Neoaliturus albilacustris, 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 : 206-207

2. Neoaliturus albilacustris sp. n.

Figs. 12–17 , 58–69 , 157–164

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, Russia, Moscow Oblast, Voskresensk Region, western boundary of Beloozer- skiy Town, low grass dry meadow with Pilosella officinarum (= Hieracium pilosella ) and Artemisia campestris, D. Tishechkin , 28. VI. 2018, calling signals recorded at 26–27 oC; paratypes: same locality and date, 17 ♂, 18 ♀, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded at 26–27 oC; same locality, 27. VI. 2018, 3 ♂, 1 ♀, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded at 27 oC; Moscow Oblast, Serpukhov Region , Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve , P. officinarum in pine forest, 21. VI. 1946, 3 ♂, 2 ♀, 4 nymphs; same locality, 16. VII. 1946, 3 ♂ ( ZMMU).

Description. Male black, shiny, with translucent spots in subapical parts of forewings and, usually, on clavus ( Figs. 12–14 ). The lightest specimens also have translucent spots at costal margins of forewings and small light spots on head, pro- and mesonotum ( Fig. 15 ). Female similar to male, but forewings usually with spots only in subapical parts and sometimes with indistinct small spot on clavus ( Figs. 16–17 ).

Penis somewhat angularly widened at base in back view ( Figs. 58–61 ) and moderately widened in lateral view ( Figs. 62–65 ), tapered distally, with rather thick stems. In lateral view, stems form an angle of about 45 degrees or more with main part ( Figs. 62–65 ). Pygofer appendage relatively short, gradually tapered towards apex, crescentshaped (66–69).

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 2.5–2.7 mm; ♀, 2.8–3.1 mm.

Diagnosis. Externally similar to N. fenestratus , N. hui , and N. carbonarius , but differs from them in darker coloration and smaller size. Unlike N. fenestratus , the pygofer appendage is gradually tapered towards the apex and shorter than in N. hui and N. carbonarius . Also, in N. hui , the penis in posterior view is narrower and in N. carbonarius wider than in N. albilacustris .

The new species distinctly differs from all other species by the temporal pattern of male calling signals.

Hosts. In both localities it was collected from Pilosella officinarum (Asteraceae) ; under laboratory conditions, individuals fed and readily produced calling signals on this plant.

Calling signal. Signals of males from the type locality in Moscow Oblast 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 two different types of syllables ( Figs. 157–164 ). Syllables of the first type consist of almost indistinguishable pulses and are similar to syllables in the signal of N. fenestratus ( Figs. 161 , beginning and end of oscillogram, 164, second half of oscillogram). Syllables of the second type consist of 4–8 discrete pulses usually increasing in amplitude towards the end of a syllable; sometimes they are followed by low-amplitude monotonous fragments ( Figs. 162–163 ). Typically, a phrase begins with syllables of the second type, then several syllables of the first type follow. However, sometimes a phrase consists of predominantly or only one type of syllable.

Distribution. The range of the host plant includes the whole of Europe, Northern Kazakhstan, and Western Siberia. This suggests that this species is widespread throughout this region. In addition to the type series, specimens from Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Northern Kazakhstan 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 name derives from Latin words “album” (white) and “lacustris” (lacustrine) and can be roughly translated as “from the environs of the White Lake”. It is given after the name of the type locality, Beloozerskiy Town, which in translation from Russian means “[a town] near the White Lake”.

Figures

FIGURES 1–24. Neoaliturus spp., dorsal view. 1–8―N. fenestratus, 9–11―N. hui, 12–17―N. albilacustris sp. n., 18–24― N. carbonarius. 1–4, 9, 12–15, 18–20―males, 5–7, 10, 16–17, 21–24―females. 8―after Herrich-Schäffer, 1834, 11―after Chang, 1938.

FIGURES 44–69. Male genitalia. 44–57―N. fenestratus, 58–69―N. albilacustris sp. n. 44–48, 58–61―penis, back view, 49–52, 62–65―same, lateral view, 53–57, 66–69―pygofer appendage. 48, 57―after Dubovskiy, 1966. Hereinafter, if the mate- rial on one species from several regions is presented, the localities are given under the figures.

FIGURES 157–170. Neoaliturus spp., calling signal oscillograms. 157–164―N. albilacustris sp. n., 165–170―N. hui. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “161–164” and “168–170”are given under the same numbers.