Research Article |
Corresponding author: Gerasimos Cassis ( truebug187@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Alfred Wheeler
© 2018 Gerasimos Cassis.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Cassis G (2018) Henryhalticus philippinensis gen. et sp. n., a minute halticine from the Philippines (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Orthotylinae). In: Wheeler Jr AG (Ed.) A Festschrift Recognizing Thomas J. Henry for a Lifetime of Contributions to Heteropteran Systematics. ZooKeys 796: 187-195. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.796.21240
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Henryhalticus philippinensis gen. et sp. n. is described from a single location in the Negros Oriental Province of the Philippines. The male and female genitalia are described and illustrated. On the basis of the genitalic characters, external morphology, and size and color, the new species is erected as a monotypic genus.
Heteroptera , Miridae , taxonomy, new taxon, Philippines
Representatives of the hyperdiverse family Miridae are found in most regions and terrestrial ecosystems of the world (
The present work involves the discovery of a minute halticine species from the Philippines. Specimens have been held in the American Museum of Natural History for a considerable time, and numerous colleagues have been uncertain about its suprageneric position and if it represents a new taxon. In this work I assign it to the Halticini based on genitalic and pretarsal characters, and recognize it as a new genus and new species, with commentary about its affinities.
This work is dedicated to Dr. Thomas J. Henry, whom I have known from the early 1980s. My memory is not precise but I do recall going on a fieldtrip to the Cascade Mountains with Tom, a trip organized by my Ph.D. supervisor, the late John D. Lattin. I also recall near the end of the trip a very large fir tree had fallen across a dirt road, and we had no other option but to retrace our tracks, adding many hours to our return journey. This gave us many hours to talk about the Miridae, a journey that we share with few other entomologists. Tom has worked with the previous miridology greats, including his close friend, the late Jose Carvalho. In the ensuing years he has become one of the mirid greats himself, and it is an honor to name a new genus after him. I wish him well in his taxonomic and personal exploits in the years to come.
Specimens were borrowed from the American Museum of Natural History (
Male and female genitalia were macerated in 5% KOH, rinsed in distilled water, and dissected and examined in glycerol. The genitalia were illustrated using a camera lucida attached to a Leica DMB compound microscope. External characters were examined and measured using a Leica 205C automated stereomicroscope and Leica digital software. External characters were also documented with a Hitachi Desktop TM3000 scanning electron microscope.
Henryhalticus philippinensis sp. n., by original designation.
Henryhalticus is recognized by the following combination of characters: body minute, oval (Figs
Scanning electron micrographs of key characters of Henryhalticus philippinensis gen. et sp. n. A Dorsal view of body B Ventral view of body C Pronotum and scutellum D Lateroventral view of head and thorax E Pterothoracic pleura, incl. external efferent system of metathoracic glands F Metafemur and metatibia G Pretarsus, dorsal view H Genital opening of pygophore. Abbreviations: A = aedeagus; cu = cuneus; EA = evaporative area; HF = hind femur; L = labium; LP = left paramere; ms = mesoscutum; MTS = metathoracic spiracle; PA = parempodia; PE = peritreme; p = pronotum; RP = right paramere; s = scutellum.
STRUCTURE. Body minute, oval, dorsal surface weakly convex, cuneus strongly deflexed (Figs
See species description for coloration, texture, vestiture, and fine details of genitalia.
Henryhalticus is unlike other halticines in color, size, and shape. This is one of the smallest mirids described, with both sexes <2 mm in length. This genus keys to the Australian genus Goodeniaphila Tatarnic, in
The aedeagus of Henryhalticus is most like that of Halticus Hahn. Both genera lack endosomal sclerotization, the posterior margin of the head is contiguous with the pronotum, and the posterior margin of the vertex is carinate. Henryhalticus, however, lacks sclerotized rings and tarsal pulvilli, and the efferent system of metathoracic glands is less well developed. In addition, the pronotum is more rounded posteriorly in Halticus and the mesoscutum is not as exposed in Henryhalticus.
Holotype: PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental: Camp Lookout, Dumaguete, Negros Island, 9.294°N 123.218°E, 396 m, 15 Feb 1961 - 15 Apr 1961, T. Schneirla & A. Reyes, ♂ (UNSW_ENT 00029095) (
Henryhalticus philippinensis is recognized by the following combination of characters: body oval; minute, <2 mm in length; orange (Figure
Female genitalia of Henryhalticus philippinensis gen. et sp. n. A Ventral view of external female genitalia, including posterior wall of bursa copulatrix B Dorsal view of external female genitalia. Abbreviations: co = common oviduct; DLP(me) = dorsal labiate plate, mesial surface; GP8lm = gonapophyses 8 basal left membrane; GP8rm = gonapophyses 8 basal right membrane; IRS = inter-ramal sclerite; odl = lateral oviduct; SP = spiculate area of mesial surface of dorsal labiate plate; V = vestibulum.
Coloration. Body and appendages orange, with anterior lobe of pronotum, femora, clypeus and lateral regions of head, thoracic pleura and abdominal venter partly reddish orange; exocorium partly hyaline; hemelytral membrane smoky (Figure
Vestiture. Body with moderately dense distribution of decumbent hairlike setae; setae more erect on antennae, legs, and abdominal venter (Figs
Texture. Impunctate, shiny (Figs
Structure. As in generic description.
MALE GENITALIA. Pygophore conical (Figure
FEMALE GENITALIA. Ovipositor greatly elongate, almost reaching thoracic-abdominal boundary (Figure
See Table
Measurement of key characters of Henryhalticus philippinensis. All measurements given in millimeters. Mean, standard deviation, range, minimum, and maximum values given for each species. Abbreviations: CunClyp = maximum length between apex of clypeus and tip of cuneus, Pron = pronotum, Scut = scutellum, InterOc = Interocular distance, AntSegI–IV = antennal segment I–IV.
Length | Width | InterOc | AntSegI | AntSegII | AntSegIII | AntSegIV | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Body | Cun Clyp | Head | Pron | Scut | Cun | Head | Pron | Scut | |||||||
M (n=5) | Mean | 1.607 | 1.090 | 0.152 | 0.215 | 0.184 | 0.294 | 0.428 | 0.690 | 0.299 | 0.256 | 0.082 | 0.346 | 0.196 | 0.177 |
SD | 0.104 | 0.061 | 0.033 | 0.017 | 0.014 | 0.020 | 0.023 | 0.035 | 0.016 | 0.007 | 0.010 | 0.025 | 0.003 | 0.004 | |
Range | 0.287 | 0.158 | 0.091 | 0.042 | 0.042 | 0.054 | 0.069 | 0.094 | 0.048 | 0.017 | 0.031 | 0.079 | 0.007 | 0.009 | |
Min | 1.493 | 1.029 | 0.101 | 0.196 | 0.163 | 0.272 | 0.388 | 0.624 | 0.278 | 0.249 | 0.067 | 0.305 | 0.193 | 0.173 | |
Max | 1.781 | 1.187 | 0.192 | 0.238 | 0.205 | 0.326 | 0.457 | 0.718 | 0.326 | 0.266 | 0.098 | 0.384 | 0.199 | 0.181 | |
F (n=5) | Mean | 1.774 | 1.207 | 0.161 | 0.222 | 0.212 | 0.289 | 0.493 | 0.860 | 0.374 | 0.263 | 0.114 | 0.311 | 0.085 | 0.164 |
SD | 0.131 | 0.056 | 0.045 | 0.031 | 0.021 | 0.052 | 0.007 | 0.015 | 0.019 | 0.021 | 0.021 | 0.170 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
Range | 0.357 | 0.147 | 0.119 | 0.088 | 0.057 | 0.117 | 0.021 | 0.046 | 0.051 | 0.063 | 0.048 | 0.341 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
Min | 1.525 | 1.147 | 0.073 | 0.194 | 0.181 | 0.235 | 0.482 | 0.843 | 0.351 | 0.232 | 0.095 | 0.140 | 0.085 | 0.164 | |
Max | 1.882 | 1.294 | 0.192 | 0.281 | 0.238 | 0.352 | 0.502 | 0.889 | 0.401 | 0.294 | 0.143 | 0.481 | 0.085 | 0.164 |
Known only from the type locality on Negros Island, in the Philippines, between February 15 and May 28, 1961.
Remarks. See generic remarks.