Macropsis semuliki Tishechkin, 2022

Tishechkin, D. Yu., 2022, Two new species of Macropsis Lewis, 1836 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae: Macropsini) of the M. simplex Jacobi, 1910 species group from Uganda, Russian Entomological Journal 31 (2), pp. 114-117 : 115

Macropsis semuliki Tishechkin , sp.n.

Figs 1–5, 8–11, 13–17, 20–22, 24.

MATERIAL. Holotype, ♂: Uganda, western part, Bundibugyo Distr., 500 m, environs of Semuliki N.P. forest, 12–14.III.2020, A. V. Gorochov & G. Irisov; paratypes: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same locality, date, and collectors, one male lacks head and pronotum ( ZIN). 2 ♂♂ and 1 ♀ dissected.

DESCRIPTION. Greenish yellow with rather sparse brown speckles (Figs 1–4). Face usually unmarked or with single brown speckles (Fig. 5), only in one male with numerous speckles. Mesonotum with dark triangles in lateral angles. Proepimeron unmarked. Forewings semi-transparent, with brown speckles concentrated mainly on clavus, along costal margins, around proximal parts of subapical cells, and in apical part. Some transverse veins brown.

Apex of crown and anterior margin of pronotum sharply angular; crown in dorsal view in middle somewhat shorter than next to eyes. Face sometimes with weakly developed longitudinal median keel in apical half, pronotum always with distinct median keel, keel on mesonotum usually indistinct. In one male, pronotum more convex than in all other specimens, but in other traits it does not differ from them (Fig. 1).

Male abdominal apodemes of 2 nd tergite short, with very broad triangular lobes separated by wide v-shaped notch (Figs 8–9). Sternal apodemes triangular with narrow tips and, sometimes, with small projections at base on inner margins, slightly converging, separated by wide more or less rounded notch (Figs 10–11). Penis in lateral view rather wide, evenly tapering apically, with small lobes on each side of apex (Figs 13–15). Styles with strongly expanded clavate rounded tips (Figs 16–17). Similarly to some other African species (e. g., M. hippodameia Linnavuori, 1978 , M. nikippa Tishechkin, 2019 , M. antibia Tishechkin, 2019 ), pygofer lobes with strongly sclerotized ribs along back margins (Figs 20–22). Pygofer appendages rather wide, somewhat expanded in basal parts and diverging in distal halves in back view (Fig. 20); spine-like, straight in distal two-thirds in lateral view (Figs 21–22).

Similarly to most other members of the M. simplex species group, 2 nd valvulae of ovipositor fused, with four preapical teeth visible; proximal tooth largest and separated from others by wide notch (Fig. 24).

Body length (including forewings): ♂, 4.2–4.4 mm; ♀, 4.8 mm.

COMPARISON WITH RELATED SPECIES. The M. simplex group includes eight species.

M. semuliki sp.n. is much smaller than M. gigas Linnavuori, 1978 , M. lamellaris Linnavuori, 1978 , and M. bakeri Linnavuori, 1978 . It also differs from M. bakeri in the shape of the preapical teeth on the 2 nd valvulae of ovipositor and in the position of the proximal denticle, which is situated apart from the others (situated close to others in M. bakeri ).

M. chinai Metcalf, 1966 differs from M. semuliki sp.n. by wider and more convex pronotum and in bluntly angular apex of crown and of anterior margin of pronotum. In coloration, it differs from M. semuliki sp.n. by denser speckles on body and the forewings and by the presence of dark spots on the face.

M. capensis (Cogan, 1916) has bluntly angular apex of crown and anterior margin of pronotum and 7–9 closely spaced preapical denticles on the 2 nd valvulae of ovipositor vs. 3 such denticles in M. semuliki sp.n. In addition, M. capensis was collected from Myrica cordifolia L. ( Myricaceae ) whose range is limited to South Africa [ Theron, 1970].

M. semuliki sp.n. differs from M. kanongensis Evans, 1955 in rounded style tips (acute in M. kanongensis , Fig. 18) and straight pygofer appendage in lateral view (bent backwards in apical half in M. kanongensis , Fig. 23).

Differs from M. tincta Tishechkin, 2019 in sharply angular apex of crown and of anterior margin of pronotum (more rounded in M. tincta , Fig. 29), short and wide triangular 2 nd tergal apodemes (rather long, more or less rectangular, separated by narrow round notch in M. tincta , Fig. 12), and coloration.

Differs from M. simplex in lighter coloration with distinct greenish tinge and sparse brown speckles (with dense speckles and only rarely with slight greenish tinge in M. simplex , Figs 6–7) and in rounded style tips (more acute with straight inner margins of tips in M. simplex , Fig. 19).

ETYMOLOGY. The name of the new species is the name of the national park near which it was collected.