A new genus and two new species of Orthotylinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) from central Australia
Author
Namyatova, Anna A.
Author
Elias, Michael
Author
Cassis, Gerasimos
text
Zootaxa
2011
2927
38
48
journal article
46582
10.5281/zenodo.277994
9710d136-df9e-4a10-87eb-65964b28b903
1175-5326
277994
Witchelinamiris mchughi
sp. nov.
Figures 1
,
2A
, B, D, 3, 5.
Etymology.
This species is named for the late Robert James McHugh, the former CEO of the Nature Foundation of South
Australia
, who was instrumental in the purchase of the Witchelina reserve for inclusion in the National Reserve System. It is a great pleasure for us to name this species for Jim McHugh's enormous contributions to conservation in South
Australia
, which are of national significance.
FIGURE 3.
Witchelinamiris mchughi
, male genitalia. A. Phallotheca. B. Spicules, dorsal view. C. Spicules, lateral view. D. Right paramere. E. Left paramere. Scale bar is 0.1 mm.
HOLOTYPE
:
AUSTRALIA
: South
Australia
:
Witchelina Station: Witchelina Nature Reserve, about
40km
north west of Lyndhurst,
30.02083
°
S
138.04472
°
E
,
50 m
,
11 Oct 2010
, A. Namyatova, Light Trap, 1 3 (
USI
38862) (
SAMA
).
PARATYPE
:
AUSTRALIA
: South
Australia
:
Wertaloona Station, Lake Dam nr L. Frome,
30.6
°
N
138.42
°
E
,
266 m
, 0
9 May 1989
, J. Forrest & G.F. Gross, light trap, 1 3 (
USI
17712) (
SAMA
). Witchelina Station: Witchelina Nature Reserve, about
40km
north west of Lyndhurst,
30.02083
°
S
138.04472
°
E
,
50 m
,
13 Oct 2010
, A. Namyatova, light trap, 13 (
USI
4695) (
UNSW
).
FIGURE 4.
Host plants of
Witchelinamiris viridimaculatus
. A. Locality general view. B.
Sclerolaena limbata
, general view. C.
Maireana appressa
, general view. D.
Maireana appressa
, leaves.
Differential diagnosis.
Witchelinamiris mchughi
has distinctive male genitalia, with the following structures: process of phallotheca oval with small serration (
Fig. 3
A), apex of left paramere curved downwards (
Fig. 3
E), large endosomal spicule with three processes (
Figs. 3
B, C). In contrast, in
W. viridimaculatus
the processes of the phallotheca is smooth and suboval (
Fig. 6
A), the apex of the left paramere is straight (
Fig. 6
E) and large endosomal spicule has two elongate processes (6B, C). In addition, the two species can be distinguished by the labial structure, with
LII
longer than LI, and
LIII
as long as segment
LII
in
W. mchughi
; in
W. viridimaculatus
LII
is almost as long as LI and
LIII
is longer than
LII
.
Description.
Male.
Total length 3.3–4.1. COLOURATION (
Fig. 1
).
Head
: yellowish with reddish pattern, as in generic description.
Eye
: pale brown with reddish tinge or uniformly reddish.
Antennae
: AI with pale brown or with brownish band at base; AII yellow or pale green with brownish bands; AIII pale brown, pale green at base; AIV lost.
Labium
: LII yellowish or pale green; LIII yellow, somewhat darker apically; LIV brownish with pale brown base.
Pronotum
: as in generic description, without bright green markings, with yellow stripes distinct or indistinct.
Scutellum and mesoscutum
: whitish, colour patterns as in generic description.
Thoracic pleura
: mesopleura pale green, inferior part reddish.
Legs
: tibiae yellow, without reddish markings, with brownish apices, sometimes hind tibia uniformly yellow; tarsi brownish with segment II yellow or pale brown.
Hemelytron
: as in generic description, without pale green markings. VESTITURE. As in generic description. STRUCTURE. Body 3.6–4.1x as long as width of pronotum; vertex 2.1–2.2x as wide as eye; AII 1.4–1.7x as long as width of head, 0.8– 0.9x as long as width of pronotum; pronotum 2.1–2.4x as wide as long, 1.7–1.9x as wide as head.
Labium
: reaching middle of pregenital abdomen; LII longer than LI; LIII as long LII.
Male genitalia
: left paramere with apex curved downwards (
Fig. 3
E); phallotheca with oval process with small serration (
Fig. 3
A); large endosoma spicule with three processes (
Fig. 3
B, C).
Female unknown.
Distribution.
Two specimens were collected in Witchelina National Reserve and a single specimen was collected in Wertaloona Station (
Fig. 5
).
Collection method.
Specimens were collected at light.
Host plants.
Unknown.
Remarks.
Witchelinamiris mchughi
is mostly yellow, but never has green spotting on the pronotum and hemelytra. This is in contrast to some of the specimens of
W. viridimaculatus
, which can have green spotting on the dorsum.