Laterospinocoris 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
Laterospinocoris

description: Laterospinocoris Henry and Menard, new genus
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 240CDC0E-84B8-42C9-A043-7DFACD1E30AE
Type Species: Caulotops cyaneipennis Reuter, 1908. By present designation.
INCLUDED SPECIES. L. cyaneipennis (Reuter), n. comb., and L. mexicanus, n. sp.
DIAGNOSIS. The species of this genus are recognized by the basally thickened second antennal segment, the long spinelike tubercle extending from the upper left margin of the male genital capsule that sometimes is visible in dorsal view, the elongate right paramere with a tapered apically rounded apex, and the relatively large, elongateoval body.
DESCRIPTION. Macropterous, relatively large, elongate oval. Total length from apex of clypeus to cuneal fracture 3.90–4.35 mm in males, 3.65–4.20 mm in females; length to apex of membrane 5.05–5.75 mm in males, 4.85–5.60 mm in females; widest point across hemelytra 1.92–2.40 mm in males, 1.98–2.37 mm in females; general coloration bright red and bluish-black. COLORATION. Head: Bright red to reddish orange, frons sometimes brown to brownish yellow, excluding red clypeus; apex of clypeus red or brown; eyes reddish brown; labrum dark brown, labium basally orange yellow, transitioning to dark reddish brown distally; all antennal segments dark brown to black. Thora x: Anterior third of pronotum red to dark brown, posterior margin red, calli reddish orange to brown; mesoscutum red to reddish gray; scutellum pale brown to bluish black; ventral surface red or with yellow patches on dorsal surface of episternal plates and side of pronotum; coxae mostly pale yellow to whitish, femora and tibiae yellow or dark brown, proximal tarsomere yellow, distal two brown. Hemelytron: Dark brown to black often with a bluish sheen, costal margin concolorous with corium or contrasting white; membrane dark brown, pale apically, veins darker brown. Abdomen: Dark red, genital tubercle bright red. SURFACE AND VESTITURE. Head: Surface smooth; head with short, white, simple setae; antennal segment I with short, dense simple setae, basal half of segment II with more dense, longer setae, remainder of antennal segments with short setae similar to segment I. Thorax: Pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum with short white simple setae, anterior flattened collarlike area and calli impunctate; disc finely punctate. Hemelytron: Setae short, simple, white; surface sometimes with reflective blue sheen. Abdomen: Covered with sparse simple setae. STRUCTURE. Head: Width wider than height, frons and vertex transversely convex, base of vertex with a shallow, transverse, U-shaped invagination forming a raised ridge across base; clypeus not or hardly visible in dorsal view, greater than one half total height of head below eyes; eyes stylate, perpendicular to and extended laterally beyond anterior margin of pronotum; interocular distance greater than twice the width of one eye; antennal segment I about three fourths as wide as interocular width, segment II more than twice as long as segment I, with basal half thickened and densely covered with long setae subequal to width of segment, segments III and IV filamentous, subequal to length of first segment. Thorax: Anterior margin of pronotum flat and weakly rounded anteriorly, lateral margins weakly constricted through middle, straight and slightly flaring on posterior half; posterior margin weakly concave; calli well developed and united posteriorly, divided by a deep median impression anteriorly and along posterior margins; mesoscutum broadly exposed; scutellum depressed at middle of base, with raised lateral margins forming a V-shaped ridge; metathoracic scent gland auricle tongue-shaped, with narrow channel through middle and occupying less than one-fourth total area of metasternum. Hemelytron: Nearly straight on basal half, becoming weakly rounded or convex on posterior half, cuneus nearly triangular, with width of base and length subequal; membrane with length of large areole greater than half the total length of the membrane. Abdomen: Rounded with a blunt, oval, genital opening; upper left margin of genital capsule with a large, well-developed spinelike tubercle forming a hook to hold the elongate right paramere in situ, tubercle visible on left side in dorsal view. Legs: Slender, tibiae lacking spines; pretarsus typical of eccritotarsines, with large fleshy pulvilli.
Male genitalia: Endosoma with an elongate sclerotized apical region of ductus seminis wrapped with membrane; phallotheca thin, simple. Left paramere (Figs. 100, 102) small, U- or C-shaped, with apex somewhat spatulate. Right paramere (Figs. 101, 103) long, slender, slightly curving, with a slender, rounded apex that hooks behind lateral spine-like tubercle (Figs. 129, 130) on genital capsule in situ.
Female: Similar to male in size, shape, and coloration.
Female g enitalia: Vestibulum with two enlarged plates protruding anteriorly into abdomen and interlocking with each other, invaginated in on themselves, lateral plate on left side of vestibulum wrapping anteriorly around circular, C-shaped sclerotized plate in a complex and twisted structure, right lateral side of vestibulum (Fig. 139) connected to long, well-developed “lateral arm,” with apex extending to a point perpendicular to basal third of ovipositor and visible externally when viewed ventrally; dorsal surface of ovipositor with coarse serrations along margin of second gonopophysis, more minute serrations on first gonopophysis; dorsal sac with visible, well-developed ring structures; posterior wall membranous, with base of ovipositor dorsally projecting to touch posterior wall.
ETYMOLOGY. This genus is named for the lateral spinelike tubercle extending from the left side of the male genital capsule, in combination with “ coris,” meaning bug. The gender is masculine.
DISCUSSION. Synapomorphies for this lineage in our analysis include the U- or C-shaped left paramere, the large apically pointed tubercle on the genital capsule that is visible in dorsal view past the lateral margin of the hemelytron, and the lateral vestibular arm in the females extending to the midpoint of the ovipositor. This is the only genus in our study that has such a long right paramere that the apex often is visible in dorsal view as it intersects and hooks onto the genitala tubercle. It also has the most well-developed “lateral arm” (Fig. 139) that extends along the ovipositor in parallel until the basal third and is visible in external view as an invagination on the abdominal wall. Females of other genera in this analysis do not have the lateral arms visible externally and can be seen only when dissected.
Both species in this genus also have the basal half of antennal segment II thickened and covered with dense setae, which are similar to the setae found on species of S chaffnerocoris, but they are much more extensive in Laterospinocoris. Schaffnerocoris, however, differs from Laterospinocoris in having dense sericeous setae on the head and thorax, the overall coloration and bluish sheen on the hemelytron, the finely punctate pronotal disc, and C-shaped left paramere.
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 227-228, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4772.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3816462