Pseudophlepsius ferganensis Dubovsky, 1966

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2023, Contributions to the study of the subtribe Eremophlepsiina Dmitriev, 2002 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini), Zootaxa 5270 (3), pp. 573-583 : 582

Pseudophlepsius ferganensis Dubovsky, 1966

( Figs. 72–73 )

This taxon is known to us only by the original description. Since it was published in Russian, here we provide its translation with comments in square brackets. “Smaller and slenderer than previous [i.e., P. binotatus ], pale colored species. Main body coloration ash gray. Pattern similar to that of P. comma Hpt. [= P. binotatus ], but less dense and paler. Differs well from it in aedeagus structure. Lateral lobes of aedeagus ribbon-shaped in lateral view, with protrusion in upper half on dorsal side; their apices angularly pointed, not elongated. Dorsal process straight, fingershaped, smoothly pointed. Pygofer lobe process short, spiny.

Body length: ♁, 5.0– 5.2 mm; ♀, 6.2 mm.

Uzbekistan, central Ferghana , Yazyavan Steppe between Khamzaabad and Yazyavan, four males, one female, two nymphs from Alhagi in dune sands, 8. VII. 1963 ”.

For comparison, Dubovsky (1966) gives a drawing of the aedeagus of P. binotatus with elongated apices ( Fig. 71 ). In fact, P. ferganensis does not differ from P. binotatus in the body length and only slightly if ever differs from it in the shape of aedeagus stem apices, since in P. binotatus their shape is highly variable. Still, it differs distinctly from P. binotatus by straight and smoothly pointed basal processes of aedeagus ( Fig. 72 ). The shape of style is the same as in P. binotatus ( Fig. 73 ).

Eremophlepsius and Pseudophlepsius are closely related taxa. Emelyanov (1977) and Mityaev (2002, 2015) consider them to be synonyms and include P. binotatus into Eremophlepsius ; in Emelyanov (1977), Pseudophlepsius is treated as a separate subgenus. Still, Emelyanov (1999) and Zahniser & Dietrich (2013) consider them separate genera. Indeed, these two taxa distinctly differ in the shape of the subgenital plates and styles, whereas within each taxon their shape is similar. Possibly, molecular analysis can be used to more accurately determine their rank.

Figures

FIGURES 56–83. Pseudophlepsius spp., male genitalia. 56–71―P. binotatus, 72–73―P. ferganensis. 56―aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view, 57–67―same, dorsal (only numbers) and lateral (numbers with “a”) view, photos of the same specimen are designated by the same numbers, 68―subgenital plates, valve, and styles, 69―pygofer lobe, 70―pygofer, ventral view, 71–72―aedeagus, lateral view, 73―style; 71–73―after Dubovsky, 1966.