

Figures 17, 18 , 56

Solenoxyphus alkani Önder, 1975: 118–119 .

Solenoxyphus markevichi Putshkov, 1978: 469–470 , n. syn.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the large dimensions, contrastingly dark and large dots on hind femora and short labium. Similar to S. lepidus and S. artemisiae in coloration of hind femora, but can be distinguished by the length of labium, measurements, ocular index, and structure of the apical process of vesica.

DESCRIPTION: VESTITURE: Composed of long silvery setae, adpressed on forewings, semierect on head and at sides of pronotum.

COLORATION: Body (fig. 56) pale greenish. Head and antennae pale. First antennal segment with two minute subapical pale brown dots on medial surface. Pronotum and scutellum uniformly pale. Clavus and corium uniformly covered with rather dense and irregularly distributed pale brown dotting. Only at extreme base of wing dots becoming somewhat obsolete. Whole cuneus covered with minute and regularly distributed pale brown dots. The largest dots on forewings equal in diameter to width of second antennal segment at base or slightly smaller. Membrane with indistinctly embrowned areas around outer vein, indistinct embrowned area adjacent to apex of cuneus and pale brown wedgeshaped lateral spot separated from apex of cuneus by transparent rectangular stripe. Cells at least partly embrowned. Ventral surfaces of femora and apical parts of their dorsal surfaces covered with large, contrastingly dark brown dots. Ventral surface pale. Hind femora with dark dots 2–4 X as large as those on forewings, partly merging into transverse stripes on ventral surface and forming a series of dark round spots along foremargin. Tibia with large dark brown dots at bases of slightly embrowned tibial spines.

MALE GENITALIA: Vesica as in figs. 17, 18. Apical process long, thin, and acute, with somewhat curved apex, distinctly longer than width of vesica proximal to secondary gonopore. Longitudinal flange almost absent. Series of teeth not extending proximal or distal to secondary gonopore.

STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENTS: Labium short, surpassing middle coxae and hardly reaching bases of hind coxae. Hind femora comparatively thin. Females macropterous.

In males, body 3.4 X as long as width of pronotum. Pronotum 1.8–1.9 X as wide as long, 1.4–1.5 X as wide as head. Vertex 1.1– 1.2 X as wide as eye. Second antennal segment 0.8–0.9 X as long as basal width of pronotum, 1.2–1.3 X as long as width of head. Body length: 4.6–4.8 mm, 3.8 mm in holotype of S. markevichi .

In female (according to measurements by Önder, 1975) body 3.2 X as long as width of pronotum. Pronotum 2.1 X as wide as long, 1.5 X as wide as head. Vertex 1.8 X as wide as eye. Second antennal segment 0.9 X as long as basal width of pronotum, 1.4 X as long as width of head. Body length: 4.6 mm.

NOTE: While describing S. markevichi, Putshkov (1978) was obviously unaware of the description of S. alkani by Önder (1975). It is stated in the original description of S. markevichi that three specimens were collected at once, but two of them were subsequently lost, so the species is known only from the holotype. Solenoxyphus alkani was described from a single series of five males and one female. Examination of material shows that both species are almost identical in color pattern, structure of the male genitalia, and ratios, although the holotype of S. markevichi is smaller. Solenoxyphus alkani and S. markevichi were described from Turkey and Armenia correspondingly. The type localities of these species are located within distance of about 40 kilometers. I am therefore treating S. markevichi Putshkov, 1978 as a junior synonym of S. alkani Önder, 1975 .

DISTRIBUTION: Turkey, Armenia.

HOST PLANT: Solenoxyphus markevichi was collected from Cousinia sp. (Asteraceae) ( Putshkov, 1978).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Holotype of S. markevichi : ARMENIA: Vedi , 13 Jun 1977, Putshkov, 13 ( AMNH _ PBI 00140865 ) ( UASK).

Paratypes of S. alkani : TURKEY: Kars, S.E. Slopes of Ararat, 2400 m, 31 Aug 1960, Guichard & Harvey, 23, without USI label ( BMNH) .

Figures

Figs. 8–18. Vesica, ventral view: 8–9, Solenoxyphus fuscovenosus: 8, Kazakhstan: Saykhin, on Halocnemum strobilaceum; 9, Ukraine: Kerch. 10–11. S. adspersus: 10, Turkmenistan: Repetek (Hohlbeck); 11, Uzbekistan: Derbent. 12, S. punctipennis, Azerbaijan: Turut steppe. 13–15, S. lepidus: 13, Kazakhstan: Muyunkum sands; 14, Mongolia: Gobi Altai Aimak; 15, Spain: Alfés. 16, S. artemisiae, Uzbekistan, holotype. 17–18, S. alkani: 17, Armenia, holotype of S. markevichi; 18, Turkey, paratype.