Nigrotomocoris nigrus Henry & Menard 2020, new combination
Creators: name: Henry, Thomas J.
name: Menard, Katrina L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Miridae
Nigrotomocoris
Nigrotomocoris nigrus

description: Nigrotomocoris nigrus (Carvalho), new combination
(Figs. 55–57, 109, 110, 133)
Caulotops nigrus Carvalho 1985a: 268 (original description); Carvalho and Froeschner 1987: 147 (type list); Schuh 1995: 540 (catalog), 2013 (online catalog).
DIAGNOSIS. This species (Figs. 55–57) is recognized by the transverse yellow to yellowish-brown fascia along the posterior margin of the vertex and the bluish sheen on the hemelytra.
It is most similar to N. longirostris in sharing a flattened body, overall black color including the antennae and legs, and the relatively thick first and second antennal segments, but is larger, has a pale transverse band on the vertex, the labium is much shorter, and the genital tubercle (Fig. 133) is stouter and apically rounded. Nigrotomocoris keltoni and N. tibiopallidus differ from and N. longirostris and N. nigrus in having a less flattened body and C-shaped left parameres (versus L-shaped parameres); N. keltoni also has the white pleural patches and a more spinelike genital tubercle (Fig. 131) and N. tibiopallidus has pale tibiae and antennal segments.
DESCRIPTION. Male (n = 5): Length from apex of head to cuneal fracture 2.24–2.48 mm; length from apex of head to apex of membrane 3.24–3.88 mm; widest point across hemelytra 1.44–1.58 mm. Head: Width across eyes 0.93–0.99 mm; interocular width 0.56–0.59 mm. Labium: Length 1.04–1.14 mm, extending to middle coxae. Antenna: Segment I length 0.46–0.53 mm; II, 0.62–0.67 mm; III, 0.22–0.29 mm; IV, 0.27–0.34 mm. Pronotum: Median length 0.43–0.51 mm; posterior width 1.14–1.23 mm.
Macropterous, weakly ovoid. COLORATION. Head: Black, posterior margin of vertex with a transverse pale band extending between eyes, eyes purplish red to reddish brown. Labium: Dark brown to black. Antenna: Uniformly brown to black. Pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum: Brown to black. Hemelytron: Dark brown to black, sometimes with a bluish sheen; membrane smoky brown, veins dark brown. Ventral surface: Thorax dark brown; abdomen dark brown to black, genital tubercle dark brown to black. Legs: Coxae, femora, tibiae, and tarsomeres dark brown. SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Head: Surface shiny, impunctate, with short white sericeous setae. Antenna: Setae short, dense, simple. Thorax: Pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum with short white simple and sericeous setae; calli and anterior margin shiny, impunctate, disc uniformly punctate. Hemelytron: Setae short, simple, white; surface with a bluish sheen; veins of membrane with short, distinct setae. Abdomen with sparse simple setae. STRUCTURE. As in generic description.
Male genitalia: Endosoma and phallotheca as in generic description. Left paramere (Fig. 109) L- or scytheshaped. Right paramere (Fig. 110) elongate, shallow C-shaped, apex spatulate with a small upturned hook.
Female (n = 5; holotype measurement in parentheses): Length from apex of head to cuneal fracture 2.36–2.52 mm (2.44 mm); length from apex of head to apex of membrane 3.32–3.48 mm (3.40 mm); widest point across hemelytra 1.52–1.60 mm (1.70 mm). Head: Width across eyes 0.96–1.02 mm (0.99 mm); interocular width 0.59–0.62 mm (0.62 mm). Labium: Length 1.12–1.15 mm (1.15 mm). Antenna: Segment I length 0.48–0.53 mm (all antennae missing); II, 0.61–0.67 mm; III, 0.22–0.24 mm; IV, 0.29–0.32 mm. Pronotum: Median length 0.45–0.50 mm (0.46 mm); posterior width 1.18–1.23 mm (1.28 mm).
Similar to male in size, shape, and coloration. Genitalia as in generic description.
HOST. Unknown.
DISTRIBUTION. Described and previously known only from Oaxaca, Mexico. Puebla is a new Mexican state record.
TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype ♀, MEXICO: Oaxaca: Cineguillas, 18 Oct. 1978, H. Brailovsky (UNAM).
OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED. MEXICO: Oaxaca: 46♂♂, 89♀, 3.4 mi. SE Matalan, 6-7 Aug. 1980, Schaffner,
Weaver, Friedlander (39♂♂, 82♀♀ TAMU [136-148, 150, 152-153, 155-164, 167, 169-206, 209-219, 221-224, 226-244, 246-256, 259-266]; 2♂♂, 2♂♂, UNAM [165, 168, 257, 258]; 5♂♂ [149, 151, 154, 160, 166], 5♀♀ [207- 208, 220, 225, 245] USNM); 1 ♂♂, 2 ♂♂, Oaxaca, Puerto Angel, km 117, 29 May 1985, E. Barrera (UNAM). Puebla: 12♂♂, 6♀♀, 4 mi. W of Azumbilla, 22 July 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, & Friedlander (TAMU; 3♂♂ [353, 359, 360], 2♀♀ [364-365] USNM).
DISCUSSION. According to the original description, in addition to the holotype above, two paratypes of N. nigrus, a male and a female (Mexico, Oaxaca, 6 mi. N Huajuapan, 6 Sept. 1972, G. F. & S. Hevel) were placed in the author’s collection, which was destroyed by the fire at the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2 Sept. 2018).
description: Published as part of Henry, Thomas J. & Menard, Katrina L., 2020, Revision and Phylogeny of the Eccritotarsine Plant Bug Genus Caulotops Bergroth, with Descriptions of Four New Genera and 14 New Species (Hemiptera Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) Associated with Agave (Agavoideae Asparagaceae) and Related Plant Genera, pp. 201-252 in Zootaxa 4772 (2) on pages 235-240, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4772.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3816462