Lethierium Dlabola, 1980

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 : 518

Genus Lethierium Dlabola, 1980

Lethierium Dlabola, 1980: 235 .

Type species: Hysteropterum reiberi Lethierry, 1878 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Metope wide, often smooth and without carinae. Coryphe transverse. Forewings wide, with wide hypocostal plate. Hind wings rudimentary. Abdominal sternites IV–VI in imago each with two large sensory pits medially. Phallobase strongly curved, its proximal part (basement) with a pair of lobe-shaped processes.

Supplementary description. Eyes large, 0.5 as wide as coryphe (in dorsal view). Coryphe transverse, with lateral margins weakly diverging anteriorly ( Figs 1 , 6 , 9 , 12 , 16 , 21 , 31 , 40 , 55 ). Metope wide, often smooth and without carinae ( Figs 3 , 8 , 11 , 14 , 20 , 30 , 39 ). Coryphe and metope joint at obtuse angle (in lateral view). Ocelli absent. Postclypeus smooth, without carinae. Rostrum reaching hind coxae; 3 rd segment narrowing apically, slightly shorter than 2 nd one. Pedicel globular. Pronotum with strongly convex anterior margin and nearly straight posterior margin. Paradiscal fields of pronotum wide behind the eyes. Paranotal lobes of pronotum wide, without carine, with slightly bent lower margin ( Fig. 54 ). Forewings wide, extend beyond the abdomen apex, with weakly obtusely angulate costal margin and distinct membrane ( Figs 2 , 7 , 10 , 13 , 17 ). Forewings often with distinct shoulder-shaped prominence (or knee prominence) well recognized as bulge at first furcation of radius ( Fig. 12 , kp). Forewings with wide precostal area and wide hypocostal plate, basal cell small. Clavus long, ⅔ of wing length. Hind wings rudimentary, nearly reaching abdomen basement ( Fig. 22 ), matte. Hind tibia with 1–2 lateral spines. First metatarsomere short and wide, with two latero-apical and 6–7 intermediate spines in continuous row. Second metatarsomere equal in length to first one, but narrower, with only two latero-apical spines. Ventral surface of first and second metatarsomeres with long setae.

Abdominal sternites IV–VI of imago each with two large sensory pits medially ( Figs 4, 5 ). Each pit comprises of wide circle depression of the cuticle with a sensory hair in its centre arising from dark brown socket, laying nearly horizontally and directed to the rim of the depression at acute angle to the midline of the sternite. Besides these large sensory pits the sternites IV–VI have also several trichobothria, from three to seven on each side along its posterior margin, which are represented by long sensory hair (longer than surrounding setae) arising from dark brown socket vertically from the cuticle.

Male pygofer elongate vertically, with weakly obtuse or nearly right upper angle and nearly straight hind margins ( Figs 23 , 32 , 41 , 47 , 56 ). Lateral margins of anal tube turned downwards (25, 38, 57). Phallobase strongly curved, with a weakly sclerotized sac dorso-apically, its basement with a pair of lobe-shaped processes ( Figs 26 , 34 , 46 , 49 , 59 ). Dorsolateral phallobase lobes narrowing apically, without processes. Ventral phallobase lobe long and wide, narrowing apically ( Figs 27 , 33 , 45 , 50 , 61 ). Apical aedeagal processes not visible above the phallobase, narrowing apically. Aedeagus with a pair of ventral hooks, often strongly curved. Style with well developed apical and lateral teeth ( Figs 29 , 35 , 43 , 51 , 62 ). Connective with a large cup ( Figs 26 , 34 , 46 , 49 , 59, 60 ).

Hind margin of female sternite VII widely concave (in ventral view), with labial median process (in dorsal view) ( Figs 64–68, 70 ). Gonoplacs convex, without carinae ( Figs 19 , 71 ). Gonocoxa VIII with weakly lobe-shaped hind margin ( Fig. 74 ). Anterior connective lamina of gonapophysis VIII wide, with three teeth in apical group and 3–4 teeth in lateral group. Endogonocoxal process slightly furcating apically ( Fig. 75 ). Posterior connective laminae of gonapophyses IX vertically elongate, with its distal parts curved at obtuse angle ( Figs 72, 73, 76, 77 ). Median field of the laminae two-lobed ( Fig. 73 ). Lateral fields of the laminae short. Gonospiculum bridge large.

Figures

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

FIGURES 6–8. Lethierium juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), female, Aïn Kerma. 6—dorsal view; 7—lateral view; 8—frontal view. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 9–11. Lethierium cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), male, Timhadit. 9—dorsal view; 10—lateral view; 11—frontal view. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 12–15. Lethierium grandilobum sp. nov., 12–14—holotype, 15—female paratype, Marrakech. 12—dorsal view; 13, 15—lateral view; 14—frontal view.Abbreviation: kp — knee prominence. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURES 16–19. Lethierium carinatum sp. nov., female paratype, Bou Naceur. 16—dorsal view; 17—lateral view; 18—frontal view; 19—caudal view. Scale bar—1 mm.

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 30–31. Lethierium juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), male, Aïn Kerma. 30 – face; 31 – head and pronotum, dorsal view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 39–40. Lethierium cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), male, Timhadit. 39—face; 40—head and pronotum, dorsal view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 53–55. Lethierium carinatum sp. nov., female paratype, Bou Naceur. 53—face; 54—eye, scapus, pedicel, and paranotal lobe, frontal view; 55—head and pronotum, dorsal view. Out of scale.

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 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 32–38. Lethierium juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), Aïn Kerma, male genitalia. 32 – pygofer, lateral view; 33 – penis, ven- tral view; 34 – penis and connective, lateral view; 35 – style, lateral view; 36 – style, dorsal view; 37 – anal tube, dorsal view; 38 – anal tube, lateral view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 41–46. Lethierium cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), Timhadit, male genitalia. 41—anal tube and pygofer, lateral view; 42—anal tube, dorsal view; 43—style, lateral view; 44—style, dorsal view; 45—penis, ventral view; 46—penis and connective, lateral view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 47–52. Lethierium grandilobum sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia. 47—anal tube, pygofer, and penis, lateral view; 48—anal tube, dorsal view; 49—penis and connective, lateral view; 50—penis and connective, ventral view; 51—style, lateral view; 52—style, dorsal view. Out of scale.

FIGURES 56–63. Lethierium carinatum sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia. 56—pygofer, lateral view; 57—anal tube, lateral view; 58—anal tube, dorsal view; 59—penis and connective, lateral view; 60—connective, caudal view; 61—penis, ventral view; 62—style, lateral view; 63—style, dorsal 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.

FIGURES 71–77. Lethierium spp., ovipositor structure, 71–75—L. juniperi (Bergevin, 1915), Aïn Kerma, 76–77—L. cedricolum (Dlabola, 1989), Ras el ma. 71—anal tube and gonoplac, dorsal view; 72, 76—gonapophyses IX and gonospiculum bridge, lateral view; 73—same, ventral view; 74—gonapophysis VIII; 75—apex of endogonocoxal lobe; 77—basement of gonapophyses IX and gonospiculum bridge, caudal view. Out of scale.