Psallus (Psallus) pehlivani Çerçi & Tezcan, 2024

Çerçi, Barış, Koçak, Özgür & Tezcan, Serdar, 2024, Review of the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) fauna of Turkey: perspectives for future research, European Journal of Taxonomy 937, pp. 1-127 : 44-47

Psallus (Psallus) pehlivani Çerçi & Tezcan sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:26A2A803-3771-4E04-B772-2BAF647EB052

Figs 18–19

Diagnosis

The new species is diagnosed by the combination of following characters: vestiture composed of two types of setae, long, semi-erect black setae and short adpressed scalelike pale setae, antennae unicolorous yellow, hemelytra yellowish brown, base of cuneus narrowly pale, rest of cuneus orange colored and the unique shape of vesica.

DIfferentIal dIagnosIs

The new species belongs to the P. haematodes species group characterized by vesica bearing single lateral process and apex of vesica widened, curved, bearing teeth on its entire length and a membranous lobe basally ( Wyniger 2004). This species group includes the following 17 species in alphabetical order: P. (P.) anashanti Pagola-Carte, 2017 , P. (P.) corsicus Puton, 1875 , P. (P.) enejokosu Pagola-Carte, 2018 , P. (P.) falleni Reuter, 1883 , P. (P.) flavellus Stichel, 1933 , P. (P.) georgicus Zaitzeva, 1968 , P. (P.) gidajatovi Drapolyuk, 1987 , P. (P.) haematodes (Gmelin, 1790) , P. (P.) lepidus Fieber, 1858 , P. (P.) minusculus Zaitzeva, 1968 , P. (P.) nigricornis Yasunaga & Vinokurov, 2000 , P. (P.) orni Wagner, 1968 , P. (P.) oyashimanus Yasunaga & Vinokurov, 2000 , P. (P.) salicis (Kirschbaum, 1856) , P. (P.) shulsangaricus Linnavuori, 2010 , P. (P.) siculus Reuter, 1875 and P. (P.) vicinus Reuter, 1899 ( Zaitzeva 1968; Wagner 1975; Drapolyuk 1987; Carapezza 1997; Yasunaga & Vinokurov 2000; Wyniger 2004; Linnavuori 2010; Matocq 2011; Pagola-Carte 2017, 2018). The new species is distinguished from these species by the massive apical process and its large basal membranous lobe. The vesica of the new species resembles that of P. corsicus and P. siculus due to the strongly twisted vesical body and the laterally projecting basal membranous lobe of apical process. However, the new species differs from both P. corsicus and P. siculus in the much longer apical process and the larger basal membranous lobe. Furthermore, the new species is much larger than both species (2.2–3.0 mm), shows dissimilar general coloration, and is associated with Fraxinus sp. ( Oleaceae Hoffmanns. & Link ). Psallus flavellus , P. gidajatovi , P. oyashimanus and P. vicinus also have distinctly long apical processes of vesica, however, their vesicas differ from the new species in several aspects. First, the apical process of P. pehlivani sp. nov. is proportionally much longer than that of any of these species. Moreover, in none of these species the basal membranous lobe of the apical process is as large and distinct as in the new species. The vesica of P. flavellus is further distinguished from that of the new species by the much longer and straight lateral process. Psallus oyashimanus is also distinguished from the new species by the lateral process of vesica being very small. Furthermore, the vesica of P. vicinus is strongly bent throughout its length forming a C shape whereas the vesica of P. pehlivani sp. nov. is S-shaped. Finally, the new species is further distinguished from P. gidajatovi by the distinctly thicker vesical body.

Etymology

The new species is dedicated to Esat Pehlivan (1942–), an influential scientist who researched the insect fauna of Turkey in great depth in projects in which he took part and especially contributed to heteropterology through his works on Coreoidea.

Type material

Holotype TURKEY – Hakkâri Province • ♂; 14 Jun. 1976; F. Önder leg.; on Fraxinus sp. ; LEMT.

Paratypes

TURKEY – Hakkâri Province • 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; LEMT .

Description

Male

COLORATION. Head and pronotum yellowish brown with orange tinge. Antennae unicolorous yellow. Hemelytra yellowish brown, base of cuneus narrowly pale, rest of cuneus orange colored, membrane dusky brown, veins yellow. Femora yellow with apically concentrated medium sized dark brown dots, tibiae yellow with minute black dots at the base of each tibial spine which are black.

VESTITURE. Densely covered with two types of setae, long, semi-erect black setae and short adpressed scalelike pale setae. Head with short adpressed pale simple and scalelike setae. Antennae covered with short adpressed pale setae. Pronotum with short adpressed scalelike pale setae throughout, semi-erect black setae concentrated along posterior half of lateral margins. Hemelytra densely covered with both types of setae mentioned above. Legs with short adpressed pale setae on both femora and tibiae, tibiae additionally with black tibial spines.

STRUCTURE. Size: 3.1–4.0 mm, oblong-ovate, 3× as long as width of pronotum. Head transverse, 0.38× as long as wide, 1.2× as long as high in lateral view, ocular index 1.5–1.8. First two segments slightly thicker than last two segments, first antennal segment 0.57× as long as width of vertex, second antennal segment 1.3–1.5× as long as diatone, 0.9–0.93× as long as width of posterior margin of pronotum, ratios of antennal segments 6:30:19:12. Pronotum weakly trapezoid, 0.43× as long as wide, posterior margin 2.3× as wide as anterior one, lateral margins straight, posterior corners rounded. Hemelytra subparallel sided, weakly arched medially, surpassing apex of abdomen. Legs short, metafemur slender, 3.8× as long as wide.

GENITALIA. Left and right parameres as in Fig. 18F–G . Vesica S-shaped, apically strongly twisted, with two apical processes, one is long and thick, curved gradually at distal half, armed with a row of small teeth along its inner margin, the other one, positioned laterally, is a short and simple spine. A large flat membranous lobe originates from the base of long vesical process ( Fig. 19A–E ).

Female

Similar to male in all aspects, except for slightly robuster body and larger ocular index (2.0).

Biology

Examined specimens were collected from Fraxinus sp.

Figures

Fig. 18. Psallus (Psallus) pehlivani Çerçi & Tezcan sp. nov. A. Holotype, ♂ (LEMT). B. Paratype, ♀ (LEMT). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 19. Psallus (Psallus) pehlivani Çerçi & Tezcan sp. nov, paratypes, ♂ (LEMT). A–E. Vesica from different views. F. Left paramere. G. Right paramere.