Phytocoris (Eckerleinius) sweihanus, Linnavuori & Harten, 2006

Linnavuori, Rauno E. & Harten, Antonius van, 2006, A new species of the genus Phytocoris (Heteroptera: Miridae) from the United Arab Emirates, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 46, pp. 15-19 : 15-19

Phytocoris (Eckerleinius) sweihanus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-3 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: ABU DHABI EMIRATE, National Avian Research Centre near Sweihan , desert environment, light trap, 14.iii.-21.v.2005 . PARATYPES: Same locality and date as holotype, 1 ♁ 7 ♀♀. SHARJAH EMIRATE: Sharjah , town garden, light trap, 20.i.-6.iv.2005, 1 ♁ 3 ♀♀. FUJAIRAH EMIRATE: Wadi Safad , at a farm in mountain area, light trap, 5.iii.2005, 1 ♀ ; all A. van Harten lgt. All specimens are currently deposited in the collection of R. E. Linnavuori, Raisio, Finland. The holotype will be deposited in the National Museums and Galleries of Wales , Cardiff , Great Britain .

Description. Macropterous; body parallel-sided; total length 5.5-6.0 mm.

Coloration. Dorsal surface pale yellow ochraceous, opaque; eyes brown; antennal segment 1 whitish ochraceous with indistinct brownish spots, apex brown; segment 2 faintly brownish with base and median ring whitish; segments 3 and 4 brownish with base of segment 3 whitish; pronotum pale, whitish basally and medially, the whitish stripes narrowly bordered by fuscous bands; pronotum laterally with faint, Y-shaped brownish dash; calli slightly brownish; scutellum completely pale; hemelytra pale with claval veins and cubitus whitish, either side of claval suture narrowly bordered by fuscous bands; mesocorium with longitudinal, medially interrupted dark band; cuneus completely pale; membrane whitish with brownish mottling, veins pale; ventral surface pale with indistinct brownish mottling; legs whitish ochraceous; hind femora pale brownish with pale apical spots; tibiae and tarsi whitish ochraceous.

Vestiture. Setae on dorsal surface pale; hemelytra also with short, semierect, dark setae; antennal segment 1 with pale setae, other segments with short appressed pubescence; legs with pale setae; tibial spines pale, longer than tibial diameter.

Structure. Head 0.56-0.58 (male) or 0.53 (female) times as broad as basal width of pronotum, in apical view about 1.26 times as broad as high, in lateral view 1.1 times as high as broad; ocular index 1.24-1.35 (male) or 1.75-1.87 (female); ratios of antennal segments equal to 29:58:32:30 (male) or 30:57:34:30 (female); 1 st antennal segment 1.12-1.20 times (male) or 1.25 times (female) as long as diatone, 0.64-0.67 times (male) or 0.66 (female) times as long as basal width of pronotum; 2 nd antennal segment 2.10-2.42 times (male) or 2.3-2.37 times (female) as long as diatone, 1.20-1.34 times (male) or 1.22-1.27 times (female) as long as basal width of pronotum; rostrum surpassing hind coxae; pronotum slightly wider than long; lateral margins rounded ventrad, basal margin shallowly insinuated and provided with four indistinct small tubercles.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 2 B-G and Fig. 3 A-C). Pygophore with small triangular lobe laterally on genital opening ( Fig. 2 B-C); spiculum short, distinctly sclerified, with five strong blunt teeth.

Differential diagnosis. The new species belongs to the subgenus Eckerleinius Wagner, 1968 , of which LINNAVUORI (2000) reviewed the Middle East species. Phytocoris sweihanus sp. nov. is closely related to P. arwa Linnavuori & Al-Safadi, 1993 , from Yemen (LINNAVUORI & AL-SAFADI 1993; Fig. 4 ), but is easily distinguished by the absence of the dark longitudinal sublateral bands on the pronotum ( Fig. 1 ). Moreover, the heavily sclerotized spiculum in Ph. arwa ( Fig. 4G ) is longer than in P. sweihanus ( Fig. 3 A-C) and is armed by seven strong teeth ( Fig. 4G ). Phytocoris semicrux Wagner, 1969 , from Iran ( WAGNER 1969, redescribed by LINNAVUORI 2000; Fig. 5 ) is considerably darker, being brownish with a more intense dark pattern on the antennae ( Fig. 5C ) and legs. In males of Ph. semicrux , the antenna is longer than in Ph. sweihanus sp. nov., with antennal segments 1 and 2 being 1.4 and 2.44 times as long as the diatone, respectively; the 2 nd segment 1.5 times as long as the basal width of the pronotum. The diatone of Ph. semicrux is 1.5 times as long as the basal width of the pronotum. In Ph. semicrux , the spiculum is more slender and bears pointed teeth ( Fig. 5F ).

Etymology. Named after the locality where the holotype was collected.

Distribution. United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Fujairah Emirates.

Figures

Fig. 1. Phytocoris sweihanus sp. nov., female holotype. A – habitus; B – dorsal view of head and pronotum.

Fig. 2. Phytocoris sweihanus sp. nov.: A – male head in lateral view; B – pygophore in lateral view; C – triangular lobe on the left side of genital opening, interior view; D – right paramere; E-G – left paramere in different views.

Fig. 3. Phytocoris sweihanus sp. nov.: A – aedeagus; B-C – spiculum.

Fig.4. Phytocoris arwa Linnavuori & Al-Safadi, 1993: A – male head and pronotum in dorsal view; B – male head in lateral view; C – pygophore in dorsal view; D – right paramere; E-F – left paramere in different views; G – aedeagus. After LINNAVUORI & AL-SAFADI (1993).

Fig. 5. Phytocoris semicrux Wagner, 1969: A – male head and pronotum in dorsal view; B – male head in lateral view; C – male antennal segment 1; D – pygophore in dorsal view; E – right paramere; F – spiculum; G – left paramere. After WAGNER (1969).