Neoaliturus translucens, Tishechkin, 2021

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 : 212

7. Neoaliturus translucens sp. n.

Figs. 33–37 , 118–129 , 193–196

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, Turkmenistan, irrigated lands 6–7 km south of Dushak Village, meadow with Achillea wilhelmsii (= A. kermanica ), Artemisia sp. and grasses, D. Tishechkin, 14. V. 1994, calling signals recorded at 31 oC; paratypes: same locality and date, 2 ♂, 4 ♀, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded at 31 oC; Turkmenistan, irrigated lands 22 km from Dushak Village along the road to Tedzhen , grasses, Artemisia sp. , Tamarix sp. and Alhagi persarum , 10. V. 1994, D. Tishechkin, 4 ♀; Kazakhstan, Zhuvalinskiy Region , environs of Petrovka (= Petrovskoe) Village , 22. VI. 1966, I.D. Mityaev, 2 ♂, 10 ♀; Tajikistan, 55 km northeast of Dushanbe, Romit Nature Reserve , 23. VI. 1977, 1 ♀; Iran, Chaharmahad-va-Bakhtiari Province , southeast of Zardkuh Mts. , Samsami Village , h= 2500 m, 6–7. VI. 2008, K. Kolesnichenko, 1 ♂; Iran, Chaharmahad-va-Bakhtiari Province , southwest of Zardkuh Mts. , 15 km east of Chaman-Goli , 8. VI. 2008, K. Kolesnichenko, 1 ♀; Iran, north of Fars Province, 60 km west of Shiraz , 10 km northwest of Ardahan (= Sepidan), h= 2500 m, 2–3. VI. 2008, K. Kolesnichenko, 1 ♀; Iran, Horossan Prov- ince, 10 km southwest of Mashkhad by the road to Moghan , 20. V. 2009, K. Kolesnichenko, 1 ♀; Iran, Horossan Province , Gonobad Area , Khezrit , h= 1800 m, 20–23. V. 2009, K. Kolesnichenko, 2 ♂, 1 ♀; Iran, Horossan Province , Gonobad Area , 10 km southwest of Khezrit , h= 1800 m, 22–23. V. 2009, K. Kolesnichenko, 3 ♂; Iran, Isfahan Prov- ince, ca. 35 km south of Kashan , vicinity of Qohrud , h= 2400–2500 m, 33 o 40’N 51 o 25’E, 28. V. 2010, A. Timokhov, 1 ♂; Iran, Yazd Province, ca. 20 km southwest of Taft , vicinity of Sanij , h= 2700–3000 m, 31 o 34’N 54 o 92’E, 2. VI. 2010, A. Timokhov, 2 ♂, 2 ♀; Iran, Fars Province, ca. 20 km southeast of Ardakan , vicinity of Abnow , h= 2450 m, 30 o 11’N 52 o 08’E, 29. V. 2011, A. Timokhov, 1 ♂; Iran, Isfahan Province, ca. 13 km southwest of Komeh , vicinity of Khafr , h= 2400 m, 31 o 00’N 51 o 29’E, 2. VI. 2011, A. Timokhov, 1 ♂ ( ZMMU); Turkmenistan, Murgab River 50 km upstream from Iolotan Town, 3. VI. 1981, A. Emelyanov, 3 ♂; Turkmenistan, Western Kopet-Dagh Mts. , 5 km northwest from Kara-Kala, near Parkhai Village , 25. V. 1981, A. Emelyanov, 1 ♂ ( ZIN).

Description. Darkest males black with yellow pattern on head, pro-, and mesonotum; forewings darkened with light costal margins and apices and with light spots ( Fig. 33 ). Usually, males yellowish with dark pattern on head, pro-, and mesonotum; forewings semitransparent with partially darkened veins and, sometimes, with traces of dark pattern in cells ( Figs. 34–35 ). Females with less developed dark pattern and almost transparent forewings ( Figs. 36–37 ).

Penis in posterior view with wide, more or less parallel-sided basal part, tapered just before bifurcation ( Figs. 118–121 ). In lateral view, basal part wide, stems form an angle of about 30 degrees or less with it ( Figs. 122–125 ). Penis stems rather thick. Pygofer appendage long, smoothly curved ( Figs. 126–129 ).

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 2.8–3.3 mm; ♀, 3.2–3.5 mm.

Diagnosis. Usually, differs from all other species by light coloration, but dark colored males are similar to N. guttulatus , N. argillaceus , and N. dubovskii sp. n. Differs from all these species by wide penis narrowed just before bifurcation in back view; occasionally, similar in this character to N. dubovskii sp. n. but differ from it by thicker penis stems. Similar to N. argillaceus in the calling signal pattern, but distinctly differs from it in penis and pygofer appendage shapes; in addition, these species are, apparently, allopatric.

Hosts. In Turkmenistan was collected on meadow with Achillea wilhelmsii , Artemisia sp. (Asteraceae) , and grasses.

Calling signal. Signals of males from the type locality in Turkmenistan were investigated; more detailed data on signal recordings are given above in the list of material examined .

Calling signal is similar to that of N. argillaceus , but syllables lack short discrete pulses in the end ( Figs. 193–196 ).

Distribution. Desert regions of Southwestern Kazakhstan, southern part of Central Asia, and Iran.

Etymology. The new species name is the Latin word “translucens” (translucent), indicating that this species usually has semitransparent forewings.

Remark. Records of N. argillaceus from Turkmenistan in Tishechkin (2007) refer to N. translucens sp. n.

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 118–141. Male genitalia. 118–129―N. translucens sp. n., 130–141―N. dubovskii sp. n. 118–121, 130–133―penis, back view, 122–125, 134–137―same, lateral view, 126–129, 138–141―pygofer appendage. 133, 137, 141―after Dubovskiy, 1966.

FIGURES 187–202. Neoaliturus spp., calling signal oscillograms. 187–192―N. argillaceus, 193–196―N. translucens sp. n., 197–202―N. dubovskii sp. n. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “190–192”, “195–196”, and “200–202” are given under the same numbers.