Systematic study of the Australian plant bug genus Xasmasoma, gen. nov. (Insecta : Heteroptera : Miridae : Orthotylinae), including host plant and biogeographic analysis, and description of twelve new species.

A new Australian genus of Orthotylini, Xasmasoma , gen. nov. is described, with 12 new included species: X. acuminatus , sp. nov., X. agana , sp. nov., X. carrollae , sp. nov., X. celiae , sp. nov., X. chamelaucieaphila , sp. nov., X. mareeba , sp. nov., X. mimae , sp. nov., X. mungallala , sp. nov., X. nillinghoo , sp. nov., X. schuhi , sp. nov., X. silveirae , sp. nov. and X. woodstocki , sp. nov. These species were analysed phylogenetically using 25 morphology-based characters and molecular alignments (COI , 16S , 18S and 28S ; 2096 base pairs), with the genus found to be monophyletic based on molecular, morphological and combined analyses. An analysis of host plant associations demonstrated no pattern of co-divergence and limited phylogenetic conservatism, aside from two subclades with respective Calytrix and Myrtaceae preferences. The biogeographic analysis revealed a south-western (South-west Interzone, Western Desert) area relationship, which is in distinction to the orthotyline genus Naranjakotta. The taxonomic component includes an identification key to species and diagnostic characters are illustrated, with detailed documentation of the male genitalia, and the genus uniquely possesses tile-like texture on the apex of the apophysis of the left paramere, and a single endosomal spicule. This paper documents the systematics of a new genus of orthotyline plant bugs, Xasmasoma , and the description of twelve new species. This further demonstrates the hyperdiversity of the family Miridae in Australia, and the biogeographic and host plant drivers of Xasmasoma diversification. The work provides the first molecular sequences of the Australian Orthotylini which corroborate the phylogenetic signal of the male genitalia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]