Pyrops azureus, Constant & Mohan, 1801

Constant, Jérôme & Mohan, Ashwini Venkatanarayana, 1801, The lanternflies from Andaman and Nicobar: one new Pyrops species, new records and illustrated key to the species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 49, pp. 1-24 : 1-24

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.13272402
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BE87FE-FFB4-826F-7309-FF143D10B959
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pyrops azureus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pyrops azureus View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0F946A4D-8F10-4007-956A-19E51903FFD8

Figs 2 View Fig , 10–12. View Fig View Fig View Fig

ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet, azureus (adj., Latin) means “blue” and refers to the general colour of the species.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

TYPE MATERIAL. INDIA, Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 2 View Fig ): [Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B., India, Andaman Isls, North Andaman , near Saddle Peak, 25-27.xii.2006, 55m, 13.23877°N 93.03365°E, leg. G. Bretschneider, I.G.: 33.478] ( RBINS). GoogleMaps

MATERIAL EXAMINED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS IN NATURE. INDIA, Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 1 ex ( Fig. 10 A View Fig ): South Andaman Island, Mount Harriet NP, 7.III.2007, B.V. Sivaramakrishnan; 1 ex. ( Fig. 10 B–D View Fig ): Long Island , Lalaji Bay, 27.V.2014, Ashwini V. Mohan .

DIAGNOSIS. The species can be separated from all other species of Pyrops by the following combination of characters:

(1) posterior wings pale blue with apex and area along sutural margin black brown, with brown area paler and narrower towards basosutural angle ( Fig. 2 A View Fig );

(2) cephalic process elongate, curved and narrowing apically ( Fig. 2 B–C, F–G View Fig );

(3) head bluish green with black marking around eyes ( Fig. 2 B–C, F–G View Fig );

(4) tegmina uniformly with ground colour black and dense reticulum of azure blue veins and veinlets, and with pale blue spots and markings ( Fig. 2 A View Fig ).

The most similar species are P. andamanensis ( Distant, 1880) , P. maculatus (Olivier, 1791) and P. rogersi ( Distant, 1906) but P. azureus sp. nov. differs

— from P. andamanensis by its bluish green head (black with frons yellow-brown in P. andamanensis ) and its blue spots on tegmina (spots orange in middle in P. andamanensis ); — from P. maculatus by its smaller blue spots on tegmina (larger, white spots in P. maculatus ) and the brown area along sutural margin of hind wings getting very narrow on basal half of wing (brown area broad along all sutural margin in P. maculatus );

— from P. rogersi by its bluish green head (dark brown in P. rogersi ) and by the uniform ground colour of tegmina (membrane brown, contrasting with the rest of tegmen, in P. rogersi ).

DESCRIPTION.

Measurements and ratios

TL: ♂ (n = 1): 33.0 mm; TL+process: ♂ (n = 1): 42.0 mm; LTg/BTg = 2.68; BF/BPrH = 3.2; LPr/LF = 3.55; LPr/BPrH = 11.8.

Head: bluish green with brown-black marking over eyes extending from anteocular carina to posterior margin of head and including ocelli; apex of cephalic process slightly darker; clypeus brownish; antennae dark brown; ocelli orange ( Fig. 2 B–C, F–G View Fig ). Cephalic process more than 1.5 times as long as frons and clypeus combined in normal view of frons ( Fig. 2 F View Fig ), strongly curved anterodorsad and rather uniform in breadth in lateral view ( Fig. 2 C View Fig ); distinct broadening visible in anterior view at apical 2/3 of process ( Fig. 2 G View Fig ). Two longitudinal carinae on frons extending on sides of cephalic process up to apex ( Fig. 2 F–G View Fig ). Median, ventral carina on apical half of cephalic process ( Fig. 2 G View Fig ). Frons subquadrate ( Fig. 2 F View Fig ). Clypeus elongate with smooth median carina ( Fig. 2 F View Fig ). Labium brown-black, strongly surpassing posterior trochanter ( Fig. 2 D View Fig ).

14 Thorax: ( Fig. 2 B–C View Fig ) pronotum greenish brown with broad median brown band; four small black points, two included in brown band on each side of median carina, other two more laterally; short black line on side of prothorax behind eye, betweeen dorsolateral and lateral carinae; broad, complete, oblique black band directed posteroventrally on ventrolateral lobe, under lateral carina. Mesonotum broadly brown medially and with sides orangish brown with black markings; apex of scutellum paler; lateral and ventral tergites of mesothorax brown. Pro- and mesonotum slightly wrinkled; carinae of pronotum well marked; carinae of mesonotum weakly marked; scutellum slightly elevated apically. Tegulae greenish brown.

15 Tegmina: ( Fig. 2 A View Fig ) uniformly black with dense reticulum of pale azure blue veins and crossveins; corium with 3 transverse rows of slightly transverse pale azure blue markings, subbasal row fairly straight, the 2 others irregular, sometimes forming an X-shaped pattern; membrane with sparse azure blue markings, mostly small and rounded, with one larger, slightly transverse one at nodal line on costal margin, and another larger one near apicosutural angle. All spots and markings slightly deeper blue centrally. Tegmina elongate, broadening from base towards apex, rather narrow, with costal margin broadly rounded, apical margin oblique and apical angles rounded.

Hind wings: ( Fig. 2 A View Fig ) pale azure blue with apex and sutural margin largely brown-black; brown-black area getting paler and narrower from apex towards base along sutural margin and stopping at basosutural angle; veins in brown-black area progressively turning from black-brown at apico-costal angle, to pale bluish at basosutural angle. Hind wings strongly broader than tegmina.

Legs: ( Fig. 2 A, D View Fig ) anterior legs black with paler areas on coxae; mesotibiae and tarsi black, mesofemora turning from black apically to brown towoards base, mesocoxae dark brown with paler areas; posterior legs dark brown with femorotibial joint yellowish and coxae brown. Pro- and mesofemora broader than corresponding tibiae. Metatibiae with 5–6 lateral spines.

Abdomen: ( Fig. 2 A, D View Fig ) terga yellowish brown; sterna black; genital segments black.

Male genitalia: brown with anal tube darker. Pygofer higher than long, with posterior margin sinuate on ventral half in lateral view ( Fig. 11 A View Fig ). Gonostyli ( Fig. 11 A–B View Fig ) elongate, 1.57 times longer than high in lateral view, with posterior margin broadly rounded, not surpassing apex of anal tube; lateral hooks of gonostyli short, pointing ventrally (Fig. Fig. 11 A–B View Fig ). Anal tube elongate ( Fig. 11 A, C View Fig ), 1.28 times longer than broad in dorsal view, broader at 4/5 of total length ( Fig. 11 C View Fig ); lateral margins very slightly sinuate ( Fig. 11 C View Fig ) and apical margin strongly notched in dorsal view ( Fig. 11 C View Fig ).

DISTRIBUTION. Andaman Islands: North, South and Long Islands ( Fig. 12 View Fig ).

BIOLOGY. No host tree was identified for this species. It was observed on the trunk and buttress roots of a big tree together with specimens of P. rogersi in Lalaji Bay, Long Island.