Pariaconus grandis Percy

Percy, Diana M., 2017, Making the most of your host: the Metrosideros-feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Hawaiian Islands, ZooKeys 649, pp. 1-163 : 53-55

Pariaconus grandis Percy sp. n. Figure 24

Adult colour.

General body colour is either brown to yellow-brown, or green. Fore wing membrane clear.

Adult structure.

Fore wing apex rounded; surface spinules with limited distribution in all cells except absent from r1; long setae on margins and medium long on veins (Fig. 24 A–B). Antennae long (av. length 1.48; ratio AL:HW av. 1.93); genal processes length short-medium, converging, and bluntly acute (ratio VL:GP av. 2.05); long setae on vertex and thorax; distal proboscis segment short (av. length 0.11); hind tibia thick, longer than head width (ratio HW:HT av. 0.86) (Fig. 24C, G–H). Male terminalia (Fig. 24 D–F): paramere shorter than proctiger (ratio MP:PL 1.14), broad, more or less parallel-sided but broadening medially, and whole curving anteriorly from middle, apex moderately constricted with acute point directed anteriorly; distal aedeagus segment length subequal to paramere (ratio PL:AEL 1.00) with base rounded and slightly inflated, and a large bluntly hooked apex (ratio AEL:AELH 2.14). Female terminalia (Fig. 24 I–J): proctiger long, dorsal surface slightly medial depressed, apex bluntly acute, anal ring extremely short and on a raised collar (ratio FP:RL 8.70); subgenital plate with slight medial bulge ventrally and apex acute, length subequal to proctiger (ratio FP:FSP 1.01); ovipositor apex with distinct serrations (3 above, 2 below), valvulae dorsalis moderately convex dorsally.

Egg.

Light brown, smooth, apparently without microsculpturing, short pedicel 1/4 length from base, tail lacking (Fig. 24K).

Immature.

Unknown.

Host plant notes.

Morphotype preference unknown, adults collected on both glabrous and pubescent types.

Island.

Kauai.

Distribution notes.

Known from only one location, Kalalau Valley in Kokee State Park.

Biology.

Unknown, but morphological affinities with Pariaconus hiiaka suggest may make closed galls.

Etymology.

The name refers to the large size of the species, it is the largest of the Metrosideros -feeding psyllids in the Hawaiian Islands (adjective in the nominative singular).

Comments.

This is the largest of the Metrosideros -feeding species in the Hawaiian Islands, but it is only marginally larger than some of the other large taxa (e.g. Pariaconus iolani , Pariaconus oahuensis , Pariaconus mauiensis , Pariaconus hawaiiensis ) that are generally yellow-green and probably predominantly stem gallers.

Type material.

Holotype male (slide mounted, BMNH). See Table 2 for details of type and other material examined for this study.