Melaleucaphylus omnivorus, 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 : 47-50

Melaleucaphylus omnivorus , new species

Figure 9B , map 3, plates 3, 18, table 1

DIAGNOSIS: Because dorsal coloration of this new species is variable and similar to several other species of Melaleucaphylus , M. omnivorus is unequivocally recognized by male genitalia with sharp spur on posterior edge of ventral strap not protruding beyond curvature of strap and setiform parempodia. Pale olive specimens are similar to M. eremaeae , but in latter species posterior edge of ventral strap does not have a spine, antennal segment 2 in male is shorter and thicker, and parempodia are slightly lamelliform with expanded fanlike apices. Specimens with bright reddish orange cuneus are similar to M. halmaturorum , however, in the latter species posterior edge of ventral strap with curved subapical spine and apical spines of dorsal strap longer and separated for most of length, then converge at apex, and only known from Victoria state; M. omnivorus has apical spines of dorsal strap contiguous throughout length and are distributed in Western Australia. Melaleucaphylus pauperiflorae has similar overall reddish-orange coloration to some M. omnivorus specimens but in the former species posterior edge of ventral strap has a curved subapical spine and apical spines of dorsal strap are curved ventrad. Melaleucaphylus polyphagus and M. sheathianae can have similar reddish-orange coloration to some M. omnivorus , but the former species has a unique large spine on posterior edge of ventral strap and somewhat lamelliform parempodia, whereas the latter species has conspicuous large and small apical spines of dorsal strap; additionally, both these similar species have a variable medial stripe on scutellum not found in M. omnivorus .

DESCRIPTION: MALE: Mean total length 3.34, mean pronotum width 1.23. COLORATION (pl. 3): Variable general coloration; pale dusky olive to pale or intense orange red; regardless of general coloration cuneus always some shade of orange red; antennae black or sometimes with basal portion of segment 2 paler; abdomen black; wide periphery of hemelytral membrane infuscate, hyaline centrally; veins dusky yellow; tibia without dark spots at bases of black spines, tarsus black. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (pl. 3): Shining; dorsum with moderately dense, curved, reclining, black, simple setae; thoracic venter with black setae, erect on coxae. STRUCTURE: Labium reaching apex of mesocoxa. Pretarsus: Claws of moderate size, slightly curved, bases somewhat enlarged; parempodia setiform, rela- tively long, parallel, apices sharp; pulvilli moderate height, proximad of angle of claw (fig. 9B). GENITALIA (pl. 18A–J): Pygophore: Relatively broad in dorsal view, dorsal surface near paramere insertions with only a few longer bristles near both paramere insertions. Endosoma: Distal one-half with torsion, twisted to left side; ventral strap bifurcate, terminating at middle of secondary gonopore, anterior surface with smoothly curved distal margin, posterior edge with sharp spur, not protruding beyond curvature of ventral strap; dorsal strap bifurcate at level of apex of secondary gonopore, divided into pair of narrow, approximately equal length, converging sharp spines, both spines projecting over left side of endosoma, reaching approximately 3× length of secondary gonopore beyond distal margin of gonopore; posterior spine bowed away from anterior spine at base, then wavy, bypassing anterior spine by 2× diameter of apex of spine, anterior spine smoothly curved and not wavy. Secondary gonopore: Well-sclerotized, proximal edge with microspiculate membrane and wellsclerotized projection wrapped around proximal margin and then expanded into small trumpetlike apex, proximal edge of apex slightly extruded. Phallotheca: Moderate sized, relatively narrow apical region with short, low prominence on dorsal surface; elongate ovoid aperture on anterior surface. Parameres: Left paramere: Compressed triangular in dorsal view, posterior processes with expanded base, abruptly narrowed, longer than anterior process; anterior process short, apex small, smoothly rounded; posterior surface of paramere with small but relatively prominent protuberance, slightly reaching above anterior and posterior processes. Right paramere: Moderate length, margins smoothly rounded; apex short knoblike.

FEMALE (pl. 3): Coloration as in male, except antenna dark at apex and base, not entirely black, otherwise differing from male as in generic description; mean total length 3.58, mean pronotum width 1.31. GENITALIA (pl. 18K–M): Posterior margin of sternite 7: With broadly triangular projection. Vestibular scler- ites: Situated medially, moderately large, J-shaped, convoluted, lateral margin elongate, flat, extending to right side, anterior edge extending even with interior and occupying middle of right ring in dorsal view; vestibulum variably sclerotized, faint near ventral labiate plate, strongest on medioventral extension of ventral labiate plate and enlarged triangular basal sclerites of first gonapophyses. Dorsal labiate plate: Relatively small; posteroventral margin of dorsal labiate plate folded, not tumid. Sclerotized rings medium sized with narrow border, subquadrate, separated by width of ring, margins rounded, lateral margin not reaching lateral margin of dorsal labiate plate. Intersegmental process: Ventral projection with undulate, irregular apical margin, somewhat flattened on horizontal axis, microspiculate. Posterior wall: Medium sized, ventral one-half well sclerotized. Interramal sclerites: With small, prominent, posteriorly directed medial prominence; ventrolateral regions with obvious sclerotized subrectangular extensions. Interramal lobes: Dorsolateral region hyaline apparently not microspiculate; regions either side of medial prominence not tumid or produced into genital chamber.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for its occurrence on multiple hosts; from the Latin omnis, “all,” vorare, “to devour.”

HOSTS: Recorded from the following plant species: Baeckea crispiflora , B. uncinella , Calytrix glutinosa , Scholtzia drummondii (pl. 41C) ( Myrtaceae : Chamelaucieae ), Beaufortia schaueri , Melaleuca laetifica (pl. 39F), M. sp., and Eremaea beaufortioides (pl. 37F) ( Myrtaceae : Melaleuceae ). The records of single specimens from Allocasuarina campestris (Casuarinaceae) and Hakea cygna (Proteaceae) we consider to be in error, as a result of commingling of specimens in the field.

DISTRIBUTION (map 3): Known from several collection events in western and southern Western Australia within the southwest interzone and southwestern phytogeographic subregions.

DISCUSSION: Three females from Lake Mullet Nature Reserve (00393460–00393462) without host information or associated males are not designated paratypes. The sclerotized rings in these specimens are angulate laterally and the vestibular sclerites are shorter and rounded distally; in paratype M. omnivorus the lateral margins are curved and the vestibular sclerites are longer and flattened. The coloration of the nonparatype females with black antennae and pale areas on the head, base of cuneus, and scutellum also differs from M. omnivorus . Other specimens from the same locality taken on Baeckea uncinella are typical of M. omnivorus (00390859) or M. polyphagus (00372128–00372131). Until males can be associated with the unique Lake Mullet Nature Reserve females we refrain from recognizing an additional new species of Melaleucaphylus .

Some specimens from Lillian Stoke Rock taken on Beaufortia have the cuneus more conspicuously red than the remainder of the hemelytron but have identical endosoma as in other specimens we designate as paratypes.

HOLOTYPE: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Kalbarri National Park, 37.7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.84818 ° S 114.47458 ° E, 500 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca laetifica Craven (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05054540, 13 ( AMNH _PBI 00372183) ( WAMP).

PARATYPES AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 km S of Lillian Stoke Rock, 33.07681 ° S 120.0982 ° E, 380 m, 21 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh , G. Cassis, and R. Silveira, Hakea cygna Lamont (Proteaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671760, 1♀ (00390895) ( AM). 3.5 km E of Lillian Stoke Rock, 33.07679 ° S 120.132 ° E, 360 m, 21 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh , G. Cassis, and R. Silveira, Baeckea crispiflora F. Muell. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671078, 6♀ (00393503–00393508), Beaufortia schaueri L. Preiss (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671892, 13 (00390893), 1♀ (00390894) ( AM). 4.2 km SE of Esperance, Lake Mullet Nature Reserve, 33.79691 ° S 121.95427 ° E, 10 m, 23 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh , G. Cassis, and R. Silveira, Baeckea uncinella Benth. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671299, 1♀ (00390859) ( AM). 11 km S of Eneabba, Eneabba National Park, 29.9025 ° S 115.24321 ° E, 150 m, 01 Nov 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Allocasuarina campestris (Diels) L.A.S. Johnson (Casuarinaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120063, 1♀ (00393385) ( AM), Scholtzia drummondii Benth. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120209, 3♀ (00393463–00393465) ( AM), Calytrix glutinosa Lindl. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120101, 1♀ (00414822) ( AMNH). Eneabba on Brand Hiway, 29.80735 ° S 115.2699 ° E, 100 m, 31 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Eremaea beaufortioides Benth. var. beaufortioides (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05120187, 13 (00136214), 1♀ (00136223) ( AMNH). Frank Hann National Park, 37 km E of Lake King, 33.07753 ° S 120.0918 ° E, 400 m, 05 Nov 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05236908, 33 (00087575, 00390810, 00390811), 1♀ (00390812) ( AM). Kalbarri National Park, 37.7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.84818 ° S 114.47458 ° E, 500 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca laetifica Craven (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05054540, 73 (00372186, 00372187, 00087419, 00087579, 00393457, 00391104, 00391105), 9♀ (00372200, 00372201, 00372211–00372213, 00087420, 00393446– 00393448) ( AM), 143 (00135045–00135058), 5♀ (00372207–00372210, 00372214) ( AMNH), 53 (00372184, 00372185, 00393432–00393434), 7♀ (00372202–00372206, 00393449, 00393450) ( WAMP).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED AUS- TRALIA: Western Australia: 4.2 km SE of Esperance, Lake Mullet Nature Reserve, 33.79691 ° S 121.95427 ° E, 10 m, 23 Nov 1999, R.T. Schuh , G. Cassis, and R. Silveira, Baeckea uncinella Benth. (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05671299, 3♀ (00393460–00393462) ( AM). Kalbarri National Park, 37.7 km E of Kalbarri, 27.84818 ° S 114.47458 ° E, 500 m, 29 Oct 1996, Schuh and Cassis, Melaleuca laetifica Craven (Myrtaceae) , det. PERTH staff PERTH 05054540, 12 nymphs (00372188–00372199) ( AM).

Figures

FIG. 9. Melaleucaphylus spp. Scanning electron micrographs of pretarsus. A. M. nodosae, AMNH_PBI 00371390, frontodorsal view. B. M. omnivorus, AMNH_PBI 00391104, frontodorsal view. C. M. phymatocarpi, AMNH_PBI 00372120, frontal view. D. M. polyphagus, AMNH_PBI 00132521, frontodorsal view. E., F. M. rhaphiophyllae, AMNH_PBI 00393437. E. Frontodorsal view. F. Detail of parempodia, ventral view. G. M. sheathianae, AMNH_PBI 00370823, frontolateral view. Abbreviations: pe, parempodium; pul, pulvillus.