Neoaliturus guttulatus (Kirschbaum, 1868)

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 : 209-211

5. Neoaliturus guttulatus (Kirschbaum, 1868)

Figs. 25–28 , 94–105, 179–186

Description. Yellowish brown with dense dark pattern. Forewings semitransparent with dark veins, dark pattern in cells and in apical part, and with rounded light spots ( Figs. 25–28 ).

Penis shape is almost the same as in N. fenestratus (Figs. 94–101). In lateral view, the position of penis stems in relation to basal part varies considerably (Figs. 98–101). Pygofer appendage long, very smoothly curved, sometimes, almost straight in basal three quarters, bent upwards in apical one quarter (Figs. 102–105).

FIGURES 94–117. Male genitalia. 94–105― N. guttulatus from Moscow Oblast, 106–117― N. argillaceus . 94–97, 106–109― penis, back view, 98–101, 110–113―same, lateral view, 102–105, 114–117―pygofer appendage.

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 2.8–2.9 mm; ♀, 3.1–3.3 mm.

Similar to N. argillaceus Mityaev, 1975 , N. translucens sp. n., and N. dubovskii sp. n. in coloration, but differs from them by the shape of the pygofer appendage and from N. translucens sp. n. and N. dubovskii sp. n., also, by penis shape. In addition, these three species are distributed farther south and are, evidently, allopatric with N. guttulatus .

Hosts. Apparently, oligophagous on certain Asteraceae . In two known localities in Moscow Oblast it was found on dry meadows with Centaurea scabiosa (Asteraceae) ; under laboratory conditions, individuals fed and readily produced calling signals on this plant. In Saratov Oblast it was found in steppe with Artemisia sp. and Anthemis tinctoria (Asteraceae) in the same sample with N. fenestratus .

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

1. Moscow Oblast, environs of Pirogovo , 23. VIII. 1987, signals of five males were recorded at 23 oC .

2. Moscow Oblast, Voskresensk Region, environs of Faustovo , 6. VIII. 2020, signals of eight males were recorded at 33–34 oC .

3. Northern part of Saratov Oblast, 15 km southwest of Khvalynsk, environs of Ulyanino Village , 15. VI. 1996, signals of two males were recorded at 21 and 23 oC .

The calling signal is a phrase consisting of syllables following each other with a period of about 0.5– 1.5 s ( Figs. 179–182 ). Each syllable consists of more or less discrete pulses and has a duration of about 400–700 ms ( Figs. 183–186 ).

Distribution. Europe, Central and Southern European Russia southwards as far as the forest-steppe zone. I have not seen any specimens from steppes of European Russia and from Central Asia. Apparently, records of this species from Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and Mongolia refer to other species, primarily, to N. argillaceus .

Remark. Identification of this species is based on the illustrated description of the lectotype in Wagner (1939) and on description in Ribaut (1952).

Figures

FIGURES 25–43. Neoaliturus spp., dorsal view. 25–28―N. guttulatus, 29–32―N. argillaceus, 33–37―N. translucens sp. n., 38–43―N. dubovskii sp. n. 25–26, 29–31, 33–35, 38–41―males, 27–28, 32, 36–37, 42–43―females.

FIGURES 171–186. Neoaliturus spp., calling signal oscillograms. 171–178―N. carbonarius, 179–186―N. guttulatus. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “175–178” and “183–186”are given under the same numbers.