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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336924
Research Project: Systematics of Hemiptera and Related Groups: Plant Pests, Predators and Disease Vectors

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: A new species of the plant bug genus Rubrocuneocoris Schuh (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) from Hawaii

Author
item Henry, Thomas

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/2/2017
Publication Date: 2/17/2017
Citation: Henry, T.J. 2017. A new species of the plant bug genus Rubrocuneocoris Schuh (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) from Hawaii. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 119(1):63-69.

Interpretive Summary: Plant bugs represent the largest family of true bugs and include numerous agriculturally important species. Many, such as lygus bugs, are serious crop pests, causing enormous economic losses in the United States annually. A large number of these bugs prey on various arthropod pests, such as scale insects, mites, and caterpillars, making them of considerable interest to researchers involved in biological control. This paper provides the description of a new non-native species of plant-feeding plant bug recently discovered in the Hawaiian Islands that feeds on the flowers and fruits of the invasive Asian parasol tree. Because the nearest relatives of this new species are found only in eastern Asia and the South Pacific, it is speculated that this bug was inadvertently introduced into Hawaii on international commerce. This new species is diagnosed, described, and illustrated to facilitate identification. This information will be of interest to a wide range of researchers, regulatory personnel, and Federal and state departments of agriculture studying insects associated with exotic, invasive plants.

Technical Abstract: The new non-native species Rubrocuneocoris calvertae, n. sp. (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae), found on the flowers of the invasive parasol leaf tree, Macaranga tanarius (L.) Müll. Arg., is described from Oahu and Hawaii counties in the Hawaiian Islands. Because the nearest relatives of this new species are found only in eastern Asia and the South Pacific, it is speculated that this new bug was inadvertently introduced in international commerce. The new species is diagnosed, described, and illustrated, including dorsal habitus images and male genitalia, to help distinguish it from other members of the genus.