Cixius (Ceratocixius) cunicularius ( Linnaeus, 1767 )

Mozaffarian, Fariba & Hoch, Hannelore, 2023, Contribution to the planthopper fauna of Iran: Cixiidae, tribe Cixiini (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoromorpha), Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 9 (3), pp. 567-581 : 571-572

Cixius (Ceratocixius) cunicularius ( Linnaeus, 1767) ( Figs 3A & 6D)

Cicada cunicularia Linnaeus, 1767:711 , [ Denmark]; Cicada nervosopunctata De Geer, 1773:182 , [no type locality given]. Syn Germar 1818:195; Cicada cynosbatis Fabricius, 1775:686 , [ Denmark]. Syn Fallén, 1826:72; Cercopis dionysii Panzer, 1796:24 , [ Germany]. Syn Germar, 1818:195; Cixius cunicularia : Latreille 1807:166; Cixius dorsalis Hardy, 1850:430 , [ England]. Syn Scott, 1870:122; Cixius eurypterus Kirschbaum, 1868:46 , [ Germany]. Syn Fieber 1872:3; Cixius cunicularius vulgaris Fieber, 1876:189; Cixius cunicularius fusca Fieber, 1876:190 ; Cixius (Ceratocixius) cunicularius Wagner, 1939:88 , 102.

Material examined. IRAN • 1 ♀ Gilan province, Asalem, Parehsar , 950 m a.s.l.; 14.viii.1974; Mirzayans / Abaii leg.

Reamrks. Regarding the recorded overall distribution of the species, which is from north Africa to Europe, Turkey, to northern and central Asia ( Nast, 1972, Tezcan & Zeybekoglu, 2001), the occurrence of the species in northwest of Iran ( Fig. 6D) is within the known range for the species.

Cixius (Ceratocixius) pallipes Fieber, 1876 [ Cixius wagneri China, 1942 – group] ( Figs 3B, 4E–H & 6E) Cixius (Ceratocixius) pallipes Fieber, 1876:191 (Italy, Corsica, southern France); Cixius intermedius Scott ssp. pallipes sensu Wagner, 1939 (partim); Cixius pallipes wagneri China, 1942:88 (Greece); Cixius (Ceratocixius) wagneri China, 1942; Nast, 1972.

Material examined. IRAN • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Alborz province, Karaj , 29.v.1971 & 6.vi.1971, Sabzevari leg. ; 1 ♀, Karaj, Arangeh, Sarziarat , 1750 m a.s.l., 10–11.vii.1996, Barari / Badii leg. ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Ardebil province, 4 Km W. Aslandouz, near Aras river , 39°29'42.1"N 48°03'2.2"E, 101 m a.s.l., 28.vi.2017, Light trap, Naserzadeh / Mozhdehi, leg. ; 1 ♂, Meshkinshahr , 5 km Parsabad Rd, 38°25′26.9"N, 47°41′20.8"E, 1298 m a.s.l., 23.vii.2009, Manzari / Hajiesmailian leg. ; 1 ♂, S.W. Aslandouz, near Aras river , 38°57'9.7"N 47°01'17.3"E, 775 m a.s.l., 26.vi.2017, Naserzadeh / Mozhdehi leg. ; 1 ♂, W. Azarbaijan province, Piranshahr, Mahabad Rd. , 35 Km Mahabad , 36°44'33.8"N 42°27'20"E, 1638 m a.s.l., 30.viii.2007, Mozaffarian leg. ; 2 ♂, Sardasht, Kalle Gavi , 36°22'6.2"N 45°35'19.9"E, 1683 m a.s.l., 28.viii.2008, Mozaffarian leg. ; 1 ♂, E. Azarbaijan province, N. Kaleybar, Arasbaran Conserved area , 5 km N. Asheghlu , Ainanluz station , 38°53'44.4"N 46°48'49.8"E, 1848 m a.s.l., 23.vi.2015, Naserzadeh / Hajiesmailian / Montreuili leg. ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiari province, Ardel, Gahro , Tang-e Zeverdegan , 31°59'10.3"N 50°51'23.3"E, 2347 m a.s.l., 23.vii.2009, Mozaffarian leg. ; 1 ♂, Esfahan province, Frizhand , 33°31'2.4"N 51°41'29.3"E, 2419 m a.s.l., 16.vi.2011, Mozaffarian leg. ; 1 ♂, Golpaiegan , 33°13'14.4"N 50°19'2.6"E, 1888 m a.s.l., 20.vii.2009, Mozaffarian leg. ; 2 ♀♀, Gilan province, Asalem , Kom, 150 m a.s.l., 4.viii.1975, Mirzayans leg. ; 6 ♂♂ 18 ♀♀, Asalem, Parehsar , 750 & 950 m a.s.l., 14.viii.1974, Mirzayanx / Abaii leg. ; 18 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, Asalem, Pissason , 220 m a.s.l., 30.viii.1975, Mirzayans leg. ; 6 ♀♀, 1300 m a.s.l., 17–16.viii.1980, Pazukki/ Baourmand leg.; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Asalem, Shandol , 950 m a.s.l., 9.viii.1974, Mirzayans / Farahbakhsh leg. ; 1 ♀, Bandar-Anzali ; 8.viii.1974, Mirzayans / Farahbakhsh leg. ; 1 ♂, 29.ix.1970, Abaii leg.; 1♀, Hashtpar, Asalem ; 1250 m a.s.l.; 30.vii.1976; Borumand / Pazuki leg. ; 6 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, Hashtpar, Rek, 15 Km Hashtpar , 570 m a.s.l., 31.viii.1975, Mirzayans leg. ; 1 ♂, Golestan province, Park-e Melli-e Golestan, Koylar , 1250 m a.s.l., 23.vi.1996, Ebrahimi / Nazari v. leg .; l ♂ Ghom province, 13 Km Ghom, Ghomroud, Selfabad village , 35°47'1.8"N 51°23'33.4"E; 912 m a.s.l., 18.viii.2007, Alipanah leg. ; pomegranate orchard. 1 ♂, Ghom, 27.vi.1974, Farzaneh leg. ; 1♂, Hamedan province: Nahavand, Sarabe-e Gamasian , 34°5'56.2"N 48°25'20.5"E, 1813 m a.s.l., 11.vii.2014, Afsarian leg. ; 1 ♂, Hormozgan province, Isin , 130 m a.s.l., 28–30.iv.1977, Pazuki / Hashemi leg. ; 1 ♂, N. Kuh-e Geno, Bge-Tang , 410 m a.s.l., 7–8.v.1977, Pazuki leg. ; 1 ♀, Khuzestan province, 40 Km N. Andimeshk, Bidruyeh, 650 m a.s.l., 3.v.1976, Pazuki / Abaii leg. ; 1 ♂, 8 ♀, Ahvaz, Mollasani , 20 m a.s.l., 16.v.1975, Pazuki / Borumand leg. ; 2 ♂, Dez National Park, Mianroud , 32°6'23.6"N 48°26'17.2"E, 13.iv–14.vi.2014, 54 m a.s.l., Parchami Araghi leg. ; near marsh, Malaise trap. 25 ♂♂, 20 ♀♀, Dezful, Haft-Tappeh , 20 m a.s.l., 13.v.1975, Pazuki / Borumank leg. ; 3 ♂♂, Shoush, Kardheh National Park , 32°4'36.5"N 48°14'15.8"E, 67 m a.s.l., 10.v.– 10.vii.2015, Gilasian leg. ; near swamp, Malaise trap. 1 ♂, Kordestan province, Sanandaj-Farah , 1– 15.vii.1974, Hashemi leg. ; Light trap. 1 ♂, Mazandaran province: Chalakrud, Ekrasar , 1560 m a.s.l., 11.ix.1990, Ebrahimi / Badii leg. ; 1 ♂, Tehran province: Robat Karim, Ovrin , 1050 m a.s.l., 24–25.v.1993, Parchami / Badii leg. ; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Tehran, Evin , 32. vi.1975, Light trap .

Remarks. Problematic taxon, likely to concern at least two, if not more species. Cixius pallipes was originally described from Italy (type locality), Corsica and Southern France, and subsequently has been recorded in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaidjan, Bulgaria, Corsica, Cyprus, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Moldova, Romania, Sardinia, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Turkey, former Yugoslavia ( Nast, 1972, 1987; Lodos & Kalkandelen, 1980; Kalkandelen, 1987; Dlabola, 1977, 1981; Drosopoulos, 1980; Demir, 2008; Picciau et al., 2016). However, records of C. pallipes from the Eastern Mediterranean region, Near- and Middle East are doubtful and probably refer to different species. Those from Eastern Europe are likely to concern C. wagneri China (M. Asche, Berlin, pers. comm., see also Holzinger et al., 2003; Mozaffarian & Wilson, 2011; Vadell & Hoch, 2009) or other yet undescribed species. Thus, all geographical records of both species need confirmation. According to the figures of the male genitalia given by different authors (e.g., Wagner, 1939, Emeljanov, 2015; Picciau et al., 2016) for Cixius "pallipes ", there is remarkable geographic variation among populations which may or may not point to separate species. A revision of the entire group would be highly desirable.