Psalmocharias chitralensis Ahmed & Sanborn

Ahmed, Zubair & Sanborn, Allen F., 2010, The cicada fauna of Pakistan including the description of four new species (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae), Zootaxa 2516, pp. 27-48 : 31-33

Psalmocharias chitralensis Ahmed & Sanborn , sp. n.

(figs. 6–10)

Etymology.— The species is named for the Chitral Valley where the type series was collected.

Type Material.— Holotype male: “ PAKISTAN: Northern Frontier Prov: Chitral; Kalash, Bumburate, 18.VI. 2007 ” Leg. Nasrullah ( NHMK). Patatypes: 5 3 and 5Ƥ, same data as holotype (2 3 and 5 Ƥ ZACP, 3 3 AFSC).

Description

Head (fig. 6). Piceous, dark castaneous marking in distal epicranial suture anterior arm, on lateral supraantennal plate in some paratypes. Eyes piceous brown with piceous spots. Small dark ochraceous spots at margin of vertex between lateral ocelli and corresponding eye and between lateral ocelli, medial spot missing in some paratypes. Postclypeus slightly globose anteriorly, centrally sulcate, varying dark piceous marks in medial groove and transverse grooves, entirely piceous in some paratypes. Anteclypeus anteromedially dark ochraceous, laterobasal margin dark ochraceous or completely dark ochraceous with medial ochraceous spot in some paratypes. Rostrum ochraceous with piceous tip, considerably passing middle coxae, reaching to hind coxae in some paratypes. Long white pile posterior to eye and on ventral head.

Pronotum (fig. 6). Dark castaneous with piceous longitudinal fasciae piceous on either side of midline. Fissures marked with piceous brown. Pronotal collar dark ochraceous, marked with piceous along ambient fissure, piceous narrowing medially in some paratypes. Two broad dark ochraceous median spots on anterior pronotal collar. Lateral margins nearly straight, angulate medially in paratypes, lateral angles ampliated. A piceous spot across lateral margin of pronotal collar, broad spot or completely piceous in some paratypes.

Mesonotum (fig. 6). Piceous, parapsidal suture with long linear dark ochraceous marking continuing to surround scutal depression posteriorly, mark only along parapsidal suture in some paratypes. Medial triangular dark ochraceous mark, missing in some paratypes. Lateral dark ochraceous small spot, missing in some paratypes. Scutal depression piceous. Cruciform elevation dark brown to dark ochraceous, with varying amounts of piceous on arms in some paratypes. Ventral thorax dark ochraceous with some piceous markings medially, covered in sparse white pile, almost completely piceous with dense white pile in some paratypes. Episternum 2 piceous, katepisternum 2 dark ochraceous with broad piceous mark, anepisternum 2 marked with dark ochraceous, episternum 3 dark ochraceous with piceous marking, basisternum 2 and 3 piceous edged with dark ochraceous, medial piceous spot on anepisternum 2 in some paratypes. Male operculum narrowed toward apex, rounded, strongly oblique posteriorly; concave depression apically, dull ochraceous covered with sparse long white pile, not reaching posterior of sternite II, dull castaneous apically, basally with thick white pile, not meeting medially; marked with lateral piceous spot or transverse line near opercular base and are less separated in some paratypes. Female operculum rounded laterally with slightly deflected posterior margin, dull castaneous basally, piceous posteriorly. Meracanthus broadly triangular, apically castaneous, basal margin piceous. Legs castaneous to piceous ochraceous. Fore femora strongly marked with piceous dorsolaterally, piceous in paratypes; armed with three ochraceous spines with piceous tips, piceous entire in some paratypes; primary spine longest and angled; secondary and apical spines intermediate size, both upright. Linear marks to varying degree on fore coxae, trochanters and femora of paratypes. Tibial spurs and tibial comb piceous.

Wings (fig. 6). Fore wings and hind wings hyaline. Venation ochraceous proximally becoming piceous distally, piceous marks on arculus, proximal cubitus anterior, and proximal cubitus posterior + anal vain 1 in some paratypes. Fore wing with eight apical cells, basal cell without marking, anterior half of basal cell piceous in some paratypes; costal membrane ochraceous; heavy infuscation from base of radius anterior 2 across radial crossvein, radius posterior, radiomedial crossveins and proximal portion of median vein 1; median crossvein and mediocubital crossvein with lighter infuscation; small elongate narrow cell at apex of claval area. Hind wing with six apical cells; heavy infuscation beginning on radius anterior extending across radial crossvein and radius posterior to radiomedial crossvein.

Abdomen (figs. 6–7). Male tergite 1 piceous. Male tergites 2–8 narrower dull ochraceous. Female tergites piceous, posterior margins of tergites 3 and 4 narrowly and 8 broadly dull ochraceous. Timbal covers piceous with ochraceous apex and white short pile. Timbal ( Figure 7 ) with eight complete and seven intercalary ribs. Sternites piceous with margins of sternites III, IV and V nearly broad ochraceous without pile. Sternite markings variable in some paratypes to large areas of sternites becoming dark ochraceous.

Male genitalia (figs. 7–10). Pygofer (fig. 8) with dorsal beak truncated, slightly upturned. Distal shoulder extended posteriorly. Upper lobe moderately developed, rounded. Basal lobe ill defined, substantially confluent with pygofer margin. Claspers (fig. 9) expanded medially, recurving to blunt point, bulbous laterally with sparse erect pile. Aedeagus (fig. 10) with two long chitinized spines, series of small apicomedial appendages, spines basally scarce, extended or truncated. Sternite VIII elongated, medially angulate.

Female genitalia. Abdominal segment 9 piceous with ochraceous tip of dorsal beak. Sternites VII castaneous with piceous spot on either side of midline. Ovipositor castaneous with piceous tip not extending to dorsal beak.

Biological note.— Specimens were collected on Quercus baloot Griff. , Quercus ilex L. and associated trees.

Measurements.— N = 6 males or 5 females, mean (range). Length of body: male 24.77 (19.0–29.0), female 21.10 (18.5–24.0); length of fore wing: male 30.8 (28.0–33.8), female 28.40 (25.0–30.0); width of fore wing: male 11.15 (10.0–12.4), female 10.0 (8.5–11.0); length between frontoclypeal suture and posterior head: male 1.23 (1.0–1.6), female 1.4 (1.0–1.5); width of head including eyes: male 6.56 (6.0–7.3), female 5.80 (5.5–6.0); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: male 9.10 (7.0–10.2), female 9.20 (8.0–10.5); width of mesonotum: male 8.47 (7.5–9.5), female 8.10 (7.0–9.0).

Diagnosis.— Psalmocharias chitralensis is most similar to P. g i z a re n s i s and P. japokensis . The variable coloration and size range of specimens in each of the three species makes timbal structure and male genitalia the best characters to differentiate the three species. The timbal of P. chitralensis has eight complete and seven intercalary ribs, fewer than either P. g i z a re n s i s or P. japokensis . The larger basal lobe of the pygofer of P. j a p o k e n s i s separates it from P. chitralensis . The posterior margin of the pygofer is a straight line to the base of the dorsal beak in both P. gizarensis and P. chitralensis but the upper lobe of P. chitralensis is rounded while it is angled in P. gizarensis . The aedeagus of each species is different as illustrated.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 10. Psalmocharias chitralensis sp. n. Fig. 6. Dorsal view of holotype male. Bar = 1 cm. Fig. 7. Holotype male timbal and timbal cover lateral view. Fig. 8. Holotype male pygofer in lateral view. Fig. 9. Holotype male claspers. Fig. 10. Holotype male aedeagus.