Pentastiridius (Pentastiridius) leporinus ( Linnaeus, 1761 )

Freitas, Énio & Aguín-Pombo, Dora, 2021, Taxonomy of the Cixiidae (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha) from the Madeira archipelago, European Journal of Taxonomy 744, pp. 1-37 : 29-31

Pentastiridius (Pentastiridius) leporinus ( Linnaeus, 1761)

Fig. 13A–G

Cicada leporina Linnaeus, 1761: 242 .

Cixius latifrons Walker, 1851: 283–284 (for discussion of other synonyms see Webb et al. 2013).

Diagnosis

It differs from other European species of the genus in the following characters: (1) the apex of the velum ends in two processes, a ventral tongue-shaped expansion and, exceeding it, a thin, spine-like extension curved downward; (2) on the right, laterobasal to the base of the aedeagus, is a long, thin spine that extends around the theca and almost embraces it; this thorn is slender and the distal third is bent at a right angle.

Material examined

MADEIRA ISLANDS – Ponta do Sol • 3 ♂♂; Lugar de Baixo lagoon; 8 m a.s.l.; 30 May 2004; D. Aguín-Pombo leg.; on Phragmites australis ; UMACI • 6 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 15 Jun. 2017; DAPC .

Redescription

BODY MEASUREMENTS (mm). BL: males 6.56–7.25 (n = 8); females 8.67–9.38 (n = 6).

COLOURATION. Vertex with a medial rectangular blackish spot; lateral sides of the vertex, pronotum and the areolar and frontal carinal areas, pale yellow; frons, clypeus, gena, and lora black in males, golden brown in females. Mesonotum and femora black in males and lighter in females. Female tegmina milky white, semitransparent; veins and stigmas of pale golden colour, in males they are darker.

HEAD. Vertex almost as long as wide in the posterior margin ( Fig. 13A ). Epistomal suture pronounced in a wave form.

THORAX. Mesonotum with five distinctly ridged carinae; the costal carinae are slightly divergent and reach almost the posterior margin of the mesonotum, being shorter than the medial and intercostal carinae; these two end up subapically at the caudal margin of the mesonotum; the intercostal carinae are shaped as a pair of parentheses and at the base are shorter than the medial and costal carinae ( Fig. 13A ). MALE GENITALIA (see also Holzinger et al. 2003). Pygofer lobes concave distally ( Fig. 13C ). The anal tube is oblong dorsally and distally blunt; at the base it is 2 times shorter than caudallly ( Fig. 13F ); lateroventral margins widely concave ( Fig. 13G ). Parameres 2.5 times as long as wide in the widest part; caudally there is a large rounded subtriangular area that narrows basally towards the outer margin; inner lateral margin slightly concave and outer margin straight ( Fig. 13B ). The aedeagus base forms dorsolaterally an almost flat pentagonal plate; from the middle to the distal end of the plate rises dorsolaterally a caudally directed process. Velum is arch-shaped and narrows towards the apex; distally and dorsoventrally, the apex ends in a tongue-shaped process, and dorsally, exceeding this, there is a thin spine that curves down. On the right, laterobasal at the base of the aedeagus, there is a long and thin spine that extends parallel almost embracing it distally; this thorn narrows towards the apex and the distal third bends upward in the form of a sickle ( Fig. 13E ). Dorsally, at the base of the velum, there is a small spine-like process and from here three movable spines are raised, one long and thick and two small and thin; the longest extends parallel to the dorsal margin of the flagellum and reaches approximately half of its length; the shortest spine is almost parallel to the base of the flagellum and bends slightly medially downwards; the last spine is oblique to the velum ( Fig. 13D ).

FEMALE GENITALIA. Not described.

Distribution and habitat

The Palearctic region, except in the northern parts. In Madeira, this species is found in Phragmites australis Trin. ex Steud. in the only tide lagoon of the island, which is located on the southern coast.

Remarks

The curvature of the long lateroventral spine of the aedeagus is variable at its distal end as is shown in Wagner (1970: fig. 3c).

Figures

Fig. 13. Pentastiridus leporinus (Linnaeus, 1761). Specimens from Lugar de Baixo lagoon, 30 May 2004, on Phragmites australis Trin. ex Steud. A. Head, pronotum, and scutellum (dorsal view). B. Left paramere. C. Pygofer (left lateral view). D–E. Aedeagus (left and right lateral view). F–G. Anal tube (dorsal and left lateral view).