Plea cryptica Raupach, Charzinksi & Hendrich, 2024

Cianferoni, Fabio & Dia, Aref, 2025, Annotated catalogue and checklist of Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha, and Leptopodomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Lebanon, with new records, Zootaxa 5725 (1), pp. 1-54 : 33-35

Plea cryptica Raupach, Charzinksi & Hendrich, 2024

Plea minutissima (Fabricius) [sic!]: Giglio-Tos (1894: 11), “ Beirut ”. Misidentification (verified).

Material examined. Published records: “ Beirut ”, [ 11.VII.1893], [ E. Festa leg.], [ E. Giglio-Tos det.] as Plea minutissima (Fabr.) [sic!], F. Cianferoni revid., 11 ♂♂ ( Figs. 9a,b ; 10a–v ), 6 ♀♀, 3 V instar nypmphs, MRSN .

Survey material: Basin of Litani: Nabaa el Hjaïr, 6.IX.2005, 1 ♂ ( Figs. 9c,d,e ; 10w,x ), CFC .

Extralimital material examined. Plea cryptica . New records: ARMENIA: Ararat Province, Khor Virap Marsh , channel, 817 m a.s.l., 39.88750°N 44.57992°E ( WGS84 ; uncertainty = 20 m), F. Cianferoni & F. Graziani leg., F. Cianferoni det., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10y,z ), CNRF , 1 ♂, CFG . GREECE: Epirus, Preveza, Louros River at Flamboura , 39°03’N 20°46’E, 2.VI.2015, F. Terzani, S. Rocchi & A. Bandinelli leg., F. Cianferoni det., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 α,β), CFC . ITALY: Umbria, Perugia Province, Lake Trasimeno , 22.IX.1967, N. Sanfilippo leg., F. Cianferoni det., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 γ,δ), CNS .

Plea minutissima minutissima . Published records: GREECE: Cephalonia Island, Tzanata , unnamed east lake, 60 m a.s.l., 38.13299° N 20.75431° E ( WGS84 ; uncertainty = 80 m), 23.VII.2018, F. Cianferoni, F. Graziani & F. Ceccolini leg., F. Cianferoni det. & revid., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 ε,ζ), CFC ( Cianferoni 2019) . ITALY: Tuscany, Capraia Island, Vado a [=stream at] l’Aghiale , 100 m a.s.l., 20.V.2011, F. Terzani & S. Rocchi leg., F. Terzani det., F. Cianferoni det. & revid., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 ξ,π), CFT ( Cianferoni et al. 2013) . Lazio, Acquapendente ( Viterbo), Monte Rufeno Natural Reserve , troscia delle [=pond of the] Pianacce , 265 m a.s.l., 4.VII.2011, F. Cianferoni, G. Mazza, S. Rocchi, F. Terzani & G. Orioli leg., F. Cianferoni det. & revid., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 η,θ), CFC ( Mazza et al. 2012) . New records: ITALY : Tuscany, Rignano sull’Arno ( Firenze), San Donato in Collina , pond near the Passo di [=pass of] Fontesanta , 575 m a.s.l., 10.V.2009, F. Cianferoni, G. Principi, F. Zinetti & D. Samancıoğlu leg., F. Cianferoni det. & revid., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 λ,μ), CFC . Sicily, “Bosco della Ficuzza, Rocca Busambra, Bosco del Cappelliere e Gorgo del Drago” Natural Reserve, Bosco del (= Forest of the) Cappelliere , artificial basin, 675 m a.s.l., 37.92533°N 13.40180°E ( WGS84 ; uncertainty = 3 m), F. Cianferoni leg. & det., 1 ♂ ( Fig. 10 φ,ψ), CFC .

General distribution. Plea cryptica is known so far for Central Europe (from the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland proceeding eastwards), Southern Europe (from continental Italy towards the east), Balkans, Middle East ( Lebanon), Caucasus ( Armenia), Eastern Europe (European part of Russia), and Western Siberia ( Raupach et al. 2024; Prokin & Sazhnev 2025; present contribution).

Remarks. Plea cryptica has been recently described, after having been confused for more than two centuries with the close P. m. minutissima Leach, 1817 . The two species are extremely similar. In addition to molecular approaches, morphologically the only reliable character to separate them seems to be the shape of the male parameres ( Raupach et al. 2024).

Through the study of material from different countries it was possible to make further observations.

We confirm the possibility of a realiable morphological distinction of male specimens. The differences are subtle, but clear and costant. However, we suggest always making the separation by direct comparison with both parameres and both species.

Especially through the complete study of the good series of specimens from Beirut ( Lebanon) collected by E. Festa in 1893, we had the opportunity to detect a certain variability even within a single population. Therefore, it is always advisable to observe more specimens when possible.

Parameres are three-dimensional structures and can be more or less bent. Therefore, curvature and threedimensionality contribute to explain part of the observed differences. This happens when comparing three-dimensional pieces that are more or less folded and curved on themselves, when they are observed, for example, on a slide and rendered through a two-dimensional image (see Cianferoni & Ceccolini 2024 for a more in-depth discussion on this topic). For example, more curved parameres (especially in the case of the right paramere) appear stockier, but they are not necessarily shorter than others.

Here the first country records of P. cryptica for Lebanon (previous misidentifications with P. minutissima by Giglio-Tos 1894), Armenia and Italy are provided. The occurrence of P. m. minutissima in Greece (Cephalonia Island) and Italy (peninsular mainland, Capraia Island and Sicily) is also confirmed. All records of Plea spp. prior to the contribution by Rapuach et al. (2024) or in any case not verified through the study of the parameres and/or molecular confirmation require verification.

The records of P. m. minutissima for Anatolia and Armenia by Raupach et al. (2024), each based on a single specimen and identified only morphologically, seem doubtful. This is mainly based on the distribution records observed so far (the two species appear to be sympatric only in a limited latitudinal band where the ranges of the two species overlap) and after the new record of P. cryptica in Armenia. Also the recent records of P. m. minutissima from Armenia and Georgia by Berchi et al. (2023) require revision since prior to the description of P. cryptica .

The need to use the nominotypical subspecies for P. minutissima is due to the upgrade to subspecies (without further explanation) of Plea minutissima f. tassilii Poisson, 1953 by Stichel (1955). The validity and eventual status of this taxon, P. minutissima tassili (see Poisson 1953), urge to be assessed.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Plea cryptica Raupach, Charzinksi & Hendrich, 2024 from Lebanon. Habitus variability: males from Beirut collected by E. Festa in 1893 (a, b) and male from Nabaa el Hjaïr collected by A. Dia in 2005 (c); scale bar = 1 mm. Right (d) and left (e) paramere of the male from Nabaa el Hjaïr; scale bar 100 µm. Photos by F. Cianferoni.

FIGURE 10. Parameres of Plea cryptica Raupach, Charzinksi & Hendrich, 2024 andP.m. minutissima Leach, 1817. Explanation in the plate; for additional information see the examined material under P.cryptica; abbreviations:right (R) and left (L) paramere. Scale bar 100 µm. Original drawings by F. Cianferoni.