Orthotylus (Parapachylops) oenderi Çerçi, Tezcan & Koçak, 2024

Çerçi, Barış, Koçak, Özgür & Tezcan, Serdar, 2024, Review of the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) fauna of Turkey: perspectives for future research, European Journal of Taxonomy 937, pp. 1-127 : 35-38

Orthotylus (Parapachylops) oenderi Çerçi, Tezcan & Koçak sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CAC59FB4-021C-459C-AC1A-4F584A8927A5

Figs 12–14

Diagnosis

The new species is diagnosed by the combination of following characters: small size, 2.1–2.9 mm, coloration predominantly vivid orange ( Fig. 12A–B ), frons distinctly globose and the shapes of parameres and vesica as in Fig. 13 .

DIfferentIal dIagnosIs

The subgenus Parapachylops Ehanno & Matocq, 1990 includes small species living on Juniperus spp. and related Cupressaceae Bartlett , characterized by genital opening with one or more sclerotized processes, left paramere transversely wider and flattened, right paramere longitudinally expanded and provided with teeth and vesica profusely branching and serrated ( Carapezza 1997; Ehanno & Matocq 1997; Pagola-Carte & Matocq 2020). The new species is placed into this subgenus due to complying structures of parameres and vesica, as well as to its host plant association. The subgenus consists of seven species, six of them distributed in the Mediterranean region and one in the Turanian region ( Aukema 2023). Orthotylus (Parapachylops) bureschi Josifov, 1969 was placed into this subgenus by Carapezza (1997), mainly due to its host plant association. However, considering the shape of its parameres and vesica which do not fit with the characteristics of this subgenus, mentioned above, this species most probably belongs to another subgenus (S. Pagola-Carte pers. comm.). The rest of the species are very closely related, small, 2.1–3.7 mm long and uniformly green species. Strikingly, the new species is easily distinguished from all these species by relatively small size ranging between 2.1 and 2.9 mm and unicolorous orange coloration. To our knowledge, this species is the only known Orthotylus species with such coloration in the West Palearctic region, and potentially in the entire world. Interestingly, the external appearance of O. (P.) oenderi sp. nov. is similar to the phyline Juniperia rubescens Linnavuori, 1965 , a very small species of 1.9–2.1 mm with unicolorous vivid orange coloration which also lives on Juniperus species in Mediterranean region of Turkey, including Karaman ( Linnavuori 1965; Çerçi & Koçak 2023). Among other species within this subgenus, male genital structures of O. (P.) oenderi sp. nov. are most similar to the Turanian O. (P.) putshkovi Josifov, 1974 ( Josifov 1974). This raises the question whether these two species evolved from a common ancestor and the population of this species that settled in the Toros mountains have evolved to this uniquely orange colored species, under a selective pressure occurring in this region.

Etymology

The new species is named after Feyzi Önder (1943–2000), a pioneer in person (önder, meaning “pioneer” in English), who was the entomologist who contributed most to our current knowledge on the Heteroptera of Turkey, with his countless research, many field works and numerous students whom he educated. He also contributed the most in the creation of the Heteroptera collection in LEMT and was part of the field expeditions carried out between 1979 and 1987, during which this new species was originally collected.

Type material

Holotype TURKEY – Karaman Province • ♂; Ermenek ; 3 Jul. 1980; EUAPP exped.; on Juniperus sp. ; LEMT.

Paratypes TURKEY – Karaman Province • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; LEMT • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Merkez, Kurucabel village ; 800 m; 24 Jun. 2023; B. Çerçi & Ö. Koçak leg.; on Juniperus oxycedrus ; BCIT .

Description

Male

COLORATION. General coloration yellow to orange. Head unicolorous orange. Antennae unicolorous yellow. Pronotum orange with collar region broadly yellowish. Hemelytra immaculate orange with base of exocorium paler, membrane dusky brown, veins orange. Legs pale yellow, tibial spines pale.

VESTITURE. Simple short and adpressed pale setae.

STRUCTURE. Size 2.1–2.6 mm, oblong-oval, 3× as long as width of pronotum. Head globose, frons strongly rounded and slightly protruding, posterior margin with an indistinct ridge, 1.0× as long as high in lateral view, 0.6× as long as wide, ocular index 2.7, rostrum surpassing metacoxae but not reaching apex of abdomen. First antennal segment 0.5× as long as vertex, 0.23× as long as second one, second antennal segment 1.0× as long as width of posterior margin of pronotum, 1.5× as long as diatone, ratios of antennal segments 9:40:16:?. Pronotum strongly trapezoid, 0,45× as long as wide across posterior margin, posterior margin 2.2× as wide as anterior one, lateral margins straight, both anterior and posterior corners broadly rounded, anterior margin with a shallow depression. Hemelytra subparallelsided, narrowing apically, surpassing apex of abdomen. Legs short, posterior femora thickened, only 2.9× as long as wide.

GENITALIA. Genital opening with a deep and broad recess at the middle of dorsal edge, without the appendage characteristic of the subgenus. Left and right parameres as in Fig. 13C–G . Vesica with four sclerotized processes, one noticeably short and denticulate apically, one long and thin, strongly undulating medially, also denticulate apically, one thick and edenticulate and the last one the longest and denticulate apically, as well ( Fig. 13A–B ).

Female

Similar to male but slightly larger, 2.1–2.9 mm, more ovate, 2.7× as long as width of pronotum, ocular index 3.0–3.2.

Biology

Type specimens were collected from Juniperus oxycedrus L. ( Cupressaceae ) in a dry hill located in a steep valley, at 700 m elevation ( Fig. 14A–B ). The area was densely populated with trees of Juniperus sp. and Quercus sp. ( Fig. 14C–D ). The new species was collected together with Rhopalus distinctus (Signoret, 1859) .

Figures

Fig. 12. Orthotylus (Parapachylops) oenderi Çerçi, Tezcan & Koçak sp. nov. A. Paratype, ♂ (BCIT). B. Paratype, ♀ (BCIT). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 13. Orthotylus (Parapachylops) oenderi Çerçi, Tezcan & Koçak sp. nov., paratypes, ♂ (BCIT). A–B. Vesica with and without theca. C–F. Left paramere from different views. G. Right paramere.

Fig. 14. A. Orthotylus (Parapachylops) oenderi Çerçi, Tezcan & Koçak sp. nov., alive specimen collected from Juniperus oxycedrus L. (BCIT). B. Host plant of the new species, Juniperus oxycedrus. C–D. Habitat of the new species, a dry hill, with sparse trees of Juniperus sp. and Quercus sp., in a steep valley. Photographs B–D by B. Çerçi.