Stirellus catalinus ( Beamer & Tuthill, 1934 )

Duan, Yani, Zhang, Yating & Dietrich, Christopher H., 2019, Six new species of Stenometopiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with redescription of additional species and new distributional records, Zootaxa 4603 (2), pp. 201-240 : 206-210

Stirellus catalinus ( Beamer & Tuthill, 1934) n. rec.

( Figs 3–6)

Penestirellus catalinus Beamer & Tuthill, 1934: 22 .

Penestirellus to Stirellus ; Emeljanov, 1962: 393 [comb. not given]. Description. Length. Male: 2.9–3.2mm; female: 3.2–3.9mm.

Coloration. Overall color varying from ochraceous to yellow green with or without variable symmetrical fuscous marks ( Figs 3 A–I; 5A–E). Crown usually with marks consisting of pair of apical spots, pair of preapical arcuate lines and two pairs of basal spots ( Figs 3 A–G; 5A–D). Frontoclypeus ochraceous with fuscous arcs reaching only part way across ( Figs 3J; 5F). Forewing translucent with or without fuscous tint, veins pale ( Figs 3 A–I; 5A–E). Femora and tibiae with dark brown marks ( Figs 3H, I; 5E). Abdominal sternites variably infused with dark brown; female sternite VII usually dark brown in contrast to pale segments more basad ( Figs 3K; 5G).

Morphology. Head subequal in width to pronotum, subconical, anterior margin rounded to face, acutely angled in dorsal and lateral view ( Figs 3 A–I; 5A–E). Crown longer than width between eyes ( Figs 3 A–G; 5A–D). Anteclypeus tapering to apex, extending beyond normal curve of genae ( Figs 3J; 5F). Pronotum median length shorter than median length of crown. Mesonotum and scutellum nearly as long as pronotum ( Figs 3 A–G; 5A–D). Forewing macropterous to submacropterous, usually exposing apex of abdomen in female and sometimes in male, appendix weakly developed, R branches not reflexed ( Figs 3 A–I; 5A–E).

Male genitalia. Pygofer side with few macrosetae dorsally, dorsal margin weakly concave, posterior margin nearly truncate ( Figs 4A, B; 6A, B). Subgenital plate distinctly concave laterally in distal half, macrosetae uniseriate, well separated from lateral margin ( Figs 4 D–F; 6D). Style apophysis digitate, relatively robust, laterallylaterally curved, outer margin serrate ( Figs 4G; 6E). ConnectiveConnective narrowlynarrowly Y-shaped, stemstem parallelparallel sided, shortershorter thanthan armsarms ( Figs 4H; 6F). Aedeagal shaft bent near base but divergent from base throughout length, long, very slightly expanded above bend, nearly straight through most of length, curved slightly anterad at distal fourth, apex blunt ( Figs 4 I–L; 6G–I).

Female. Hind margin of seventh sternum shallowly concave medially, angulate laterally; nearly uniformly dark brown or black, contrasting with paler adjacent abdominal segments ( Figs 3K; 5G).

Material examined. 1Ƌ, Mexico: Durango 10km S El Valle Nacional , 1720m, 29 x 1995, coll. C.H. Dietrich, sweeping, 95-072 ( INHS); 5ƋƋ, 4♀♀ , Mexico: Durango 5km SE Mesquital , 1900m, 6 xi 1995, coll. C.H. Dietrich, sweeping, 95-088 ( INHS); 1Ƌ, 5♀♀ , Mexico: Jalisco Aguacate-Zenzontla rd. , 840m, 19° 38′ 22" N 104° 03′ 01" W, 13 x 2001, coll. C.H. Dietrich, sweeping, 01-006-02 ( INHS); 9ƋƋ, 6♀♀ , Mexico: Jalisco 6km ESE Tuxcacuesco , 1200m, 19° 40′ 8" N 104° 0′ 50" W, 14 x 2001, coll. C.H. Dietrich, vacuum, 01-007-02 ( INHS); 1Ƌ , Mexico: Jalisco Rt 80 kƋ149 NE Lagos de Moreno , 1875m, 21° 22′ N 101° 53′ E, 18 x 2001, coll. C.H. Dietrich, sweeping, 01- 017-02 ( INHS); 1Ƌ , Mexico: Chiapas, Rt 195 kƋ31, 10km NE Chiapa de Corzo , 1000m, 16° 49′ N 92° 58′ E, 4 xi 2001, coll. C.H. Dietrich, vacuum, 01-0541-03 ( INHS); 2ƋƋ, 3♀♀ , Mexico: Oaxaca, Rt 190 km #36 Tulenito 95m, 16° 33′ 10" N 94° 37′ 50" W, 6 xi 2001, coll. C.H. Dietrich, sweeping, 01-054-03( INHS); 2♀♀ , Mexico: Puebla Rt 125 3.5 km SW Tehuacan, 1700m, 18° 24′ N 97° 23′ E, 8 xi 2001, coll. C.H. Dietrich, vacuum, 01-061-01 ( INHS); 3ƋƋ , Mexico: Coah: Cuahtemoc rd. km 9.9, 2230m, 25.27751º N 100.96519º W, 30 x 2005, coll. C.H. Dietrich, sweeping , MX 05-74-1 ( INHS) .

Distribution. Mexico; USA.

Remarks. This species is here recorded from Mexico for the first time. There are two more or less distinct color forms (cf. Figs 3 and 5), both of which were collected simultaneously in the same habitats at most Mexican localities listed above. Therefore, these apparently do not represent seasonal forms, as seen in the temperate North American species S. bicolor .