Lethierium reiberi ( Lethierry, 1878 )

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M., 2022, Revision of the genus Lethierium Dlabola, 1980 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha Issidae), with description of two new species from Central Morocco, Zootaxa 5155 (4), pp. 517-538 : 519-520

Lethierium reiberi ( Lethierry, 1878)

( Figs 1–4 , 20–29 , 66 )

Hysteropterum reiberi Lethierry, 1878: 27 .

Lethierium reiberi — Dlabola, 1980: 236.

Diagnosis. Metope wide, distinctly enlarged below eyes, convex (its upper part well visible from above), smooth, without carinae. Coryphe transverse, 2.5 times as wide as long medially. Forewing radius and media stem running parallel and closely from the basal cell to wing middle. Hind tibia with a single lateral spine. Lateral margins of male anal tube with semicircular subapical processes (in lateral view). Phallobase basement with large and wide lobeshaped processes. Aedeagus with nearly straight ventral hooks directed downwards. Style with deeply concave hind margin; capitulum on long neck. Generally straw yellow. Total length males—3.2–3.5 mm, females—4.0–4.5 mm.

Supplementary description. Coryphe flat, transverse, 2.5 times as wide as long medially, without carinae; anterior margin weakly convex; posterior margin concave ( Figs 1 , 21 ). Metope wide, convex (its upper part well visible from above), smooth, without carinae ( Figs 3 , 20 ). Metope distinctly enlarged below eyes, its lateral margins sharply converging to postclypeus. Lateral margins of metope slightly hang over the pedicels. Metopoclypeal suture steeply wedge-shaped. Postclypeus large, smooth. Pronotum slightly longer than coryphe at midline, without carinae. Mesonotum nearly equal in length to pronotum, without carinae. Forewings with distinct knee prominence; basal cell almost circular. Forewing vein sequence ( Fig. 2 ): R 2, furcating at basal third of the wing, with net of veins between R 1 and R 2; M 4–7, firstly furcating at wing middle and M 1 and M 2 furcating in apical third of the wing; CuA 1–2, furcating at apical third of the wing (in some specimens right and left wings may have CuA 1 and CuA 2). Radius and media running parallel and closely from the basal cell to wing middle. Radius furcating before media. Hind tibia with a single lateral spine in its distal half and with 9–10 apical spines. First metatarsomere with 7 intermediate spines. Arolium of pretarsus protruding beyond claw apices, with concave posterior margin (in dorsal view). Dorso-lateral plates of arolium wide.

Coloration. General coloration straw yellow. Metopoclypeal suture black. Postclypeus light brown frontally and laterally. Anteclypeus light brown. Rostrum dark brown, with black apex of 3 rd segment. Apices of leg spines black. Claws brown. Abdominal tergites dark brown, with light yellow hind margins.

Male. Abdominal sternite III light yellow and sternites IV–VII black medially, with light yellow depressions of sensory pits. Pygofer, anal tube and styles light yellow.

Female. Abdominal sternite III light yellow and sternites IV–VII brown, except light yellow depressions of sensory pits and hind margin of sternite VII. Anal tube brown yellowish to dark brown. Pygofer dark brown. Gonoplacs dark brown, each with yellow spot laterally. Gonocoxa VIII with light yellow hind margin.

Male genitalia ( Figs 23–29 ). Anal tube elongate, 2.5 times as long as wide medially, weakly narrowing apically (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 24 ); its lateral margins turned downwards, with semicircular subapical processes (in lateral view) ( Fig. 25 ). Anal column ¼ of anal tube. Ventral phallobase lobe with an apical notch ( Fig. 27 ). Aedeagal hooks arising below the middle of aedeagus, directed downwards, nearly straight, with pointed apices. Lobe-shaped processes of the phallobase basement wide, not narrowing apically ( Fig. 26 ). Style with deeply concave hind margin, caudo-dorsal angle widely rounded; capitulum on long neck, elongate, not narrowing apically (in dorsal view) ( Figs 28, 29 ).

Female genitalia. Hind margin of sternite VII with short labial median process (in dorsal view) ( Fig. 66 , shaded). Anal tube long convex (in lateral view); 3.5 times as long as wide medially, narrowing apically, with rounded apex (in dorsal view). Anal column wide and short, ¹⁄ of whole anal tube. Anterior connective lamina of gonapophysis VIII with four teeth in lateral group.

Material examined. Algeria: 1♀, Geryville ( MNHN) ; 1♂, “ Aïn Séfra / ( Oran) / L. Bleuse [one side] 6.7.1896 [another side]” ( MNHN) ; 1♂, “Aïn Séfra / ( Oran) / L. Bleuse [one side] 6-17-5 / 1896 [another side]” ( MNHN) ; 2♀, “ Aïn Séfra / Mai 1896 / Dr. A. Chobaut ” ( MNHN) ; 2♂, 2♀, “Mékalis / ( Oran) / L. Bleuse [one side] 16-5.1896 [another side]” ( MNHN and ZIN) ; 1♂, 1♀, “ Mékalis / Mai 1896 / Dr. A. Chobaut ” ( MNHN) ; 2♀, “ Mechera / Mai 1896 / Dr. A. Chobaut ” ( MNHN) .

Notes. During this study the photos of the holotype deposited in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Brussels, Belgium) were examined and compared with the specimens listed above. According to available data the species is known from northern Algeria. Previous records are from El Bayadh Province ( Geryville ) ( Lethierry 1878) and M’Sila Province (vicinity of Bou-Saâda) ( Gnezdilov et al. 2004). Other material listed above is from Naâma Province .

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Lethierium reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), male, Mékalis. 1—dorsal view; 2—lateral view; 3—frontal view. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 4–5. Lethierium spp. 4—L. reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), male (Mékalis), ventral view (scale bar—1 mm); 5—L. juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), female (Aïn Kerma), sternite VI, ventral view (out of scale).

FIGURES 20–22. Lethierium reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), male, Aïn Sefra. 20—face; 21—head and pronotum, dorsal view; 22—hind wing. Out of scale.

FIGURES 23–29. Lethierium reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), Aïn Sefra, male genitalia. 23—pygofer, lateral view; 24—anal tube, dorsal view; 25—anal tube, lateral view; 26—penis and connective, lateral view; 27—penis, ventral view; 28—style, dorsal view; 29—style, lateral view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 64–70. Lethierium spp., female. 64—L. cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), Ras el ma, sternite VII, dorsal view; 65—same, ventral view; 66—L. reiberi (Lethierry, 1878), Mékalis, sternite VII, dorsal view; 67—L. juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), Aïn Kerma, sternite VII, dorsal view; 68—same, ventral view; 69—L. carinatum sp. nov., paratype, Bou Naceur, anal tube, dorsal view; 70—L. carinatum sp. nov., paratype, Bou Naceur, sternite VII, dorsal view.