Pilophoropsidea brailovskyi Henry

Henry, Thomas J., 2015, Revision of the Ceratocapsine Renodaeus group: Marinonicoris, Pilophoropsis, Renodaeus, and Zanchisme, with descriptions of four new genera (Heteroptera, Miridae, Orthotylinae), ZooKeys 490, pp. 1-156 : 45-46

Taxon classification Animalia Hemiptera Miridae

Pilophoropsidea brailovskyi Henry sp. n. Figs 50, 214-216

Diagnosis.

This species (Fig. 50) is recognized by the relatively large size, reddishbrown coloration, unique male genitalia, particularly the left paramere (Fig. 214) and phallotheca (Fig. 214), and the stout spine on the male genital aperture at about the 10 o’clock position above the left paramere.

Description.

Holotype male: Length ca. 4.48 mm (hemelytra bent down and twisted apically), width 1.36 mm. Labium: Length 1.58 mm. Antenna: Segment I, 0.40 mm; II, teratoid left segment 1.26 mm, normal right segment 1.08 mm; III, right 0.56 mm; IV, right 0.54 mm; teratoid left III and IV fused, 0.80 mm, fuscous. Pronotum: Length 0.88 mm, basal width 1.36 mm.

Coloration: Head: Dark brown, frons dark reddish brown. Antenna: Segment I pale brown, with a brown to reddishbrown streak on basal half; segment II fuscous; segments III and IV fuscous. Pronotum: Reddish brown. Scutellum: Reddish brown. Hemelytron: Apical half fuscous, slightly paler or very dark brown on basal half; membrane smoky black, pale or whitish through areoles and between. Ventral surface: Shiny brown to reddish brown, abdomen more fuscous. Ostiolar evaporative area: White with large knob at end of scent channel dull red. Legs: Fore coxa brown, more reddish apically, middle and hind coxae pale or whitish, infuscated basally; femora brown to fuscous, with apices pale; tibiae brown, hind tibia more reddish brown, all becoming paler on apical 1/4; tarsi and claws brown.

Structure, texture, and vestiture: Head: Semishiny, vertex finely granulate with a narrow, smooth, shiny area extending between eyes just before base; frons transversely striate. Labium: Extending to bases of hind coxae. Pronotum: Disc shiny, smooth to very indistinctly roughened, calli granulate, slightly raised, narrowly shiny around inner margins; collar transversely striate. Scutellum: Weakly rugose, with silvery scale-like setae except at middle of base and at apex Hemelytron: Polished, smooth except for slightly roughened clavus; with typical bands of silvery scale-like setae, a narrow one at base of clavus and a broader one through middle of corium and apical third of clavus, intermixed with a row of long, erect, simple setae through middle of clavus and a few along inner corial margin near base of membrane.

Male genitalia: Aperture with a stout, apically acute tubercle above left paramere Left paramere (Fig. 214): Apex quadrate and extended distally into a long slender process; basally with three processes, the first and third short, apically rounded, the middle one longer, more pointed. Right paramere (Fig. 216) stout, elongate, narrowing apically, without lateral tubercles or processes. Phallotheca (Fig. 215): Stout, distally broad and blunt; finely serrate along one side near apex.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of coreoid specialist Dr. Harry Brailovsky, friend, colleague, and collector of the holotype.

Distribution.

Federal District, Mexico.

Host.

Holotype collected on Tillandsia bourgari Baker [ Bromeliaceae ].

Discussion.

The holotype (red label added: "SPECIMEN WITH TERATOLOGICAL LEFT ANTENNA") and only known specimen of this species exhibits the only case of teratological antennal development observed in Pilophoropsidea . The left second antennal segment is much longer than the right and segments III and IV of the same antenna are fused into one. Polhemus and Polhemus (1985) noted that antennal oligomery was not an uncommon phenomenon in the Heteroptera, citing Leston (1952), and described such examples as Pilophoropsis brachyptera Poppius treated in this paper and their new genus and species Phorodendrepulus myrmecomorphus ( Phylinae). They speculated that flightlessness and extensive inbreeding accounted for a higher occurrence of antennal oligomery in Phorodendrepulus myrmecomorphus than in Pilophoropsis bracyptera , which has fully macropterous, more mobile males [as do species of Pilophoropsidea ] to increase interdeme gene flow.

Type material.

Holotype: ♂: MEXICO:Federal District: Temascaltepec, 9 Feb. 1979, H. Brailovsky, on Tillandsia bourgari Baker (UNAM).