Oncopsis flavicollis (Linnaeus, 1761)

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2017, Review of the genus Oncopsis Burmeister, 1838 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae) of Russia and adjacent countries with description of a new species from Central Asia, Zootaxa 4216 (6), pp. 537-558 : 545-546

18. Oncopsis flavicollis (Linnaeus, 1761)

Figs. 47–48 , 152–163 , 194–197

Description. Coloration of males typical ( Fig. 47 ), females similar to males or bright yellow ( Fig. 48 ). Several other colour variations occur in females of O. flavicollis species group. However, since species identification in this group presently is based only on male morphology and acoustic signals, the species identity of these variants is obscure.

Penis with ventral margin strongly concave in side view ( Figs. 152–154 ). Lower appendage of dorsal connective with long base, bifurcated, upper branch almost twice as long as lower one. Both branches slightly bent inwards or more or less straight, diverging, with margins finely serrated ( Figs. 154–156 ). Style slightly expanded in apical third, with acute tip ( Figs. 157–158 ). Abdominal apodemes of the 2nd tergite in male rather short, tapering towards the tips, with lobes narrowly rounded, separated by wide notch ( Figs. 159–163 ).

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 4.5–5.1 mm; ♀, 4.8–5.6 mm.

Differs from similar members of O. flavicollis species group by narrow tips of the 2nd dorsal apodemes (with wide round or angulate lobes in all other species) and wider notch between their lobes.

Host. Betula alba and B. pendula .

Distribution. Europe including European Russia, West Siberia (Altai Mts.). Eastern border of the range is obscure. Records from East Siberia and the Russian Far East refer to O. burjatica Tishetshkin, 2008 .

Remarks. Calling signal consists of alternating components of two types with different wave shape and, consequently, frequency spectra ( Figs. 194–195 ). More short high-frequency components usually have higher amplitude ( Figs. 194, 196 ), but occasionally amplitude relation is inverse ( Figs. 195, 197 ). The figures present signals of males from Moscow Area, environs of Pushkino Town recorded at the temperature 27o C.

Investigation of apodeme morphology in O. flavicollis from Great Britain revealed three different forms within this species. Also, they differed partially in distribution (form 3 was not found in South Wales) and host preference (form 1 was found dominantly on B. alba and form 3 on B. pendula ) ( Claridge & Nixon, 1986). Analysis of calling and courtship signals has led the authors to conclude that all three forms are different biological species. Still, they have not associated these species with existing available names, designating them as O. flavicollis 1, 2 and 3.

Previously, based on fragments of oscillograms in Claridge and Nixon [1986] we have supposed mistakenly that specimens from Moscow Area and Altai Mts. are most similar to O. flavicollis 2 ( Tishechkin, 2008). However, comparison of our signal recordings with these of three European forms kindly sent by Dr. Mühlethaler showed that our specimens fall into O. flavicollis 3 sensu Claridge and Nixon [1986]. Also, they are identical with this form in the shape of male 2nd abdominal apodemes. Since the status of British forms is still unclear and their valid names are unknown, in our papers we use the name O. flavicollis for the form with apodemes as in O. flavicollis 3 sensu Claridge and Nixon [1986] and producing signals as described in Tishechkin (1992, 2003, 2008) and in this paper ( Figs. 194–197 ).

Figures

FIGURES 33 – 58. Oncopsis spp., lateral view and face. 33 – 35 ― O. obstructa, 36 – 37 ― O. tadzhica (36 ― holotype, 37 ― allotype), 38 – 40 ― O. ivanovae, 41 – 44 ― O. abdykulovi sp. n., 45 – 46 ― O. subangulata, 47 – 48 ― O. flavicollis, 49 – 51 ― O. carpini, 52 – 56 ― O. burjatica (53 – 54 ― paratypes from East Siberia, 52 and 55 – 56 ― specimens from Sakhalin), 57 – 58 ― O. tsejensis (57 ― holotype, 58 ― paratype).

FIGURES 152 – 193. Oncopsis spp., male genitalia and the 2 nd tergal apodemes. 152 – 163 ― O. flavicollis (152 – 158 and 160 – 163 ― males from Moscow Area, 159 ― male from Altai Mts.), 164 – 193 ― O. carpini (164 – 174 ― males from Crimea, 175 – 178, 181 – 184, 189 – 193 ― males from North-West Caucasus, 179 – 180, 185 – 188 ― males from Northern Iran). 152, 164 ― penis, caudal view, 153, 181 – 186 ― penis, lateral view, 154, 165 ― penis and dorsal connective, lateral view, 155 – 156, 166 – 167, 187 – 193 ― lower appendage of dorsal connective, lateral view, 157 – 158, 168 – 170 ― style, broadest aspect, 159 – 163, 171 – 180 ― the 2 nd tergal apodemes.

FIGURES 194 – 201. Oncopsis spp., oscillograms and sonograms of male calling signals. 194 – 197 ― O. flavicollis (194 – 195 ― oscillogram and sonogram of the same signal at the same speed), 198 – 201 ― O. burjatica (198 and 200 ― paratype from East Siberia, 199 and 201 ― male from Sakhalin). Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “ 196 – 197 ” and “ 200 – 201 ” are given under the same numbers.