Macropsidius bogutensis Mityaev, 1990

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2022, Macropsidius bogutensis (Mityaev, 1990) species group (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae: Macropsini) in Kazakhstan: taxonomy, biology, and evolution, Zootaxa 5165 (3), pp. 405-414 : 409

Macropsidius bogutensis Mityaev, 1990

Figs. 24–28 , 34–69

Macropsidius zhuravlevi Mityaev, 2014: 31 . Syn. n.

Description. Appearance and coloration typical of Macropsidius .

Aedeagus with wide rounded lateral carinae in basal half of shaft ( Figs. 34–41 ), moderately to strongly developed ventral carina widest in basal half ( Figs. 42–54 ), and with one or several denticles in postgonoporal part on each side. Width of lateral carinae in different males more or less constant, whereas width of ventral carina varies greatly even in males from same sample ( Figs. 49–53 ). Shape and length of pygofer processes variable ( Figs. 55–62 ); males with short blunt and with long acute processes can be found in same sample ( Figs. 58–61 ). Styles with lobe-like rounded or acute tips ( Figs. 63–69 ); tip shape can also vary within sample from same locality ( Figs. 66–68 ).

Hosts. According to the original description, the species was collected from Artemisia sp. ( Mityaev, 1990) . On the label under paratypes and in Mityaev (2002), A. (Seriphidium) juncea is recorded as a host plant. We also collected this species from A. (Seriphidium) juncea ( Fig. 75 ). Mitjaev’s type series of M. zhuravlevi was found on the same host ( Mityaev, 2014).

Calling signal. Specimens for the signal recording were collected in low mountains of the northwestern end of Dzhungarskiy Alatau near Arkharly Pass, about 25 km from Saryozek by the road to Kapshagay, 44.232 N, 77.713 E, from A. (Seriphidium) juncea on stony slopes. Signals of one male were recorded on 16. VI. 2017 at 30 oC, signals of two males were recorded on 13. VI. 2019 at 29–33 oC.

Male calling signal is a long phrase lasting for 10–30 s in the recordings and consisting of syllables following each other with a period of 0.7– 0.9 s (occasionally, up to 1.3– 1.5 s) ( Figs. 24–25 ). Each syllable includes from one to six discrete pulses following against low-amplitude constant vibrations and the high-amplitude component consisting of 4–8 partially merged pulses ( Figs. 26–28 ). In certain syllables, the initial part (discrete pulses) is absent.

Distribution. Southern Kazakhstan, low arid mountains on both sides of the Ili River Valley, i. e. foothills of the easternmost part of Zailiyskiy Alatau and of the westernmost part of Dzhungarskiy Alatau ( Fig. 73 ).

Remarks. M. bogutensis ( Mityaev, 1990) was described from the small mountain range Boguty, which is the easternmost spur of Zailiyskiy Alatau. Afterwards, it was repeatedly collected in the type locality, and also recorded from Malaysary Range, which is a northwesternmost low spur of Dzhungarskiy Alatau, extending far into the desert south of Balkhash Lake ( Mityaev, 2002). In addition, several specimens of M. bogutensis from Toraygyr Range about 50 km southwest of the type locality were investigated. Later, based on the material from the western foothills of Dzhungarskiy Alatau, including specimens from Malaysary Range previously identified as M. bogutensis, Mityaev (2014) described M. zhuravlevi Mityaev, 2014 . Therefore, the ranges of M. bogutensis and M. zhuravlevi are close to each other, separated only by the Ili River; the minimal distance between localities where these taxa were found is about 70 km ( Fig. 73 ).

According to the original description, M. zhuravlevi is similar to M. bogutensis in black pattern, but differs from it “in the strongly widened lateral carinae of the aedeagus, the rounded tip of the style, and the awl-like process of the pygofer lobe” ( Mityaev, 2014: 31; Figs. 41, 54, 62 , 69 ). Actually, none of these traits distinguish M. bogutensis and M. zhuravlevi .

Lateral carinae of the aedeagus in the investigated paratype of M. bogutensis and in the male collected later in the type locality are as wide as in the drawing from the original description of M. zhuravlevi ( Figs. 34–35 and 41 ). On the other hand, the drawing from the original description of M. bogutensis shows the aedeagus with narrower lateral carinae, as in males from Dzhungarskiy Alatau belonging to M. zhuravlevi ( Figs. 36 and 37–40 ). Also, according to the original description, in M. zhuravlevi , the aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 54 ) is more similar to that of the aedeagus of the M. bogutensis paratype ( Fig. 46 ) than to the aedeagus of M. zhuravlevi males from Dzhungarskiy Alatau ( Figs. 49–53 ). In general, the aedeagus shape is rather variable, so that the differences between males from the same sample (for example, Figs. 49 and 53 ) is greater than between males belonging to different species sensu Mityaev (1990, 2014) ( Figs. 47 and 49 ). The pygofer appendage and the style tip are also variable within the sample from the same locality ( Figs. 58–61 , 66–68 ) and do not provide species-specific traits.

Thus, M. bogutensis and M. zhuravlevi are indistinguishable in morphology, and their ranges have a common boundary ( Fig. 73 ). Based on this, M. zhuravlevi , is here considered a junior synonym of M. bogutensis .

Figures

FIGURES 19–33. Macropsidius spp., calling signal oscillograms. 19–23―M. karatavicus sp. n., 24–28―M. bogutensis, 29– 33―M. kajkanus. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “21–22”, “26–28”, and “32–33” are given under the same numbers.

FIGURES 34–62. Macropsidius bogutensis. 34–41―penis, back view, 42–45―same, frontal and lateral view, 46–54―same, lateral view, 55–62―pygofer appendage. 34, 42, 46, 55―paratype, 35, 43, 47, 56―male from the type locality, 36, 48, 57― drawings from the original description (after Mityaev, 1990), 37–40, 44–45, 49–53, 58–61―males from Dzhungarskiy Alatau Range (M. zhuravlevi sensu Mityaev, 2014), 41, 54, 62―drawings from the original description of M. zhuravlevi (after Mityaev, 2014).

FIGURES 63–76. 63―paratype of M. bogutensis, style, 64―same, male from the type locality, 65―same, drawing from the original description (after Mityaev, 1990), 66–68―same, males from Dzhungarskiy Alatau (M. zhuravlevi sensu Mityaev, 2014), 69―same, drawing from the original description of M. zhuravlevi (after Mityaev, 2014), 70―M. kajkanus, penis, back view, 71―same, frontal and lateral view, 72―same, lateral view, 73―distribution map of species of the M. bogutensis group, 74–76―biotopes,where insects were collected; localities, where photos were taken are shown with arrows, the whitish green plant in the center of each photo is Artemisia (Seriphidium) juncea.