Christiane Weirauch

Division of Invertebrate Zoology,

American Museum of Natural History, New York

The Polyozus-group (Miridae, Phylinae) in Australia:Systematics and host plant associations

Miridae or Plant Bugs

Miridae•10, 000 described species

• rather delicate

• asymmetrical, complex male genitalia

Orthotylinae & Phylinae• > 4, 000 described species

• focus of PBI

• several ant mimetic lineages

• mostly phytophagous

• often host-specific

PBI Project Focus: Australia

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Schuh & Cassis

collecting trips

1995 - 2002

Species of flowering plants

18,000 known from Australia,

9,000 from North America

Species of flowering plants

18,000 known from Australia,

9,000 from North America

Species of Miridae

~ 2,000 described from North America,

~ 200 species from Australia

9 species of Phylini in Australia,

5 belong to Campylomma

• Depauperate fauna of Miridae?

• Sampling bias?

Phylinae in Australia

Diversity of Australia largely

undescribed

currently ca. 300 species of

Phylini recognizedPolyozus

The Polyozus-group

`

20 spp., 45 charactersone of two trees

Analysis of the Polyozus-group

Analysis

17 ingroup species,

3 outgroup species

43 morphological characters

NONA/Pee-Wee (hold10000; hold/100;

mult*100; jump50;)

L=92; Ci=67; Ri=84; concavity:

6: Fit=394.3; 3: Fit=374.8; 1: Fit=337.1

Pee-Wee

Polyozus-group

supported

three distinct clades:

Polyozus,

Exocarpocoris n. gen., and

Ancoraphylus n. gen.

20 spp., 45 charactersone of two trees

Character support for the Polyozus-group

vestiture

spicules on dorsal labiate

plate

anchor-shaped vesica

ornament on posterior wall

Systematics of Exocarpocoris, n. gen.

shape of process

U-shaped mark

broad vertex and pronotum

Systematics of Ancoraphylus, n. gen.

tubercle on pygophore

left paramere with process on lateral

margin

right paramere greatly enlarged and subparallel

Systematics of Polyozus

median process on

vesica

appendage on dorsal process

dorsal process blade-shaped

Host Plant Associations

20 spp., 45 charactersone of two trees

Exocarpos aphyllus

(Santalaceae)

Acacia spp. (Fabaceae)

Jacksonia spp. (Fabaceae)

Senna spp. (Fabaceae)

Exocarpos aphyllus

Exocarpocoris spp.

• restricted to E. aphyllus

• E. aurum and E. tantulus

sympatric at most localities

Exocarpocoris spp.

• restricted to E. aphyllus

• E. aurum and E. tantulus

sympatric at most localities

Distribution of Exocarpocoris spp.

Distribution of Ancoraphylus spp.

Acacia brachystachya: host of A. auski

Acacia aneura: host of A. carolus

Acacia stowardii: host of A. mariala

male genitalia

Distribution of Polyozus spp.

P. galbanus Eyles & Schuh described from New Zealand

other species of Polyozus-group restricted to Australia

Acacia dealbata: host of P. galbanus

Acacia dealbata introduced to New Zealand from Australia

in the 1870s (Webb 1980)

Polyozus galbanus Australian species

introduced to New Zealand along with its host

Distribution of Polyozus spp.

PBI team for giving me the opportunity to work on this project

NSF for funding the PBI project

Australia’s Virtual Herbarium for plant distributions

Acknowledgements

Thank you!

Roger McDonald