Pseudophacopteron zimmermanni, Aulmann, 1912

Malenovský, Igor & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2009, A review of the Afrotropical jumping plant-lice of the Phacopteronidae (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), Zootaxa 2086 (1), pp. 1-74 : 13

Pseudophacopteron zimmermanni -group

Head, in dorsal view, slightly wider than mesonotum. Vertex with a raised median ridge dorsally (Figs. 1–8), rudimentary or absent in some species (Figs. 9–12); in many species, bulges or tubercles are present on both sides of median ridge (Figs. 1–4, 7–8) or vertex is more or less flat and regularly rounded down in front (Figs. 5–6, 9–12); lateral ocelli usually lying on small tubercles above the plane of vertex or more or less in its plane; median epicranial suture absent; lateral tubercles absent. Occiput and preoccipital sclerite narrow; eyes not stalked, subglobular (Figs. 1–4, 7–10) or more extended, eyes slightly stalked, subangular (Figs. 6, 11–12). Genae relatively small, produced anterio-laterally into a tubercle below torulus, which is narrow and more or less acute at apex and oriented laterally away from frons (Figs. 1, 3, 5–7, 9, 11). Frons narrow, nearly parallelsided. Clypeus subglobular. Antenna with a single widely elliptic rhinarium near apex of each of segments 4–9, bordered with a wreath of cuticular spines ( Figs. 17–18 ). Fore wing relatively broad, pyriform, with apex truncate or broadly rounded (e.g. Figs. 29–46 ) or narrow, elongate and narrowly rounded apically ( Figs. 47–48 ); radular spinules present in small triangular patches in both apical corners of cells m 1 and m 2 and proximal apical corners of r 2 and cu 1. Mesotibia with a comb of 2–12 more or less densely arranged stout setae on outer margin subapically. Metacoxa with right-angled posterior margin and small, acute, thorn-like meracanthus; metafemur constricted medially ( Fig. 28 ); metatibia with an open crown of unsclerotised apical spurs ( Figs. 23, 26 ) and ca. 1–15 similar spurs laterally arranged usually in two irregular rows ( Figs 23–24 ). Metabasitarsus relatively long and cylindrical or conical ( Figs. 23, 28 ) or short and subglobular ( Fig. 26 ), bearing two black lateral sclerotised spurs subapically. Male subgenital plate with dorsal margin nearly straight. Male proctiger cylindrical. Paramere simple, lamellar, more or less straight and parallel-sided. Distal segment of aedeagus with a relatively broad apical dilation, rounded, pointed or hooked at apex; sclerotized end tube of ductus ejaculatorius sinuate. Female circumanal ring with one ( Figs. 192–193, 196 ) or two rows of pores. Dorsal and/or ventral valvulae in most species with distinct lateral teeth.

Larva with a large (e.g. Figs. 247–248 ) or small ( Figs. 257–258 ), short and broad tarsal arolium lacking distinct petiole; circumanal pore ring situated ventrally ( Figs. 247–255 , 259–261 ) or apically and slightly extending on ventral side of abdomen ( Figs. 256–258 ).

Comments. The group is defined by the following adult characters: the form of genal tubercles which are relatively small, narrow and acute at apex and oriented dorsolaterally away from frons, the absent median epicranial suture of the vertex, the presence of lateral spurs on the metatibia, and the medially constricted metafemur. Currently the group includes 26 Afrotropical species.

Figures

FIGURES 17–22. Pseudophacopteron spp., rhinaria. 17, antennal segments 6–8; 18–19, apex of antennal segment 5 (arrow: additional subapical rhinarium); 20, apex of antennal segment 7; 21–22, antennal segment 3. 17–18, P. zimmermanni; 19–20, P. serrifer; 21–22, P. cuniculus.

FIGURES 29–38. Pseudophacopteron spp., fore wings. 29, P. zimmermanni; 30, P. aulmanni; 31, P. fuscivenosum; 32, P.khayae; 33, P. electum; 34, P. pretoriense; 35, P. carapae; 36, P.morion; 37, P. sodalis; 38, P. benguelense.

FIGURES 39–48. Pseudophacopteron spp., fore wings. 39, P. lecaniodisci; 40, P. lautereri; 41, P. marmoratum; 42, P. verrucifrons; 43, P. arcuatum; 44–45, P.eastopi; 46, P. pusillum; 47, P. nigritulum; 48, P. wagneri.

FIGURES 23–28. Pseudophacopteron spp., hind legs. 23, metatibia and metatarsus; 24, metatibia, detail; 25–26, metatarsus and apex of metatibia; 27–28, hind leg, lateral view (arrow: metafemur). 23–24, 28, P. zimmermanni; 25, 27, P. cuniculus; 26, P.wagneri.

FIGURES 188–200. Pseudophacopteron spp., females. 188, 190, 192–193, 195–197, 199, female terminalia, lateral view, with details of circumanal pore ring structure and dorsal and ventral valvulae; 189, 191, 194, 198, 200, female subgenital plate, ventral view. 188–189, P. lecaniodisci; 190–191, P. lautereri; 192, P. marmoratum; 193–194, P. verrucifrons; 195, P. benguelense; 196, P. arcuatum; 197–198, P. eastopi; 199–200, P. pusillum (188–189 and 197–200 reproduced from Malenovský et al. 2007 with permission of Taylor and Francis, London).

FIGURES 247–250. Pseudophacopteron spp., fifth instar larvae: left dorsal and right ventral surfaces, with details of antenna, tarsus, chaetotaxy, and circumanal pore ring. 247, P. zimmermanni; 248, P. aulmanni; 249, P. khayae; 250, P. benguelense.

FIGURES 255–258. Pseudophacopteron spp., fifth instar larvae: left dorsal and right ventral surfaces, with details of antenna, tarsus, chaetotaxy, and circumanal pore ring. 255, P.morion; 256, P. nothospondiadis; 257, P. pusillum; 258, P. nigritulum (255–257 reproduced from Malenovský et al. 2007 with permission of Taylor and Francis, London).

FIGURES 259–262. Pseudophacopteron spp., fifth instar larvae: left dorsal and right ventral surfaces, with details of antenna, tarsus, chaetotaxy, and circumanal pore ring. 259, P. marmoratum; 260, P. stigmatum (a, specimen from Ivory Coast; b, specimen from South Africa); 261, P. lecaniodisci; 262, P. cuniculus (261–262 reproduced from Malenovský et al. 2007 with permission of Taylor and Francis, London).