Opsius wilsoni El-Sonbati, 2020

El-Sonbati, Saad A., Wilson, Michael R. & Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2020, The Tamarix feeding Leafhopper genus Opsius Fieber, 1866 (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae, Opsiini) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with description of a new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 67 (1), pp. 1-12 : 1

Opsius wilsoni El-Sonbati sp. nov. Figs 19-22 , 35-37 , 50-52 , 70-74

Description.

In addition to generic characters, with the following characteristics.

Coloration. General coloration light yellow whitish, greenish brown, with black punctation on forewings (Figs 19-22 ). Face and vertex yellowish. Pronotum with light yellow anterior margin, and with light green posterior margin. Scutellum light yellow whitish. Forewings greenish brown, with scattered black punctation, transparent at the outer edge, with brownish apical and subapical cells, with some dense brown stripes inside. Legs yellow with brown setal areolae, apices of tarsomeres and claws from brown to dark brown.

Head. Head slightly wider than pronotum. Crown parallel in length, slightly more than two times the width of compound eye, with tiny median groove, with round apex. Ocelli on crown posterad of anterior margin and close to eyes. Gena slightly incised with small projection. Antenna short, near upper corner of eye. Antennal ledge weakly carinate. Frontoclypeus anterodorsal part inflated, posteroventral part not inflated, shorter than wide, with fine erect seta on gena close to lateral frontal suture. Lateral frontal suture reaching ocellus, shorter than clypeogenal suture, toward middle of ocelli, ratio of frontoclypeal loral suture to clypellar loral suture more than ⅓. Lorum extended nearly to genal margin, wider than clypellus at base. Clypellar suture complete and arcuate. Clypellus, not inflated, expanded apically ovoid, not protruding the curve of gena, straight or convex apically.

Thorax. Pronotum wider than long, with convex anterior margin and concave posterior margin, short lateral margin, more than two times the length of vertex, about two times as long as scutellum. Scutellum wider than long.

Wings. Macropterous, forewings more than three times as long as wide, appendix restricted to anal margin, without reflexed costal veins, with A veins gently curved distally, A1 crossvein absent, A1-A2 crossvein absent, two closed anteapical cells, inner anteapical cell open. Hind wings not visible, submarginal vein complete.

Legs. Profemur and mesofemur inflated. Profemur row AM with AM1, profemur with two dorsoapical setae; intercalary row with eight fine scattered setae gradually reduced apically; AV row with numerous long setae. Protibia dorsal margin rounded, AD row with one macrosetae, PD row with four macrosetae, AV row with numerous macrosetae, PV row with 1-4 macrosetae. Mesofemur AV row with numerous setae, two dorsoapical seta, short and reduced. Metafemur setal formula 2+2+1, setae of penultimate pair set close to each other. Metatibia arched throughout its length, PD row with long and short macrosetae alternating or subequal in length, AD row with macrosetae and one smaller intercalary seta between each pair, AV row with numerous macrosetae and extending nearly to base, gradually increasing in size apically. Protarsomere and mesotarsomere I length shorter than tarsomeres II and III combined. Metatarsomere I length equal or slightly shorter to tarsomeres II and III combined.

Male genitalia. Pygofer slightly angled mid-posteriorly (Fig. 70 ); subgenital plates with gradually tapered apex (Fig. 50 ); connective linear (Fig. 52 ); apodemes narrow, extending to the apex of second abdomen segments, apodeme width three times as distance between each apodeme, posterior margin a cute rounded externally and gradually tapered internally (Fig. 71 ); aedeagus with only dorsal process, both curved or bent inward at mid-length, aedeagal shafts with diverging branches, ratio of distance between two shafts at mid-length to tip length 1/3, bent inward at mid-length, as long as basal process, two times as wide as basal process, basal process extending narrow to shafts branches, pointed; phallobase not inflated (Figs 35 , 36 ).

Female genitalia. Female 7th sternite 1.5 times as broad at base as long medially, posterior margin with median lobe-like projection with V-shaped notch in middle, posterolateral angles conically rounded, narrowed (Fig. 72 ); first valvula convex; second valvula gradually tapered apically with rather small and serrate tooth on dorsal surface (Figs 73 , 74 ).

Measurement.

♂ 3.1 mm; ♀, 3.4 mm; pygofer, 0.47 mm; valve, 0.25 mm; subgenital plate, 0.50 mm; style, 0.21 mm; connective, 0.26 mm; apodemes, 0.28 mm; aedeagus to process, 0.20 mm; aedeagus to shaft, 0.19 mm; distance at top of aedeagal shafts, 0.09 mm; distance at mid-length of aedeagal shafts, 0.03 mm; female 7th sternite, 0.81 mm.

Type specimens.

Holotype ♂, KSA: Jazan, Wadi Jazan: 17°05.58'N, 043°02.17'E, 158 m, vacuum, 16.III.2014, El-Sonbati, S. (KSMA). Paratypes: 7♀8♂, same locality as Holotype; 1♀, KSA: Jazan, Fifa, Al Absia: 17°28.85'N, 043°14.30'E, VC, 20.III.2014, El-Sonbati, S. A.; 1♂, KSA: Najran, Hubuna, Wadi Hubuna: 17°55.40'N, 044°24.47'E, 1244, beating, 14.I.2013, Ansi, A.; Rasool, I.; Khan, S. (KSMA); 6♀3♂, Asir, Abha, Al-Hubail, Wadi Reem, 9.II.2016, vacuum, 18°06.98'N, 042°13.94'E, 451 m, A. Ansi (NMWC).

Distribution.

Saudi Arabia (Jazan, Wadi Jazan; Jazan, Fifa, Al Absia, Najran, Hubuna, Wadi Hubuna) (present study) (Figs 75 , 76 ).

Ecology and biology.

Opsius wilsoni appeared to reach peak abundance in March. Most specimens were collected from Tamarix spp. (Figs 77-79 ) by using a vacuum device.

Diagnosis.

Females and males of O. wilsoni can be recognized by a slightly incised gena with small projection. Additionally, males can be distinguished by aedeagal shafts with diverging branches at apex, ratio of distance between two shafts at mid-length to tip length 1/3, bent inward at mid-length.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Dr Michael R. Wilson, Department of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

Figures

Figures 1 - 22. Habitus of Opsius spp. 1 - 4. O. heydeni (Lethierry), ♂, 1. dorsal view; 2. lateral view; 3. dorsal view of head and thorax; 4. face; 5 - 8. O. richteri Dlabola, ♂, 5. dorsal view; 6. lateral view; 7. dorsal view of head and thorax; 8. face; 9 - 12. O. scutellaris (Lethierry), ♂, 9. dorsal view; 10. lateral view; 11. dorsal view of head and thorax; 12. face; 13 - 18. O. versicolor (Distant), ♂, 13. dorsal view; 14. lateral view; 15. dorsal view of head and thorax; 16. face; 17. ♀, dorsal view; 18. ♀, dorsal view of head and thorax; 19 - 22. O. wilsoni sp. nov., ♂, 19. dorsal view; 20. lateral view; 21. dorsal view of head and thorax; 22. face.

Figures 23 - 37. Male genital structures of Opsius spp. 23 - 25. O. heydeni (Lethierry). 23. Aedeagus dorsal view; 24. Lateral view; 25. Style; 26 - 28. O. richteri Dlabola. 26. Aedeagus dorsal view, 27. Lateral view; 28. Style; 29 - 31. O. scutellaris (Lethierry). 29. Aedeagus dorsal view, 30. Lateral view; 31. Style; 32 - 34. O. versicolor (Distant). 32. Aedeagus dorsal view, 33. Lateral view; 34. Style; 35 - 37. O. wilsoni sp. nov. 35. Aedeagus dorsal view, 36. Lateral view; 37. Style.

Figures 38 - 52. Male genital structures of Opsius spp. 38 - 40. O. heydeni (Lethierry). 38. Subgenital plate, 39. Valve; 40. Connective; 41 - 43. O. richteri Dlabola. 41. Subgenital plate, 42. Valve; 43. Connective; 44 - 46. O. scutellaris (Lethierry). 44. Subgenital plate, 45. Valve; 46. Connective; 47 - 49. O. versicolor (Distant). 47. Subgenital plate. 48. Valve; 49. Connective; 50 - 52. O. wilsoni sp. nov. 50. Subgenital plate, 51. Valve; 52. Connective.

Figures 53 - 74. Male / Female genital structures of Opsius spp. 53 - 57. O. heydeni (Lethierry). 53. ♂, Pygofer, 54. ♂, Apodeme; 55. ♀, 7 th sternite; 56 - 57. ♀, Ovipositor. 58 - 62. O. richteri Dlabola. 58. ♂, Pygofer, 59. ♂, Apodeme; 60. ♀, 7 th sternite; 61, 62. ♀, Ovipositor. 63, 64. O. scutellaris (Lethierry). 63. ♂, Pygofer, 64. ♂, Apodeme; 65 - 69. O. versicolor (Distant). 65. ♂, Pygofer, 66. ♂, Apodeme; 67. ♀, 7 th sternite; 68, 69. ♀, Ovipositor. 70 - 74. O. wilsoni sp. nov. 70. ♂, Pygofer, 71. ♂, Apodeme; 72. ♀, 7 th sternite; 73, 74. ♀, Ovipositor.

Figures 75 - 79. 75, 76. Distribution of Opsius spp. 75. World distribution (point indicates presence in the country). 76. Local distribution; 77 - 79. Habitats of Opsius spp. 77. Locality: Muzahimiyah, Al Khararah: 24 ° 24.35 ' N, 46 ° 14.67 ' E; 78. Locality: Abha, Sad Abha: 18 ° 19.32 ' N, 42 ° 31.00 ' E; 79. Type locality: Jazan, Wadi Jazan: 17 ° 01.275 ' N, 42 ° 59.187 ' E.