Aethodelphax megadontus ( Beamer, 1951 ) Beamer, 1951

Bartlett, Charles R., 2011, Aethodelphax prairianus gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and seven congeneric species from North American Delphacodes, Zootaxa 2837, pp. 48-66 : 59-60

Aethodelphax megadontus ( Beamer, 1951) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 6 , 9 A)

Delphacodes megadonta Beamer, 1951: 11 –12, 14.

Type locality. USA: Kansas, Meade County.

Diagnosis. Color. Stramineus, some specimens with longitudinal stria on lateral portions of abdomen; pygofer pale, parameres and processes of segment 10 darker.

Structure. Length male brachypter (n=5) 2.09±0.10, width 0.70±0.02; female brachypter (n=5) 2.49±0.14, width 0.77±0.05. Head just narrower than prothorax, ratio vertex L:W (n=10) 1.13±0.10. Calcar bearing (n=5) 19– 20 fine black teeth. Genitalia with pygofer opening about as wide as tall ( Fig. 6 D), lateral margins bearing rounded carinae; diaphragm well developed ( Fig. 9 A), narrowing medially, armature of diaphragm large, dorsocaudally projecting, in caudal view about as tall as wide, expanding dorsally to broadly rounded apex. Parameres ( Fig. 6 E) pediform, outer angle short and acute, inner angle more elongate, acute; dorsum of parameres slightly sinuate, angled ventromedially from caudal view; basal angle distinctly projecting to blunt apices. Aedeagus ( Figs. 6 F, G) rather broad, approximately parallel sided, narrowed to rounded apex; apical half aedeagus with a very large flange on ventral left side, terminating in pair of large acuminate teeth; dorsum with fine dorsal row of teeth in apical half, large subapical tooth on right side of shaft, and short, subapical row of fine teeth on venter; gonopore subapical on venter. Aedeagal suspensorium encircling aedeagus, broad between aedeagus and segment 10. Segment 10 narrow and elongate in lateral view, bearing pair of short, curved, blunt processes on ventrocaudal margin, about as long as wide at base.

Remarks. This species is most easily separated from its congeners by having a single pair of processes on segment 10 and a very large foliation on the left side of the aedeagus bearing a pair of large teeth. Specimens from MN and WI appear to have a more flattened aedeagal shaft with a narrower process, as in A. alatus , but there is insufficient material available to determine whether this represents geographical or normal variation. Aethodelphax megadontus is distinguished from A. alatus by 2 pairs of processes on segment 10. All observed specimens were brachypterous.

Reported hosts. None.

Distribution. USA: KS, MN.

Material observed. PARATYPES: USA: Kansas: Meade Co., 9-6-1949, R. H. Beamer (3m, 2f, SEMC); same, 5–2–1948 (5m, 7f, SEMC).

Other material observed: USA: Minnesota: [Washington Co.,] 5 km N Pt. Douglas, 12 Aug. 1993, K.G.A. Hamilton (1m, CNCI); Wisconsin: [Iowa Co.,] 3 km SW Arena, 29 July 1997, K.G.A. Hamilton (1m, CNCI).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Aethodelphax megadontus (paratype Meade Co., KS; scale = 0.5 mm (A – C), 0.2 mm (D, H )). A. dorsal view; B. frons; C. lateral view; D. pygofer, caudal view; E. left paramere, widest view; F. aedeagus, left lateral view, distal apex at top; G. aedeagus, ventral view, apex at top; H. pygofer, lateral view.

FIGURE 9. Genital diaphragm armature. A. Aethodelphax megadontus, caudal view; B. A. paraparvulus, caudal view; C. A. sagitattus, caudal view; D. A. sagitattus, lateral view (genital diaphragm hatched); E. A. paraparvulus, lateral view.