DICYPHUS TUMIDIFRONS RIBES, 1997

(FIGS 5, 11 D, 22 B, 39)

Dicyphus tumidifrons Ribes, 1997: 27 (original description, Ribes, Blaco-Zumeta & Ribes, 1997); Kerzhner & Josifov, 1999: 24 (Palaearctic catalogue).

Materials examined

Spain: Madrid: Aranjuez, 40.03194°N 3.60305°W, 509 m, 28 Jul 1999, de la Rosa, 1♂ paratype (AMNH _ PBI 00206669). Zaragoza: Pina de Ebro, 41.48883ºN 0.52696ºW, 159 m, 18 Jun 1989, ex. Lavatera triloba L. (Malvaceae), Ribes, 1♀ paratype (AMNH _ PBI 00341236) (ZISP), 1♀ 1♂ paratypes (J. Ribes, personal collection).

Diagnosis

This species is recognized by the following combination of characters: macropterous and brachypterous morphs; small species, body length 2.91–3.09 mm in macropterous males, 2.04 mm in brachypterous males, 3.18 mm in macropterous females, 2.35 mm in brachypterous females; body generally pale yellow, with very few dark markings (Fig. 5); AII shorter than width of posterior margin of pronotum; left paramere small, arcuate, with outer margin minutely denticulate (Fig. 11D); endosoma without sclerotization (Fig. 22B).

Redescription

Males. Macropters and brachypters examined.

Coloration (Fig. 5): Body whitish to stramineous, with minor brown markings; pronotum, thoracic pleura and sterna, mesoscutum, scutellum and abdominal venter uniformly stramineous. Head: mostly stramineous, with whitish markings adjacent to medial margin of eyes; frons + vertex with a faint V-shaped brown marking, reaching middle of eye at most; clypeus, bucculae, lateral plates, gula and postocular margins stramineous. Antennae: AI and AII mostly stramineous, with weak subapical reddish annulation on AI, apex of AII with faint red annulation; AIII and AIV pale brown. Hemelytra: stramineous, with faint reddish brown spotting at base of setae; faint brown markings on corial fracture, apex of endocorium and tip of cuneus, sometimes with weak red highlighting yellow translucent, with six dark spots, two on each coria and one on the cuneus; membrane non stained, veins pale yellow. Legs: yellow with brown spotting on femora; third tarsal segment fuscous.

Structure: Head: interocular distance 2.84–3.17× greater than eye width in macropters, 2.89× in brachypters. Antennae: AI short, 0.69–0.96× greater than interocular distance in macropters, 0.96× in brachypters; AII 0.64–0.70× longer than posterior width of pronotum in macropters, 0.85× in brachypters. Pronotum: disk 1.35– 1.41× longer than callosite region in macropters, 0.73× in brachypters. Male genitalia: left paramere apophysis short and strongly recurved, with weakly expanded spatulate apex, with outer margin denticulate (Fig. 11D); endosoma without sclerotization (Fig. 22B).

Females. Macropters and brachypters examined. Coloration, vestiture, texture and structure mostly as in males. Head: interocular distance 3.08× greater than eye width in macropters, 3.16× in brachypters. Antennae: AI 0.91× longer than of interocular distance in macropters, 0.79× in brachypters; AII length 0.62× longer than posterior pronotal width in macropters, 0.80× in brachypters. Pronotum: disk 1.59× longer than callosite region in macropters, 0.81× in brachypters.