Arizonapsallus, Schuh, 2006

Schuh, Randall T., 2006, Revision, Phylogenetic, Biogeographic, And Host Analyses Of The Endemic Western North American Phymatopsallus Group, With The Description Of 9 New Genera And 15 New Species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2006 (301), pp. 1-115 : 19-21

Arizonapsallus , new genus

Type species: Arizonapsallus stonedahli , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: Recognized by the the relatively large size within the Phymatopsallus group, total length 3.48–3.71, the pale coloration, spotted dorsum, and the left side of the pygophore lacking a specialized field of spicules or a tubercle. Most similar to Cercocarpopsallus in structure of the male genitalia, especially the two terminal spines on the vesica (figs. 5, 25, 26). Similar in size and coloration to several Bisulcopsallus (fig. 1) and Ceratopsallus spp. (fig. 2), but readily distinguished from members of those two groups by their possession of a tubercle on left side of the pygophore.

DESCRIPTION: Male: Moderately large among Phymatopsallus -group taxa, elongate, nearly parallel-sided, total length 3.48–3.71, length apex clypeus–cuneal fracture 2.17– 2.33, width pronotum 0.92–1.00. COLOR- ATION (fig. 1): Body and forewings pale, uniformly and densely covered with small brown spots; membrane marmorate; veins of membrane mostly pale; head, pronotum and scutellum with less conspicuous spotting; eyes silvery; coloration of appendages pale greenish, femora with scattered, weak, brown spots; tibial spines dark with dark bases. SURFACE AND VESTITURE (fig. 1): Dorsal body surface smooth, impunctate, weakly shining. Dorsal vestiture of recumbent, silvery setae. STRUCTURE: Head: Weakly transverse, posterior margin of eyes contiguous with anterior margin of pronotum, frons weakly protruding beyond anterior margin of eyes (fig. 1); posterior margin of vertex indistinct; eyes as in female, not showing sexual dimorphism, occupying approximately two-thirds height of head, vertex relatively broad (fig. 1); antennae inserted above ventral margin of eye by roughly diameter of segment 1, insertion contiguous with eye; antennal segment 2 cylindrical, of approximately same diameter as segment 1, similar in conformation to that of female, much longer than width of head (ratio 0.94:0.63); labium reaching to apex of hind trochanters. Thorax: Mesothoracic spiracle and metathoracic scent-efferent system similar in structure to that of Bisulcopsallus spp. (see fig. 6B). Legs: Claws strongly bent preapically, pulvilli flaplike, moderately large, reaching to near apex of claw, parempodia setiform. Abdomen: Broad basally, tapered posteriorly. GENITALIA (fig. 5): Pygophore: Conical, without specialized setae or tubercle as found in many other Phymatopsallus -group taxa. Vesica: Relatively short and stout, apically with two slender spines, one apparently bifid, two spine branches extending in parallel well beyond gonopore, the other in retrorse fashion extending proximad of secondary gonopore and lying along body of vesica; secondary gonopore moderately large, well sclerotized, ovoid, without gonopore sclerite. Phallotheca: Relatively short, with a weak triangular projection on apicodorsal margin, lacking spinelike projections as found in all other Phymatopsallus -group taxa. Parameres: Left paramere with anterior and posterior processes simple, lacking unique structural features; right paramere relatively large, elongate, nearly parallel-sided, apex with a distinct, short process on either side.

Female: Ovoid, much shorter than male; total length 2.88–3.01, length apex clypeus– cuneal fracture 1.99–2.07, width pronotum 0.90–0.96. COLORATION (fig. 1): As in male. SURFACE AND VESTITURE: As in male. STRUCTURE: Hemelytra just covering abdomen; eyes usually similar in size to those of male (fig. 1); antennal segment 2 closely resembling that of male. GENITALIA (fig. 5): Sclerotized rings broader medially than laterally; vestibulum with sclerites at base of ovipositor valves relatively small, as in most Phylinae , without tubular nautiloid development as seen in many other members of Phymatopsallus group; posterior wall not visible in only dissected specimen.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the state of Arizona, its known area of occurrence, in combination with the generic name Psallus . Gender masculine.

HOST: Recorded only from the genus Condalia (Rhamnaceae) .

DISCUSSION: The marmorate membrane and the relatively long, apically truncate right paramere—with two lateral projections apically—lying over the phallotheca in repose and the marmorate membrane place Arizonapsallus in the Phymatopsallus group of genera. This new taxon closely resembles species of Bisulcopsallus and Ceratopsallus in size, coloration, and spotting of the dorsum. Nonetheless, the phallotheca bears no spines on any surface, resembling only Cercocarpopsallus in this regard (figs 25, 26), but the pygophore lacks the field of spicules found in that taxon; the spines on the vesica can possibly be homologized with those found in Cercocarpopsallus bispinosus (fig. 25). As shown in figure 42, this combination of features places Arizonapsallus in an unresolved trichotomy with the remaining Phymatopsallus -group genera, which are them- selves resolved into two monophyletic groupings.

Arizonapsallus stonedahli , new species figures 1, 5; map 1

DIAGNOSIS: See generic diagnosis.

DESCRIPTION: See generic description.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the collector of most known specimens, Gary M. Stonedahl, in recognition of his contributions to this project and to Miridae taxonomy more generally.

HOST: Recorded only from Condalia spathulata A. Gray (Rhamnaceae) .

DISTRIBUTION (map 1): Known only from Graham and Maricopa Counties in southern Arizona.

HOLOTYPE: USA: Arizona: Graham Co.: 3 mi W of Rt 666 on Rt 266 [32.58086 ° N 109.71094 ° W], 1219 m, 02 Jun 1983, R.T. Schuh, G.M. Stonedahl, Condalia spathulata A. Gray (Rhamnaceae) , 1Oi ( AMNH _PBI 00096981) ( AMNH).

PARATYPES: USA: Arizona: Graham Co.: 3 mi W of Rt 666 on Rt 266, 32.58086 ° N 109.71094 ° W, 1219 m, 02 Jun 1983, R.T. Schuh, G.M. Stonedahl, Condalia spathulata (Rhamnaceae) , 2Oi ( AMNH _PBI 00096982, AMNH _PBI 00096983), 7♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00096984– AMNH _PBI 00096988, AMNH _PBI 00096991, AMNH _PBI 00096992) ( AMNH). 2♀ ( AMNH _PBI 00096989, AMNH _PBI 00096990) ( USNM). Maricopa Co. : Sierra Estrella, 33.21421 ° N 112.23876 ° W, 731 m, 24 Apr 1983, J.T. and D. A. Polhemus, 1Oi ( AMNH _PBI 00063971) ( JTP).