Melaleucaphylus kunzeae, Schwartz & Weirauch & Schuh, 2018

Schwartz, Michael D., Weirauch, Christiane & Schuh, Randall T., 2018, New Genera And Species Of Myrtaceae-Feeding Phylinae From Australia, And The Description Of A New Species Of Restiophylus (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae) Michael D. Schwartz Christiane Weirauch, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (424), pp. 1-161 : 40-42

Melaleucaphylus kunzeae , new species

Figures 4F , 7 , map 3, plates 2, 14, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by overall pale yellow body, black antenna, parempodia broadly lamelliform with flat expanded apices, and endosoma with apically undivided dorsal and ventral straps.

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.36, mean pronotum width 1.07. COLORATION (pl. 2): Generally pale yellow to yellow with clypeus dusky black, antenna and apical segment of labium black, pronotum somewhat pale green anteriorly, hemelytron tinged with reddish orange of variable intensity, cuneus and paracuneus with most obvious red coloration; membrane weakly infuscate, veins red or yellow; tibia without dark spots at bases of spines; tarsi dusky black to black; phallotheca black. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 2): Shining; dorsum with moderately dense, curved reclining black simple setae; tibia with black spines.

STRUCTURE: Labium reaching apex of mesocoxa. Pretarsus: Claws moderate sized, broadly curved; parempodia broadly lamelliform, weakly lyrelike, length moderate expanding to apices; pulvilli minute, proximad of angle of claw (fig. 4F). GENITALIA (fig. 7D, pl. 14A–J): Pygophore: Relatively broad in dorsal view, caudal surface perpendicular to aperture in lateral view, otherwise as in generic description. Endosoma: Ventral strap entire, anterior surface reaching to just proximad of secondary gonopore with broad, smooth curved apex, terminating at midpoint of proximal secondary gonopore process; dorsal strap undivided for entire length, gradually narrowed, terminating in thin, pointed apex, exceeding secondary gonopore by 2× length of latter. Secondary gonopore: Well sclerotized; gonopore process well sclerotized, conforming to proximal surface of gonopore and reaching proximally as irregularly bent slightly expanded process; spiculate membranous surface on proximal margin; interstrap membrane with very thin sclerite reaching from base of endosoma to secondary gonopore. Phallotheca: Moderate size, apical region relatively long and narrow, terminating in spinelike apex, anterior surface with short crest or ridge; posterior surface somewhat undulate; aperture on anterior surface, moderately and evenly open. Parameres: Left paramere: Small, triangular in dorsal view, posterior process relatively short, abruptly narrowed, distal region bent ventrad, base weakly expanded laterally, longer than anterior process; anterior process short with long subapical seta; posterior surface of paramere not expanded posteriorly, not raised above bases of anterior and posterior processes. Right paramere: Relatively short, gently narrowed distally with smoothly rounded margins; apex short.

FEMALE (pl. 2): Coloration as in male; differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.29, mean pronotum width 1.15. GENITALIA (pl. 14K–N): Posterior margin of sternite 7: Bearing narrow, projection. Vestibular sclerites: Weakly J-shaped coiled tube; medially placed, anteriad reaching level with middle of ring, not attaining medial border of right ring in dorsal view; vestibulum variably sclerotized, faint near ventral labiate plate, strongest at medioventral extension of ventral labiate plate and weak at enlarged triangular basal sclerites of first gonapophyses. Dorsal labiate plate: Medium sized; posteroventral edge folded. Sclerotized rings: Medium size, ovoid, borders nar- row, separated by width of ring, lateral margin of ring curved, almost reaching lateral margin of dorsal labiate plate. Intersegmental process: Relatively large, tongue shaped, membranous, lacking microspicules, apical margin slightly notched. Posterior wall: Medium size, anterior one-half strongly sclerotized. Interramal sclerites: Dorsomedially with large, subquadrate anterior invagination, forming large posteriorly directed prominence adjacent to ovipositor bulb; ventrolateral regions with sclerotized subrectangular extensions. Interramal lobes: Dorsolateral region membranous, lateral regions with sparse microspicules; regions either side of medial prominence not tumid or produced into genital chamber.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on the genus Kunzea .

HOST: Recorded from Kunzea ambigua ( Myrtaceae : Leptospermeae ) (pl. 38D).

DISTRIBUTION (map 3): Known from four collecting events from coastal New South Wales in Bournda and Royal National Parks and north of Sydney within the southeastern phytogeographic subregion.

DISCUSSION: This is the only species of Melaleucaphylus with a host-plant association in the Leptospermeae ; we consider the 3 specimens of M. nodosae from one collection event as incidental records. Otherwise, in the present work only species of Leptospermia and Xiphoides are associated with Leptospermeae host plants. Currently M. kun- zeae and M. nodosae are the only species of the genus found in coastal southeastern Australia.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Royal National Park, Wattamolla Beach Car Park, 34.13888 ° S 151.11333 ° E, 29 m, 14 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 666409, 13 ( AMNH _PBI 00128259) ( AM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 65 km N of Sydney on Pacific Hiway, 33.53334 ° S 151.1833 ° E, 100 m, 19 Oct 1995, Schuh and Cassis, Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae) , det. P.G. Wilson 1996 NSW 395902, 53 (00414755, 00414751–00414754), 1♀ (00414750) ( AM). Bournda National Park, North Wallagoot, Turingal Head, 36.78452 ° S 149.9568 ° E, 16 m, 20 Nov 2002, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 658199, 23 (00414838, 00414839), 1♀ (00414840) ( AMNH). Royal National Park, Warumbul Picnic Area, 34.06667 ° S 151.1048 ° E, 20 m, 14 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 666409, 2♀ (00128236, 00097206), 23 (00097205, 00058633) ( AMNH). Royal National Park, Wattamolla Beach Car Park, 34.13888 ° S 151.11333 ° E, 29 m, 14 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 666409, 63 (00128288–00128293), 7♀ (00128302–00128308) ( AM), 223 (00097207, 00368045, 00128294–00128301, 00128249– 00128256, 00128261–00128264), 25♀ (00097208, 00128310–00128314, 00128266–00128283, 00128286) ( AMNH), 13 (00128258), 1♀ (00128284) ( ANIC), 13 (00128260), 1♀ (00128285) ( CNC), 13 (00128265), 1♀ (00128287) ( UNSW), 1♀ (00128309), 13 (00128257) ( ZISP).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: AUS-

TRALIA: New South Wales: Royal National Park, Wattamolla Beach Car Park, 34.13888 ° S 151.11333 ° E, 29 m, 14 Nov 2001, Cassis, Schuh , Schwartz, Silveira, Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae) , det. NSW staff NSW 666409, 1 adult sex unknown (00413015) (AMNH).

Figures

FIG. 4. Melaleucaphylus spp. Scanning electron micrographs of pretarsus. A, B. M. beaufortiae, AMNH_PBI 00087288. A. Frontoventral view. B. Detail of parempodia, ventral view. C. M. eremaeae, AMNH_PBI 00136216, frontoventral view. D. M. glomeratae, AMNH_PBI 00418691, frontoventral view. E. M. halmaturorum, AMNH_PBI 00371542, frontoventral view. F. M. kunzeae, AMNH_PBI 00128299, frontal view. Abbreviations: pe, parempodium; pul, pulvillus.

FIG. 7. Melaleucaphylus kunzeae, AMNH_PBI 00128299. Scanning electron micrographs. A. Head and pronotum, lateral view. B. Detail of pronotal setae, lateral view. C. Thoracic pleuron, lateral view, showing metathoracic spiracle opening, metathoracic scent-gland auricle, and evaporatory area. D. Pygophore, left paramere, phallotheca, and right paramere, lateral view. Abbreviations: lp, left paramere; mttsp, metathoracic spiracle; phl, phallotheca; rp, right paramere; sgaur, scent gland auricle; sgev, scent gland evaporatory area.