Schaffnerocoris Henry and Menard 2020, new genus
Creators: name: Henry, Thomas J.
name: Menard, Katrina L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Miridae
Schaffnerocoris

description: Schaffnerocoris Henry and Menard, new genus
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 8CCC13B5-B7F1-4057-AE9D-C400FD9C5E3F
Type Species: Schaffnerocoris fuscotibialis Henry and Menard, n. sp. By present designation.
INCLUDED SPECIES. S. fuscotibialis, n. sp.; S. pallipes, n. sp.; and S. similis, n. sp.
DIAGNOSIS. This genus is recognized by a combination of long sericeous setae on the head and pronotum, the pale gray to overall reddish or grayish-pink coloration, the interocular distance twice the width of one eye, the lack of a bluish sheen on the hemelytra, and a distinctly flattened collarlike area on the pronotum.
DESCRIPTION. Macropterous, elongate oval. Length from apex of head to cuneal fracture 3.10–3.70 mm in males, 3.45–3.60 mm in females; length from apex of head to apex of membrane 4.05–4.90 mm in males, 4.30–4.70 mm in females; widest point across hemelytra 1.47–1.98 mm in males, 1.86–2.02 mm in females; general coloration pale grayish pink to dark red. COLORATION. Head: Whitish gray, sometimes with medially separated transverse stripes of dark grayish red across vertex and frons, posterior vertex often red to dark red, eyes purplish red to reddish brown, all antennal segments brown to black, clypeus and gena dark brown to black, labium pale yellow. Thorax: Ventral surface and episternum grayish red to dark red Pronotum: Whitish gray to dark gray, furrows around calli distinctly darker, sometimes posterior area of pronotum with a darker colored transverse stripe anterior to the posterior margin; mesoscutum reddish gray; scutellum gray to reddish gray with lateral margins often contrasting in brightness to give V-shaped appearance. Coxae yellow, pro and meso femora yellow, metafemora yellow to distally darker brown, pro and meso tibiae yellow, metatibiae yellow to brown, tarsomeres yellow. Hemelytron: Grayishpink to red, sometimes with darkening along antero-median of corium for three-fourths length of clavus, darker brown along anterior margin of wings at clavus, lateral margins of cuneus white or concolorous with hemelytron, membrane grayish brown to white, veins pale to dark brown. Abdomen: Dark red to grayish red. SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Head: Surface smooth, head with thick curved sericeous setae; antennal segment I with short, dense simple setae, apical one-third of segment II sometimes with more dense, longer setae, remainder of antennal segments with short setae as for antennal segment I. Thorax: Pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum covered with dense sericeous setae; pronotum punctate. Hemelytron: Weakly rugulose, with short, dispersed, simple setae. Abdomen: Covered with sparse simple setae. STRUCTURE. Head: Height greater than width, frons and vertex transversely convex, with a median invagination combined with declining posterior margin of vertex forming an inverted Tshaped depression; clypeus not visible in dorsal view, greater than one half total height of head below eyes, eyes weakly stylate, inside margins extending beyond anterior margin of pronotum, interocular width subequal to twice the width of one eye; antennal segment I thickest, subequal to interocular width, segment II nearly twice as long as segment I, basal third sometimes thicker and with more dense setae, lengths of segments III and IV subequal to length of segment I. Thorax: Anterior margin or collarlike area well developed and flat, anterior margin sometimes medially invaginated and united posteriorly, with a constriction between anterior and posterior lobes, lateral margins of posterior lobe relatively short with flaring humeral angles, posterior margin of pronotum weakly concave; mesoscutum exposed; scutellum with raised lateral margins forming an raised V-shaped ridge; metathoracic scent gland auricle slender, with a channel along entire length, occupying less than one-fourth total area of metasternum; legs slender, tibiae without spines, pre-tarsus typical of eccritotarsines. Hemelytron: Weakly transversely rounded, lateral margins weakly convex, cuneus longer than wide at base, membrane with one large areole, with length greater than one half total length of membrane. Abdomen: Round, with a large, genital opening, upper left margin of genital capsule with a spinelike tubercle (not visible in dorsal view), forming a “hook” to hold right paramere in situ.
Male genitalia: Endosoma with an elongate ductus seminis wrapped with membrane, phallotheca thin and simple. Left paramere (Figs. 113, 115, 117) small, L- or scythe-shaped. Right paramere (Figs. 114, 116, 118) Cshaped to S-shaped with apex rounded or apically acute. The genital tubercles (Figs. 135–137) are elongate and apically acute.
Female: Similar to male in size and shape. Coloration of hemelytra often less intense red than males.
Female genitalia: Vestibulum (Fig. 141) with two enlarged plates protruding anteriorly into abdomen, invaginated in on themselves, lateral plate on left side of vestibulum with two opposing deeply toothed plates (teeth more slender than in Nigrotomocoris), right plate two interlocking sclerotizations with weakly serrated dorsal surface, right side of vestibulum connected to a relatively small “lateral arm” with apex extending to just adjacent to base of ovipositor, and basal point articulating with ventral surface of vestibulum sclerites; dorsal surfaces of ovipositor (Fig. 145) with fine serrations along margin upper margin of second hypophysis and more minute serrations on first hypophysis; dorsal sac with barely visible, weakly sclerotized rings; posterior wall membranous, with base of ovipositor dorsally projecting to touch posterior wall.
ETYMOLOGY. This new genus is named in honor of our late friend, colleague, and mirid specialist, Dr. Joseph C. Schaffner, whose extensive collections from Mexico provided specimens of this new genus, as well as several other new species. The gender is masculine.
DISCUSSION. Synapomorphies for this genus in our analysis include the interocular distance being twice the width of one eye and a distinctly swollen and well-developed anterior pronotal margin or collarlike area. This genus also has much longer and more dense setae on the head, pronotum, and scutellum and lacks the bluish sheen on the hemelytra compared with some other genera of this study.
In our cladistic analysis, the genus is most closely related to Nigrotomocoris, n. gen. based on the T-shaped invagination on the frons and vertex, the presence of dense sericeous setae, and the lack of or only an indistinct bluish sheen on the hemelytron (which is plesiomorphic). However, this genus also shares a number of characteristics with Laterospinocoris. Schaffnerocoris has a spinelike tubercle on the upper left margin of the genital capsule, and one species has more dense setae on the base of the second antennal similar to species of Laterospinocoris.
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 242-243, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4772.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3816462