Ethelastia liturata (Fieber)

Wyniger, Denise, 2010, Resurrection of the Pronotocrepini Knight, with Revisions of the Nearctic Genera Orectoderus Uhler, Pronotocrepis Knight, and Teleorhinus Uhler, and Comments on the Palearctic Ethelastia Reuter (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), American Museum Novitates 2010 (3703), pp. 1-68 : 7-10

Ethelastia liturata (Fieber)

Figures 1 , 2 , 11

Phylus lituratus Fieber, 1858: 339 (new species).

Ethelastia inconspicua Reuter, 1876b: 34 (new genus) (syn. by Kritishenko, 1951: 199); Carvalho, 1955a: 49 (key); 1958: 45 (catalog); Kerzhner, 1997: 118 (note); Kerzhner and Josifov, 1999: 342 (catalog); Konstantinov, 2008 (diagnosis, key to species).

Ethelastia liturata ( Fieber, 1858) : Kerzhner and Jaczewski, 1964: 712, 755 (key, genitalic drawings); Kerzhner and Josifov, 1999: 342 (catalog); Konstantinov, 2008 (diagnosis, description).

DIAGNOSIS: Similar to lonicerae in general aspect, coloration, and size (fig. 1). Differs from lonicerae in mesoscutum and scutellum entirely dark brown, pronotum with distinct dark calli, corium with longitudinal dark spots, and vesica bifurcate apically.

REDESCRIPTION: Male: 6.0–6.9, length apex clypeus-cuneus fracture 5.15–5.95, width across pronotum 1.58–1.68 ( Konstantinov, 2008). COLORATION: Dorsal surface ocher; head uniformly black; mandibular plate and clypeus entirely brownish black; or pronotum brownish with anterior orange ocher transverse and medial longitudinal orangish yellow band; mesoscutum and scutellum dark brown; clavus ocher with inner half brownish; corium ocher with distinct longitudinal dark spots; cuneus orange ocher; membrane fuscous with veins fuscous; antennal segments ocher, black apically; dark brown; pro-, meso- and metapleuron entirely dark brown or dark brown basally and yellowish apically; scent-gland auricle dark brown or orange apically; femora ocher or slightly orange; tibia ocher; tarsus brown (fig. 1). SURFACE AND VESTITURE: General aspect slightly shiny; dorsal surface with simple erect setae (fig. 2D); tibia with black spines; claws straight, slightly curved apically (fig. 2C); with pulvillus connate to ventral surface of claw over its entire length (fig. 2C). STRUCTURE: Elongate; dorsal surface smooth with pronotum basally, scutellum and corium slightly granulate; pronotum apically with flattened margin apically. GENITALIA: Phallotheca elongate; vesica simple, lunate, bifurcate apically (fig. 1); secondary gonopore situated apically (fig. 2E), with large denticulate lobes laterally (fig. 2F); leπ paramere with anterior process pointed; right paramere straight, pointed apically (fig. 1).

Female: Total length 5.20–5.90, length apex clypeus-cuneus fracture 4.60–5.30, width across pronotum 1.40–1.75 ( Konstantinov, 2008). COLORATION: Dorsal surface ocher with slightly orange aspect; head uniformly black or black with orange marks; buccula orange; pronotum apically orange, posteriorly with lateral dark spots and medially with roundish yellow spot; mesoscutum and scutellum dark brown; clavus ocher with inner half brownish; corium ocher with distinct longitudinal dark spots; cuneus orange ocher; membrane fuscous with veins yellowish; antenna entirely yellowish or with antennal segments black apically; venter ocher or dark brown; pro-, meso- and metapleuron entirely dark brown or dark brown basally and yellowish apically; scent-gland auricle dark brown or orange apically; femora slightly orange; tibia ocher; tarsus brown (fig. 1). SURFACE AND VESTITURE: General aspect slightly shiny; dorsal surface with simple erect setae; tibia with black spines; claws straight, slightly curved apically; with pulvillus connate to ventral surface of claw over its entire length. STRUCTURE: Elongate oval (fig. 1); dorsal surface smooth with pronotum basally, scutellum and corium slightly granulate; pronotum with flattened margin apically. GENITALIA: Sclerotized rings of dorsal labiate plate elongate and large, rounded basally and pointed apically (fig. 11).

HOSTS: Rosaceae , Fabaceae ( Konstantinov, 2008) .

DISTRIBUTION: Western Palearctic, Moldova, South Ukraine, southern territories of European Russia, Kazakhstan ( Konstantinov, 2008).

DISCUSSION: The review of Konstaninov (2008) resulted in the description of this new species within the monotypic (to date) genus Ethelastia . Konstantinov (2008) provided a detailed diagnosis of male and female, but without female genitalic characters. The female genitalia of E. liturata are documented in the present work.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: KAZAKHSTAN: East Kazakhstan Prov.: Arten-tau Mts W Kokpekty, Zaysan, 48.75°N 82.36666°E, 08 Jun 1930, A.K. Lukyanovich, 1♀ (00144608) (ZISP); 11 Jun 1930, A.K. Lukyanovich, 2♂ (00175549, 00175550) (AMNH); 14 Jun 1930, A.K. Lukyanovich, 1♀ (00144600) (ZISP). Karaganda Prov.: 30 km NW of Dzhezkazgan, 47.9°N 68.05°E, 541 m, 04 Jun 1962, I.M. Kerzhner, Spiraea hypericifolia (Rosaceae) , 1♂ (00155870), 1♀ (00156051–00156052) (ZISP). 40 km S of Atasu [Zhana-Arka], 48.31666°N 71.66666°E, 24 Jun 1960, I.M. Kerzhner, Spiraea hypericifolia (Rosaceae) , 2♀ (00175551, 00175552) (AMNH). UKRAINE: Krasnograd [former Konstantinograd], 49.36666°N 35.45°E, 25 May 1926, A.K. Lukyanovich, 1♂ (00144641) (ZISP). Provalye, 48.16666°N 39.83333°E, 13 Jun 1929, Talitskiy, 1♀ (00144669, 00144670) (ZISP).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus view and male genitalia of Ethelastia spp.; males (leπ) and females (right) in dorsal view. Male genitalia of Ethelastia spp.; vesica (lateral view), phallotheca (lateral view), leπ paramere (lateral view), right paramere. Habitus pictures according to Konstantinov (2008).

FIGURE 2. Scanning electron micrographs of Ethelastia liturata (male). A. Head and thorax (lateral view). B. Metathoracic scent-gland evaporatory area (lateral view). C. Pretarsus (frontal view). D. Setae on hemelytra, detail of microstructure. E. Vesica with secondary gonopore (dorsolateral view). F. Detail of secondary gonopore.

FIGURE 11. Female genitalia of Ethelastia spp. and Orectoderus spp.; bursa copulatrix (dorsal view), posterior wall (ventral view).