Macropsis tuberculata ( Linnavuori, 1978 )

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2019, Macropsini (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae) from the vicinity of Ambo, Ethiopia, Zootaxa 4664 (3), pp. 365-376 : 367-369

3. Macropsis tuberculata ( Linnavuori, 1978)

Figs. 6–12 , 52–55

Tsavopsis tuberculata Linnavuori, 1978

Material examined. Ethiopia, Ambo , 2. V. – 18. VI. 1990, A.F. Emelyanov, 4 ♀, of which 1 ♀ was dissected .

Description. Identification of species is based on investigation of photos of the holotype, deposited in the collection of the U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA ( Figs. 6–8 ). Description is based only on female specimens, since males are unknown.

Face pale yellowish or greyish with dense brown speckles ( Fig. 9 ). Spots on crown, beside ocelli, and on sides of frons light brown, sometimes almost invisible; well developed in holotype four black spots on upper edge of crown ( Fig. 8 ) much smaller or almost absent in our specimens ( Figs. 10–12 ). Pronotum of the same colour as face, sometimes covered with brown speckles entirely or only in fore part. Mesonotum pale, partially with orange tinge, always with brown speckles, brown triangular spots in lateral angles, and black spot in apical angle. Sometimes there are also two transverse dark spots in middle on each side of median line. Proepimeron usually with indistinct brownish spot. Forewing with dense brown pattern.

Anterior margin of pronotum angular ( Figs. 8, 12 , 52 ). Median keel almost absent on face ( Fig. 9 ), but well developed on pronotum, gradually rises backwards. Median keel of mesonotum strongly developed, crest-like, interrupted in middle by gap; fore part of keel distinctly lower, than hind part ( Figs. 6–7, 9–11 ).

2 nd valvulae of ovipositor with 6–8 preapical teeth ( Fig. 55 ). Female 7 th sternite rather short, with small shallow notch on hind margin ( Fig. 54 ).

Body length (including tegmina): ♀, 3.3–3.5 mm.

Host. Acacia or “on shrubs including Acacia ”.

Remarks. Was described from Kenya based on one female specimen ( Linnavuori, 1978). Specimens from Ethiopia differ slightly in coloration from holotype ( Figs. 6–8 and 9–12 ). Since in most Macropsini coloration is very variable, these differences cannot be the basis for describing Ethiopian specimens as a new species.

Originally, was described in the monotypic genus Tsavopsis Linnavuori, 1978 , differing from Macropsis by very short crown and strongly developed median keel on pro- and mesonotum. However, in crown shape M. tuberculata does not differ from some species of Macropsis s. str. ( Figs. 8, 12 and 2, 5 ). Also, in some species of Macropsis s. str., median keel on the pro- and mesonotum is quite developed, although not to the same extent as in M. tuberculata . For this reason we share the opinion of Hamilton (1980), who synonymizes Tsavopsis with Macropsis (Macropsis) .

M. tuberculata is similar to M. turneri China, 1925 ( Figs. 56–58 ) in shape of head and pronotum, coloration, very short ovipositor and the presence of black tubercles on veins of forewing. For this reason we preliminary include it into the turneri species group. Investigation of male genitalia of M. tuberculata is necessary to ascertain the position of this peculiar species among Ethiopian species of Macropsis .

The chlorotica group. Uniformly green species with slender penis bearing serrated subapical lamellae. Because of the absence of males in our material, only preliminary attribution of the species described below to this group is possible.

Figures

FIGURES 1–22. 1–3—Macropsis simplex Jacobi, female (1—lateral view; 2—dorsal view; 3—face); 4–5—M. tincta Tisheсhkin sp. n., male (4—lateral view; 5—dorsal view); 6–12—M. tuberculata (Linnavuori), female (6–8—holotype, photos by Alyssa Seemann; 9–12—females from Ambo, Ethiopia; 6, 9—face and pronotum; 7, 10–11—lateral view; 8, 12—dorsal view); 13–15—M. viridofulgida Tisheсhkin sp. n., female (13—lateral view; 14—dorsal view; 15—face); 16–22—Macropsis hippodameia Linnavuori (16, 19—male, lateral view; 17, 21—same, face; 18, 20—same, dorsal view; 22—female, lateral view).

FIGURES 41–81. 41–43—Macropsis simplex Jacobi; 44–48—M. tincta Tisheсhkin sp. n.; 49—M. chinai Metcalf; 50—M. kanongensis Evans; 51—M. capensis (Cogan); 52–55—M. tuberculata (Linnavuori); 56–58—M. turneri China; 59–62—M. viridofulgida Tisheсhkin sp. n.; 63–67— M. hippodameia Linnavuori; 68–70—M. minuscula Linnavuori; 71–72—M. bussaensis Linnavuori; 73–76—M. thargelia Linnavuori; 77–79—M. nigrosignata (Stål); 80–81—M. bitaeniata Linnavuori. 41–42, 55, 59–60—2nd valvulae of ovipositor; 43, 61–62—female 7th sternite; 44—male 2nd abdominal apodemes; 45, 49–51, 63–64, 68, 71, 73, 77, 80—penis, lateral view; 46—pygofer process, lateral view; 47—pygofer processes, back view; 48, 67, 70, 76, 79, 81—style; 52, 57—head, pro-, and mesonotum, dorsal view; 53, 56—forewing; 54, 58—female genital segments, ventral view; 65–66, 69, 72, 74–75, 78—style tip. 49–50, 63–81—after Linnavuori (1978), 51—after Theron (1970), 56–58—after China (1925).