Sahlbergotettix salicicola ( Flor, 1861 )

Tishechkin, Dmitri Yu., 2018, Contributions to the study of Idiocerinae (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) of Central Asia with notes on synonymy, Zootaxa 4446 (4), pp. 541-554 : 545-547

Sahlbergotettix salicicola ( Flor, 1861)

Figs. 6–8 , 42–43 , 48 –85

Idiocerus salicicola FlOr, 1861: 163

Sahlbergotettix salicicola ( FlOr, 1861) ; DlabOla, 1974: 65

Sahlbergotettix mesasiaticus DubOvskiy, 1966: 111 –112 (synOnymy by Anufriev, 1978: 35)

Idiocerus fulvius DlabOla, 1967: 15 –16 (synOnymy by Anufriev, 1978: 35)

Material examined. 1. Southern Kazakhstan, southern part of Syrdarya Karatau Mtn. Range, the mouth of Sayasay Gorge (W of the Biylikol Lake), from Salix sp., 1 ♂ (locality No. 2 on Fig. 1 ).

2. Southern Kazakhstan, western bank of the Ili River ca. 45 km downstream from Bakanas, environs of Akzhar Village, 15. VI. 2017, from Salix sect. Helix , 2 ♂; calling signals of 1 ♂ recorded on flash-card at 33 o C (locality No. 3 on Fig. 1 ).

3. South-Eastern Kazakhstan, ca. 45 km NE of Sarkand Village, Lepsy River at the exit from the gorge to the plain, 19. VI. 2017, from Salix sect. Helix , 1 ♂ (locality No. 4 on Fig. 1 ).

4. Kyrgyzstan, West Tien Shan , foothills of Chatkal Mtn. Range, environs of Ala-Buka Village (25 km SW of Kerben = Karavan Town), from S. niedzwieckii , 20. VII. 2011, 2 ♂, 1 ♀ (locality No. 5 on Fig. 2 ).

5. Kyrgyzstan, West Tien Shan, Chatkal Mtn. Range, Sary-Chelek Biosphere Nature Reserve, environs of Arkyt Village, from Salix wilhelmsiana and S. niedzwieckii on the bank of the Khodzha-Ata River, 17–21. VII. 2008, 6 ♂, 13 ♀; from S. alba , 16. VII. 2009, 1 ♂, 2 ♀; from S. niedzwieckii , 18. VII. 2011, 1 ♂ (locality No. 6 on Fig. 2 ).

6. Kyrgyzstan, West Tien Shan , foothills of Chatkal Mtn. Range, environs of Ak-Jol Village 25 km N of Tash-Kumyr, from S. tenuijulus , 12. VII. 2009, 1 ♀ (locality No. 7 on Fig. 2 ).

7. Kyrgyzstan, the Lower Naryn River Basin , the Kara-Suu River 15–20 km upstream from Kara-Kul Town, from S. niedzwieckii , 5. VII. 2011, 2 ♂, 2 ♀ (locality No. 9 on Fig. 2 ).

8. Kyrgyzstan, West Tien Shan, foothills of Ferghana Mtn. Range, the Kara-Unkur River Valley in the environs of Kyrghyz-Gava Village (ca. 25 km NNW of Jalal-Abad), from Salix sect. Helix , 10. VII. 2009, 5 ♂ (locality No. 10 on Fig. 2 ).

9. Kyrgyzstan, Alay Mtn. Range, the Kurshab River Valley ca. 10 km NW of Gul’cha Town, 5. VII. 2014, from S. wilhelmsiana , 1 ♂, from S. alba , 2 ♂, 1 ♀ from Salix sp. (locality No. 13 on Fig. 2 ).

10. Kyrgyzstan, Central Tien Shan, the Dzhumgal River Valley East of Chaek, 2. VII. 2013, from Salix sect. Helix , 1 ♂ (locality No. 14 on Fig. 2 ).

Taxonomic notes and description. The genus Sahlbergotettix Zachvatkin, 1953 was described in the collection of partially unfinished manuscripts published after the death of the author ( Zakhvatkin, 1953). Since the original paper was published in Russian, below we give an English translation of the description.

“Nominotypical species of the genus – Idiocerus salicicola Flor, 1861 . Distinctly differs from the genus Idiocerus , with which it was confused until now, by the absence of closed radial cell on forewing (for this reason there are only two radial cells), complete [sic!] reduction of genital plates in males and by a number of traits in leg chaetotaxy. In addition to nominotypical species, this genus includes several still undescribed forms from Siberia and Central Asia” ( Zakhvatkin, 1953: 213).

Later, Hamilton (1980) lowered the rank of Sahlbergotettix and treated it as a subgenus of Idiocerus .

Dubovskiy (1966) published an illustrated description of S. mesasiaticus Dubovskiy, 1966 based on numerous specimens from Ferghana Valley and adjacent mountains, but he did not compare this species with S. salicicola . One year later Dlabola (1967) described Idiocerus fulvius Dlabola, 1967 from Northern Mongolia; judging by original description, this species belongs to the genus Sahlbergotettix . In the keys to Auchenorrhyncha of Kazakhstan Mityaev (1971) lists only S. salicicola . Later in the list of Auchenorrhyncha of Kazakhstan he records S. salicicola from forest-steppes, steppes and mountains and S. mesasiaticus from the river valleys of South and South-eastern Kazakhstan ( Mityaev, 2002).

In the monograph on leafhoppers ( Cicadellidae ) of Primorsky Krai Anufriev (1978: 35) established the synonymy S. salicicola ( Flor, 1861) = S. mesasiaticus Dubovskiy, 1966 = Idiocerus fulvius Dlabola, 1967 “based on careful study of descriptions and their comparison with specimens from European part of the USSR, Mongolia, Amur Oblast, and Primorsky Krai”. In his book he gives drawings of a specimen from European Russia (reproduced as Figs. 48 and 57–60) and notes that this species is rare in Primorsky Krai.

In the section on Idiocerinae in the keys to insects of the Russian Far East, V.V. Isaev ( Anufriev & Emeljanov, 1988: 62) lists only one Sahlbergotettix species, S. fulvius ( Dlabola, 1967) occurring in Mongolia, Amur Oblast, and Primorsky Krai; he notes, that the total number of species of Sahlbergotettix on the territory of the USSR “apparently to be 4–5”. However, shortly thereafter, he stopped his studies and did not publish any further data on this genus. Also, it should be clarified that the authors of the section on Auchenorrhyncha in the title of this monograph are Anufriev and Emeljanov; Isaev is listed as an author of the keys to Idiocerinae only in a footnote in the beginning of the respective section.

The drawings of male abdominal apodemes and genitalia of S. salicicola are given in Anufriev (1978) and Ossiannilsson (1981) (reproduced as Figs. 48–49 and 57–63, respectively); the drawings of these structures of S. fulvius can be found in Dlabola (1967; reproduced as Figs. 50 and 64–66) and Anufriev & Emeljanov (1988; reproduced as Figs. 67–69). On the other hand, drawings of penis and style of S. mesasiaticus are available only in the original description (reproduced as Figs. 70–72). For this reason, below we give a more detailed description of this form based on the material from Kyrgyzstan and Southern and South-eastern Kazakhstan.

Brown or yellowish brown with blurred spots on head and pronotum ( Figs. 6–8 ). Mesonotum light yellowish or yellowish brown, as a rule with dark triangular spots in side angles. Forewings transparent, veins brownish or yellowish. Females usually lighter than males.

Apodemes of 2nd abdominal sternite in male longer than their width at base, usually separated by wide notch, with tips rounded, occasionally somewhat expanded and bent inwards ( Figs. 51–56 ). Apodemes of 3rd abdominal tergite wide, with parallel inner margins, separated by narrow notch. The length of apodemes varies between males from the same locality ( Figs. 51–53 ) and, occasionally, even in the same male ( Fig. 52 ). Apodemes of all specimens on figures in the works of other authors ( Figs. 48–50 ) fall into variation range of studied males from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Preapical processes of penis more or less bent forward in side view, the angle between stem and processes both in side and back view varies even between males from the same locality (Figs. 73–76 and 79–82). Style with single regular row of setae or with several additional setae at tip; both variations can be found in males from the same locality (Figs. 77–78 and 83–85). Genitalia shape shown in figures in other works also fall into variation range of males from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Body length (including tegmina): ♂, 4.1–4.6 mm; ♀, 4.4–4.7 mm.

Thus, we failed to found any diagnostic characters for distinguishing specimens from Europe (described as S. salicicola ), Central Asia (described as S. mesasiaticus ), and Mongolia and the Far East (described as S. fulvius ). For this reason we share the opinion of Anufriev (1978) and regard all these forms as conspecific.

Calling signals. Male calling signal is a phrase consisting of several syllables with complex temporal pattern ( Figs. 42–43 ). One or two initial syllables in a phrase have lower amplitude and simpler pattern than the following ones.

Distribution. Transpalaearctic, but rare and sporadic in Europe, Siberia, and the Far East. On the contrary, common in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan on various willow species along river valleys in the plains, foothills, and low mountains.

FIGURES 14–35. Populicerus ambigenus . 14, 17, 24, 26, and 28–29―penis, lateral vieW; 15, 18, 25, 27, and 30–32―same, back view; 16, 19, and 20–23―styles; 33―apodemes of the 1 st sternum , 34―same, 2nd sternum, 35―same, 3rd tergum. 14– 16― P. ambigenus , after DubOvskiy (1966); 17–19― P. tenellus , after DubOvskiy (1966); 20–21 and 28–35―males frOm the same sample from Abshirsay Gorge (loc. 12 on Fig. 2 ); 22 and 24–25―male from the Dzhumgal River Valley (loc. 14 on Fig. 2 ), signals recorded; 23 and 26–27―male from the Kurshab River Valley (loc. 13 on Fig. 2 ), signals recorded.

Figures

FIGURES 3–13. IdiOcerinae, dOrsal vieW (3–8 and 10–13) and face (9). 3–5―Populicerus ambigenus (3–4―male, 5―female); 6–8―Sahlbergotettix salicicola (6―male, 7–8―female); 10–13―Idiocerus bilituratus (9–11―male, 12– 13―female).

FIGURES 36–47. OscillOgrams Of male calling signals Of IdiOcerinae. 36–41―Populicerus ambigenus; 42– 43―Sahlbergotettix salicicola; 44–47―Idiocerus bilituratus. Faster OscillOgrams Of the parts Of signals indicated as “38–41”, “43”, and “46–47” are given under the same numbers.

FIGURES 48–56. Sahlbergotettix salicicola, abdominal apodemes; above―1 st and 2 nd abdOminal sterna, belOW―2 nd and 3 rd abdominal terga. 48―european male, after Anufriev (1978); 49―same, after Ossiannilsson (1981); 50― Idiocerus fulvius, after DlabOla (1967), mOdified; 51–53―males from Arkyt, Chatkal Mtn. Range (loc. 6 on Fig. 2); 54―male from Ala-Buka, Chatkal Mtn. Range (loc. 5 on Fig. 2); 55―male from the Ili Valley, Southern Kazakhstan (loc. 3 on Fig. 1), signals recorded; 56―male frOm the Lepsy Valley, SOuth-eastern Kazakhstan (lOc. 4 On Fig. 1).

FIGURES 1–2. Maps Of lOcalities in Russia and Kazakhstan (1) and in Kyrgyzstan (2), Where the materials Were cOllected. 1―Russia, Dosang Railway Station 60 km North of Astrakhan; 2―Kazakhstan, southern part of the Syrdarya Karatau Mtn. Range, the mouth of Sayasay Gorge; 3―Kazakhstan, western bank of the Ili River ca. 45 km downstream from Bakanas, environs of Akzhar Village; 4―Kazakhstan, ca. 45 km NE of Sarkand Village, the Lepsy River at the exit from the gorge to the plain; 5―Kyrgyzstan, foothills of Chatkal Mtn. Range, environs of Ala-Buka Village; 6―Kyrgyzstan, Chatkal Mtn. Range, Sary-Chelek Biosphere Nature Reserve, environs of Arkyt Village; 7―Kyrgyzstan, foothills of Chatkal Mtn. Range, environs of Ak-Jol village 25 km N of Tash-Kumyr; 8―Kyrgyzstan, foothills of Ferghana Mtn. Range, the Aksu River Gorge on the left bank of the Lower Naryn River opposite to Tash-Kumyr Town; 9―Kyrgyzstan, basin of the Lower Naryn River, the Kara-Suu River 15–20 km upstream from Kara-Kul Town; 10―Kyrgyzstan, foothills of Ferghana Mtn. Range, the Kara-Unkur River Valley in the environs of Kyrghyz-Gava Village; 11―Kyrgyzstan, northern slopes of Turkestan Mtn. Range, the Layli-Mazar River Valley 2–3 km upstream from the source of the Laylyak River; 12―Kyrgyzstan, Alay Mtn. Range, ca. 25 km SE of Kyzyl-Kiya, Abshirsay Gorge; 13―Kyrgyzstan, Alay Mtn. Range, the Kurshab River Valley ca. 10 km NW of Gul’cha Town; 14―Kyrgyzstan, Central Tien Shan, the Dzhumgal River Valley E of Chaek; 15―Kyrgyzstan, the Chu River near the western extremity Of the Issyk-Kul Lake (ca. 6 km w Of Balykchi TOWn).