Emeljanovianus hyperprocessatus sp. n.

(Figs 1–6)

Diagnosis: Based on the male genital morphology the new species is closely related to both E. medius and E. hilaris . It is easily distinguished from these species by its very long and curved finger-shaped pygofer process provided with a serrate tip and directed postero-ventrad (Figs 2G, 3A) (in the other two species triangular, thorn-shaped with smooth tip and directed ventrad (Figs 7C, 10F)).

Furthermore, it differs also in its aedeagus shape with a very large gonopore, almost parallel preapical processes originating from the basal gonopore margin and quite distant from the apical processes (Figs 2A, B) (in E. medius gonopore smaller and preapical processes rather short, ± divaricate, originating from the lateral margin of the gonopore close to apical processes (Figs 7A, B); in E. hilaris the gonopore is quite small with preapical processes longer and originating from the basal margin (Figs 10D, E)).

Description: Macropterous (Figs 1A, B). Head wider than pronotum. Vertex pentagonal, pointed, slightly shorter than width between eyes; anterior margin acutely angled in females (Fig. 1B) and obtusely angled in males (Fig. 1A). Ocelli on anterior margin of vertex, in proximity to the eyes. Pronotum as long as head (males) or somewhat shorter (females).

Coloration: Anteclypeus, genae and lorae straw-coloured. Frontoclypeus brown with light transversal stripes and light sagittal line (Fig. 1C). Vertex with two triangular black spots at apex and behind them, and with two large brownish longitudinal stripes extending to posterior margin. Pronotum with three pairs of brownish longitudinal bands. Forewing brownish yellow to light grey, translucent, with white or yellow veins; apical cells sometimes surrounded by brown markings. Legs straw-coloured; tibiae with brownish base of setae and black stripe on median side; posterior margin of tarsi brownish. Abdominal tergites largely dark brown to black; abdominal sternites straw-coloured with brown spots varying in extension.

Male genitalia: Pygofer longer than broad, with numerous long macrosetae irregularly arranged on its posterior half and laterally (Fig. 3A). Pygofer lobe processes long, robust, finger-shaped, curved in its distal portion and ventrally serrated on their apical 1/4, originating from posteroventral margin of pygofer and directed posteroventrad (Figs 2G, 3A, 5C, F, I).

Genital plates long, trapezoidal, with several macrosetae arranged in single row along its lateral margin (Figs 2C–E, 3B). Genital valve elongate (length about 2/3 of its width), apically rounded (Figs 2C, 3B). Styles widening apicad, with short and hook-shaped apophysis (Figs 2F, 3B). Aedeagus shaft stout, almost straight, ventral side flat with distinct sharp margin; gonopore in apical position, large; one pair of robust, long and divaricate processes at tip of shaft, and one smaller and shorter pair of processes almost parallel to shaft at basal margin of gonopore (Figs 2A, B, 3C, 5A, B, D, E, G, H).

Female genitalia: 7th abdominal sternite sub-rectangular with rounded posterior angles; posterior margin with median notch and on both sides of it slightly concave (Figs 2I, 3D); 7th abdominal sternite straw-coloured with two small brownish spots laterally to median notch. Ovipositor long, protruding over pygofer tip. Ovipositor base as in Fig. 2H; first valvula with dorsal sculpturing pattern maculose (Fig. 4A); apical half of second valvulae with about 25 obtusely triangular teeth (Fig. 4B).

Measurements: Body length: males 3.5–4.1 mm; females 4.1–4.7 mm.

Fifth instar nymph (Figs 1D, E): Body length 3–3.75 mm, mainly 3.4–3.7 mm. In shape quite similar to nymphs of Diplocolenus spp.

Vertex long, acuminate. Coloration consisting of pattern of creamy white and light brown markings. Face brown with indistinct light transverse stripes and sagittal light line. Vertex light brown with one median and two lateral whitish bands. These bands continuing onto pro-, meso-, and metanotum and abdominal tergites; lateral margin of abdominal tergites whitish; sublateral light brown bands each with small rounded whitish spot giving origin to one seta. Legs light with dark base of bristles.

Chaetotaxy: 4/4/4/4/6/6 setae on tergites III–VIII.

Remark: The species is astonishingly similar in size, shape and coloration to macropterous specimens of Diplocolenus frauenfeldi (Fieber, 1869), from which it can easily be distinguished in both sexes by the genital morphology.

Type series:

Holotype: Male ITALY: Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Aschi; N41,97958 E13,73717; 1050 m; 06/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (845); pasture. Paratypes: Same data as holotype; 23 males, 21 females.— Piemonte (CN), Val Maira, Colle Sautron; 1700–2000 m; 13.II[?].1997; B.G. Osella; 1 male. — Piemonte: Bersezio ( Colle della Maddalena), Cuneo; 1500 m; 20/08/1968; Olmi leg.; 1 male. — Marche (Macerata): Monti Sibillini, little road between Casali and Fiastra, 700 m north of fork to Forcella di Fargno; ~ 1500 m; 20/8/2007; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (402); mountain meadows, Rosa; 1 male, 1 female. (CGB).— Umbria, Subasio; 17.6.76; leg. A. Servadei; Sorhoanus medius M.R.; det. A. Servadei; 2 males. (MSNV). — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), SS 17bis Assergi – Campo Imperatore, Km 25,5; ~ 1250 m; 17/6/2005; Bückle & Guglielmino leg. (149); meadows among shrubs of Quercus cerris, Quercus sp., Corylus, etc.; 13 males, 2 females. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila): Collarmele, Fontana Vallone; N42,08361 E13,66461; 1073 m; 04/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (840); pasture; 14 males, 6 females. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Collarmele, Fontana Vallone; N42,08156 E13,66807; 1085 m; 04/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (841); pasture; 3 males, 2 females. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Cocullo, Olmo di Bobbi; N42,03073 E13,75650; 1336 m; 06/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (846); pasture; 17 males, 11 females. (CGB). — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Olmo di Bobbi; 42.047329, 13.746572; 1200 m, 18/06/2020; leg. F. Sanna; herbs and grasses; 1 male, 1 female. — Abruzzo, (L’Aquila), Assergi; 42.393114, 13.558720; 1500 m, 20/07/2021; leg. F. Sanna; herbs and grasses; 1 male, 1 female. — Abruzzo, (L’Aquila), Ortona dei Marsi; 41.995489, 13.734522; 955 m; 31/05/2020; leg. F. Sanna; herbs and grasses; 2 males, 2 females. (FS).

Holotype, 2 male and 2 female paratypes are deposited in Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, Germany (SNSD); 71 male and 42 female paratypes are deposited in Private collection Guglielmino/Bückle (CGB). 4 male and 4 female paratypes are deposited in Private collection Francesco Sanna (FS). 2 male paratypes are deposited in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Verona, Italy (MSNV).

Further material (females, nymphs): ITALY: Marche (Pesaro-Urbino), M. Catria, summit area; 1500–1700 m; 30/08/2008; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (448); very degraded pasture; 1 female. — Abruzzo, Gran Sasso (AQ), M.te Cristo; 1650 m; 22.VIII.1996; B. Osella leg.; 1 female. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Ortona dei Marsi, road to Cocullo; Fosso S. Giorgio; N42°01‘30.0‘‘ E13°44‘08.3‘‘; 1041 m; 30/06/2013; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (701); dry slopes, vegetation with Stipa, Satureia, Thymus; 1 female. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Collarmele, Fontana Vallone; N42,08061 E13,64671; 979 m; 04/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (838); pasture; 1 female. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Aschi; N41,97958 E13,73717; 1050 m; 06/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (845); pasture; 10 nymphs. — Abruzzo (L’Aquila), Cocullo, Olmo di Bobbi; N42,03073 E13,75650; 1336 m; 06/06/2017; Guglielmino & Bückle leg. (846); pasture; 9 nymphs. (CGB) .

Distribution (Fig. 12A): Italy: Piedmont, Marche, Umbria, and Abruzzo.

Ecology and Phenology (Fig. 6): Mountain pastures and meadows at 950–1700 m, adults were collected from end of May to end of August, fifth instar nymphs at beginning of June. Probably univoltine.

For E. medius, Emeljanov (1964b) recorded Bromus inermis as the host plant. Seljak (2016) suggested that it lives also on other Poaceae species. E. hyperprocessatus probably feeds on Poaceae as well. In Central Italy it was collected at several localities characterized by Bromopsis erecta (Huds.) Fourr. and Festuca stricta trachyphylla (Hack.) Patzke ex Pils.