Hemisphaerius rufovarius Walker, 1858

Constant, Jérôme & Pham, Hong Thai, 2024, Sixteen issid planthopper species in one day in Dong Son-Ky Thuong Nature Reserve in North Vietnam: Eight new species, one new genus and additional new records (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 919 (1), pp. 1-87 : 20-21

Hemisphaerius rufovarius Walker, 1858

Figs 10–12

Hemisphoerius [sic] rufovarius Walker, 1858: 95 (described from Myanmar).

Hemisphaerius scymnoides Walker, 1862: 309 (described from Thailand, “ Siam ”). Synonymized by Liang (2001).

Hemisphaerius testaceus Distant, 1906: 360 (described from Myanmar, Tenasserim, Myiatta). Synonymized by Liang (2001).

Hemisphaerius virescens Distant, 1906: 360 (described from Myanmar, Tenasserim, Myiatta). Synonymized by Liang (2001).

Hemisphaerius rufovarius – Butler 1875: 95 (keyed). — Atkinson 1886: 44 (described). — Distant 1906: 359, fig. 187 (described, keyed, illustrated dorsal and frons). — Melichar 1906: 72 (keyed), 90 (described, records from Nias Island and Borneo, Kinabalu), 317 (listed). — Schmidt 1910: 155 (record from Borneo). — Matsumura 1938: 151 (compared to H. kotoshonis Matsumura, 1938 ). — Metcalf 1958: 151 (catalogued). — Liang 2001: 236 (senior synonym of H. scymnoides , H. testaceus and H. virescens ; colour and size variability). — Gnezdilov 2015a: 15 (listed from Borneo based on Melichar (1906)), 16 (in key to Hemisphaeriini from Borneo), figs 15–16 (holotype dorsal and lateral). — Constant & Jiaranaisakul 2020: 5 (listed from Thailand).

Hemisphaerius scymnoides – Butler 1875: 95 (keyed). — Melichar 1906: 73 (keyed), 97 (described), 317 (listed). — Metcalf 1958: 152 (catalogued). — Liang 2001: 236 (junior synonym of H. rufovarius ).

Hemisphaerius testaceus – Metcalf 1958: 155 (catalogued). — Liang 2001: 236 (junior synonym of H. rufovarius ).

Hemisphaerius virescens – Metcalf 1958: 157 (catalogued). — Liang 2001: 236 (junior synonym of H. rufovarius ).

non Hemisphaerius rufovarius – Fennah 1956: 507 (record from Hainan Island, specimens compared to type), fig. 17a–b (dorsal head and thorax; frons and clypeus) (erroneous identification! = H. bresseeli sp. nov.). — Pham & Ta 2009: 245 (listed from Vietnam, Quang Binh Province). — Gnezdilov & Constant 2012: 575 (listed from Vietnam based on record of H. scymnoides by Fennah (1978)). — Gnezdilov et al. 2014: 82 (listed from Vietnam). — Zhang et al. 2020: 260 (keyed), 266 (described, senior synonym of H. testaceus , records from China), fig. 101 (head wings, genitalia), pl. 19g –i (photos of habitus) (erroneous identification! = H. bresseeli sp. nov.).

non Hemisphaerius scymnoides – Fennah 1978: 263 (record from Vietnam, Hoa Binh Province).

non Hemisphaerius testaceus – Chen et al. 2014: 64 (described, reinstated as a valid species from synonymy with H. rufovarius ), fig. 2–24 (habitus, details and genitalia) (erroneous identification! = H. bresseeli sp. nov.).

Diagnosis

Hemisphaerius rufovarius varies in body colour, with tegmina being either red, pale brown or green, with or without black spot ( Figs 10–11 ) but can be recognized by

(1) the anal tube subtrapezoidal in dorsal view, with posterolateral angles rounded and with pointed process ventrally projecting posteroventrad (An – Fig. 12A–C );

(2) the strongly curved, more or less evenly rounded lateral aspect of the aedeagus ( Fig. 12D–E );

(3) the strongly asymmetrical lateral lobes of periandrium laminate with left lobe distinctly larger, spathulate, sinuate in caudal view, strongly concave with apex pointed and recurved cephalodorsad, the right lobe short and rather narrow, curved mesad in distal portion with apical point, and a distinct lateral tooth at about midlength (ll – Fig. 12D–H );

(4) the ventral lobe of the periandrium apically lanceolate (vl – Fig. 12F ).

Differential diagnosis

The closest species is H. lysanias Fennah, 1978 , as interpreted by Che et al. (2006), from which H. rufovarius differs by having a wider anal tube with a distinct, pointed ventral process (anal tube narrower, 1.3 times as long in midline, as wide and without ventral process in H. lysanias – Che et al. 2006: figs 5–6), an apically lanceolate ventral lobe of periandrium (round in H. lysanias – Che et al. 2006: fig. 9), and the smaller right lobe of the periandrium with a distinct lateral tooth (tooth absent in H. lysanias – Che et al. 2006: figs 8–9).

Note

The material identified as H. lysanias Fennah, 1978 by Che et al. (2006) and Zhang et al. (2020) differs from the original description by Fennah (1978) in showing a strongly asymmetrical aedeagus and a median lobe (= ventral lobe of Fennah) terminating in a spine. Comparison with Fennah’s type material will probably reveal that the specimens from China represent another species, and question the synonymy with Gergithus esperanto Chou & Lu, 1985 , as proposed by Che et al. (2006).

Material examined

Holotype of Hemisphaerius rufovarius Walker, 1858

MYANMAR • ♀ ( Fig. 10A–C ); [Myanmar]; “ Birmah ”, “57 16”, “Type”, “ Hemisphoerius rufovarius ”; BMNH.

Syntype of Hemisphaerius scymnoides Walker, 1862

THAILAND • ♀ ( Fig. 10D–G ); [Thailand, Chantaburi]; [Mission] Pascoe leg.; “ Siam, Chantabun ”, “ Hemisphaer. scymnoides Walker Type”, “Miss Pascoe 96–41”, “Type”, “Syntype”; BMNH.

Syntype of Hemisphaerius testaceus Distant, 1906

MYANMAR • ♂ (dissected – Fig. 11E–H ); Tenasserim Valley , Myitta; Doherty leg.; “ Tenass Vall , Myitta (Doherty).”, “ Hemisphaerius testaceus Dist. type”, “Distant Coll. 1911–383”, “Type”; BMNH.

Holotype of Hemisphaerius virescens Distant, 1906

MYANMAR • ♀ ( Fig. 11A–D ); Tenasserim Valley , Myitta; Doherty leg.; “ Tenass Vall , Myitta (Doherty).”, “ Hemisphaerius virescens Dist. type”, “Distant Coll. 1911–383”, “Type”; BMNH.

Supplementary description

Male terminalia

Pygofer (Py – Fig. 12A–C ) about 3.0 times as high as long at mid-height in lateral view, with posterior margin strongly rounded in dorsal ⅔, then sinuate in ventral ⅓ in lateral view; ventral margin rounded in lateral view.Gonostyli(G – Fig.12A–B )convex, subtriangular with posteroventral angle rounded in lateral view, with anterodorsal margin more or less straight, oblique, with an emargination at base of capitulum; capitulum (ca) with short and wide neck in lateral view, projecting dorsomesad, with dorsal tooth slightly elongate directed anteromesad and lateral slightly laminate tooth strongly hooked lateroventrad, a distinct hump at base of capitulum in caudal view. Anal tube (An – Fig. 12A–C ) dorsoventrally flattened, subtrapezoidal, slightly wider than long in median line and with anal opening at about basal ⅓, lateral margins evenly diverging and posterior margin nearly straight in dorsal view, with angles rounded; in lateral view, dorsal margin more or less straight after anal opening and ventral margin weakly curved ventrad; ventral surface with strong pointed process in middle, directed posteroventrad; apical margin slightly, evenly curved in caudal view. Aedeagus ( Fig. 12D–H ) asymmetrical, rather strongly, roundly curved posterodorsad in lateral view. Ventral lobe of periandrium (vl) laminate, lanceolate apically and shorter than lateral lobes. Lateral lobes of periandrium (ll) laminate with left lobe distinctly larger, spathulate, sinuate in caudal view, strongly concave with apex pointed and recurved cephalodorsad over membranous phallus; right lobe short and rather narrow, curved mesad in distal portion with apical point, and a distinct lateral tooth at about midlength. Connective (co) strongly developed, corpus connective long and regularly curved in lateral view, tectiductus (te) strongly developed, curved and conical with wide anterior foramen and with crista developed in a single laminate carina.

Figures

Fig. 10. A–C. Hemisphaerius rufovarius Walker, 1858, holotype, ♀ (BMNH). A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Labels. D–G. H. scymnoides Walker, 1862, syntype, ♀ (BMNH). D. Dorsal view. E. Lateral view. F. Frontal view. G. Labels.

Fig. 11. A–D. Hemisphaerius virescens Distant, 1906, holotype, ♀ (BMNH). A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Frontal view. D. Labels. E–H. H. testaceus Distant, 1906, syntype, ♂ (BMNH). E. Dorsal view. F. Lateral view. G. Labels. H. Frontal view.

Fig. 12. Hemisphaerius testaceus Distant, 1906, syntype, ♂ (BMNH), terminalia. A–C. Pygofer, anal tube and gonostyli. A. Lateral view. B. Caudal view. C. Dorsal view. D–H. Aedeagus and connective. D. Left lateral view.E. Right lateral view.F. Caudal view.G. Dorsal view.H. Ventral view.Abbreviations: see Material and methods.