Zopherisca analis ( Brullé, 1833 ) Brulle, 1833

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M. & Bourgoin, Thierry, 2017, The mythic species Issus analis Brullé, 1833 (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Issidae): still an enigmatic taxon, Zootaxa 4216 (2), pp. 197-200 : 200

Zopherisca analis ( Brullé, 1833) , comb. n.

Issus analis Brullé, 1833: 107 & 1834, pl. XXXI, fig. 9.

Interestingly, A. Brullé in his book even gave some ecological indications about this species “ Au mois de Juin sur les arbres…” ( Brullé, 1833) and actually the members of the genus Zopherisca Emeljanov do occur on Quercus coccifera L. in Greece as it was observed for Z. penelopae ( Dlabola, 1974) ( Gnezdilov, 2015).

The whole work of "Expédition scientifique de Morée" started to appear in 1832 and was finished in 1836. In his catalogue Z.P. Metcalf (1958) kept the first year 1832. However, according to Sherborn & Woodward (1901), text description and plate figure were published separately. Text description of Issus analis is on page 107 and 108, which are part of livraison 14. According to these authors livraisons 1–16 of text were out by June 1833, and only doubtfully in October 1832. Plate XXXI was published later, in 1834. Accordingly, date of description of the species should be therefore changed to 1833.

The genus Zopherisca Emeljanov, 2001 (Issidae) is endemic to Balkan Peninsula ( Gnezdilov & Drosopoulos, 2006; Gnezdilov et al., 2014). It comprises currently three species: Z. tendinosa (Spinola, 1839) , Z. penelopae ( Dlabola, 1974) , and Z. skaloula Gnezdilov et Drosopoulos, 2006 . According to recent revision of the genus ( Gnezdilov & Drosopulos, 2006) Z. tendinosa is distributed in Croatia, Southern Bulgaria, and Northwestern Greece, Z. penelopae is known from Peloponnesus and Southeastern part of continental Greece (Attika Province) ( Dlabola, 1974), and Z. skaloula – from Southeastern Greece , including Peloponnesus .

As Issus analis was described from a female without good specific characters generally supported by the male genitalia, and if it does not represent a distinct species from one of these three species mentioned above, one of the two of them also known from Peloponnesus might represent therefore a junior synonym of I. analis . In the future, molecular analysis by comparison of the type specimen of I. analis with these three species might help to solve this issue.

In conclusion, although the type specimen has been identified, the mythic species Issus analis Brullé, 1833 still remains an enigmatic taxon.