Pseudophacopteron geminum, Malenovský & Burckhardt, 2009

Malenovský, Igor & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2009, A review of the Afrotropical jumping plant-lice of the Phacopteronidae (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), Zootaxa 2086 (1), pp. 1-74 : 38

Pseudophacopteron geminum sp.nov.

( Figs. 53 , 148–150, 245)

Description. Adult (known only from slide-mounted males). Colour. Antenna with segments 1–2 basally and segment 3 apically brown, segments 4–8 apically and segments 9–10 entirely dark brown to black. Legs light; femora with a dark brown patch subapically. Forewing membrane clear, transparent, with a narrow dark brown patch along apical portion of vein Rs, light brown infuscations along almost full lenghts of veins M 1+2 and M 3+4, oval light brown patch around apical half of vein Cu 1a and indistinct infuscations along vein Cu 1b and across Cu 1 and M ( Fig. 53 ). Veins light except for brown C+Sc, dark brown apical portion of Rs and dark brown spots in middle of R+M+Cu 1, at base of R, on forks of M and Cu 1, touching point of Rs and M 1+2, in middle of Cu 1a, on apices of M 1+2, M 3+4, Cu 1a and Cu 1b, and two spots on anal vein. Hind wing clear, transparent; C+Sc brown.

Morphology. Head similar to P. zimmermanni . Antenna relatively slender, segments cylindrical, weakly widening to apex; terminal setae subequal, about 1.5 times longer than segments 9 and 10 together ( Fig. 245 ). Fore wing relatively narrow, pyriform, apex broadly rounded; surface spinulation not observed. Hind legs long and slender; metatibia with 7–8 relatively sparsely arranged apical spurs and several similar spurs laterally; metabasitarsus distinctly longer than broad. Male proctiger relatively long and slender (Fig. 148). Paramere, in lateral view, straight and parallel-sided, apex broadly rounded, with an apical tooth (Figs. 148–149). Distal segment of aedeagus with relatively long shaft and hooked and apically broadly rounded apical dilation (Fig. 150). Measurements and ratios in Tabs. 2–4.

Female and larva unknown.

Host plant and biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Kenya.

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, KENYA: Muguga , September 1953 (V. F. Eastop). Slide-mounted [ BMNH] . Paratype: 1 ♂, same data as holotype but July–August 1954. Slide-mounted [ BMNH] .

Etymology. From the Latin adjectiv geminus = twinned, referring to its close ressemblance to P. hankae .

Comments. P. geminum is similar to P. hankae in size and in fore wing shape and coloration. Both species occur in Kenya. Since P. geminum is known only from males and P. hankae only from females, comparisons of male and female terminalia is currently impossible. P. geminum differs from P. hankae in the more extensive brown pattern on fore wings and in the slightly longer terminal setae on the antenna. The shape of paramere and distal segment of the aedeagus are similar to P. kala and P. nothospondiadis (Figs. 142–147). These latter species, however, have slightly different fore wing patterns ( Figs. 51–52 ) and relatively slender and longer antenna, with shorter terminal setae.

Figures

FIGURES 49–58. Pseudophacopteron spp. 49–55, fore wings; 56–57, habitus, lateral view; 58, head, frontal view. 49, P. stigmatum, male; 50, P.stigmatum, female; 51, P.kala; 52, P. nothospondiadis; 53, P. geminum; 54, 56, P. hankae; 55, P. bicolor; 57–58, P. magnum.

FIGURES 230–246. Pseudophacopteron spp., antennal segments 9 and 10. 230, P. zimmermanni; 231, P. aulmanni; 232, P. khayae; 233, P. pretoriense; 234, P. carapae; 235, P. stigmatum; 236, P. benguelense; 237, P. sodalis; 238, P. lautereri; 239, P. marmoratum; 240, P. arcuatum; 241, P. verrucifrons; 242, P. nigritulum; 243, P. wagneri; 244, P. bicolor; 245, P. geminum; 246, P. hankae.