| Description: |
Plagiognathus marinoccidens sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B0A83320-5C9E-41B5-9247-26B4424B4E60 Figs 1H–I, 2 A−D, 3A–K, 4, 5E−H, 6E–H, 7B, 9A−I Diagnosis. Recognized by its small size; generally fuscous body (Figs 2A–D, 3B); uniformly darkened head; short antennal segment II; relatively long labium that is longer than metafemur; relatively narrow peritreme of scent efferent system (Fig. 5G); creamy yellow femora and tibiae; rather stout, blunt-tipped phallotheca (Fig. 9B); short, slender apical blades of vesica (Fig. 6E– H, 9E–F); and relatively narrow interramal sclerite (Fig. 9H) with densely distributed, comb-like microstructures (Fig. 9I), in addition to unique thermophilic habitat preference. This new species is assumed to be sister to P. amurensis, from which P. marinoccidens sp. nov. can be distinguished by the characters mentioned in the above key (couplet 4), smaller size, generally fuscous basic coloration (Fig. 2A–D, vs 2H–I), slenderer vesical blades (Fig. 9E, vs 9O), smaller sclerotized rings (Fig. 9G, vs 9J), and more densely distributed microstructures on the narrower interramal sclerite (Fig. 9H–I, vs 9K–L). Paler color variant (Fig. 3C–D) was confirmed in the 2 nd (autumn) generation females; however, only three of 43 specimens had the paler coloration, and extent of the pale grayish brown parts on the dorsum is rather restricted (Fig. 3C), by comparison with P. amurensis (Fig. 2I). Plagiognathus marinoccidens sp. nov. is also externally very similar to P. yomogi, but this Artemisia -inhabiting phyline is allopatric (known from colder climatic zones) and has the following different features: antennal segment III longer than head width across eyes; anterior margin of profemur usually with a dark stripe; metafemur with sparser dark spots ventrally (Fig. 4); metathoracic scent efferent system triangular, with wider peritreme (Fig. 5N); phallotheca tapered and sharpened apically (Fig. 8L); vesical with thick primary blade (Fig. 8N); and inner half area of interramal sclerite smooth, lacking ... |