Doratura vefele, Bückle & Guglielmino, 2022

Bückle, Christoph & Guglielmino, Adalgisa, 2022, Revision of the genus Doratura Sahlberg (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) with particular regard to its distribution in Italy and description of four new species, Zootaxa 5112 (1), pp. 1-116 : 24-26

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5112.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C2750D92-315A-431F-BCEB-3E20ECD03EA0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6342955
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039C8791-BF6A-1568-E8B8-815DBB473133
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Doratura vefele
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Doratura vefele sp. nov.

( Figs 2F View FIGURE 2 ; 9L View FIGURE 9 ; 15A–D View FIGURE 15 ; 17A–D, M, N View FIGURE 17 ; 18A–C View FIGURE 18 ; 19F View FIGURE 19 )

Description. Coloration ( Figs 15A–D View FIGURE 15 ). With the general characters described for the genus Doratura (see above). Hind region of vertex sometimes with small spot on each side near hind margin, sagittal region sometimes fuscous or provided with double indistinct longitudinal marking; pronotum light without markings or ± fuscous with small transverse spots, two in central region and about three laterally on each side. Fore wings hyaline pale or distinctly fuscous, above all near hind margin, lateral margin whitish, veins ± distinct in the apical half. Abdomen light with eight longitudinal rows of ± distinct markings, central ones very close to each other, divided by noticeably light middle line, middle ones formed of small spots, lateral two rows more distinct and formed of longitudinal stripes; in dark specimens inner two rows fused to two continuous large dark bands.

Measurements. Males: Total body length: 3.65–3.85 mm; width over wings: 1.40–1.58 mm; width of head: 1.31–1.36 mm; length of vertex: 0.62–0.65 mm; length of forewings from shoulder to apex: 1.38–1.56 mm; length of hind tibia: 1.92–2.15 mm.

Females: Width over wings: ca. 1.7 mm; width of head: 1.46–1.53 mm; length of vertex: 0.72 mm; length of forewings from shoulder to apex: 1.69–1.77 mm; length of hind tibia: 2.23–2.42 mm.

Male Genitalia. Aedeagus shaft, lateral view ( Figs 17A, C View FIGURE 17 ): Ventral margin of shaft nowhere sinuous, evenly convex without scabrous crest, maximum width of shaft near base; in ventral view ( Figs 17B, D View FIGURE 17 ) apically of basal shield quite narrow, slightly widening towards apex with short narrowing apical portion, basal shield rather small with oblique lateral margin and indistinct lateral angles. Socle well developed, ± as in D. stylata . Styles ( Figs 17M, N View FIGURE 17 ) in dorsal view with denticle near mid-length, portion basally of denticle of ± equal width, almost straight, apical portion long and quite narrow, bent in lateral direction. Connective ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ) comparatively short, branched portion slightly longer than basal one, branching ± rectangular. Pygofer with 3–4 macrosetae on each side in dorso-caudal position. Genital plates ( Fig. 18A–C View FIGURE 18 ) short and wide, with indistinct sutural angle, posterior margin running in lateral direction without evident exterior angle, lateral margin sinuate.

Female genitalia. Pregenital sternite ( Fig. 19F View FIGURE 19 ) with hind margin slightly convex in the middle. Ovipositor in lateral view protruding beyond posterior angle of pygofer somewhat less than a third of its length from hind margin of pregenital sternite to ovipositor tip.

Fifth instar ( Fig. 9L View FIGURE 9 ). Coloration as in D. stylata , vertex distinctly longer.

Diagnosis. D. vefele sp. nov. is related to D. stylata , D. exilis and D. impudica . It shares with these species the shape of styles with long and narrow apical portion, the aedeagus with shield-shaped baso-ventral widening and without thorn- or tooth-like protuberances, the general shape of the genital plates and the shape of the female pregenital sternite. It differs from D. exilis , D. stylata and D. impudica by proportionally shorter genital plates ( Figs 18A–C View FIGURE 18 ) and above all the longer and almost triangular vertex ( Figs 15A–D View FIGURE 15 ) (rather short and rounded apical vertex margin in the other three species), furthermore by the apicad less tapering aedeagus (in lateral view) with small basal shield ( Figs 17A, C View FIGURE 17 ). In addition, it is distinguished in respect of D. exilis by the conspicuously larger body size, and proportionally longer wings ( Figs 15A–D View FIGURE 15 ). D. vefele displays some affinity to D. roesle sp. nov. (see below) in its aedeagus morphology, light coloration and above all in its long vertex. It is distinguished, however, in respect of this species by its larger body size and by its proportionally longer fore wings with ratio length (from shoulder to hind margin) to width of head 1.03–1.21 (in D. roesle 0.8–0.91).

Distribution ( Fig. 56 View FIGURE 56 ). Until now known only from southern Spain and Morocco.

Ecology. Steppic vegetation. The type material was collected in about 900–1000 m altitude.

Phenology. Apparently, the first adults occur at the end of May ( Morocco). Other adults were collected in the middle of August (South Spain).

Type series. Holotype male: Morocco, FASMaAlP 81–113, Marokko, Abzweig sö. Tahanaout , Dorf , [31°20‘11‘‘N 7°56‘24‘‘W, Radius 1 km, alt. 1000–1050 m], Friedhofshang , reicher Steppenhügel , Halfagras [ Macrochloa tenacissima ], Juniperus , Sorbus ?, Artemisia grau, Chamaerops, Opuntia, 25.05.1981, leg./coll. R. Remane, Museum Dresden GoogleMaps .— Paratypes: Morocco, same data as holotype; 4 males, 1 female GoogleMaps .— Morocco, FASMaAlP 81– 107, Marokko, Abzweig sö. Tahanaout , [31°20‘11‘‘N 7°56‘24‘‘W, Radius 1 km, alt. 1000–1050 m], Friedhofshang, reicher Steppenhügel, Halfagras [ Macrochloa tenacissima ], Juniperus, Sorbus?, Artemisia grau,, Chamaerops, Opuntia, 24.05.1981, leg./coll. R.Remane, Museum Dresden; 1 male GoogleMaps .— Spain, DFSP 72–215 , Spanien, ~ 10 km südl. Huescar , [37°43‘29‘‘N 2°32‘34‘‘W, Radius 3 km, alt. 850–950 m], Steppe m[it]. Tamarix, 16.08.1972, R. Remane; 1 male, 1 female GoogleMaps .

The type material is deposited in Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden , Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, Germany ( MTD) .

Etymology. The species is named after the protagonist in a short story of the German writer Berthold Auerbach. The species name is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. The specimens from Morocco are quite light, sand coloured without any metallic green tinge on the fore wings; their vertex displays no transverse row of spots at mid-length. This material consists of a nymph, and only one female in addition to six males; some adults were still incompletely sclerified (in dried state to some degree deformed). Apparently, the material was collected (24.–25. May) soon after emergence of the first adults.