Hishimonus diffractus, Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013

Bella, Salvatore, Aguiar, António M. F., Kunz, Gernot, Miralles-Núñez, Adrià, Foster, Stuart, Sánchez-García, Iñigo, Wilson, Michael R. & D’Urso, Vera, 2022, Discovery of Hishimonus diffractus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) in Europe, with remarks on previously recorded species of the genus, Zootaxa 5159 (4), pp. 558-570 : 560-563

H. diffractus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013

( Plates 1–3 )

Hishimonus diffractus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013: 311 , Figs 2C, 2F, 8A–E

Examined material

FRANCE: Alpes-Maritimes, Cagnes-sur-Mer, 40 m a.s.l., 43.6639470, -7.1371475, 12.X.2012, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, on Jasminum sp. (Oleaceae) , P. Gros leg., G. Kunz det..

PORTUGAL: Madeira Island, Caminho da Fonte do Livramento, Caniço, Santa Cruz, 199 m a.s.l., 32.645907, - 16.843643, 04.VIII.2015, 1 ♀, on a chromotropic sticky trap placed in a vineyard, C. Brazão leg., idem., 13.X.2015, 2 ♀♀; Jardim do Lido, São Martinho, Funchal, 20 m a.s.l., 32.636268, -16.932595, 03.VIII.2017, 1 ♀, on Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae) , C. Brazão leg.; Posto Agrário, Caniçal, Machico, 57 m a.s.l., 32.738227, -16.743737, 26.IX.2018, 1 ♀, on chromotropic sticky trap placed in a vineyard, C. Brazão leg.; Estreito da Calheta, Calheta, 286 m a.s.l., 32.732454, -17.162188, 17.IX.2019, 1 ♂, on chromotropic sticky trap placed in a vineyard, S. Freitas & L. Vieira leg. (Aguín-Pombo det., all specimens).

SPAIN: Granada, Motril, 42 m a.s.l., 36.745061, -3.516736, 28.XI.2016, 30 ♀♀, 7 ♂♂, 15 nymphs, on Jasminum sp. , J. Marín leg., A. Miralles det.; Alicante, Pilar de Horadada, 16 m a.s.l., 37.8750813, -0.7621520, 10.V.2017, 1 ♂, on Rubus sp. , urban garden, P. Valero leg., P. Valero & A. Miralles det.; Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera, Zoobotánico de Jerez, 57 m a.s.l., 36.690628, -6.148324, 23.VI.2019, 15.VIII.2019, 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, on Jasminum officinale, I. Sánchez & A. Pérez leg. and det.; Jerez de la Frontera, Club Nazaret, 92 m a.s.l., 36.678163, -6.115790, 16.VII.2019, 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 10.IX.2019, 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, attracted by the light in an urban garden, A. Pérez leg. and det.; Jerez de la Frontera, Las Albarizas, 92 m a.s.l., 36.705135, -6.124536, 31.VIII.2019, 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, on Pittosporum tobira, I. Sánchez leg. and det.; Mallorca, Illetas area West of Palma, 39.540011, -2.592006, 22.VI.2007, 20/ 30 adults, swept from a dense Olea bush in a local garden, S. Foster leg.; Illetas area West of Palma, 39.542013, -2.586850, 2.IX.2009, 5/ 10 adults, on small Olea in woodland on a steep slope, S. Foster leg.; Illetas area West of Palma, 39.537876, -2.589880, 16.VII.2014, 5/ 10 adults on Olea growing as a garden hedge, S. Foster leg.; Illetas area West of Palma, 39.533946, -2.589053, 01.X.2019, single adult on large mature Olea overhanging a car park, S. Foster leg., M.R. Wilson det..

GIBRALTAR: Botanic Garden, VI.2012, 36.131710, -5.351282, numerous males and females, light trap, M.R. Wilson leg. and det..

UNITED KINGDOM: Worcester, V/ VI.2021, male and female specimens living on imported jasmine plant from garden center, G. Falmer leg., M.R. Wilson det..

ITALY: Sicily, Catania province, Acireale, 206 m a.s.l., 37.623085, -15.164439, 20.VI.2018, 1 ♂, 29.V.2020, 1 ♂, in Citrus orchard, S. Bella leg., V. D’Urso det..

Description

Male. Length 3.7–3.8 mm. Vertex, pronotum, and scutellum greenish yellow marked with pale brown patches. Scutellum with lateral and apical areas ivory white, marked with two brown spots near base and another before apex. Forewings silvery white with brown mottling between veins, becoming darker and denser apically; brown median diamond patch distinct, well defined by dark brown at anterior margin and posterior corner, with median section anterior to posterior patch translucent whitish ( Du & Dai 2019).

Genitalia ( Plate 2 ). Pygofer in lateral view longer than height, posterior margin rounded. Valve approximately twice as wide at base as long medially. Subgenital plates broad triangular, broadly rounded at base then rounded apically to posterior finger-like process from median corner. Paramere with apophysis long and thick, apically rounded. Connective with broad rectangular stem, about as long as lateral arms. Aedeagal shafts, in posterior view, more or less straight, divergent of even width throughout and bearing short, sharp thorn-like process on inner margin at about one-half to two-thirds length. In lateral view, shafts evenly lightly curved from base with apical process much narrower and strongly reflexed anteriorly; gonopore subapical on posterior surface ( Du and Dai 2019).

Female. Length: 3.7–3.9. Aspect and colour pattern like male ( Plate 3 ).

Genitalia. Seventh sternite 2.5 times as wide at base as long medially, its posterior margin medially concave, with posterolateral angles largely rounded; in correspondence of the median concavity an evident brown W.

Origin. Eastern Asia.

Distribution. H. diffractus was described from China and Thailand ( Dai et al. 2013) and recorded in Australia ( Fletcher & Dai 2013).

New records. It is here reported as new for France, Portugal (Madeira), Spain, Gibraltar, United Kingdom (as interception not in nature), and Italy (Sicily).

First record and country in Europe: 2007, Spain.

Host plant. In Europe found on Jasminum sp. , Nerium oleander , Pittosporum tobira and Citrus orchards and vineyards.

Remarks. H. diffractus shows affinity with H. aberrans Knight, 1970 from China and Thailand ( Dai et al. 2013). In H. diffractus the basal processes are fused with the shafts of the aedeagus on each side except for the apical portion, which remains as a short, spine-like process at about two-thirds of the length of the shaft, whereas in H. aberrans the basal processes are separate from the shaft for almost their entire length. Both species have the subgenital plates abruptly narrowed apically before the apical finger-like process ( Dai et al. 2013). H. diffractus is easily distinguished from the two species present in Europe by the shape of the aedeagus, parameres and connective [illustrated by Du & Dai (2019), see also Seljak (2013) for H. hamatus ] and by the female sternite VII. These characters also make it distinguishable from other species of the genus.

Figures

PLATE 1. Hishimonus diffractus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013. A–B) Adults; C) Nymphs. Spain, Granada, 28.XI.2016 (Photos J. Marin).

PLATE 2. Hishimonus diffractus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013. Male genitalia. A–C) Aedeagus: A) Anterior view, B) Posterior view, C) Lateral view; D) Connective, ventral view; E) Right subgenital plate, ventral view; F) Valve, ventral view; G) Pygopher, left lateral view; Right paramere: H) Ventral view, I) Lateral view. Aedeagus, SEM images: J) Dorso-lateral view, L) Dorsal view, K) Aedeagal shaft, inner side. A–I) Portugal, Madeira Island, Calheta, 17.IX.2019. J–L) Gibraltar, VI.2012 (photos M.R. Wilson). Scale: 0.1 mm for A–I; 50 µm for J and L, 20 µm for K.

PLATE 3. Hishimonus diffractus Dai, Fletcher & Zhang, 2013. A) Female, Portugal, Madeira Island (photo A.M.F. Aguiar); B–C) Female abdomen, ventral view: B) France, Cagnes-sur-Mer, 22.VIII.2012 (photo P. Gros) and C) Madeira, Portugal (photo A.M.F. Aguiar).