Aconurella prolixa (Lethierry, 1885)

Tishechkin, D. Yu., 2023, Contributions to the study of the genus Aconurella Ribaut, 1948 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Chiasmini) of the Western Palearctic, Russian Entomological Journal 32 (1), pp. 1-11 : 8

Aconurella prolixa (Lethierry, 1885)

Figs 1–4 , 16–25 , 36–44, 51–58, 70–81.

A. aethiopica (Cogan, 1916) , syn.n.

DIAGNOSTIC TRAITS. Macropterous. Male usually with small black spot on crown, sometimes also with two brown triangular spots on both sides of crown midline ( Figs 1–2 ). Female without black pattern on dorsal side of body ( Figs 3–4 ).

Pygofer lobe with poorly sclerotized and semitransparent dorsoapical part densely covered with minute spinules, with more or less uniformly sclerotized distal half, and with row of denticles on posteroventral margin ( Figs 51–58 ).

DISTRIBUTION. The southern part of the Palearctic from the Canary Islands and North Africa to China and Japan, India [ Khatri, Webb, 2010], Ethiopia [ Heller, Linnavuori, 1968], Sudan [ Lindberg, 1927; as Thamnotettix sanguisuga Lindberg, 1927 ], Namibia (new record).

REMARKS. Theron [1970] reinvestigated types of Athysanus aethiopica Cogan, 1916 from Cape Town and numerous specimens collected in other widely separated localities in South Africa. He published detailed description of this species and placed it into the genus Aconurella . In his article, he emphasizes that Aconurella aethiopica is “very closely related to, if not identical with, Aconurella prolixa ” [ Theron, 1970: 312]. Our investigation of a male from the southern part of Namibia ( Figs 24 , 43, 57) revealed no significant differences from specimens of A. prolixa from the Palearctic, which is the reason for establishing synonymy A. prolixa (Lethierry, 1885) = A. aethiopica (Cogan, 1916) , syn.n. This synonymy is further supported by the fact that in three localities in South Africa the specimens investigated by Theron [1970] were collected from Cynodon (one of the most preferred host plants of A. prolixa in the Palearctic). In addition, A. prolixa was found outside Palearctic in India and in the northern part of the tropical Africa, so the finding of such a widespread species in the southern part of this continent seems quite natural.

The drawings of the pygofer lobes of A. ussurica in Anufriev [1972] are quite similar to our photographs of A. prolixa . In addition, A. prolixa was recorded from most regions of China [ Duan, Zhang, 2012], but has not yet been found in the Russian Far East [ Anufriev, Emelyanov, 1988]. One could assume that A. ussurica is a junior synonym of A. prolixa ; however, all of more than 100 specimens of A. ussurica studied by Anufriev [1972] from many localities are brachypterous.

Figures

Figs 1–15. Aconurella spp., dorsal habitus. 1–4 — A. prolixa; 5–7 — A. quadrum; 8–12 — A. diplachnis; 13–15 — A. sibirica. 1–2, 6, 8–10, 13–14 — males, 3–4, 7, 11–12, 15 — females, 5 — after Herrich-Schäffer [1838]. Рис. 1–15. Aconurella spp., вид сверху. 1–4 — A. prolixa; 5–7 — A. quadrum; 8–12 — A. diplachnis; 13–15 — A. sibirica. 1–2, 6, 8–10, 13–14 — самцы, 3–4, 7, 11–12, 15 — самки, 5 — по: Herrich-Schдffer [1838].

Figs 16–35. Aconurella spp., aedeagus, lateral view. 16–25 — A. prolixa; 26–27 — A. quadrum; 28–32 — A. diplachnis; 33–35 — A. sibirica; the localities are given under the figures. Рис. 16–35. Aconurella spp., Эдеагус, вид сбоку. 16–25 — A. prolixa; 26–27 — A. quadrum; 28–32 — A. diplachnis; 33–35 — A. sibirica; места сбора укаЗаны под рисунками.

Figs 51–68. Aconurella spp., pygofer lobe, lateral view. 51–58 — A. prolixa; 59–60 — A. quadrum; 61–64 — A. diplachnis; 65–68 — A. sibirica; the localities are given under the figures. 65 — after Vilbaste [1980], modified. Рис. 51–68. Aconurella spp., долЯ пигофора, вид сбоку. 51–58 — A. prolixa; 59–60 — A. quadrum; 61–64 — A. diplachnis; 65–68 — A. sibirica; места сбора укаЗаны под рисунками. 65 — по: Вильбасте (1980), с иЗменениЯми.