Diaphorina hagherensis, Malenovský & Burckhardt, 2014

Malenovský, Igor & Burckhardt, Daniel, 2014, Jumping plant-lice of Socotra Island (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 23-61 : 39-44

Diaphorina hagherensis sp. nov.

( Figs 44–48 , 56–62 )

Type locality. Yemen, central Socotra, Hagher mountains, wadi Madar, 12°33′12″N 54°00′24″E, 1180–1230 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 25 ).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( MMBC, dry-mounted, abdomen detached and stored in glycerin in a plastic vial pinned under the specimen), ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Al Haghier Mts. / wadi Madar , 1180–1230 m / 12°33.2′N, 54°00.4′E / J. Bezděk leg., 12-14.xi.2010 ’. PARATYPES: 1 ♀, same locality as the holotype but 1170 m, 18.vi.2012, swept from herbaceous vegetation in montane shrubland with dominant Cephalocroton socotranus , I. Malenovský leg. ( MMBC, dry-mounted); 1 ♀, central Socotra, Hagher mountains , Tudhen , 12°32′42″N 53°59′54″E, 1135 m, 22.vi.2012, swept from herbaceous vegetation in montane shrubland with dominant Commiphora planifrons , I. Malenovský leg. ( MMBC, slide-mounted); 1 ♂, same data ( NHMB, dry-mounted).

Description. Adult. Coloration ( Figs 44, 45 ). Head including genal processes, pronotum and mesoscutellum orange brown. Mesopraescutum, mesoscutum, metascutum and lateral sclerites of thorax slightly darker red brown with indistinct longitudinal brownish stripes on anterior part of mesopraescutum and dorsum of mesoscutum. Eyes grey.Antenna dirty yellow, segment 1 light brown, apices of segments 4, 6, 8 and entire segments 9, 10 dark brown to black. Legs with tibiae and basal tarsal segments dirty pale yellow, apical tarsal segments infuscate, pro- and mesofemur extensively dark brown on inner (posterior) side, metafemur ochreous, metacoxa largely dark brown with dirty pale yellow meracanthus. Forewing membrane opaque, off-white, with many small dark brown patches densely and irregularly scattered in basal three quarters of wing and a broad dark brown band in apical quarter leaving small light semioval patches medially in cells r 1, r 2, m 1, m 2 and cu 1 at wing margin; veins ochreous, M+Cu, M, R S and Cu 1a basally shortly dark brown, wing marginal vein with short dark brown sections at apices of R 1 and Cu 1b and ca. 11 sections in apical wing quarter at nearly regular intervals, costal and anal veins basally brownish ( Fig. 46 ). Hind wing hyaline, C+Sc vein dark brown.Abdomen with tergites dark brown, sternites lighter brown, terminalia ochreous.

Structure. Integument with coarse microsculpture, matt, covered with conspicuous, relatively long yellowish setae; particularly on head and thorax dorsum and forewings in females setae appear clavate due to waxy exudations. Head slightly inclined from longitudinal body axis. Vertex flat with one distinct fovea on each side of median suture; lateral ocelli lying in plane of vertex, frontal ocellus clearly visible in dorsal view. Genal processes distinctly shorter than vertex, about 0.75 times as long as vertex along midline, with strongly diverging inner margins, convex lateral margins and narrowly rounded apex ( Fig. 48 ). Eyes subglobular. Antenna ( Fig. 61 ) relatively short, about 0.8 as long as head width, with 10 segments; segments 3, 5, 6 nearly cylindrical, segments 4, 6 slightly, segment 8 strongly widening to apex; segment 3 longest, segments 4–7 each subequal in length, segment 8 shorter, about as long as segment 9; single circular rhinarium subapically on segments 4, 6, 8 and 9; rhinaria on segments 4 and 6 each associated with simple seta; segment 10 with terminal setae greatly differing in length: one short (ca. 0.02 mm), stout, and truncate, the other long (ca. 0.06 mm) and slender ( Fig. 62 ). Clypeus nearly flat, basally with few short inconspicuous setae; rostrum short, apical segment with two long setae. Metacoxa with relatively long, pointed meracanthus. Metatibia elongate, rugged basally but lacking genual spine, slightly widening to apex, with a crown of six dark sclerotised spurs apically. Metabasitarsus laterally bearing two dark sclerotised apical spurs. Forewing narrowly and asymmetrically pyriform, strongly diverging to apex, broadest in apical quarter; costal margin nearly straight in basal three quarters and slightly angulate in apical quarter, apex narrowly rounded, lying in cell r 2 close to R S apex; R S vein strongly sinuate ( Fig. 46 ); forewing membrane densely covered in small, somewhat star-shaped surface spinules which are irregularly arranged ca. 5 (3–8) μm apart in middle of cells and become smaller, simply radular and more densely arranged near veins and along wing apical margin; fore wing veins associated with conspicuous, relatively long setae which are inserted into membrane relatively wide apart from veins ( Fig. 47 ). Male subgenital plate with slightly sinuate dorsal margin and few sparse, moderately long setae postero-ventrally ( Fig. 56 ). Male proctiger relatively narrow, with small posterior lobes ( Fig. 56 ). Paramere, in lateral view, slightly clavate with apex strongly bent posteriorly; apex broadly rounded, bearing a small tooth on inner side; inner face covered with numerous long unsclerotised setae ( Fig. 57 ). Distal segment of aedeagus with a simple, obovate apical dilation, ductus ejaculatorius short and sinuate ( Fig. 58 ). Female terminalia with proctiger, in lateral view, with dorsal margin nearly straight, apex narrowly rounded; circumanal pore ring elliptic with two contiguous rows of pores; subgenital plate, in lateral view, with distinct hump at middle of its length ventrally, in apical half straight and narrowing to pointed apex ( Fig. 59 ); dorsal and ventral valvulae slightly curved ventrally, smooth, lacking any teeth ( Fig. 60 ).

Measurements (in mm). Male (n = 1, holotype, measured dry-mounted, except for terminalia): HW 0.45, AL 0.35, WL 1.40, WW 0.63, TL 0.35, MPL 0.26, PL 0.18, AEL 0.13. Female (n = 1): HW 0.44, AL 0.36, WL 1.43, WW 0.65, TL 0.35, FPL 0.42, SL 0.32. Ratios: AL/HW 0.78–0.82, WL/HW 3.11–3.25, WL/WW 2.20–2.22, TL/HW 0.78–0.80, MPL/HW 0.58, FPL/HW 0.95, FPL/SL 1.31.

Fifth instar immature unknown.

Differential diagnosis. From described Diaphorina species , D. hagherensis sp. nov. is perhaps most similar in general habitus, shape of the genal processes, shape of the forewing, presence of a continuous dark brown band along apical forewing margin, and shape of the female terminalia to D. luteola Loginova, 1978 , known from Sudan, mainland Yemen, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Palestine and Iran ( LOGINOVA 1978, BURCKHARDT & MIFSUD 1998, BURCKHARDT 2008). The latter species is, however, generally larger (WL = 1.62–1.90 mm) and paler in general body coloration as well as the forewing pattern; the dark band along apical wing margin is narrower (covering apical one fifth to seventh of wing) and less continuous (e.g. the light patch at apex of r 1 cell extends across R S vein into r 2 cell in many specimens) in D. luteola than in D. hagherensis sp. nov.; further differences include the shape of the male paramere which is nearly straight in D. luteola (figured in LOGINOVA 1978 and BURCKHARDT & MIFSUD 1998) but distinctly bent backwards in D. hagherensis sp. nov. Similar form of the genal processes, female terminalia and forewing pattern is probably also present in D. heslopharrisoni Loginova, 1978 and D. cluytiaria Loginova, 1978 described from Ethiopia; both species are, however, much larger in general size (FW> 2.8 mm in D. heslopharrisoni and 4.0 mm in D. cluytiaria ; LOGINOVA 1978) than D. hagherensis sp. nov. From species currently known from Socotra, D. hagherensis sp. nov. is most similar to D. elegans which is different mainly in the forewing shape and pattern (see the key below).

Etymology. Derived from the Hagher mountains in central Socotra where the type series was collected; adjective.

Host plant and biology. Unknown. Adult specimens of the type series were swept from grassland patches (herb layer) within a species-rich montane shrubland vegetation but could not be associated with any definite host plant.

Occurrence in Socotra. Found only in two small localities in the Hagher mountains within the montane shrubland zone dominated by Cephalocroton socotranus Balf. f., Croton sulcifructus Balf. f. and Commiphora planifrons (Balf.f.) Engl. but with small open (grazing) places with fresh to moderately humid grassland ( Fig. 25 ).

Distribution. So far only known from the Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs 44–48. Diaphorina hagherensis sp. nov., adult. 44 – habitus, lateral view; 45 – habitus, dorsal view; 46 – forewing; 47 – detail of forewing membrane in cell m1 at M-fork; 48 – head, dorsal view.

Figs 56–62. Diaphorina hagherensis sp. nov., adult. 56 – male terminalia, outer lateral view; 57 – paramere, lateral view, inner face; 58 – distal segment of aedeagus, lateral view; 59 – female terminalia, lateral view, with detail of circumanal ring structure; 60 – detail of dorsal and apex of ventral valvulae, lateral view; 61 – antenna; 62 – antennal segments 9 and 10.

Figs 23–26. Habitats of Diaphorina spp. in Socotra. 23 – montane evergreen woodland in Skand area, Hagher Mts., with a Carissa spinarum tree in foreground (centre): type locality of D. caliginosa sp. nov. 24 – detail of a Carissa spinarum twig, host plant of D. caliginosa sp. nov. 25 – montane shrubland with open grassland patches in wadi Madar, Hagher Mts.: type locality of D. hagherensis sp. nov. 26 – open dry woodland on limestone plateau near Firmihin with a Lycium sokotranum shrub in foreground:habitat and host plant of D. elegans Burckhardt & Mifsud, 1998. Photographs by I. Malenovský (23, 24) and P. Kment (25, 26).