Slaterocoris atratus
Creators: name: Schwartz, Michael D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Miridae
Slaterocoris
Slaterocoris atratus

description: <i>Slaterocoris atratus</i> (Uhler) Figures 12, 19; plate 1; map 4 <i>Stiphrosoma atrata</i>, Uhler, 1894: 268 (orig. desc.). <i>Strongylocoris atratus</i>: Van Duzee, 1921: 135 (disc., in part); Knight, 1938: 7, fig. 9 (male genit.). <i>Slaterocoris atratus</i>: Kelton, 1968: 1135, fig. 23 (disc.); Knight, 1970: 246, fig. 42 (disc.); Henry and Wheeler, 1988: 448 (catalog); Schuh, 1995: 197 (catalog). DIAGNOSIS: This is the only species of the <i>apache</i> group with dense, relatively long, brown vestiture and male genitalia with a bifurcate tergal process, fanlike apical region of the right paramere, and endosomal spicule with basal portion of the dorsal lobe narrow. Distinguished from non– <i>apache</i> -group species with dense brown vestiture by the completely black coloration; in <i>S. maculatus</i> the head is partially pale. The tergal process is small and bifurcate, the endosomal spicule occupies the entire base of dorsal lobe, and the basal portion of right paramere is prominent and short. The species of the <i>hirtus</i> group, containing the only other species with dense brown vestiture, differ from <i>S. atratus</i> by the board tergal process with a solitary point, the usually bifurcate base of the dorsal lobe of the endosomal spicule, and the long basal portion of the right paramere without prominent basal lobe. REDESCRIPTION: <i>Male:</i> Moderately large, obovate; length 4.50–4.90, width 2.13–2.40 (pl. 1). COLORATION: Pale on antennal segment I distally, femur at apex, tibia distally; hind tibia missing (fig. 12). VESTITURE: Dense, moderately long, suberect, brown to black simple setae. STRUCTURE: Frons slightly striate; antennal segment II just longer than foretibia. GENITALIA: As in species group, but differing as follows. <b>Pygophore</b>: Aperture with short, bifurcate tergal process (fig. 19E). <b>Endosomal spicule</b>: Distal portion of ventral lobe gradually expanded with some marginal serration on lateral surface; dorsal lobe narrow basally, distally flat and relatively narrow with weak marginal serration (fig. 19A). <b>Right paramere</b>: Apical region flat, fanlike with three sharp points; basal lobe bifurcate (fig. 19D). <i>Female:</i> Unknown. HOST: Unknown. DISTRIBUTION: Known from the two specimens of the type series found in San Julio, which is apparently located in the middle of Baja California, Mexico (map 4). DISCUSSION: Uhler (1894) described <i>S. atratus</i> based on ‘‘several specimens’’ acquired from the CAS. The introduction of his paper indicated that the ‘‘types’’ were returned to the CAS. Van Duzee (1921) provided notes on <i>Slaterocoris</i> species (as <i>Strongylocoris</i>) retained in the CAS based presumably on specimens determined by Uhler. He mentioned that an ‘‘examination of Uhler’s types [of <i>atratus</i>] show that they were males.’’ Knight, during a trip to the CAS in 1931, illustrated the parameres of <i>S. atratus</i> based on observations of ‘‘ two type specimens conserved there’’ (Knight, 1938: 7, fig. 9, 1970: 266, fig. 46). Kelton (1968: 1133, fig. 23B, C) illustrated the endosomal spicule and right paramere of <i>S. atratus</i> (identical to that documented by Knight) and designated the lectotype. For this current study four male syntypes of <i>Stiphrosoma atrata</i>, were located, two in the CAS and two in the CNC; no specimens of the type series were found in the USNM. The lectotype designation by Kelton (1968) was ambiguous—apparently no specimen was labeled. I have labeled the male intended by Kelton as the lectotype and returned it to the USNM. It is dissected with parts of the genitalia in a vial affixed to the pin and bears the labels: ‘‘San Julio, Lower Cal., Mex.,’’ ‘‘PR Uhler Collection,’’ ‘‘atratus,’’ ‘‘USNM_ENT AMNH_PBI 00122271,’’ ‘‘ LECTOTYPE <i>Stiphrosoma atrata</i> Uhler, 1894, desig. L.A. Kelton, 1968, labeled by M.D. Schwartz, 2010 [red label].’’ The remaining three syntype males are now recognized as paralectotypes. All California specimens in the CAS determined as <i>S. atratus</i> by Van Duzee (1921) (denoted by attached identification labels in Van Duzee’s handwriting) are <i>S. solidaginis</i> (see Other Specimens Examined under <i>S. solidaginis</i>). I am in agreement with the assessment of Knight (1970) that none of the specimens (except the two former syntypes) retained in the CAS are <i>S. atratus</i>. Non-California specimens of <i>S. atritibialis</i>, <i>S. breviatus</i>, <i>S. pallidicornis</i>, and <i>S. stygicus</i> incorrectly identified as <i>S. atratus</i> by Van Duzee (1921) are housed in the CAS and several other institutions (see Other Specimens Examined under those species). Two fifth-instar nymphs (CAS) have the same locality label as the lectotype; however, I have refrained from assigning these immatures to <i>S. atratus</i> because they lack the relatively long, suberect dorsal vestiture of the adult. These glabrous nymphs are perhaps <i>S. solidaginis</i>, and would extend the range of that species 360 km further south in Baja California. Both Kelton (1968) and Knight (1970) suggested that <i>S. atratus</i> has a relationship with <i>S. alpinus</i>, one of three species placed in the <i>hirtus</i> -species group by the phylogenetic analysis. Based strictly on external characters, where the vestiture is dense, relatively long, and brown, the frons is striate, and the tibiae are black, this would be a reasonable conclusion. However, the structure of the tergal process (small with two apical points), right paramere (with a short basal region and prominent basal lobe), and endosomal spicule (entire dorsal lobe and relatively short distal portion of the ventral lobe) are clearly of the form diagnostic for the <i>apache</i> -group species. Species of the <i>hirtus</i> group have the tergal process with a broad base and one point, the right paramere with long, parallel apical spines and long basal region, and the dorsal lobe of the endosomal spicule bifurcate. LECTOTYPE: <b>MEXICO: Baja California:</b> San Julio [29.656 N 114.766666 W], Apr 1889, Charles D. Haines, 18 (AMNH _ PBI 00122271) (USNM). ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS: Same label data as lectotype; paralectotypes, 18 (00122272) (USNM), 28 (00242726, 00242727) (CAS).
description: Published as part of <i>Schwartz, Michael D., 2011, Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The North American Genus Slaterocoris Wagner With New Synonymy, The Description Of Five New Species And A New Genus From Mexico, And A Review Of The Genus Scalponotatus Kelton (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae), pp. 1-290 in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (354)</i> on pages 100-102, DOI: 10.1206/354.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5407316
description: {"references": ["Uhler, P. R. 1894. Observations upon the heteropterous Hemiptera of Lower California, with descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (2) 4: 223 - 295.", "Van Duzee, E. P. 1921. Our North American species of Strongylocoris (Hemiptera). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (4) 9 (11): 135 - 136.", "Knight, H. H. 1938. Strongylocoris Blanchard: six new species from North America (Hemiptera, Miridae). Iowa State College Journal of Science 13: 1 - 7, 1 pl.", "Kelton, L. A. 1968. Revision of the North American species of Slaterocoris (Heteroptera: Miridae). Canadian Entomologist 100: 1121 - 1137.", "Knight, H. H. 1970. Review of the genus Slaterocoris Wagner, with a key and descriptions of new species (Hemiptera, Miridae). Iowa State Journal of Science 45: 233 - 267.", "Henry, T. J., and A. G. Wheeler, Jr. 1988. Family Miridae Hahn. In T. J. Henry and R. C. Froeschner (editors), Catalog of the Heteroptera, or true bugs of Canada and the continental United States: 251 - 507. Leiden: Brill.", "Schuh, R. T. 1995. Plant bugs of the world (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae): systematic catalog, distributions, host list, and bibliography. New York: New York Entomological Society, i - xii, 1 - 1329."]}