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Photo#1708011
Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male

Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - Male
Whetstone Mts., Cochise County, Arizona, USA
July 19, 2019
Size: 2.7 mm
Coordinates: 31.7797, -110.3891
Brachypterous male. Collected by J. T. Botz by beating mesquite branches. There were lots of Crematogaster ants on the same branches, but no mistletoe in the mesquite shrubs sampled, nor in any tree or shrub within the immediate area.

I took these photographs before the specimen had a chance to dry or shrivel. Thus, the odd shape of the abdomen is the actual shape, not due to drying and shrinkage.

Since there is only one known species in the genus Phoradendrepulus, and since the genitalia of the male generally match the illustrations in Polhemus & Polhemus (1985),(1) I'm tentatively calling this P. myrmecomorphus. However, there is a small tooth on the outside apical edge of the right paramere that isn't in the illustration, and this population is quite distant from the previously known locality in Maricopa County, AZ, which could mean this is a second species. I'll leave it here for now, pending comparison with type material. In any case, this is a new genus and new species for BugGuide, and as far as I can tell, the first photos of this species posted anywhere.

Full-resolution image here.

Images of this individual: tag all
Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male Phoradendrepulus myrmecomorphus - Cyrtopeltocoris ajo - male

Moved

Associated nymph:

Associated female:

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