Eryngiofaga perrara, Burckhardt, 2022

Burckhardt, Daniel, 2022, Eryngiofaga perrara sp. nov. (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) from Mount Pilatus (Obwalden), a new species of a genus previously unknown from Switzerland or the Alps, Alpine Entomology 6, pp. 147-151 : 147

Eryngiofaga perrara sp. nov.

Figs 1-4 , 5-8

Type locality.

Switzerland, Obwalden, Pilatus, Chilchsteine, 46.9758°N, 8.2542°E, 1850 m.

Holotype.

Male. Switzerland: Obwalden, Pilatus, Chilchsteine, 46.9758°N, 8.2542°E, 1850 m, 12.vii.2010, D. Burckhardt & I. Zürcher // herbaceous vegetation with Alchemilla , Astrantia , Bupleurum , Cerastium // Eryngiofaga perrara sp. nov., holotype, det. D. Burckhardt, 2022 // NMB-PSYLL0007231 // NHMB, dry.

Paratype.

Switzerland, 1 female, Obwalden, same data as holotype but 18.vii.2000, D. Burckhardt // herbaceous vegetation // PSYLL NHMB 00002446 // NHMB, dry.

Diagnosis.

Adult yellow to orange (Figs 1-3 ); genal processes light apically (Fig. 4 ); with more or less distinct greyish brown longitudinal medial stripe on head and thorax. Antennal segments 1-3 yellow, segments 4-10 almost black. Forewing transparent, colourless. - Genal processes conical, subacute apically, 0.3-0.4 times as long as vertex along midline. Antenna 1.9-2.2 times as long as head width. Forewing (Figs 1 , 3 ) 4.3-4.4 times as long as head width, 2.8 times as long as wide; costal margin strongly, evenly curved, anal margin almost straight; vein Rs short, distinctly concave; surface spinules lacking apart from base of wing. Paramere bifid (Figs 5 , 6 ); with narrow inner anterior process which is sclerotised apically bearing each a small anterior and posterior toothlet, and with broader outer posterior lobe which is irregularly narrowing to strongly sclerotised apex forming apical tooth. Distal segment of aedeagus (Fig. 7 ), hardly expanded basally, weakly expanded apically with small subapical hook ventrally. Female terminalia (Fig. 8 ) short; proctiger ending in small apical tubercle.

Description.

Adult (Figs 1 - 8 ). Colouration. Yellow to orange (Figs 1 , 3 ). Head and thorax with a greyish brown longitudinal medial stripe, very light in male (Fig. 2 ), darker in female. Tips of genal processes light (Fig. 4 ). Eyes red to greyish. Antennal segments 1-3 yellow, segments 4-10 almost black (Figs 1-3 ). Legs yellow with apical tarsal segments dark brown; pro- and mesofemora dark brown laterally; pro- and mesotibiae yellow in basal quarter, greyish brown otherwise; basal segment of pro- and mesotarsi greyish brown. Forewing (Figs 1 , 3 ) transparent, colourless with yellow to light brown veins. Hindwing whitish, transparent. Abdominal tergites in male ochreous, in female brown. Male with slightly less expanded and distinct dark colour.

Structure.

Conforming to the generic description of Loginova (1977). Body length ♂ 2.5 mm, ♀ 2.7 mm (1 ♂, 1 ♀). Head hardly inclined from longitudinal body axis (Figs 1 , 3 ). Vertex subtrapezoidal (Fig. 4 ). Genal processes conical, subacute apically, 0.3-0.4 times as long as vertex along midline (Fig. 4 ). Antenna 1.9-2.2 times as long as head width; relative length of flagellar segments as 1.0: 0.3: 0.3: 0.3: 0.3: 0.2: 0.2: 0.2; segment 3 longer than segments 4-6 together; relative length of segment 10 and terminal setae as 1.0: 0.7: 0.4. Rostrum short, only tip of apical segment visible in lateral view. Metatibia 0.9-1.2 times as long as head width. Forewing (Figs 1 , 3 ) 4.3-4.4 times as long as head width, 2.8 times as long as wide; costal margin strongly, evenly curved, anal margin almost straight; wing widest near the middle; subacute apically, wing apex lying in cell r2; vein Rs short, distinctly concave; m1 cell value 1.2-1.5, cell cu1 value 1.7-1.9; surface spinules lacking apart from base of wing; radular spinules present in cells m1, m2 and cu1. Hindwing two thirds length of forewing, membranous; costal setae not grouped. Terminalia as in Figs 5-8 . Male proctiger (Fig. 5 ) 0.5 times as long as head width, sparsely beset with long setae, weakly produced posteriorly; posterior margin slightly angular in basal third. Paramere (Figs 5 , 6 ) bifid; in lateral view, with narrow inner anterior process which is sclerotised apically, bearing each a small anterior and posterior toothlet, and with broader outer posterior lobe which is irregularly narrowing to strongly sclerotised apex forming an apical tooth; the outer face bears long setae mostly on the outer posterior lobe; the inner face with long setae along the anterior margin in basal half and on the outer posterior lobe in apical two thirds. Distal segment of aedeagus (Fig. 7 ) hardly expanded basally, weakly expanded apically, bearing small subapical hook ventrally; sclerotised end tube of ductus ejaculatorius moderately long, weakly sinuous. Female terminalia (Fig. 8 ) short; proctiger 0.8 times as long as head width, sparsely beset with long setae in the middle and short setae apically; dorsal outline, in lateral view, strongly narrowing towards apex which forms a small tubercle; circumanal ring oval, 0.6 times as long as proctiger, consisting of two unequal rows of pores. Female subgenital plate 0.6 times as long as proctiger, acute apically; sparsely beset with moderately long setae laterally. Dorsal valvulae, in lateral view, triangular; ventral valvulae straight, lacking teeth.

Measurements

(in mm; 1 ♂, 1 ♀). Head width 0.46-0.50; antenna length 0.96-1.00; forewing length 1.98-2.20; male proctiger length 0.24; paramere length 0.16; length of distal segment of aedeagus 0.22; female proctiger length 0.40.

Immature

unknown.

Etymology.

From Latin perrarus = very rare, in reference to the paucity of available material.

Distribution.

Known only from Mount Pilatus (Switzerland, Obwalden).

Host plant unknown.

As host plants of Eryngiofaga species are restricted to the genera Bupleurum and Eryngium ( Apiaceae ) a likely host of E. perrara is Bupleurum ranunculoides L. which grows at the site “Chilchsteine” on Mount Pilatus.

Comments.

The morphology of the parameres places E. perrara in the Eryngiofaga congenita group. It differs from E. armeniaca and E. maga in the basally more slender distal segment of the aedeagus, and from E. congenita , E. refuga , E. hungarica and E. matura in the much shorter subapical ventral hook on the distal segment of the aedeagus. It differs also from the other species of the Eryngium congenita group in details of the paramere. In E. hungarica the anterior process of the paramere is broad (slender in all the other species); in E. congenita , E. maga and E. matura the posterior lobe of the paramere, in lateral view, is narrowly triangular and distinctly longer than the anterior one (broadly triangular and only slightly longer in the other species); in E. armeniaca the posterior lobe is big and the incision between anterior and posterior lobes is shallow not reaching the apical quarter of paramere (posterior lobe narrower and incision deep reaching basal third in E. perrara ); in E. refuga the anterior process of the paramere is strongly curved along fore margin terminating in a posteriorly directed tooth (anterior process weakly curved anteriorly and terminating in each a forward and backward directed toothlet in E. perrara ). The head, thorax and abdomen of E. congenita , E. refuga and E. hungarica are dark brown or almost black, but yellow, ochreous or, at most, light brown in E. perrara . The new species also differs markedly in the distribution from its putatively closest relatives (based on paramere shape): Switzerland ( E. perrara ) versus Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Siberia and Mongolia ( E. armeniaca , E. congenita , E. matura and E. refuga ).

Figures

Figures 1 - 4. Eryngiofaga perrara sp. nov. 1 - 3. Habitus, adults; 1. Male, in lateral view; 2. Male, in dorsal view; 3. Female in lateral view; 4. Head, in dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (1 - 3); 0.2 mm (4).

Figures 5 - 8. Eryngiofaga perrara sp. nov., terminalia. 5. Male terminalia, in lateral view; 6. Inner face of paramere; 7. Distal portion of aedeagus; 8. Female terminalia, in profile. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (5, 8); 0.05 mm (6, 7).