Systematics and host-plant associations of the Palassocoris complex (Insecta : Heteroptera : Miridae : Orthotylinae), a monophyletic suprageneric group of long-headed Australian Orthotylini, and the description of five new genera and 10 new species

Abstract

The Australian plant bug family Miridae is hyperdiverse in Australia, including a remarkable radiation of undescribed species belonging to the tribe Orthotylini. This study includes a comparative morphological and phylogenetic study of a group of orthotylines, mostly associated with woody shrubs. Parsimony-based analysis of 49 morphological characters was undertaken, resulting in the recognition of a monophyletic supraspecific group with elongate heads, the Palassocoris complex, as well as three monophyletic genera with multiple species, and two monotypic genera. Five new genera (Austroloxops, gen. nov., Harpemiris, gen. nov., Hypospicula, gen. nov., Palassocoris, gen. nov. and Wallagootacoris, gen. nov.) and 10 species (Austroloxops juriensis, sp. nov., Harpemiris hibbertiaphila, sp. nov., Hypospicula banksiaphila, sp. nov., Hypospicula finkensis, sp. nov., Palassocoris elongatus, sp. nov., Palassocoris emuensis, sp. nov., Palassocoris jambrecinae, sp. nov., Palassocoris samphirensis, sp. nov., Wallagootacoris schwartzi, sp. nov., Wallagootacoris tasmaniensis, sp. nov.) are described as new to science. The Palassocoris complex was found to be the sister-group to two species of the Lattinova complex, the latter previously assigned to the tribe Austromirini, rendering the Orthotylini as paraphyletic. The classificatory implications of this finding are discussed. lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EB6C6196-C3FF-44D1-9746-E030797BEC69