Neoaliturus dubovskii, Tishechkin, 2021

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2021, Review of the Neoaliturus fenestratus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1834) species group (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia, Zootaxa 5039 (2), pp. 201-221 : 217

8. Neoaliturus dubovskii sp. n.

Figs. 38–43 , 130–141 , 197–202

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, Kyrgyzstan, Central Tien Shan Mts., the Ala-Buga River, ca. 10 km northeast of Kosh-Dobo Village , from Acroptylon repens at the field edge, D. Tishechkin, 5. VII. 2013, calling signals recorded at 31 oC; paratypes: same locality and date, 20 ♂, 23 ♀, calling signals of 7 ♂ recorded at 31 oC; Kyrgyzstan, southern shore of the Issyk-Kul Lake , Ton (= Tong ) Village , 10 km west of Kadzhi-Say , from A. repens, D. Tishechkin , 10. VII. 2013, 2 ♂, 2 ♀, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded at 21 oC; Kyrgyzstan, southern shore of the Issyk-Kul Lake , the Tossor River valley , 18 km east of Kadzhi-Say , from A. repens, D. Tishechkin , 10. VII. 2013, 3 ♂, 5 ♀; Kyrgyz- stan, West Tien Shan Mts. , the Naryn River Basin , Bekechal Gorge , 19 km southwest from Karakul Town , from A. repens, D. Tishechkin , 2. VII. 2014, 1 ♂, 4 ♀, male calling signals recorded at 31 oC; Southern Kazakhstan, 25 km southwest of Saryozek Town by the road to Kapchagay , Arkharly Pass , from A. repens, D. Tishechkin , 16. VI. 2017, 1 ♂, male calling signals recorded at 33 oC; Southern Kazakhstan, environs of Chundzha , clayey saline meadow, from A. repens, I.D. Mityaev , 16. VI. 1984, 6 ♂; Western Kazakhstan, the road Guryev (= Atyrau) – Uralsk , flood- plain of Ural River , dry meadow, from A. repens, I.D. Mityaev , 25. VI. 1970, 4 ♂, 4 ♀ ( ZMMU).

Description. Male pale yellowish with dense dark pattern on head, pro-, and mesonotum; forewings black or dark brown with numerous light spots and dark veins, basal part of clavus occasionally semitransparent next to anal margin ( Fig. 38–41 ). Female similar to male, as a rule, with basal part of clavus semitransparent next to anal margin ( Figs. 42–43 ).

Penis in posterior view with wide basal part, usually, gradually tapered distally ( Figs. 130–131, 133 ), occasionally, more or less parallel-sided and tapered more abruptly ( Fig. 132 ). In lateral view, basal part very wide, stems form an angle less than 30 degrees with main part ( Figs. 134–137 ). Penis stems very narrow. Pygofer appendage long, smoothly curved ( Figs. 138–141 ).

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 2.5–3.1 mm; ♀, 3.0– 3.5 mm.

Diagnosis. In coloration, indistinguishable from N. carbonarius ; similar to N. argillaceus and to darkest males of N. translucens sp. n. Differs from N. argillaceus by the shape of pygofer appendage and by wider basal part of penis and from N. carbonarius and N. translucens sp. n. by more gradually tapered distally basal part of penis. Differs from all species by very narrow penis stems and by calling signal pattern.

Hosts. Was found only on Acroptylon repens (Asteraceae) ; the same plant is indicated on the labels under the specimens collected by I.D. Mityaev.

Calling signal. Signals of males from one locality in Kazakhstan and three localities in Kyrgyzstan were investigated; more detailed data on signal recordings are given above in the list of material examined.

The calling signal is a phrase consisting of syllables with two different patterns ( Figs. 197–199 ). Usually, it begins with one or several syllables similar to the syllables in the signal of N. carbonarius or to the syllables of the second type in the signal of N. albilacustris sp. n. ( Figs. 200–202 , initial parts of oscillograms). Then one or more syllables with another pattern follow, each consisting of 3–6 short monotonous fragments, which, with some degree of convention, can be referred to as pulses ( Figs. 200–202 , last two thirds of oscillograms). Occasionally, the two types of syllables alternate in random order.

Distribution. Kyrgyzstan, Western and Southern Kazakhstan. Also, specimens from Transvolga part of Astrakhan Oblast, Russia near the border of Kazakhstan, from Northern Iran, and Tajikistan were examined, but their identification was not supported by data on host plants or signal recordings; for this reason they were not included in the type series.

Etymology. The species is named after Prof. G.K. Dubovskiy from Andijan, Uzbekistan, who was the first to recognize this form as a separate species but unfortunately misidentified it as N. guttulatus .

Figures

FIGURES 25–43. Neoaliturus spp., dorsal view. 25–28―N. guttulatus, 29–32―N. argillaceus, 33–37―N. translucens sp. n., 38–43―N. dubovskii sp. n. 25–26, 29–31, 33–35, 38–41―males, 27–28, 32, 36–37, 42–43―females.

FIGURES 118–141. Male genitalia. 118–129―N. translucens sp. n., 130–141―N. dubovskii sp. n. 118–121, 130–133―penis, back view, 122–125, 134–137―same, lateral view, 126–129, 138–141―pygofer appendage. 133, 137, 141―after Dubovskiy, 1966.

FIGURES 187–202. Neoaliturus spp., calling signal oscillograms. 187–192―N. argillaceus, 193–196―N. translucens sp. n., 197–202―N. dubovskii sp. n. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “190–192”, “195–196”, and “200–202” are given under the same numbers.