Macropsis elaeagni Emelyanov, 1964

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2015, Taxonomic study of Central Asian species of the genus Macropsis Lewis, 1836 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae). III: Descriptions of two new willow-dwelling species, new synonym, annotated check-list, and key to species, Zootaxa 3985 (1), pp. 31-52 : 37-39

Macropsis elaeagni Emelyanov, 1964

Figs. 66–79, 89–104

Macropsis cyanescens Dubovskiy, 1966: 99 , syn. n.

Description. Body pale greenish, of exactly same color as young twigs and leaf underside of host, oleaster ( Elaeagnus spp.) ( Fig. 126 ).

Abdominal apodemes of 2nd tergite in male wide, with subquadrate lobes, separated by narrow notch, sometimes with tips touching each other. Sternal apodemes of similar shape, but slightly narrower and separated by oval notch (Fig. 66).

Pygofer processes of typical shape, almost straight or slightly sinuate. Penis in side view narrow, evenly curved, proximal part (before bend) same length or somewhat shorter than distal part (Figs. 67–71, 76). Styles with short and slightly blunted tips (Figs. 72–75, 77–79). 2nd valvulae of ovipositor with 3–5 preapical teeth.

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 3.3–3.7 mm; ♀, 3.9–4.3 mm.

Diagnosis. Differs from poplar- and willow-feeding Macropsis species by narrow penis in side view. Differs from other Palaearctic Macropsis species by pale greenish coloration and unmarked head, pro- and mesonotum. Superficially similar to M. elaeagnicola Dubovskiy, 1966 , but differs from it by short and wide 2nd abdominal apodemes (longer and narrower in M. elaeagnicola , Figs. 80–84), blunted style tips (elongated and pointed in M. elaeagnicola , Figs. 87–88), larger size (♂, 3.0– 3.3 mm; ♀, 3.6–3.9 mm in M. elaeagnicola ), and calling signal pattern.

Host. Elaeagnus spp.

Calling signal. Signal is a succession of repeated syllables lasting for about 1- 1.5 s each ( Figs. 89–94 ). Typically, each syllable includes a train of pulses followed by several discrete ones ( Figs. 95–104 ). Both shape and duration of syllables can vary even within the same signal ( Figs. 90, 96–97 ) or in the males from the same sample ( Figs. 91, 98–100 ). Signals of males resembling M. cyanescens in genitalia traits do not differ from the signals of typical M. elaeagni .

Material examined. Kazakhstan, environs of Almaty, foothills of Zailiyskiy Alatau Mtn. Ridge, from Elaeagnus angustifolia , 2. VII. 1994, calling signals of 3 ♂ recorded on disk at 31o C ( Figs. 90, 96–97 ); Kyrgyzstan, foothills of Chatkal Mtn. Range, 30 km North-East of Kerben Town, from Elaeagnus sp., 9. VII. 2009, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded on disk at 21–22o C ( Figs. 91, 98–100 ); Kyrgyzstan, foothills of Ferghana Mtn. Range, ca. 15 km North-East of Bazar-Korgon Town, from Elaeagnus sp., 11. VII. 2009, calling signals of 3 ♂ recorded on disk at 20–22o C ( Figs. 92, 101–102 ); South-Western Kyrgyzstan, Kara-Bulak Village, 20 km East of Isfana Town, from Elaeagnus sp., 13. VII. 2014, calling signals of 2 ♂ recorded on disk at 30o C ( Figs. 89, 95 ).

Calling signals of males from Moscow ( Figs. 94, 104 ), Crimea (Kerch Peninsula), Caucasian Riviera (12 km South of Anapa), Chechnya (env. Grozny), and South Urals (Guberlya Mts. 25 km West of Orsk, Figs. 93, 103 ) and specimens from about 40 localities in Ukraine, Lower Volga Region, West Siberia (Kulunda Plain), North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (including several localities on South-Western border of Ferghana Valley), Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan were also studied.

Distribution. Natural range of this species apparently includes Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Was introduced to Europe with its host plant.

Remarks. M. cyanescens was described from Ferghana Valley and foothills in its South-Western part. According to the original description ( Dubovskiy, 1966), it differs from closely related M. elaeagni by longer penis with elongate apex, styles expanded in preapical part, and rather long pygofer processes (Figs. 62–63, M. elaeagni sensu Dubovskiy, 1966 and 64–65, M. cyanescens sensu Dubovskiy, 1966 ). We failed to find differences in pygofer process length between samples of specimens from different localities in Central Asia. Males with a more or less expanded preapical part of the styles were found almost in every population along with typical M. elaeagni (e.g. Figs. 72–75, males from Kara-Bulak, South Kyrgyzstan or 78–79, males from Ferghana Mtn. Range, 15 km North- East of Bazar-Korgon). Males with different penis shape also can be found in every sufficiently large sample from Southern Kyrgyzstan (Figs. 67–71). In addition, occasionally the combination of expanded styles (as in M. cyanescens ) and rather short penis (as in M. elaeagni sensu Dubovskiy, 1966 ) can be found in the same male (Figs. 76–77). 2nd abdominal apodemes in all males have the shape characteristic of M. elaeagni (Fig. 66) irrespective of genitalia shape. Also, in calling signal pattern all males investigated fall into M. elaeagni . On this basis we establish the synonymy of M. cyanescens Dubovskiy, 1966 under M. elaeagni Emelyanov, 1964 .

Figures

FIGURES 105 – 128. Macropsis spp., lateral view.

FIGURES 89 – 104. Macropsis elaeagni Em., oscillograms of calling signals of males from different localities. 89, 95 ― Kara- Bulak East of Isfana, South Kyrgyzstan; 90, 96 – 97 ― Almaty, Kazakhstan, (96 – 97 ― syllables of different shape from the same signal); 91, 98 – 100 ― Chatkal Mtn. Range, 30 km North-East of Kerben, Kyrgyzstan (98 – 100 ― syllables of different duration in the males from the same sample); 92, 101 – 102 ― Ferghana Mtn. Range, North-East of Bazar-Korgon, Kyrgyzstan; 93, 103 ― Guberlya River, South Urals, Russia; 94, 104 ― Moscow, ornamental Elaeagnus angustifolia. Faster oscillograms of the parts of signals indicated as “ 95 – 104 ” are given under the same numbers.