Verdanus (Erdianus) rosaurus rex, Guglielmino, Adalgisa & Bückle, Christoph, 2009

Guglielmino, Adalgisa & Bückle, Christoph, 2009, Northern Apennines as centre of speciation: a new Verdanus species group (Hemiptera, Cicadomorpha, Cicadellidae) from Italy and its phylogenetic relationships with V. bensoni and the V. limbatellus group, Zootaxa 2264, pp. 1-22 : 8

Verdanus (Erdianus) rosaurus rex ssp. nov. ( Figs. 6 E–H)

Description: As in V. rosaurus sp nov. (see above description) with apical aedeagus appendages narrow ( Figs. 6 E-H).

Measurements: Males. Total body length (from vertex to tip of fore wings) 3.88-4.20 mm; width of head including eyes 1.24-1.36 mm; length of vertex 0.52-0.56 mm; length of pronotum 0.44-0.48 mm; width of pronotum 1.12-1.20 mm; length of genital plates 0.45-0.46 mm; length of aedeagus shaft (from basis to phallotrema) 0.4 mm. - Females. Total body length (from vertex to tip of fore wings) 3.8-4.28 mm; width of head including eyes 1.32-1.40 mm; length of vertex 0.56-0.64 mm; length of pronotum 0.48-0.56 mm; width of pronotum 1.20-1.28 mm.

Type series: Holotype Male: Italy, Emilia-Romagna (Reggio Emilia); Ligonchio, Passo di Pradarena, M. Cavalbianco, peak; ~ 1850m; 13/8/2005; mountain pasture; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (loc. 201). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 4 males, 26 females.

Type material deposited in Dipartimento di Protezione delle Piante, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy (Guglielmino’s collection) (CG).

Geographic distribution: At present V. rosaurus rex is known only from M. Cavalbianco ( Fig. 1 : square), in an altitude of about 1850m.

Biology: Adults were collected in August in mountain meadows ( Fig. 2 D). Probably univoltine.

Remarks: The diagnostic character of this subspecies consists in the very narrow, dagger-shaped apical aedeagus appendages ( Figs. 6 E-H).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of new taxa. ♦ = Verdanus tyrannus sp. nov.; ˑ = Verdanus saurosus sp. nov.; ● = Verdanus rosaurus rosaurus ssp. nov.; ․ = Verdanus rosaurus rex ssp. nov ..

FIGURE 2. (A) Landscape in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines near Passo delle Radici, type locality of Verdanus tyrannus sp. nov.; (B) Southern slope of M. Corchia (Alpi Apuane), type locality of Verdanus saurosus sp. nov.; (C) Southern slopes of Alpe di Succiso, type locality of Verdanus rosaurus rosaurus ssp. nov.; (D) M. Cavalbianco, type locality of Verdanus rosaurus rex ssp. nov.; (E) Verdanus rosaurus rosaurus ssp. nov., male.

FIGURE 6. Aedeagus. Verdanus rosaurus rosaurus ssp. nov., male (paratype: Italy, Emilia Romagna, Alpe di Succiso), (A) ventral view; (B) ventrolateral view, (C) lateral view; (D) caudal view. - Verdanus rosaurus rex ssp. nov., male (paratype: Italy, Emilia Romagna, M. Cavalbianco), (E) ventral view; (F) ventrolateral view; (G) lateral view; (H) caudal view.