Species Parthenicus wheeleri

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Another tiny Mirid of some kind - Parthenicus wheeleri

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Infraorder Cimicomorpha

Superfamily Miroidea

Family Miridae (Plant Bugs)

Subfamily Orthotylinae

Tribe Orthotylini

Genus Parthenicus

Species wheeleri (Parthenicus wheeleri)

Explanation of Names

Parthenicus wheeleri Henry, 2007

named after Dr. Alfred George Wheeler, Jr., collector of the entire series of this plant bug.

Identification

I am sure that this bug is Parthenicus wheeleri in Orthotylinae. According to Henry(1), P. wheeleri is distinguished by "the the pale testaceous dorsum (figs. 11, 12), occasionally with a few small red speckles on the head, pronotum, and hemelytra, especially in females, contrasted by the brown first antennal segment, scutellum, and hind femur; the lack of spots at the bases of the tibial spines on the front and middle legs and frequently on the hind legs (or with only very faint reddish spots on some basal spines)," etc. It is distributed in Texas and Oklahoma.

The linked paper shows the key, description, and photos of Parthenicus species, and you may confirm my new suggestion.

… WonGun Kim, 12 December, 2008

Range

TX-OK - Map (1)(2)

Food

Weeping lovegrass, Eragrostis curvula (Schrad) Nees (Poeaceae);

sand lovegrass, E. trichodes (Nutt.) Wood;

Lindheimer’s muhly, Muhlenbergia lindheimeri Hitchc. (Poaceae);

seep muhly, M. reverchonii Vasey and Schribn. (Poaceae). (1)

Remarks

Type: Oklahoma: Dewey Co.: 0.2 km W of jct. Rt. 270/281, 6.8 km SE of Oakwood, 21 May 2001, A.G. Wheeler, Jr., Eragrostis curvula Schrad. (Poaceae)

Print References

Henry, T.J. (2007) Synopsis of the eastern North American species of the plant bug genus Parthenicus, with descriptions of three new species and a revised key (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae). American Museum Novitates 3593: 31 pp. (1)

Works Cited

1.	Synopsis of the eastern North American species of the plant bug genus Parthenicus ... Henry, Thomas J. 2007. American Museum of Natural History.

2.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 12 December, 2008 - 6:56pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn
Last updated 18 April, 2023 - 12:38pm

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