Macropsis vicina ( Horvath, 1897 )

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2014, Taxonomic study of Central Asian species of the genus Macropsis Lewis, 1836 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae). II: Redescriptions of poorly known species, new synonyms, and description of a new willow-dwelling species, Zootaxa 3815 (1), pp. 103-118 : 108-111

Macropsis vicina ( Horvath, 1897)

Figs. 8–10 , 47–85

Macropsis populicola Dubovsky, 1966: 92 –93 (synonymy by Tishechkin, 2011). Macropsis albinata Dubovsky, 1966: 91 –92, syn. n.

Macropsis albidula Dubovsky, 1966: 92 , syn. n.

Description. Body pale green or greyish green, forewings usually more or less infumose, in males darker than in females ( Figs. 8–10 ). In specimens from South Kazakhstan and Central Asia face, pronotum and mesonotum unmarked. Only darkest males have mesonotum with triangular black spots in side angles and/or two round black spots in distal half on both sides of midline ( Fig. 10 ). In specimens from European Russia, North Caucasus and West Siberia face, pronotum and mesonotum as a rule with black spots, forewings sometimes with black markings around transverse veins and occasionally also on clavi.

Abdominal apodemes of 2nd tergite in male elongate, broad, sometimes slightly bent inwards, broadly separated by an oval or U-shaped notch. Sternal apodemes strongly convergent, with wide bases and slightly expanded truncate or rounded tips (Figs. 47, 52–53, 58, 64, 68).

Pygofer processes almost straight or slightly bent forward (Figs. 49, 55, 61–62, 66). Penis in side view somewhat shorter and wider than in M. validiuscula (Figs. 48, 54, 59–60, 65, 69–70). Styles of typical shape (Figs. 50, 56, 63, 67). 2nd valvulae of ovipositor with one preapical tooth each (Figs. 51, 57, 71).

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 4.0–4.4 mm; ♀, 4.7–5.2 mm.

Differs from all other poplar- and willow-dwelling Macropsis species by the combination of pale green or greyish green background color and elongate and broad tergal apodemes, broadly separated by an oval or U-shaped notch. In addition, this is the only known Macropsis species feeding on Silver poplar.

Host. Populus alba (= P. bolleana ).

Calling signal. As with the previous species, single male produces signals of two types. Simple signal is a phrase, consisting of short trills lasting from 0.4–0.5 up to 6–7 s each in males from Kyrgyzstan ( Figs. 72–74, 77–79 ) and from 0.2–0.3 up to 2–3 s in males from European Russia ( Figs. 75, 80 ) and Northern Caucasus ( Figs. 76, 81 ). Complex signal includes several trills followed by monotonous fragment lasting for 0.4– 0.6 s and a succession of alternating low- and high-amplitude pulses ( Figs. 82–85 ).

Material examined. 1― Kyrgyzstan, Chatkal Mtn. Range, Sary-Chelekskiy Biosphere Nature Reserve, environs of Arkyt Village, D. Tishechkin, from Populus alba : 1. VII. 2011, in the forest North of Arkyt, 2 ♀; 6. VII. 2011, same locality, 1 ♂, 3 ♀; 8–12. VII. 2011, on ornamental trees in the village, 5 ♂, 6 ♀, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded on disk at 22–23o C ( ZMMU; Figs. 47–51, 74, 79). 6― Kyrgyzstan, Ferghana Mtn. Range, Arslanbob Town (type locality of M. populicola Dubovsky, 1966 ), from P. alba, D. Tishechkin , 14. VII. 2009, 4 ♂, 2 ♀, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded on disk at 21–22 and 25–26o C ( ZMMU; Figs. 52–57, 72–73, 77–78, 82, 84).

FIGURES 47–71. Macropsis vicina (Horvath) . 47, 52–53, 58, 64, 68―male 2nd abdominal apodemes; 48, 54, 59–60, 65, 69–70―penis, lateral view; 49, 55, 61–62, 66―pygofer process, lateral view; 50, 56, 63, 67―end of style; 51, 57, 71―the 2nd valvulae of ovipositor. 47–51―specimens from Arkyt, No. 1 on the map; 52–57―specimens from Arslanbob (type locality of M. populicola Dubovsky, 1966 ), No. 6 on the map; 58–63―specimens from Karatau Mtn. Range, South Kazakhstan; 64–67―specimen from Volgograd Area (Lower Volga Region, Russia); 68–71―specimens from Moscow Area, Russia.

Additional material. Southern Kazakhstan, Karatau Mtn. Range: Kentau Town, white poplar, 28. V. 1967, Zh. Ivanova; 17 km North-West Karatau Town, flood-land of Koktal River, white poplar, 29. V. 1983, I. Mityaev ( ZMMU; Figs. 58–63); Zailiyskiy Alatau Mtn. Range, environs of Almaty, Great Almatinskoye Gorge, white poplar, 17. VIII. 1967, V. Chekmenev ( ZMMU).

Distribution. Temperate parts of Europe including European Russia, Northern Caucasus, Southern regions of West Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, North America (introduced).

Remarks. M. populicola was described from Arslanbob Town, Ferghana Mtn. Range ( Kyrgyzstan). Original description of M. albidula was based on one male and three females from Andijon ( Uzbekistan). M. albinata was described based on material from the foothills of Chatkal (Jany-Jol Village and Karavan = Kerben Town) and Alay (Shakhimardan Village) Mtn. Ranges ( Dubovskiy, 1966). All these localities are situated within a territory about 100 x 150 km and lie within the altitudes from 500 to ca. 1800 m above sea level.

M. vicina was described from Hungary; holotype female was collected from P. alba ( Horvath, 1897) . Type not examined. The identity of this species is based on the descriptions in Ribaut (1952) and Hamilton (1983) and on examination of material from P. alba collected in many localities in European Russia, North Caucasus and West Siberia. Greyish colour and host preference are distinctive.

Differences between these forms in the shape of male genitalia structures fall within the range of intraspecific variability of M. vicina .

M. albidula and M. albinata are indistinguishable in appearance and lack any black pattern. In M. populicola forewings infumose, in the darkest males black pattern is present on the pronotum and mesonotum. In M. vicina from European Russia, North Caucasus and West Siberia face, the pronotum and mesonotum typically have black spots. Consequently, these colour forms form a gradual transition from unmarked specimens to the ones with well developed black pattern. Differences in coloration between populations are not uncommon in Macropsis . This phenomenon was described in several species, e.g. in M. notata (Prohaska, 1923) , M. fuscinervis (Boheman, 1845) , M. impura (Boheman, 1847) , and M. marginata (Herrich-Schäffer, 1836) ( Tishechkin, 1999, 2002). Consequently, such differences are not a proof of a species status in this genus.

Calling signals of M. populicola ( Figs. 72–73, 77–78 ) are identical to these of the pale green form from the foothills of Chatkal Mtn. Range, Arkyt ( M. albinata in the sense of Dubovskiy, 1966, Figs. 74, 79 ). Some quantitative differences in the temporal pattern of calling signals between Central-Asian ( Figs. 72–74, 77–79, 82, 84 ) and European ( Figs. 75–76, 80–81, 83, 85 ) populations do not exceed the intraspecific variability levels observed in other leafhoppers ( Tishechkin, 2010). Furthermore, signal parameters in males from Central Asia and Russia considerably overlap.

All these data provide strong evidence that Central Asian Macropsis forms dwelling on white poplar belong to M. vicina .

Moreover, according to Skvortsov (1972: 10), P. alba in Central Asia is a cultivated or a feral tree. It grows as a wild plant only in the Zaisan Depression (South-Eastern Kazakhstan) and apparently, in certain localities in Karatau Mtn. Range (Southern Kazakhstan). However, specimens from two localities in Karatau (Figs. 58–63) and from the foothills of Chatkal and Ferghana Mtn. Ranges (Figs. 47–57) do not differ from each other in any traits. This is further proof of conspecificity of all Macropsis forms described from P. alba .

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 16. Macropsis validiuscula Dubovsky: 2 – 4 ― female lateral view; 5 – 6 ― male; 7 — nymph; M. vicina (Horvath): 8 ― female lateral view; 9 – 10 ― male; M. iliensis Mityaev: 11 ― male lateral view; 12 ― nymph; M. tienschanica sp. n.: 13 ― male lateral view; 14 ― nymph; M. elaeagnicola Dubovsky: 15 ― male lateral view; 16 ― nymph.

FIGURES 72 – 85. Macropsis vicina (Horvath), oscillograms of calling signals of males from different localities, 72 – 81 ― simple form of calling signal, 82 – 85 ― complex form. 72 – 73, 77 – 78, 82, 84 ― Arslanbob (type locality of M. populicola Dubovsky, 1966), No. 6 on the map; 74, 79 ― Arkyt, No. 1 on the map; 75, 80, 83, 85 ― environs of Anapa, Black Sea Coast of Northern Caucasus, Russia; 76, 81 ― Volgograd Area (Lower Volga Region, Russia). Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “ 77 – 81 ” and “ 84 – 85 ” are given under the same numbers.