Filicicoris viridis, Anna Namyatova & Gerasimos Cassis, 2016

Anna Namyatova & Gerasimos Cassis, 2016, A remarkable new genus and six new species of fern-inhabiting plant bugs endemic to the Society Islands (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae: Filicicoris gen. nov.), Insect Systematics & Evolution 47, pp. 285-312 : 307-310

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1163/1876312X-47032144
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5690259
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F0694F-FFCD-023C-2233-FAA01335FD5E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Filicicoris viridis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Filicicoris viridis sp. nov.

Figs. 1 View Fig. 1 , 2 View Fig. 2 D, 4A–D, 5I, J, 6B, 7B, C

Etymology

The species is named for its pale green coloration. From the Latin ‘ viridis ’, meaning green.

Material

Holotype. French Polynesia: Society Islands: Tahiti Is.: Tahiti Nui, Mt Marau road ~ 0.7 km from motocross track, fern banks along road, 17.58788 ° S 149.56729 ° W, 684 m, 21 May 2011, G. Cassis and N. Tatarnic, Angiopteris evecta (Marattiaceae) , 1♂ (00400426) ( MNHP).

Paratypes. French Polynesia: Society Islands: Moorea Is.: Mt. Tohiea base: Belvedere Trail, 17.556 ° S 149.826 ° W, 400 m, 18 Sep 1988 – 19 Sep 1988, S. L. Montgomery, 1♂ (00046034) ( BPBM). N. ridge, Mt. Teaharua, 610 m, 25 Sep 1934, E. C. Zimmerman, 1♀ (00042800) ( BPBM). Tahiti Is.: Fautaua 25 m, nr. Papeete, 0 5 Aug 1961 – 11 Aug 1961, J. L. Gressitt, 4♀ (00046052–00046053) ( BPBM). Mt. Aorai Trail, 5500–6300 ft, 15 Sep 1934, E. C. Zimmerman, 1♂ (00042801) ( BPBM). Mt. Marau, 17.61805 ° S 149.38333 ° W, 1400 m, 18 Aug 1977 – 21 Aug 1977, W. C. Gagne, 1♀ (00046045) ( BPBM). Papeete, 0–100 m, 17.533 ° S 149.566 ° W, Aug 1969, N.L.H. Krauss Coll., 1♂ (00046054) ( BPBM). Punaauia, 200–300 m, 0 4 Jan 1978, N. L. H. Krauss, 1♀ (00042799) ( BPBM). Tahiti Iti, Taravao Plateau, 17.77665 ° S 149.25456 ° W, 877 m, 19 May 2011 – 22 May 2011, G. Cassis and N. Tatarnic, Metrosideros collina Poiss. ex Pancher and Sebert (Myrtaceae) , 1♀ (00400424) ( MNHP), Metrosideros collina Poiss. ex Pancher and Sebert (Myrtaceae) , 1♀ (00400425) Angiopteris evecta (Mariattiaceae) , 1♂ (00400411) ( UNSW). Tahiti Nui, Faarumai, 3 Cascades, 17.5391 ° S 149.401 ° W, 52 m, 24 May 2011, G. Cassis and N. Tatarnic, Angiopteris evecta (Mariattiaceae) , 2♂ (00400430, 00400431), 2♀ (00400429, 00400427) ( UNSW). Tahiti Nui, Mt Marau road approximately 0.7 km from motocross track, fern banks along road, 17.58788 ° S 149.56729 ° W, 684 m, 21 May 2011, G. Cassis and N. Tatarnic, 1♀ (00400522) Angiopteris evecta (Marattiaceae) , 1♀ (00400428) ( UNSW). road to Mt. Marau, 17.61666 ° S 149.39472 ° W, 850 m, 27 Aug 1977, W. C. Gagne Marattia sp. ( Marattiaceae ), 11♂ (00046023–00046033), 2♀ (00046040, 00046042) ( BPBM); 29 Aug 1977, W. C. Gagne, Marattia sp. ( Marattiaceae ), 7♀ (00046035–00046037, 0 0 0 46039, 0 0 0 46041, 0 0 0 46043, 00046044) ( BPBM).

Diagnosis

Recognized by the following combination of characters: large body size, 4.3–5 in males and females, yellowish green or yellow coloration of body ( Fig. 1 View Fig. 1 ), head dorsally short and rounded ( Fig. 2 View Fig. 2 D), antennal segment I longer than head width ( Fig. 2 View Fig. 2 I), vesica with four lobes, one of them with scarce small tubercles ( Fig. 4 View Fig. 4 A, B), sclerotized rings on dorsal labiate plate ca. 0.25× longer than dorsal labiate plate length ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 I) and distance between interramal lobes on posterior wall of bursa copulatrix subequal to interramal lobe width ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 J).

Description

Male. Total length 4.3–5.0. Coloration ( Fig. 1 View Fig. 1 ): Mainly pale green, greenish yellow or yellow. Head: Mostly yellowish green, sometimes yellow or pale brown. Labium mostly pale green to yellow, with segment IV brownish. Antenna: Segment I yellowish green to yellow, segment II yellowish brown to pale brown, brown apically, segments III–IV brown. Eye pale brown, dark brown or black. Thorax: Pronotum uniformly greenish yellow or yellow; scutellum uniformly greenish yellow or yellow; thoracic pleura pale green to yellow; scent gland evaporative area whitish. Hemelytron: Mostly pale green to yellow, apex of embolium, margins and apex of cuneus usually somewhat darker, membrane yellow or smoky yellow with green cell. Legs: Coxae pale green to yellow, sometimes whitish; femora pale green to yellow, paler basally; tibia pale green or yellow, usually somewhat darker apically; tarsal segments I–II pale green to yellow or pale brown, segment III brown. Abdomen; Uniformly pale green to yellow. Surface and vestiture: As in generic description, without dark setae on head and pronotum. Structure and measurements: See generic description. Body ca. 3.5–4.0× longer than pronotum width; head short and rounded dorsally ( Fig. 2 View Fig. 2 D); vertex ca. 1.8–2.0× wider than eye diameter; antenna slightly longer than body; antennal segment I ca. 1.0–1.3× longer than head width and ca. 0.7–0.9× longer than pronotum width; segment II ca. 2.5–2.9× longer than head width, ca. 1.4–2.0× longer than pronotum width; segment III subequal to or slightly longer than half of segment II; mesoscutum not exposed; pronotum ca. 1.6–1.9× wider than long and ca. 1.4–1.7× wider than head. Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 View Fig. 4 A–D): Right paramere not curved dorsally ( Fig. 4 View Fig. 4 C); left paramere moderately swollen basally ( Fig. 4 View Fig. 4 D); vesica with four lobes, one of them bearing small tubercles, without small sclerotized spicules ( Fig. 4 View Fig. 4 A, B).

Female. Total length 4.3–5.0. Coloration: Similar to male, but apex of tibiae sometimes brown, tarsal segment II sometimes brown, rarely entire tibiae brown. Surface and vestiture: As in male. Structure and measurements: Similar to male, antennal segment I almost as long as head width. Body ca. 3.5–3.8× longer than pronotum width; vertex ca. 1.9–2.2× wider than eye diameter; antennal segment I ca. 1.0–1.2× longer than head width and ca. 0.6–0.7× longer than pronotum width; segment II ca. 2.3–2.6× longer than head width, ca. 1.4–1.7× longer than pronotum width; pronotum ca. 1.5– 1.9× wider than long and ca. 1.5–1.7× wider than head. Female genitalia ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 I, J): Anterior margin of dorsal labiate plate weakly sclerotized ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 I); sclerotized rings on dorsal labiate plate ca. 0.25× longer than dorsal labiate plate length ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 I); distance between interramal lobes subequal to interramal lobe width ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 J).

Distribution

The species is known from different places in Tahiti Island and two locations on Moorea Island ( Fig. 6 View Fig. 6 B).

Host plant

Most specimens of the species were collected from the fern Angiopteris evecta (Marattiaceae) ( Fig. 7 View Fig. 7 B, C). It was also collected on an unidentified species of the fern genus Marattia sp. ( Marattiaceae ). In addition, two females were collected from Metrosideros collina (Myrtaceae) , although the latter are almost certainly sitting records.

Distribution

Yellow specimens of Filicicoris viridis are similar to F. huahine and F. raiatea in coloration ( Fig. 1 View Fig. 1 ). The latter two species differ from F. viridis in the head dorsally elongate and slightly acute (as in Fig. 2 View Fig. 2 A) the sclerotized rings on the dorsal labiate plate ca. 0.1–0.15× longer than dorsal labiate plate length ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 A, E), and the distance between interramal lobes of posterior lobe ca. 0.3× longer than the posterior wall width ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 B, F). Filicicoris huahine also can be separated by the vesica having six lobes, one of them bearing small dense sclerotized spicules, and another lobe having small tubercles ( Fig. 3 View Fig. 3 A). Filicicoris viridis also can be confused with F. tatarnici externally, however, in the latter species the head is weakly elongate and acute in dorsal view (as in Fig. 2 View Fig. 2 A), and the vesica has three lobes ( Fig. 3 View Fig. 3 N). Filicicoris viridis is also similar to F. rubramaculus in the vesical lobes, but the latter species differs in its yellow coloration with red marking on the head, posterior part of the clavus and the inner part of corium ( Fig. 1 View Fig. 1 ), and its head slightly elongate and acute in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 View Fig. 2 A).