Lethierium juniperi ( Bergevin, 1915 )

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M., 2022, Revision of the genus Lethierium Dlabola, 1980 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha Issidae), with description of two new species from Central Morocco, Zootaxa 5155 (4), pp. 517-538 : 521-523

Lethierium juniperi ( Bergevin, 1915)

( Figs 5–8 , 30–38 , 67, 68 , 71–75 )

Hysteropterum juniperi Bergevin, 1915: 71 , fig. 1.

Falcidius juniperi — Dlabola, 1984: 65.

Lethierium juniperi —Gnezdilov, 2004: 80.

Diagnosis. Metope wide, distinctly enlarged below eyes, convex (its upper part well visible from above), smooth, without carinae. Coryphe transverse, 3–4 times as wide as long at midline. Forewing radius and media stems running parallel and closely from the basal cell to wing middle. Hind tibia with a single lateral spine. Lateral margins of male anal tube without processes (in lateral view). Phallobase basement with short lobe-shaped processes. Ventral aedeagal hooks circularly curved. Style with deeply concave hind margin and with a strong comb under the capitulum; capitulum on long neck. Generally staw yellow. Total length males — 3.0–3.4 mm, females—3.8 mm.

Supplementary description. Metope convex (its upper part well visible from above), without carinae, enlarged below eyes and narrowed to clypeus, its lateral margins hang over the pedicels ( Figs 8 , 30 ). Metopoclypeal suture steeply wedge-shaped. Coryphe flat, transverse, 3–4 times as wide as long at midline, with weak median groove; anterior margin weakly and widely convex; posterior margin concave ( Figs 6 , 31 ). Pronotum slightly longer than coryphe medially, without carinae. Mesonotum 1.5 times as long as pronotum medially, without carinae. Forewings with distinct knee prominence. Forewing vein sequence ( Fig. 7 ): R 2, furcating in basal third of the wing; M 4–6, firstly furcating near to wing middle, M 1 and M 2 furcating in apical third of the wing; CuA 1 (in one male examined CuA 2 furcating on its one wing). Radius and media running parallel and closely in basal third of the wing. Radius furcating before media. Hind tibiae with a single lateral spine and 8–10 apical spines. First metatarsomere with 6–7 intermediate spines.

Coloration. General coloration straw yellow. Metopoclypeal suture black. Post- and anteclypeus sometimes brown frontally and laterally. Rostrum brown to dark brown or black, with black apex. Antennal flagellum black. Legs sometimes light brown. Claws brown to dark brown. Apices of leg spines dark brown or black. Abdominal tergites brown to dark brown or black.

Male genitalia ( Figs 32–38 ). Anal tube elongately oval, twice as long as wide medially, with widely rounded apex (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 37 ). Lateral margins of anal tube turned downwards, without processes ( Fig. 38 ). Anal column ⅓ of anal tube. Lobe-shaped processes of phallobase basement short, rounded ( Fig. 34 ). Ventral phallobase lobe without apical notch ( Fig. 33 ). Ventral aedeagal hooks circularly curved. Style with deeply concave hind margin, caudo-dorsal angle widely rounded ( Fig. 35 ). Style margin under the capitulum with a strong comb. Capitulum of style on long neck, narrowing apically (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 36 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 67, 68 , 71–75 ). Hind margin of sternite VII with short labial median process (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 67 , shaded). Anal tube long and convex (in lateral view), 3.5 times as long as wide medially, narrowing apically, with rounded apex (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 71 ). Anal column wide and short, ¹⁄ of anal tube. Anterior connective lamina of gonapophysis VIII with four teeth in lateral group ( Fig. 74 ).

Type material examined. Algeria: ♂, paralectotype, “ Tiaret [hand written] // collection / E. de Bergevin [print] // TYPE [print] // Paralecto- / typus [print] // Hysteropterum / juniperi / Bergev. [hand written]” ( MNHN) .

Other material examined. Morocco: 8♂, 4♀ , “ Maroc Or. / Aïn Kerma (30 km Sud Est Oujda) / 5.V.1984 / M. Beylac rec.” ( MNHN and ZIN) .

Notes. The species was described from Tiaret in central north Algeria and the type series was collected from Juniperus oxycedrus L. ( Cupressaceae ) at 1100 m. a.s.l. ( Bergevin 1915). Additional material listed above is from the Oriental Region of northeastern Morocco near to the border with Algeria which is first record of this species from the country.

Figures

FIGURES 4–5. Lethierium spp. 4—L. reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), male (Mékalis), ventral view (scale bar—1 mm); 5—L. juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), female (Aïn Kerma), sternite VI, ventral view (out of scale).

FIGURES 6–8. Lethierium juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), female, Aïn Kerma. 6—dorsal view; 7—lateral view; 8—frontal view. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 30–31. Lethierium juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), male, Aïn Kerma. 30 – face; 31 – head and pronotum, dorsal view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 32–38. Lethierium juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), Aïn Kerma, male genitalia. 32 – pygofer, lateral view; 33 – penis, ven- tral view; 34 – penis and connective, lateral view; 35 – style, lateral view; 36 – style, dorsal view; 37 – anal tube, dorsal view; 38 – anal tube, lateral view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 64–70. Lethierium spp., female. 64—L. cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), Ras el ma, sternite VII, dorsal view; 65—same, ventral view; 66—L. reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), Mékalis, sternite VII, dorsal view; 67—L. juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), Aïn Kerma, sternite VII, dorsal view; 68—same, ventral view; 69—L. carinatum sp. nov., paratype, Bou Naceur, anal tube, dorsal view; 70—L. carinatum sp. nov., paratype, Bou Naceur, sternite VII, dorsal view.

FIGURES 71–77. Lethierium spp., ovipositor structure, 71–75—L. juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), Aïn Kerma, 76–77—L. cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), Ras el ma. 71—anal tube and gonoplac, dorsal view; 72, 76—gonapophyses IX and gonospiculum bridge, lateral view; 73—same, ventral view; 74—gonapophysis VIII; 75—apex of endogonocoxal lobe; 77—basement of gonapophyses IX and gonospiculum bridge, caudal view. Out of scale.