Neoaliturus hui ( Chang, 1938 )

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2021, Review of the Neoaliturus fenestratus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1834) species group (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia, Zootaxa 5039 (2), pp. 201-221 : 207-209

3. Neoaliturus hui ( Chang, 1938)

Figs. 9–11 , 70–81, 165–170

Description. Black, shiny, with numerous white spots on forewings ( Figs. 9–11 ).

Basal part of penis usually narrow, only occasionally rather wide, gradually tapered before bifurcation (Figs. 70–77). In lateral view, stems form an angle of about 30–45 degrees with main part (Figs. 74–77). Pygofer appendage long, smoothly curved (Figs. 78–81).

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 2.7–2.9 mm; ♀, 3.1–3.5 mm.

Differs from N. fenestratus and N. albilacustris by more strongly developed light pattern on forewings and longer pygofer processes reaching posterior margin of pygofer or slightly extending beyond it. Indistinguishable in external appearance from N. carbonarius , but differs from it by narrower basal part of penis. Allopatric with all species of this group.

Hosts. Was collected on low grass polydominant meadow with steppe vegetation on a river bank in Transbaikalia and from Artemisia sect. Artemisia in the Russian Far East.

Calling signal. Signals of males from the following localities were investigated.

1. Transbaikalia , southeast of Chita Oblast , Klichkinskiy Mtn. Ridge at the crossing with the Urulyunguy River (15 km west of Klichka Town), 20, 21, and 23. VII. 2003, signals of three males were recorded at 22, 26–28 and 31–32 oC .

FIGURES 70–93. Male genitalia. 70–81― N. hui , 82–93― N. carbonarius . 70–73, 82–85―penis, back view, 74–77, 86–89― same, lateral view, 78–81, 90–93―pygofer appendage.

2. The Russian Far East, Primorskiy Krai, Pogranichny Region, environs of Barabash-Levada Village , 15. VII. 1995, signals of one male were recorded at 26–28 oC .

The calling signal is a phrase consisting of syllables following each other with a period of about 0.5–2 s ( Figs. 165–170 ). Each syllable is a monotonous fragment sometimes followed by one short pulse ( Fig. 168 ); quite often this pulse is absent ( Figs. 169–170 ).

Distribution. Steppes of Eastern Transbaikalia, southern part of the Russian Far East, China, Japan, apparently, also Eastern Mongolia.

Remarks. The narrow basal part of the penis and, partially, coloration in combination with distribution (Eastern Palearctic) allowed reliable identification of this species based on the original description ( Chang, 1938; Fig. 11 ). It was synonymized under N. fenestratus by Dlabola (1967) and restored from synonymy by Tishechkin (2007).

Figures

FIGURES 1–24. Neoaliturus spp., dorsal view. 1–8―N. fenestratus, 9–11―N. hui, 12–17―N. albilacustris sp. n., 18–24― N. carbonarius. 1–4, 9, 12–15, 18–20―males, 5–7, 10, 16–17, 21–24―females. 8―after Herrich-Schäffer, 1834, 11―after Chang, 1938.

FIGURES 157–170. Neoaliturus spp., calling signal oscillograms. 157–164―N. albilacustris sp. n., 165–170―N. hui. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “161–164” and “168–170”are given under the same numbers.